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Odor Control Tips Let me begin by giving credit where credit is due. Virtually everything I've learned about controlling litterbox order was obtained from people sharing information at Litterbox Central (www.litterbox-central.com ). My notes here are for the most part simply a condensation from that source. Food There are several factors that contribute to litterbox odor -- and probably the largest single component is what goes in to your cat. The right cat food can make a huge difference between a miserably stinky environment and one that's odor free. (Please take a few moments to read the Scoop Free section at Litterbox Central for more on this topic).
Choice of Litter/Stirring The second biggest variable is in your choice of litter (see Recommended Litter). Using a good quality crystal and doing an occasional "rake and stir" will extend the life of your crystals and reduce odor noticeably. This is a very important point that can make a huge difference in both extending the life of your crystals and in odors -- so important that it is emphasized on the side panel of every top quality crystal supplier, as well as even in Scoop Free's User Guide (page 4). Stirring them around will allow them to release moisture to the air (not urine.....but water vapor) and will generally allow them to then absorb more, smell less. (Extra tip: One of the aspects of the Scoop Free (whether you use their cartridges or the Forever Tray) is that invariably some "cleaner" crystals will accumulate behind the rake when it's in the "rest" position -- and as most cats pee in the center of the box the crystals along the sides will be less used. It's a good idea to manually cycle the box every once in awhile and using you pooper-scooper mix in those fresher crystals. This will also help).
Activated Charcoal Odor Absorbers Being the incessantly curious person that I am, I noticed that many of the litter companies have started advertising heavily around activated charcoal in their products. After some searching (and further experimentation), I found a pretty darned amazing product -- Innofresh. I spent some time talking with them on the phone to learn more about their odor absorbers to learn as much as I could -- but the real proof was when my wife noticed a significant further reduction in odors after I'd had a unit near our litter box for a couple of days. Now that was the critical test. Pretty impressive. I just clip one to the top of the hood of the Scoop Free. (My hood is weird though -- I cut the top off it to make it open at the top as Stan is so darned tall. As long as you clip it somewhere near the box that gets sufficient air flow it should work well for you). **(Update (Aug. 2009): While these do indeed work great, in some cases you may need to use two absorbers instead of one. One worked "OK" for Jack and Stan, but when we added a second one it really did work a lot better.) Below is the direct link to
Innofresh's website where you can see info their
Pet Odor Eliminator and other products. Also available from Amazon.
Jim from Hawaii dropped me an email with his solution for a bit more odor control: he sprinkles a light layer of baking soda in the tray just before pouring the crystals in. (Thanks Jim) And Jenn from Litterbox-Central.com suggests another way to control the odor.......er..........from the "source." She's discovered that when her kitties have access to Vita-Greens that it most significantly reduces poo odors. Here's the link she suggested (thanks Jenn!!): http://www.petco.com/product/5430/Four-Paws-Vita-Greens.aspx
If you have any trouble with your tray at all (or if one of these tips doesn't seem to be working) please contact me directly at: Foreverlittertrays@gmail.com. I am always here to help, and can even provide live phone support if necessary. (Sometimes a phone call is light-years faster at fixing a problem than emailing back and forth).
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