Kitty litter smell issue

Pet Lifestyle
1

Hi guys, I’m struggling with an issue regarding my cats’ litter box. I have two cats who use covered boxes, and I’ve been using Ever Clean Ultra-Clumping or Ever Clean Multicat litter. I typically scoop both boxes daily, and at first, there are no issues. But about 2 weeks after refilling the litter, a strong ammonia smell develops.

I end up having to throw out a lot of the litter even though it still seems good, which is expensive. Has anyone experienced something similar? Should I fill the boxes with less litter, or is there something else I could try to stop the smell from getting so bad? Any advice would be appreciated.

2

Cat urine is super potent, and we had to refresh our litter every 3-4 days (we had 3 cats). Are your cats neutered? Intact males tend to have stronger-smelling urine. You could try deodorizers, but be careful because some cats don’t like them and might start going outside the box.

3

@Mars
Thanks for the advice! They’re both neutered, and their health checks were fine recently. I tried a deodorizer, but they refused to use the boxes until I cleaned everything again. I’m just not sure if I should change how much litter I’m using or switch things up completely.

4

@Magdalina
We change it completely every few days and rinse the boxes with a non-bleach cleaning spray. It helps a lot!

5

Mars said:
@Magdalina
We change it completely every few days and rinse the boxes with a non-bleach cleaning spray. It helps a lot!

Thank you! I’ll give that a try.

6

It could be:

  1. One of your cats may have a health issue that makes their urine smell stronger.
  2. The lidded boxes could be trapping the odor.
  3. The litter might not be working well for your situation anymore.
    Just some thoughts!
7

@Aubrey
Thanks for your reply. They both had health checks recently and seem fine, but I think I’ll try removing the lids to see if that helps!

8

Magdalina said:
@Aubrey
Thanks for your reply. They both had health checks recently and seem fine, but I think I’ll try removing the lids to see if that helps!

That might do the trick! Good luck!

9

I’m amazed you get two weeks out of it with two cats! I’ve never had litter last more than a week, even with just one cat. Cat urine is so potent. Try washing the box with soap and water when you change it out.

10

I use World’s Best Cat Litter (Multi-Cat) and it works great. I scoop daily, and I only dump out the litter completely once a month. Maybe try that?

11

Ty said:
My female cat’s urine is really strong too. The only litter that works for us is Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal. It might be worth trying a different brand or type of litter to see if it helps.

Agreed! I switched to the lavender-scented Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal, and it’s made a huge difference in odor control for my cats.

12

We switched to the Tidy Cats Breeze system and love it. No urine smell at all if you follow the system. You should check it out!

13

Winter said:
We switched to the Tidy Cats Breeze system and love it. No urine smell at all if you follow the system. You should check it out!

I switched to that system too, and it works great! Just be careful with using non-brand pads, they can emit a bit of odor.

14

I have 5 cats and 6 litter boxes. I fill the boxes with enough litter so that the urine doesn’t reach the bottom of the box, and I dump everything and clean the boxes every two weeks. Also, sprinkle baking soda around and under the litter box to help with odors!

15

Add baking soda to your litter, or switch to Arm & Hammer Clumping Lavender. It’s worked wonders for my cats, and I don’t need to do a full swap as often anymore.