Will a Cat Litter Deodorizer Work? Facts & Tips

There’s no doubt that people everywhere love cats. After all, cats are the world’s favorite pet and outnumber dogs in some countries. There’s one thing, however, that most people find unappealing about cats: their stinky litter boxes. Indeed, few things are more offensive to your proboscis than the smell of cat poo.

To the rescue comes cat litter deodorizer, a product you can spread on cat litter to neutralize the smell of your cat’s waste. However, will a cat litter deodorizer work? The answer is that cat litter deodorizers do work, and they work quite well in most cases. Cat litter deodorizers are activated by the moisture of your cat’s urine and feces.

Now that you know a cat litter deodorizer will work, there’s a good chance you have other questions. Is litter deodorizer safe for cats, for example, and what else can you use to stop a cat litter box from smelling? We’ve answered those questions, and several more, below. If eliminating the smell left behind by your feline friend is your goal today, read on!

What Else Can You Use To Stop a Cat Litter Box From Smelling?

Aside from a cat litter deodorizer, you can do several other things to stop a cat litter box from smelling like rotten fish. Some work better than others, but all of the methods below will help you reduce or eliminate litter box odors.

Add a Few Spoonfuls of Baking Soda

Baking soda has been around for decades and is a fantastic odor-neutralizer. It’s also cat-safe, costs very little, and is easy to use. You can put 2 or 3 tablespoons of baking soda in the bottom of the litter box every time you change the litter.

Use Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is an excellent odor absorber and can be used exactly like baking soda. Put some in your cat’s litter box every time you change the litter. You can also purchase activated charcoal filters, which are even easier to use.

Scoop the Poop Daily

This odor-reducing method is a no-brainer, but in today’s busy world, it is also something many cat owners forget. The more poop in a litter box, the stinkier it will become. Cleaning your cat’s litter box daily is a great way to keep the smell to a minimum.

Even the best cat litter can quickly start smelling bad. To avoid the expense and inconvenience of constantly replacing your litter, you can try a great litter additive like Hepper's Advanced Bio-Enzyme Cat Litter Deodorizer, a natural product that uses bio-enzymes to neutralize odors.

This deodorizer works on all types of litter and won't disrupt your cat's litter box habits.

At Excited Cats, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

Replace the Litter Box

Old cat litter boxes get seriously scratched up by your cat’s claws when they go potty. Unfortunately, bacteria love to hide in the scratches and proliferate, causing a stink of their very own after a while. Replacing your cat’s old litter box is the best way to prevent this from happening.

Ventilate the Area

One of the easiest ways to get rid of cat litter odor is to open a window or door or place your cat’s litter box in a well-ventilated area. Good airflow will help reduce the odor.

Wash the Litter Box

Cat experts recommend thoroughly cleaning the litter box at least once a month or more often if you have more than one cat.

Is Litter Deodorizer Safe for Cats?

You’ll be relieved that cat litter deodorizer is safe for cats. One problem is that some cats might object to the heavy fragrances some companies use in their cat litter deodorizer. Also, since their droppings activate it, the scent of the deodorizer can be very potent, especially in a covered litter box, and some cats don’t like that at all.

How Often Do You Need To Change Cat Litter?

Most cat litter is effective at reducing the odor left behind by your cat. However, cat litter isn’t made to last forever and, in most cases, needs to be changed regularly. Also, several factors affect the frequency of changing your cat’s litter. First, if you have one cat, experts recommend changing the litter every two to three weeks. On the other hand, if you have multiple cats using the same litter box, you will definitely need to change it more often. Feline professionals recommend having no more than two cats per litter box, and if you can help it, one box per cat.

How often you change your cat’s litter also depends on your cat. Some cats are very fastidious and won’t use their litter box if they find it too unpleasant. For those cats, you might need to change the litter more often. Then, of course, there’s the nose right on your face. If your nose tells you it’s time to change the cat litter after two weeks, you should take its advice. Lastly, there’s non-clumping litter which, unfortunately, doesn’t absorb odors as well as clumping litter. If you use non-clumping litter, you will have to change it more often. However, an extra plus about using clumping litter is that when you scoop the poop, you don’t scoop out good litter.

How Much Litter Should You Put in a Cat Litter Box?

One mistake many owners make is putting too much or too little litter in their cat’s litter box. In most situations, you only need two to three inches of litter. Putting too much cat litter in their litter box is usually more of a problem than too little. One way to tell if you’re using too much litter is if your cat is slipping and sliding when trying to do its business. Also, if your cat only goes halfway into their litter box, or they start tossing litter out of the box, it’s probably because there’s too much cat litter.

Do Closed Cat Litter Boxes Smell Less?

There’s no denying that cats love enclosed spaces like boxes. That’s why many cats like doing their business in a closed litter box. The question is, do closed cat litter boxes smell less than open boxes? The answer is that closed litter boxes smell less or, more specifically, keep unpleasant odors from escaping. Most people who have closed cat litter boxes will tell you they work better than many of the odor-reducing methods discussed today.

Is Febreze Safe to Spray on Cat Litter?

One of the secrets many cat parents have is they use Febreze air freshener on their cat’s litter. Some worry, however, that Febreze is not safe for cats. If you’re one of them, you’ll be glad to know that the ASPCA tested Febreze and found that it’s 100% safe for cats. Even better, it’s 100% natural and neutralizes odors incredibly well.

Do Air Purifiers Get Rid of Cat Litter Smell?

An excellent way to neutralize odors from your cat’s litter box is to place an air purifier nearby. Air purifiers work by pulling air in with a suction fan and filtering it before blowing it back out. When they do, the microscopic particles that cause pet odors are absorbed by the activated charcoal and other filters inside the air purifier. They can also help reduce other odors throughout your house and make the air cleaner for you and your cats. For that reason, many cat fanciers find air purifiers to be an excellent odor-reducing solution.

Final Thoughts

As we’ve seen, cat litter deodorizers work and are one of the better methods of reducing the unpleasant odors emanating from a cat litter box. However, some cats might object to the litter deodorant’s strong scent, and a different deodorizer or odor-reducing method may be more pleasant for your pet. We hope you find a solution that works for your cat and keeps the litter box odors to a minimum.

Featured Image Credit: xamnesiacx84, Shutterstock