Walk in the door and the first thing that hits you is cat pee? Ammonia taking over the living room is the number one complaint of anyone with a cat in an apartment. The good news is that you can almost always fix it, and it is rarely the cat’s fault. It is litter box management.
Why the box smells
The sharp smell is ammonia from urine sitting too long. If the box is small, the litter is cheap, or you scoop rarely, the smell takes over. Cats also hate a dirty box, so this problem usually shows up alongside a cat going outside the box.
How to kill the smell, in the order that works
- Scoop poop and clumps every day. This one fixes the most. Once a day, minimum.
- Use good clumping litter. It traps the pee in a clump you can lift out, instead of letting it spread across the bottom.
- Big enough box. The rule is about one and a half times your cat’s length. A cramped box saturates fast.
- One more box than the number of cats. Two cats, three boxes. It spreads the load.
- Dump all the litter and wash the box weekly. Skip scented soap, which cats reject.
- Avoid scented deodorizers. Strong smells push cats away. If you want, sprinkle baking soda on the bottom, which neutralizes without perfume.
Where an automatic box comes in
If you scoop faithfully and the smell still lingers, or you just do not have time to scoop daily, an automatic litter box handles it. It sifts itself after each use and seals the waste, so urine never sits for hours building ammonia. It costs more, but for a lot of people it is what finally ends the problem. We will publish a tested pick of the best ones soon.
FAQ
Does a covered box help with smell?
It helps trap it inside, but makes it worse in there if you do not clean. And some cats dislike the enclosed space. Cleaning is still what fixes it.
Does changing litter brands help?
A lot. Good clumping litter makes a huge difference in odor control. Switch gradually so your cat does not balk.
Cat peeing outside the box along with the smell? See cat peeing outside the litter box.