New cat owner questions

[Iwouldrathernot]

I'm planning to get a rescue house cat. We have always wanted one and only now it became a possibility. Both kids are above 9.
Our only concern is the smelly poo situation. Is that a thing?? Are cats typically easy to train to use a litter box? What are the best solutions when it comes to the litter tray and products used, specifically when it comes to minimising the smell in the house?
Grateful for any suggestions and recommendations. Thank you!

Where you’re getting the cat from ? if it’s from a rescue centre they should have been trained to use the litter box already , mine was adopted at 6 months from a rescue and she knew how to use it. Cats are usually very clean , they won’t really go anywhere else unless they’re not well. Mine is old now and has health problems, I’m not going to lie , when she goes she stinks the house up ,no matter what litter i use but before the sickness it wasn’t bad at all, just buy clumping litter and a poop scoop and pick it up once a day , then depending on the cat , weekly/bi-weekly change the litter all together and wash the tray and you’ll be fine .
I’ve heard wood pellets are very good for smell , also Ever Clean litter of Amazon .

Tbh it will smell and there isnt much you can do. My cats go outside and rarely use the litter box, but when they do it really smells if i dont clean it immediately. If they use it when im out the whole house smells when i get home. They use the box and cover the poo with the sand, but it doesnt help much. Ive tried many different cat sands and none covers the smell fully.
Most of my friends have indoor cats and you can smell it when you enter the house. Its not extremely strong and horrible, but its there.

Yes, planning on getting the cat from a rescue. Sounds good, thank you for suggestions

That's very honest, thank you!

Do the hooded litter trays contain the smell better? Also, what do you do with the poo that you scoop out - are any of the litter products ok to be flushed down the toilet (i.e. pellets ) or do you just use the bin?
Thanks again

Yes, hooded is better. And yes there are pellets that can be flushed. Well i flush the poo, because there arent many pellets stuck to it. The pee clumps go in my green bin.

I don't believe it's possible to train a cat to do anything. Luckily, they like pooing in litter.

That's really helpful, thanks!

I have two house cats. Both rescue Persians. I use really good clumping litter and smell isn't an issue. An enclosed litter tray really helps.

When our cat was a house cat we flushed his poos as soon as we could once he'd delivered them. We had a tray with a door and a carbon filter on the top (no idea how well that worked as we never replaced it)

Cats are very clean creatures by nature though and very very rarely poo somewhere they shouldn't. If they are it's because they're ill.

Happy cat having!

Our rescue cat didn’t use her litter tray after we allowed her outdoors. We don’t have one any more.
(Of course this may need to change as she gets older or is unwell).

When we did have the litter tray I was pretty assiduous about cleaning it out after a poo - luckily she had quite regular habits so I knew when to expect one.

We got lucky!!

I don't think you're supposed to flush cat poo. I used to put it in a poo bag and bin it.

That's good to know, thank you. Sounds quite manageable, hopefully

My latest rescue does poos that do not smell, so it is possible, though she's my first cat in 40+ years whose poo does not stink. You'll find some litters are better, but it's trial and error what works and what your cat actually prefers, I use Intersand.

Ideally cat poo shouldn't be flushed as our water treatment systems can't rid it of all the parasites etc. I just use dog poo bags.

I think you’re right about flushing them, I use the doggy poo bags too and put in bin, double bagged and securely tied up.

The smell will depend on the cats diet. Pouches like whiskas etc will make it smell bad. Mine only eats a decent quality dry and her poo isn't that smelly.
I use a hooded tray which helps and recycled paper pellets.

royal canine dry food for house cats reduces odor of poo.
covered litter tray
good quality litter changed regularly I use cats best.
I have never ever had a cat or kitten not come litter trained. Cats are generally very clean animals.
Good luck

If the cat is from a rescue they will more than likely be fine with a litter box, and they should have told you if not. Some are fussy about litter (mine aren't) so maybe ask the rescue what litter they are using. We use Catsan hygiene and although it is more expensive it is worth it if you can afford.
Hooded litter trays are best to keep the smell in, but again, depends what your cat is used to and happy to use. Lots of places suggest one litter box per cat, plus a spare.
You shouldn't flush cat poo or "flushable" litter.

I keep two litter trays in the downstairs shower room. I line them with newspaper and only throw a handful of litter in them. As soon as they are used I lift the entire contents and replace them, so generally no stink.

if I’ve been out all day and both have poo in them they whiff, but it’s soon sorted.

i hate deep litter trays where you attempt to scoop the poo and wee but some residue is left in the remaining litter. They do smell.

agree with pp, at Cats Protection they won’t rehome until the cat is litter trained.

Our rescue cat had terribly smelly poo when we first got him, we transitioned him to a good quality dried food and now it barely smells at all. Worth thinking about what they are eating.

Keep the litter tray in the bathroom, that helps. I can’t stand the idea of them in kitchens, but for some reason loads of people do it and then your food and cooking area smells like cat shit.