Forgive me if this is not appropriate discussion here, but the description says discussion is allowed so here goes:
After some research and online discussion we decided to upgrade our cat’s bathroom equipment from a regular litter box to a fancy expensive FurryTail automatic litter box. I am happy to report that generally we are very happy with it, the cats seem to love it, and overall it works great.
The only problem we’re trying to figure out, is that it stinks worse than the regular cat box we used to have. I’m talking about right after use, not really “ambient” odor, but when the one cat uses it, the entire first floor of our home is eye-wateringly stinky. We never noticed this happen before. With the old analog cat box we almost never had odor problems. I suspect it has something to do with the cats burrying it before and now the machine “unburies” it while it’s “fresh” and puts it in a bag that does not contain the evil… that’s the only thing I can think of. The situation also puzzles us. This is a tiny monster, pooing in a nearly completely enclosed barrel, that is closed INSIDE an unused shower, in a tiny side bathroom. There are multiple layers of containment and it still manages to permeate the whole house. On top of that, while it seems like it’s really just right after they use it, we’re assuming we’re getting nose blind and probably the whole house stinks more than we think, all the time.
I’ve been using activated charcoal in the receptacle and shower area. We also use the Arm and Hammer deodorizing powder in the litter itself. I’m wondering what else I can do? (besides go back to the old cat box.)
here’s a cat tax photo of the poo poo monster just because:
i’m with sp3ctr4l in changing the litter. i know it’s hard to find one the cats like. we got the multicat clumping one from the big box store and it works well enough.
option 2, we keep ours out in the garage.we’ve got a cat flap in the wall between the garage and the rest of the house. it’s like a double cat flap |__| kinda thing with magnets and shit. if you can patch drywall, you can install one and it’s easier than fixing a hole in a door or hanging a new door. just make sure to look for electrical and water before you start drilling.
you could also potentially change their food, i wouldn’t do that if they’re healthy
one last option is to build a small… i don’t know, hutch? desk? container? to go around the poop box like a shell. we built one of these for a different kind of electric scooper because the cat liked playing with litter and we wanted to contain it. when the catbox was in the hutch, it didn’t smell as much. i’m sure there’s a reason beyond us really wanting it not to smell as much.
also, gorgeous kitty.