Cat Boxes

A litter box for EACH cat on EACH floor of the house where they're allowed to go.

We use Arm & Hammer Multi-Cat and if that one is out, the one with ammonia control. I add some baking soda to the boxes on occasion when it's not quite time to completely change over the litter to fresh litter and that helps a lot.

You're not going to eliminate it 100% and frankly you shouldn't. A cat needs to be able to smell where its appropriate toilet is so that that's where it toilets. There's no confusion that way.

Are they plastic?? Every few weeks, we empty the litter, clean the box really well (soap/water, etc), let it dry or dry w/paper towel, put fresh litter in it & it's good to go til the next time. I've honestly NEVER had litter box odor. Only w/this new cat have we had to clean it more b/c she seems to 'go' more. Maybe it's the litter you're using. Have you tried a new brand or one that's more for odor control or perhaps sprinkling baking soda on top? Just keep in mind, cats may have issues w/not liking 'new' litter if it's a different scent or different brand so if you do try a new litter, try to find a new scent, one for odor control or unscented in the same brand if you can't, or even if it's the same brand but different scent, just be sure to mix it a little at a time w/your old litter so the cat will get used to it. Cats are just funny that way but they may avoid the litter box if you just all of a sudden start using new litter w/o blending it in to transition to a new litter. Also, be sure to check around the room to see if the cats may've urinated on something like the wall, etc. Sometimes cats will urinate on stuff they're not supposed to so you may have to check the room & clean that up if you happen to find some. Hope this helps, good luck.

1. Plastic holds odors. We replace ours every few years.
2. Lids don't really help contain the smell from the box, but they contain the litter and any spraying. It might be the walls or flooring that smell.
3. Sprinkle deodorizer. They sell it on the pet aisle, but I believe you can just use baking soda. Absorbs odor.
4. Maybe use a liner?
5. Self cleaning box?

I use Petco litter, the kind you scoop into a reusable tub, in a plastic cat box with a cover, and mine does not smell. I live in a one-bedroom apt so I would notice! I would try another litter, possibly replace your box, and make sure the cats aren't missing the box. Even a little bit of cat pee outside the box, or on the side of the box can smell strongly. Sometimes my cat doesn't cover his poo, and that can smell for a while.

Be careful of using a cleaner or deodorant with too strong a smell, or your cats might decide not to use the box (happened to me once).

We got our cat in December. I think in Feb, he just started stinkin! Oh my gosh it was horrible. Not the cat box smell but like someone had some really nasty shoes. I changed his food and everything. I tried different litters also. One thing I did find out is that some cats stink more due to their acidity. My thought was "who'da thunk it". Wow. Anyway, I tried a lot of different litters--and donated quite a bit to the animal shelter when they did not work. I bought World's Best Cat litter because there is a rebate good for this year on the smaller package, and because it reminded me of a litter I had tried for a survey about 2 yrs ago. It is awesome and you use less. It does cost more though. I am going to use Beth's tip and mix it a bit with Tidy Cat to save some money. World's Best is made from corn. With our previous cats, Tidy Cat worked fine so each one is different.

Try another litter. It may be that the freshness you desire will never 100% be there but that a different brand will give you what you want. You can also do things like put a Citrus Magic disk near them and wash them out with vinegar or Anti Icky Poo or Nature's Miracle periodically. Also, look around and make sure they are not spraying outside the box. We have a very large Maine Coon and needed to get a bigger box because he couldn't fit and it was kind of a mess. Bigger box = no more mess.

Our cat boxes are in the workshop/laundry room and unless you get right down next to them, they do not smell. We use Tidy Cat muti cat scoopable litter or similar.

We put ours in the garage an install a doggy door so the cat can get out there whenever. It works great!

when I fostered, and cared for cats for the shelter, I never used plastic. I found old roaster pans, metal oil pans, and metal bins. These are what I used. never covered, never added anything but good ole clay (less dust the better) with NO perfumes, no dyed pieces. As long as I scooped them daily you could hardly smell anything. I even had un-neutered adult toms and it would not retain the smell of the musk spray.
scoop daily, dump weekly then disinfect with some bleach, vinegar, and super hot water.

I buy the pressed pine pellet cat litter from Trader Joes. It's the only kind my cat will use. I scoop the poops as soon as possible. Otherwise I don't notice an odor. We have a plastic litter box without the lid.

I would suggest changing litter brands, that may do the trick. We have cats as well and every once in a while I notice an odor, but not too often. Be careful using any "odor" sprinkle inside the box. I went that route and one of our cat's stopped using the box. EEEWW, that is much worse trust me. I switched brands of litter and odor was not a problem and the cat went back to using the box. You can also put a dish (with lid, punch holes in it) full of baking soda, along with a few drops of essential oil near the box. That will help to absorb odor too.

You might consider having three cat boxes. You want to change them every day. We use Tidy Cat clumping litter, and we think it's good, but we still have to remove the, um, products daily.

Another thing to do is to get a black light and shine it in the dark room. You will notice places (they light up) if your cats have missed the boxes and left stuff anywhere else. Nature's Miracle will clean it up.

we use a combination of world's best cat litter and tidy cat small spaces.
We don't get litter box oder. Our box is also covered.
Get a covered box if you don't have one.

it might also be time to simply get new boxes. sometimes the smell just clings to the boxes after some time and no amount of cleaning them fixes it.

fwiw, i keep ours in a cabinet (under the bathroom sink) and containing it like that has always kept the smell down. visitors don't even realize we keep it there. we live in a small 2 bedroom duplex (and 2 bedroom apartments before that) and have never had a smell problem.