That’s Buster, my 20+ pound cat. He’s quite floppy, very friendly, and eats a lot. And, like any person (and yes, he’s like a little, fat, furry person), when he eats . . . well, let’s just say that nature runs its course.
I have a litter box that is the size of a small trailer. I scoop it regularly—but cat poop has its own particular brand of stench. And though cat litter has come a long way, sometimes the resourceful cat owner needs to go a few steps farther.
So what do you do when your house smells like your cat has gone head to head with the Man-vs.-Food guy in a chili burrito eating competition?
Start with baking soda and disposable liners. After a few rounds of scooping, I remove the whole thing and toss it in the trash. After putting in a new liner, I dust the bottom with baking soda, then pour the litter on top. You’d be surprised how much this helps.
But sometimes it is still not enough. I found this great air freshener from Citrus Magic designed specifically to eliminate pet odors—and it works quite well for a few weeks. I just put it on the bathroom counter across from Buster’s litter box.
I’ve read some suggestions that you can use car fresheners (you know… the little pine trees that dangle from your rear-view mirror) inside the litter box itself. I wouldn’t recommend this. Think about it for a sec. Just sitting in the car with one of these things makes my eyes water. Imagine something like this crammed into a litter box (even one the size of a small trailer!). That can’t be pleasant for the cat.
If cleaning the box, using baking soda, and employing an air freshener doesn’t work, you may need to look into your cat’s diet. Or the poor little guy may have Giardiasis, an infection of the small intestine. If that’s the case—time to pull out the ol’ wallet and take your furry buddy to the vet.
Avoiding that cat-poop-post-burrito-eating-competition stench is pretty easy overall. It just takes a few minutes of your time and the ability to deal with . . .well . . . cat poop. Just follow these few steps and your house will thank you.
Well, actually all of the people visiting your house will thank you.
by John Barker
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