I just do not know what to do with the cat litter situation and dh's over sensitive nose. I got up at 7:30 this morning, went up to my office and cleaned out the poop he left in the box overnight and as always, take it straight to the outside garbage. DH gets up 2 1/2 hours later and says the whole house downstairs just smells awful, it's making him gag. It's the end of the world. I honestly cannot smell anything of it! The kitty hardly spends any time at all downstairs. If he's peed on something downstairs I am not smelling it. I have searched and smelled.
So, first I tried Tidy Cat "Slide" litter. That litter is fragranced and keeping my office door shut most of the time (the crate and litter box is upstairs in my office) I could smell the litter itself. While it wasn't over powering to me, it did have a pretty strong smell that with my office door shut all the time, I wasn't too keen on it. I'm sure dh was smelling that, too, when he'd come up to my office.
Then Thursday I changed the litter to Arm and Hammer fragrance and dye free, with baking soda in it. I only had it in there for part of the day. Then the litter box system, I had ordered online, that dd swears by, arrived, so after dinner I set that up in place of the Arm and Hammer.
This pellet system (Tidy Cat Breeze litter system) is a bit strange. The pee goes through the pellets and down below into a separate tray that you line with the absorbent pads to contain the pee and it's smell. Their poop sorta gets buried in the pellets, but there really isn't that many pellets in one bag/use, per this system. According to this system you are supposed to replace the pad once a week and you replace the pellets once a month....
So, with the regular litter I have been scooping out the poop and the pee clumps like 3 times a day! With this pellet system, I have been scooping out the poop as soon as I see him do it (or as soon as I'm back up in my office, if I've been downstairs and come up and smell he pooped). The pellets are strange. He tries to cover up as best he can, but the pellets don't stick to it much. Seriously, cleaning out the poop every time, and with the amount of pellets that do stick to it, there is no way there will be enough pellets left in this box to last a month! I changed the pad underneath this morning (so it was used 36 hours), after dh's complained again. If that's not going to last a week and the pellets don't last too long before needing to add/replace, this will be a super expensive system.
I asked my half sister what she uses for her cat. She has a litter box with a lid and uses a Canadian cat litter brand, but she sent me a picture of the box and it sounds very similar to this Arm and Hammer fragrance free w/baking soda I bought. She said she doesn't even clean hers out every day. She said she has gone a week and no smell. I can't even leave a poop in their 5 minutes. I'm also sure it's probably like most people with cats, they are just used to the smell.
I'm sure along with dh's insane nose, the other issue is the air circulations system in our house. It's moving the smell to the whole house. I guess. I don't smell it.
I don't know what else to try. Right now I'm washing the little blanket we've had in the crate. I think I will put the pellet system back inside a plastic garbage bag to hold on to for now, and try the arm and hammer litter that I had set up for part of Thursday and hadn't given a good chance at yet.
This is what my dd uses. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZ4679J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
ReplyDeleteShe’s got a small house and swears it’s the best litter she’s ever used. I don’t have a cat so my nose isn’t used to cat smell and I can never smell her litter box. She scoops it every other day usually.
Are you sure your Dh isn’t complaining just to be complaining. He knows you have a cat so now he’s convinced himself the house smells. You say he likes to complain so that’s my guess.
Thank you for the link. That looks like a good one to try. I'm sure it's a combination of dh's sensitive smell and complaining to be complaining - he's on a roll with complaining today, that's for sure. Does your dd use a litter tray or one with a dome/lid type?
DeleteShe uses a covered litter box. She can’t buy this litter consistently here in town so she orders from amazon. I swear she’s tried every litter out there. She says unscented is a must because some of the scented ones just reek once they pee.
ReplyDeletethat must be what I was noticing that first week or so with the fragranced litter, the pee would make it smell more. I might have to get a covered box to try
DeleteCan you put the litter box say in the laundry room or even attached garage - we have cat "doors" for ours to get to/from the basement when the door is shut.
ReplyDeleteI had originally suggested to dh to put the litter box in the dog shower in the laundry room. I could easily be set out when needing to wash the dog, but I'm guessing being on the same floor as where dh spends all his time he'd smell it even more. He'll just smell it in the garage too and complain. The other night he moved our 2 outside garbage cans into the garage for the night (we've been having a skunk roaming at night). They have lids, of course. He said he couldn't stand the smell in the garage the next morning.
DeleteLook up Dr. Elsey’s cat litter and also Litter Genie. We switched from the cheap dusty cat litters years ago, use the cat litter in litter boxes with high sides and back (no covers!). Clean every evening, replenish as needed, then once every 4-6 weeks, dump it all and replace. Works great! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI'm making a list of suggestions to keep trying until something works. Thanks for the tips.
DeleteI doubt he is just complaining. The other day, I picked basil by cutting it with my fingernail as I came indoors. Tommy did not see me as he was still getting out of the car. When he came in the house, he commented on the awful stink and wondered what it was. I don't think he is complaining for any reason other than to him it is not pleasant. Garbage cans in the garage would do it for me, too. Have you ever had a cat before this, one that poops in the house?
ReplyDeleteI know his sense of smell is very heightened, but sometimes, especially when it's some smell that is very short lived he just needs to suck it up and let it pass without throwing a fit. I realize what he is smelling with the cat isn't short lived but he also needs to be a bit more accommodating while I work through finding something that works
Deletemeant to add, we've had cats for years before, but they were always outdoor cats and came in and out, so I didn't have a litter box. They just meowed when they wanted outside.
DeleteI have 3 cats and am sensitive to how my house smells to visitors. So far, I've been ok with an self-cleaning litter box and Scoop Away litter. There are many self-cleaning litter boxes out there. I like the ones with a disposable liners. Many will have some sort of charcoal filter to help with odor control. Good luck. There is a solution out there...I just hope you find it sooner than later.
ReplyDeletethanks for the tips!
DeleteHi, have you tried feeding kitten a high quality grainfree cat food, and without fish in it? No ingredients or fillers like corn, rice and soy. And have kitten checked for intestinal parasites. I once had a kitten that I was feeding a dry kitten food that had a "milk" coating. He was so gasey! The Vet said change his diet. It worked. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI need to get him into the vet. I'm going to call them Monday to get that set up. I will check on better foods and ask vet.
DeleteHow about an enclosed litter box with a swinging door. Clean out daily. Two cats, no one notices any smell
ReplyDeleteI think an enclosed box is a good idea to try.
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