Cats are trying to asphyxiate me

[HowsTheSerenity]

We have moved from a big house with a fully enclosed cat run to a small house with no cat run. I am still apprehensive about whether or I not I want to let the cats outside. I am not worried about the native wildlife. My cats are too stupid to catch anything (A bird actually flew into Breena once - I think it was hit by a car. She just sat and watched it. No hunting gene with my two) but I am concerned that the local dogs might attack them.

Anyway, I digress.

What do you use to disguise the smell of the cat litter? I clean it regularly, sprinkle it with bicarb and still it smells awful. Any suggestions?

Don't use bicarb, cats need the smell so if you keep getting rid they will keep making it more and more smelly.

What kind of litter are you using? Some are better at absorbing the worst of the smell than others. We used to use Sainsburys or Pets at Home wood pellet litter for ours (used to because we don't have any cats at the moment, not because we've found something better!) and that was so much better than any of the clay based ones...

I'm using the pricey clumping grainy one.
The cats don't care what kind so type isn't an issue.

Wood pellets here too, and I just change it a LOT... scoop lumps out asap and whole trays daily or every other say if they have been out more (only 6 months so just going out for the odd half hour when I'm home)

I have to go with what the cats like to use and that's the natural clay clumping - Sainsbury's or Co-op because they seems to work best (they clump properly and are acceptable to them) - and they don't smell. How deep a layer of litter are you using and how many trays do they have?

Just one tray. We had two but for some wierd reason they like to share so we got rid of one.

It's a pretty deep amount. The entire 2kg bag every week.

One litter tray for 2 cats is not really enough - they like their space. My (large) old boy has a large size litter tray and gets through best part of a 10kg bag of litter a week as its completely changed every couple of days - and he goes outside a bit! You could try teaching your cats to go out on a harness - we succeeded with a 12 year old when staying with daughter long term.

I use chicken pellets ...
£12 on amazon for a 20kg sack lasts me almost a month with three large litter trays ... It clumps much like the expensive litter and as long as you scoop out the poo (and quite honestly who doesn't, cos they only flick it all over the place or tread in it!) there is no smell apart from a slightly woody smell from the pellets themselves. Stick Layers Pellets into amazon if you're interested.

I only discovered this by chance, having ordered more pellets for my chooks and run out of cat litter in desperation I chucked some of the pellets in the trays and expected it to be disastrous but nope, not at all.

YY to removing clumps though, and YY to having more trays. I've got kittens and still recognise the need for more than one tray, I think it's one tray per cat plus one extra isn't it?

They refuse to use a second tray. When they had their enclosure they went in the same spot right next to each other. Yes they are wierd cats.
The tray is actually a very large plastic tub so it's much bigger then normal trays.

That was meant to be 5kg not 2kg. It's the super clumping type. Scoops easily.

My cat only eats dried food (she came to me that way before anyone wants to accuse me of depriving her of wet food) and I've noticed her poos don't smell at all. It's quite spooky.

We tried clay and I now use wood based and prefer the wood as it seems to last longer and the bits don't get trailed around the house.

Could those litters with hoods help with smell? The more expensive ones have charcoal filters in them to absorb odour.

I use Worlds Best bought online from Zooplus. It's made from some type of corn derivative. Am now wondering if it's basically the same thing as those layer pellets...

It's not so much that they would use a tray each, it's that they both could use the second one ... Giving them options, less smell etc

Rubbish I bet it is

I use wood pellets. They have no smell at all.

YY to the hooded tray, I have those, no catty smells in the house.

Hmm Shadows, I think I may have read about the chicken pellets being used as litter somewhere else.

The 2nd gets ignored. It is superfluous to need. It sits unused shiny and clean. Even when they are at the chattery for their holiday incarceration they use the one tray.

I clean the tray throughout the day. It doesn't just sit there like an unflushed toilet.

We had a hooded one but it was in a different and bigger house and the tray was far away from the living areas.

I'll just try different litters.

Thanks

Paper pellets in out house. Poo picked out every day and slung in the wheelie bin. Lasts a good week without any pong.

I would let them out cats need their freedom imo!

I have wood pellets for my two which I like as you can scoop out pronto and put down the loo.

I'd let them out but the:
Dogs
Pig hunting dogs
Trains
Cars
Trucks
Snakes
Foxes
Ticks
Other cats
Might hurt them.

I do know Serenity it is part of the stress of owning cats though, for me I still feel their quality of life is generally better for being able to feel the sun on their fur, climb trees and do the things cats are meant to do.

Is there a lot of wild dogs round your way then?!

My guess is if your cats are used to being kept in they would really not go very far, prob not even out of your garden. Am assuming they are neutered and chipped.

I'm in the middle of nowhere in Australia so yes

I agrees that trees and grass etc are good but thier safety comes first.

Ha that makes more sense sorry I always wrongly assume that everyone on mn is UK based!!

I still wouldn't keep the cats in but I do understand why you worry, I also am guessing you can't open windows or leave doors open if cats are in constantly which would be a deal breaker for me!! I have to have the windows open otherwise I start to feel a bit claustrophobic.

Anyway good luck with finding a solution