So, I’ve been having this issue with my place lately. It’s a small apartment, and I have two cats. They’re adorable, but man, does their litter box smell up the whole place! It’s like, I walk in the door and BAM! Cat pee central. I tried a few things, but nothing seemed to totally fix it. Here’s what I went through.
Changing the Litter
First, I thought maybe it was the litter I was using. I started with some cheap clay stuff. It was okay, but the smell was still pretty strong. So, I switched to one of those clumping litters. It was a bit better at controlling the odor, but still not great. Plus, it was dusty as hell. Every time the cats used it, there’d be a cloud of dust, and I felt like I was breathing that stuff in all day.
More Litter Boxes
Then I thought, maybe two cats, one box just wasn’t enough. So, I got another litter box. I put one in the bathroom and one in the living room, hoping that would spread things out a bit. It helped a little, but the smell was still there. And now I had two boxes to clean, which was double the fun.
Cleaning Like Crazy
Next, I went into full-on cleaning mode. I was scooping those boxes like twice a day. I’d dump the whole thing and wash the boxes with soap and water every week. I even started using this special enzyme cleaner that’s supposed to break down the pee smell. It worked, but not for very long. A couple of days later, that familiar ammonia smell would be back, and it was driving me crazy.
Fancy Litter Box
I even splurged on one of those covered litter boxes with a filter. I thought maybe trapping the smell inside would help. Nope. The cats were actually kind of freaked out by it at first, and it didn’t really make a difference with the odor. Plus, it was a pain to clean. Money down the drain.
Finally, a Solution!
Finally, I talked to my friend who’s a vet. She suggested I try a different type of litter altogether – a crystal-based one. She also recommended a box with really high sides, to prevent any accidents outside the box. I gave it a shot, and it made a huge difference! The crystal litter absorbs the pee and the smell like magic, and it’s not dusty. The high-sided box is great too. No more mess. It’s been a few weeks now, and my apartment smells so much better. It’s not perfect, but it’s a huge improvement.
So, if you’re dealing with cat litter smell, don’t give up! It might take some trial and error, but you can find something that works.
- Try different types of litter.
- Make sure you have enough litter boxes for your cats.
- Clean the boxes regularly.
- Consider a high-sided box to prevent accidents.
And don’t be afraid to ask your vet for advice! It’s a real pain, but you can get that smell under control.
