The cats going to cause a divorce

[MaMoosie]

A few months ago I gave my husband an ultimatum, he either sorts his cat out or I’m leaving. His cat was peeing all over the house, all over our things, just a nightmare. He’s changed her food to senior food and this seems to have done the trick however now it’s litter tray smells like nothing I’ve ever smelt before. It is absolutely filling the house with the smell and I can’t cope with it. I refuse to refuse to touch the tray, something he was aware I wouldn’t be doing before we moved in together. But the smell is so bad I’m honestly considering cancelling hosting Christmas this year because I’m so embarrassed our house smells like cat shit. What do we do? Just keep trying different foods? Honestly feel like it’s going to end our marriage at this rate.

Change the litter.
I run a boarding cattery and I use Cats Best Original from Zooplus - my cattery does not smell of cat shit or piss.

Also change the food. The better quality the food, the less stinky the shit.

My cats go outside but I had a tray for them when they were kittens. If they do something smelly it needs to be scooped immediately, not left to stink the house out!

Cat’s Best is the way to go. It sounds like you’re going with what food is available in the supermarket (Whiskas and Sainsbury’s Own Brand) You may actually find it’s cheaper to order from Zooplus or Maxi Zoo, plus you could pick something to address her dietary needs or even urinary specific food

I know you say she’s only 7, but a senior cat is 8+ so she is indeed approaching elderly by cat standards.

what Id really love to know, OP, because it would answer a lot, is if she’s burying her poo or not? The previous urinating everywhere would speak to big anxiety, leaving her poo unburied so it stinks up the house also speaks to the same.

In the same way, if she peed beside the second litter box, was it open or covered? An anxious cat generally doesn’t like a covered litter box as it feels like being cornered.

All the flags here point to a very anxious cat indeed, and your vet can possibly help you address this further than just some feliway.

You need a better cat food.

Catofhate is 13 and eats Arden Grange Light biscuits with Felix As Good As It Looks Senior. If I give him Whiskas biscuits, he pebbledashes the litter tray.

OP have your husband do research into a proper cat food and a species appropriate diet. Whiskas (senior, kitten, normal) and foods like it are absolute CRAP and their poo stinks to high heaven on it. Avoid anything with “animal derivatives” or “meat derivatives” - aside from being of almost no nutritional value, it is full of grain and filler that makes your cat’s poo reek.

I feed a high protein fresh meat food that has no grain or filler. Both of my cats have perfect little dark coloured poos that hardly smell. I also use a good quality tofu based clumping litter and there is no smell. I scoop 4 trays daily.

Change the litter tray more often - at least once daily - and maybe consider having more than one litter tray. I have two cats therefore four litter trays, all of which are changed daily.
If your cat's poos are stinking the house out to such an unpleasant extent, I would also advise a visit to a vet to investigate the reason for the cat's smelly poos. Do you have a vet nearby who specialises in cats?

Try Katkin, almost odourless poop.

Code if you want to try it. It is more expensive that supermarket food and take ys some freezer space but has really helped with our cats IBS and stunky poop. We buy the largest pack sizes and feed one pack over several days (just adjust the cat details until you get 400kcal pouches, thses are the most cost effective)

Whiskas is not a good quality food, and may well cause horribly stinky shite. If your budget will stretch, try something like Hills Science Diet (your vet will stock it).

air fresheners and cats don't mix. just open a window!