The biggest variable in odor control in cat litter is your choice of crystal litter. Using a premium crystal such as Just the Crystals and doing an occasional "rake and stir" will extend the life of your litter 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 reducing odors -- so important that it is emphasized on the side panel of every top quality crystal supplier. Stirring them around will allow them to release moisture to the air (not urine.....but water vapor) and will generally allow them to then be able to absorb more, smell less. "Reality vs. advertising" While crystal litter is very, very good -- the best way to get the most of it is to do an occasional stir of the litter and to rake out excess poops. Operative word is "occasional" -- maybe once every few days. It really helps, and is still worlds less trouble and smell than any other litter I've used. Cats tend to always urinate in the same spot, so what I mean by "stir" is to rake up the crystals from this dampest spot and distribute (really mix them in) with the dry crystals. This allows them to release moisture to the air, and extends crystal life significantly. With our two cats Jack and Stan I do a "rake and stir" once a week, usually on Wednesday. Then on Sunday morning (after my first cup of coffee) I do a complete litter change. Remember that moisture is the enemy of your crystal cat litter. Placement of your litter box in a dry, well ventilated area will pay huge dividends in getting the most out of it.
A great tip from one of my customers to help you extend crystal life -- sent in by Chuck: "Tip on making the litter last longer: good air circulation. Silica gel absorbs liquid fairly quickly, and releases it as water vapor fairly slowly. When used as litter, it absorbs urine and dessicates solid waste. Unless the silica gel itself can dry out (by releasing water vapor), it won't last long at all in a litter box. So, it works better in the summer than in the winter, and better on dry days than rainy ones. If you can place the litter box where there's a breeze, the litter will last a lot longer. Or, you can try what I've recently done: put a small fan above the box, so that it constantly blows air down onto the litter. During the winter and spring, the litter has been lasting only 10 days with two cats (in the Summer, it was stretching out to 14 days). With the fan, in the Spring, the litter was still OK after 15 days. The litter still needs to be stirred every few days, especially towards the end of its useful life."
Odor Control Tips A great deal of information about controlling litterbox ordor can be obtained from the great fellow cat owners at Litterbox Central (see below). My notes here are 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. 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 box 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
An excellent resource for a broad range of information and tips can be found at Litterbox Central. I can't recommend this forum highly enough -- nice people and a wealth of info. |
