Unbearable smell in friends house

[kcchiefette]

My friend had to go away for the day (a drive about 2 hours away) and asked me to check on hIs cats during the day.

I have been up a fair few times and the house is a bit messy as you can imagine a single man's house to be.

Anyhow, the last time I was up for a visit, the smell of amonia was dreadful from the litter trays. They were full, the cats had started flicking their poo out and playing with it on the floor. I had to leave after half an hour because I was getting a headache and the next day I felt really sick as well.

I called up today, and the smell is there again, only worse. The litter trays are full again and the smell was so intense, I had to put my jumper over my nose to mask the smell. I checked on the cats, left them food and left. Friend will be back 8pm.

For those that have cats, I am assuming this is not normal?

I have never owned cats so dont know much but anybody else's house who has owned them has never had this smell and I am assuming litter trays need to be cleared out at least once a day?

How do I approach this with my friend? I dont want to go up there again to visit if the house will be smelling so badly of amonia and making me feel unwell.

Litter trays need to be fully emptied , cleaned thouroughly and fresh litter put back in daily. None of this couple times a week. If a cat pees in litter tray it spreads and goes much further than just scooping out a clump.

Gross. I've always had cats but litter trays are a big no from me, I'd never have indoor cats for this reason. When my cat had an operation and we had to keep her in for a month and I would scoop and dispose of any poos immediately and change the whole thing daily. The dirty litter I would put in the nearest dog poo bin.

My cat is an outdoor cat, her litter tray is in an outbuilding that she can access from the house and uses at night. Because it was an outbuilding I didn’t realise it was full. As she wasn’t happy she did a protest poo on the doormat.

Could this be happening? Could the cats be weeing on the carpet?

That’s abuse, if I encountered this I’d be having stern words and suggesting if they can’t care for animals they should be rehomed. It would be end of friendship for me and I’d be alerting RSPCA

Poor, poor cats. That's abuse IMO. They have very sensitive noses.

If the litter tray isn't right, they will start toileting elsewhere in the house.

If you use good quality litter and add a shake of bicarbonate of soda, it shouldn't smell of ammonia. Solids obviously must always be removed as soon as possible. We empty the tray about every 3 days and keep a bottle of pet cleaning spray to clean the tray. It's not complicated, takes 5 minutes.

If you live in the county then great but if you have neighbours you should know that my daughter went into our garden the other day and picked up a cat shit. If the little f*er comes into our garden again I'll be getting the hosepipe out, and if that fails it will be a potato gun....

Just tell him straight, his house f-ing stinks of cat piss and poo and it's disgusting. He's not looking after his cats properly and it's unacceptable. Sometimes you just have to be blunt. To be honest, I'd be very cross with a friend who was neglecting their pets in this way.

Probably echoing. Did you actually clean out the litter? Comes with the territory.

That's awful! I have two cats and their litter trays have never been anywhere near that state, even if we've been away overnight. It sounds like he hadn't cleaned them for at least a week before you got there. If I check on a friend's cats I will also quickly scoop any clumps of dirty litter, but it's no trouble and shouldn't smell if the tray was clean to start with.

Until he gets back could you fill another container with clean litter for them to use and maybe leave the dirty ones outside? You shouldn't have to clean them, but the poor cats will find this very distressing.

Knowing what was causing the issue I couldn’t have walked away and left it

How long has he been away for as it says he had to go away for the day but then says you called up today?

It sounds like he’s been gone more than one day. He told you not to worry about changing their litter trays which definitely suggest he doesn’t even change them daily.

Please say something to him as the cats will be smelling this even stronger than you.

I wonder this too

but OP said it was the same thing her previous visit so he is treating those cats appallingly and has been for a while.

please tell him that OP.

I could not have walked away and left the litter trays in that condition.
Can't believe you did either.
It literally takes 5 minutes to clean a tray.
Seal the contents into a bag, put in the black bin.
Quick wash and refill
Those poor cats !
You must tell him though.

I'd put money on it that the smell is so bad because the cats have started pissing on the carpets in desperation (or protest). My mum's cat will only pee in one corner of her litter tray and then won't use it again until the wet patch is scooped out, or the tray rotated 180 degrees. Cats can easily get kidney and bladder problems of litter trays are not maintained because they will hold it for as long as possible in the hope someone will deal with the dirty tray. He really needs a kick up the arse, this is unacceptable from a welfare point of view.

Did they leave instructions of what they usually do? Sometimes if it's not what their used to they will pee around house.

Does he not have some pet safe disinfectant spray to spray the tray with? Or could maybe sprinkle some bicarb of soda in the tray.

When I had a cat I used those wood litter pellets, they turn to sawdust when the cat pee's on them and they smell much less than using traditional litter. I would just say to your friend "that litter you're using isn't great, try xxx". Also say "You're house smelled a bit of cats, you should probably clean the tray more frequently". Would anyone really be offended by that? I'd be glad someone told me my house smelled of cat pee.

I'm puzzled by the ammonia smell which causes eye watering. Cats pee shouldn't smell of ammonia, I'm wondering if one of the cats doesn't have an infection.

We have one cat and three litter trays - she generally toilets in the garden but if she ever uses a tray it’s cleaned immediately.

I often dog-walk for my neighbour who also has a cat. One day I popped in to get the dog - neighbour was away from early in the morning until evening and the arrangement was I would walk at lunchtime then again at teatime - and I caught the cat doing a poo on the floor because he had already used the tray and obviously didn’t want to have a dirty toilet. Little monkey. (I cleaned the floor and changed the litter tray, despite only being on dog duties, I couldn’t have left it.)

Can you Google?

You had agreed to go in and look after them

I absolutely agree it wasn't your job and your 'friend' should not own any animals, but I don't know how you could leave them like that.

It does if the litter tray hasn't been cleaned for days and they're probably going elsewhere too

I am kind of thinking that was his plan! You don’t need to get anyone to check on your cats because you are going away for a day. They are pretty independent.

I have a double sifting tray that uses wood pellets..so when cat wees .. he scratches and the wet pellets sift into the bottom tray so no smell.. poo l scoop and bag and bin.. but l still change it every other day.. a cheap normal tray needs cleaning every day.. emptying and washing with water only.. cats don't like smell of any cleaning products.. also seems like the cats have gone outside the tray.. because they won't go in a dirty one.

You’re supposed to have a tray plus one for each cat. So I should have three but only have room for two. The smell from trays really annoys me as mine are indoor cats. So I buy litter in bulk and change them three times a week. Ful empty and scrub with fairy liquid then soaked in zoflora pet. I scoop them twice a day and use a litter fresher too. Plastic trays start to absorb the smell after a while too so I replace the trays every three months. Seems to work and there’s no smell for us and the cats have a nice clean space to toilet in.