Friend’s litter box absolutely reeks

[Anonymous]

Noticed on several occasions,but last time was gag worthy. It’s kept in the powder room which I’m guessing she doesn’t use. Do I say something? Any brands I should recommend if the convo gets that far?

[Anonymous]

I would say something gently and tactfully, in joking form if you can manage it.

[Anonymous]

Either she needs to clean daily or her pet is ill. We clean multiple times a day, but our cat has medical issues that cause a very strong odor.

[Anonymous]

The box itself likely needs to be replaced. Even if you scrub them pretty regularly, the plastic absorbs odors and they need to be tossed and replaced with new ones. Even plain unscented clay litter does a decent job of odor containment when used in a clean box and changed daily.

[Anonymous]

A friend told me that the moving company packed her cats’ three litter boxes, poop and all, and moved it three states. She assumed the boxes were thrown out and didn’t worry because she intended to buy new ones. A week later, she was overwhelmed with the horrible smell of cat waste baking in a box truck. They had to throw out other items that had absorbed the ammoniac fumes.

[Anonymous]

Op I don’t know. My friend has a very smell cat situation and I just don’t go to her house anymore. We meet out of she comes to me. It is a cowardly way to address it I suppose but I never could think of a way to tell her that wouldn’t ruin the friendship.

[Anonymous]

Cat people are gross. They don't think that it smells, but it always does. My mom smells like her litter boxes. It's nauseating, and I'm always so paranoid that I smell like it after hugging her or riding in the car with her.

[Anonymous]

Surprised her cat continues to use a smelly litter box. My cat would go on a throw rug if her box started to smell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cat people are gross. They don't think that it smells, but it always does. My mom smells like her litter boxes. It's nauseating, and I'm always so paranoid that I smell like it after hugging her or riding in the car with her.

Oh the cat hater is here. That didn't take long.

PS, it doesn't "Always" smell. That you think it does reveals you for the ignoramus you are.

[Anonymous]

OP. My neighbor has two cats and you’d never know unless you actually saw them. Her house smells great. This one though...

[Anonymous]

“Susan, please don’t take this personally, but the litter box is making your place smell. What brand of litter are you using?”

After a couple glasses of wine (or tequila shots), just go for it! There is no gentle way to tell someone their home smells. She will probably thank you for it.

I’m betting she is a horrible scooper and doesn’t scrape the sides or dig down to the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Why do so many people pussyfoot around addressing issues with their friends? If you’re truly friends, than mentioning something of this nature shouldn’t be the be all end all of the friendship. Difficult? Maybe. Especially if you’ve got a sensitive friend. Or are yourself “non-confrontational.” But that’s certainly no reason to mention something, especially since saying nothing will be to the detriment of your friend.

And I don’t just mean with just this issue. Lots of people on this cite/elsewhere fear addressing things with their own friends/family. I mean, what’s the point of having these people in your life if you can’t be honest with them, and vice versa, without things going to absolute shit. ? Buck up folks.

[Anonymous]

I had this problem recently with two cats. I cleaned the litter box everyday. The problem was that I live alone and the cats would be alone with their litter box for close to ten hours a day. During this ten hours the odor of the litter box would spread through the house and when I opened my front door after getting home, the house smell wasn't pleasant. It also didn't help that my house is small and a single story.

I tried unscented litter, there was a smell. I tried scented litter there was a smell, slightly scented but a smell none the less. This was bad for my house and my asthma. Luckily for me a friend wanted two cats for his kids, I gave him mine.

When I was a kid my family had cats and a dog, neither of them caused us to have a smelly house. Difference was that the cat and dog that my family had when I was a child were outdoor animals.

[Anonymous]

My cat died almost 3 years ago, but I used a blend of two litters that I thought did the best job of smell containment, non spreading all over the floor, and eco friendly. One was walnut based...ground walnut shells and the other was the pine stuff, but ground not the pellets which didn't work with my scoop. I think the powdered pine stuff became harder to find and so I switched to a corn or wheat based which also works. I kept the little box by my toilet (because I wasn't as good about cleaning it if I had to make a special trip somewhere in the house to do it and on the toilet I was a captive audience)and I scooped it into dog poop bags, tied it off and that was that. Total smell containment which was awesome. Took me a few years to get to that point though.

[Anonymous]

If your friend is open to the post-comment advice that you might offer, tell your friend:

1. A single cat box must be changed at least 2x per week, and a multiple cat box more often

2. When the box is changed, it needs to be emptied completely of litter and then rinsed our and allowed to air dry for a minute or two before being filled again

3. When it’s dry, it needs a 1/2 box of baking soda evenly spread on the bottom. Only then should the litter be put in

4. It needs to be scooped very, very thoroughly - at least daily for single cat and at least 2x per day multiple cat