How do I cat liter question?

Question

Ok so I am new to cats. I picked up a cat from the shelter for my daughter. The cat pee-ed in the liter and i went to scoop it up and now my whole house stinks soooo bad and I can not stand it. What did I do wrong? First of all it was not clumpy which i did not know until after i did it, and it did not stink until after I did it. My nose can smell really well and I cant deal with this smell. Please tell me what I have done wrong and how to do it right! Thankyou!

Answer 1

Yes scooping litter is best and clean it out daily. You can get a boda box or a covered littler box that has a filter at the top to keep the smell down. Bottom line there will be some smell here and there, so a covered box, keeping it cleaned out daily and use scoop litter. I try to only buy the litter when its on sale then I buy a few boxes and do it all the time, I refuse to pay full price for litter!! I use plastic grocery bags to clean out the box and tie it tight, don't toss it in the house trash OH NO!! always out side trash..I am lucky I have an Alpine house filter so if there is a big smell I just put it on sanitize!!  GOOD LUCK! Kitties are WONDERFUL PETS!!  PS a small sisal rug out side the litter box to keep from tracking litter is good too!

Answer 2

clumpin litter is def. the best...but you do not need to scoop it every time the cat uses it...once or twice a day is fine...and clean the box out completely once every week or 2. I have found that NON scented litters actually work best...some of the scented litters seem to jus over power u with a perfume mixed with pee smell...its horrible...try SCOOP AWAY PLUS CRYSTALS....or ARM AND HAMMER SUPER SCOOP. add baking soda in with the litter every time u scoop it.  

Answer 3

First of all, if you talk to the average cat owner you will find that they do not scoop the litter right after the cat uses the box. I don't know how long you waited but it needs time to cluster if its even a scoopable litter. Otherwise your just stirring and uncovering the urine. Also, probably the most important is the type of litter you use. Not that it has to be the most expensive, just a good litter. That comes from trial an error for the brand that works best for you.

However, I can recommend a few affordable brands that I think work well (and I have had many cats and kittens over the years and have 4 right now). Fresh Step and Scoop away are good brands. But some people don't like Scoop Away because its smaller grains and can sometimes stick to cats feet. You can put down a mat (regular or specially made for) right outside the box to collect most of it. When I perhaps prefer not to spend as much I buy a cheaper brand but I don't recall the name and I've only found it at Shop n Save stores (yellow and blue with a cat that has a smushed face, large bag $3.50).

One other thing that makes a huge difference is the box itself. You can buy a shallow box or the same but with a rim cover (to prevent kick outs) or ones that cover completely except for the door. There is a full covered version that also come with a compartment to hold your scooper and bags etc. Some come with or without that but will also have a filter you can clean or replace that helps filter the smell.

Lastly, you can buy a powder by Arm & Hammer that you sprinkle in the box to soak up the smell (or you can use reg. baking soda). At any rate, there are alot of products out there and you have to find whats best for you but have the right litter and litter box should help significantly and then you could scoop your box once a day to keep it fresh (many people do it less than that). If you have the finances you can purchase a self cleaning litter box for near $100 at Walmart or Petco, etc.

As I said, I have many cats and its all about the products you use. I hope this helps and let me say cudos and thank you for getting a cat from a shelter. Thats the best thing you can do when getting a pet!

Answer 4

for a first time cat owner it is mostly trial and error.  what works for us might not work for you.  just keep experimenting with different litters, you will eventually find one that helps.  if nothing else they do make a litter box that is self cleaning and automatic.  this might possibly be the way to go.  good luck with the new kitty

Answer 5

Ok first you have to get the clumping litter, (fresh step, arm and hammer) get it scented or sprinkle some litter box deodorize you can buy at the pet store.  If it is a male you need to take him and get him neutered.  That will cut down on the smell, stop him from spraying if you have a multiple cat household, and is healthier for  him in the long run and in turn will cut down on vet bills and trauma of taking him to the vet.  You did nothing really wrong.  Wait for a while after he goes so the litter will clump and absorb the urine.  Do not get the non clumping litter because one it does not clump and it will STINK you will have to change the litter more often and will amount to the same cost of the clumping litter so might as well save your nose and get the clumping litter. ( it says it right on the box.) Clean it out everyday, completely change the box w/ fresh litter every couple weeks.hope this helps.

Answer 6

I use condensed saw dust pellets for my animals. You can buy them from any store like tractor supply. They keep the smell away. I buy a kind called Equine Fresh for horses it comes in a bag like 50 pounds for 6 dollars so it is really cheap. The only thing about this stuff is that it is hard to scoop out so you need to scoop whatever you can out and change it like every 3 days. But there is no smell at all.You will kind of have to do your own trial and error to find what you like. Another good litter is Fresh step that is the clumping litter but it can be expensive. Good luck!