Best litter for excessive urine

[Kreeshsheesh]

I posted before asking for advice about my elderly cat's kidney disease. Many thanks again for the helpful replies. I'm hoping that you may be able to advise me on an issue arising from this. She has obviously been drinking and urinating much more than before; as a result, the litter box now smells very strongly and it permeates the whole house. It is especially bad when we come in from work. We use the wood chip litter and do change it every day, but the smell of urine is still overpowering! We've checked the floors/rugs, etc, but the odour is definitely from the litter. The vet suggested an ioniser. I was wondering if anyone has tried one or had any other suggestions for a different kind of litter that really soaks up odours? We will be having house guests soon and I don't want them to have to smell the cat urine! Thanks in advance.

We've always used natural clay clumping with soiling removed as soon as it's seen. That seems to work well.

I'm a bit edgy though about changing her litter wholesale at such a late stage in her life when she seems to like the wood fine and be used to it. (I've used it only once - and with disastrous consequences.) You might face the prospect of her 'taking against' her tray and deciding to go on a nearby carpet etc - and then you could really have problems.

In the best of all possible worlds, changing a litter type ought to be real gradual in my experience.

How old is she now?

Sorry - we used wood pellet that one time. That may be different.

Thanks for the reply. She's 18! We've swapped litter gradually before and she seemed ok with it, but yes, we really wouldn't want the added issue of urine elsewhere. We've had it plenty in the past! It's the eye watering smell every day from the box that's hard to tackle! It was the same again this evening - we emptied the litter and a normal atmosphere has been restored - for the moment!

Out of interest, how great a depth of litter are you putting in her tray?

I use the green Worlds Best which is a clumping corn litter. There is a red one that is apparently better at absorbing odours but I don't like the smell.

I scoop after every use and change about every two weeks and it really doesnt smell at all. I also use two litter trays so there is always a clean tray and fill it reasonably deep.

It's tough to know what to do. I wonder if you could offer a second tray with an alternative?

Eleventycat is 17 and stage 2 CKD. Uses her tray twice a day.

I just don't know if her illness would affect the smell of her urine but my instinct tells me that a good deep bed of clumping litter, cleaned out religiously, would do it. Many owners have only a skimpy covering of litter and pee can collect at the bottom of a tray in those cases.

Yes dh noticed that the pee was pooling beneath the wood chips, but it is filled deeply. I can't help wondering if it's the medication she's on making her pees smell more strongly. We've put a layer of catsan beneath the wood chip to see if that would help.

Eleventy I think a second tray might be a good idea. I shall give that a go too. I do feel so sorry for her. Her age has become very apparent in the past couple of years. If she nips past me and slips out in the morning I have to persuade her back in from the prospect of a full day left outside in the cold. We work all day until late and I know her favourite thing is her cosy bed under the hottest radiator. She does generally seem happy enough, eating and sleeping and peeing!

I'd maybe try a clumping litter - a nice deep bed of it. Could you manage a second tray do you think? The smell can't be great for her either.

X post.

I use cats best oko plus. It's a clumping one and flushable too

OP, im sorry your cat & you are struggling.

I'm interested in less smell too-am used to cats going in & out cat flap to do their business but recent cat (& hopefully kitten to join soon) may stay housecats. This one seems to wee & poo a lot & like a baby as soon as the litter is cleaned, he poos again!

I had seen those things on Amazon to absorb smell but wary of being something rubbish!

In fact I forgot as I posted. I actually tried another clumping litter but it didn't contain the smells at all, it was the applaws one. Noticed a huge difference when I went back to cats best. It does track a bit

Our old girls are a bit special Kreesh. Sounds like she's happy and toasty warm . Pretty good job all things considered I reckon