Stink Bomb Galore! Gag gag vomit

September 27, 2007 2:07 PM

My Cat is a Pooping/ Farting Machine. Help!

I live in a medium sized 2 bedroom apartment with two cats. one of my cat is infamous for laying the biggest stinkiest fart and the smelliest poops. i have tried placing the litter boxes in several different locations, (closet, under my highrise bed, living room, under the dining table, under various windows) but have finally settled on the windowless bathroom because i spend the least time there.

I clean all the litter boxes once a day and its really not feasible for me to clean it more than that. but I have tried Arms & Hammer Multi-Cats Litter and am currently using The World's Best Cat Litter, but to no avail on reducing the deadly cat poop-lution.

I have tried Odor Out, also to no avail.

Can anyone recommend any products that will eliminate/ reduce the smell? How have you guys dealt with this issue?

posted by ceesbees to pets & animals (22 comments total)

First, what does your cat eat?
posted by agregoli at 2:08 PM on September 27, 2007

The solution to this will almost certainly be food. Does your cat still eat wet food? The solution for my cat was to eliminate wet food entirely.
posted by CrayDrygu at 2:10 PM on September 27, 2007

Try a box of the most expensive, filler/preservative-free cat food in the store, and I bet that'll clear up right quick.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 2:11 PM on September 27, 2007

felidae dry formulae
posted by ceesbees at 2:11 PM on September 27, 2007

We've had a lot of luck with changing diet (to Chicken Soup brand) and moving to a Boodah Dome with a filter for nuclear cat ass.
posted by iamabot at 2:12 PM on September 27, 2007

My condolences. I have an elderly cat with truly foul output, even when she doesn't have the runs, and she has never learned how to cover up after herself. On the other hand, I do have a basement, thank God.

If you want to reduce odour for visitors and you (except when you clean the box) a hooded box with charcoal filters may help. Otherwise, you may want to talk with your vet about some foods, like Iams, which are supposed to reduce odour output.
posted by maudlin at 2:14 PM on September 27, 2007

Agreeing with the food component. I've cured my stinky kitty aroma by switching to different food.
posted by mightshould at 2:30 PM on September 27, 2007

Smelly offal means that something isn't being digested, or it's being digested incorrectly. Make sure your food doesn't have any grains in the first 3-5 ingredients. Try one based on chicken or lamb, rice, brewers yeast, etc. The "sensitive stomach" ones will help. Don't let kitty get in the trash, or eat table scraps.
posted by TomMelee at 2:44 PM on September 27, 2007

On the litter front:

I've had a lot of luck with the various pine litters ("Feline Pine" is the brand that springs to mind), placed within a Boodah Dome filtered litterbox.

They have a noticeable smell of their own, but it's fairly pleasant, even after being peed/pooped on.
posted by Kemayo at 2:52 PM on September 27, 2007

Nthing the switch to dry/better food.

Also, Arm & Hammer regular formula cat litter works far better for me that Multi-Cat formula. Go figure.
posted by Pecinpah at 3:01 PM on September 27, 2007

I'll agree with everyone who says food. And I'll suggest there aren't that many brands that aren't total garbage, and the brands that are OK are chiefly Califonria Natural, Royal Canin and Innova. Good food will extend your kitty's life by years.
posted by Shane at 3:24 PM on September 27, 2007

Are you giving your cat any dairy products, milk, cream, cheese, butter, etc? Even just a little taste would make my cat's litter box smell to high heaven.
posted by marsha56 at 3:35 PM on September 27, 2007

I'm sure food can/will help. But if it doesn't... for example, one of my cats has some kind of suspected inflammatory bowel ailment, she's had mild diarhhea her whole life (9 years so far, although admittedly I didn't have her the 1st year), and I have tried all kinds of store foods, varied 'em, tried the single protein source foods, the no grain foods, wet, dry, etc. The only thing I haven't tried is the 'raw food diet' and steroids... Anyway. She's strictly on the Innova no-grain, now.

I recommend, totally

SCOOP AWAY UNSCENTED (now I believe called 'Scoop Away Free' (free of scent , that is). I swear by this stuff. Strangely, it is way hardly to find than "multi cat" or "fresh scent" but I can't stand the perfumey litters and I can't believe the cats really like it, either. Ugh.
posted by bitterkitten at 3:35 PM on September 27, 2007 [2 favorites]

Sensitive Stomach Science Diet dry food cured this problem for us. If we switch to another SD formulation it comes back, although adding in the occasional can of wet food isn't a problem.
posted by crabintheocean at 3:51 PM on September 27, 2007

Tidy Cats Small Spaces is the only litter I've tried that actually helps with the odor from my two cats.
posted by rossmik at 6:25 PM on September 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

Perhaps a little yogurt, in case there's a digestive flora issue?
posted by Scram at 6:29 PM on September 27, 2007

Felidae is an awesome food and I commend you for choosing something as high quality for your cats. But its awesomeness does not necessarily mean that it agrees with your cats. I suggest switching (slowly) to something with a shorter ingredients list and ideally a different protein (IIRC Felidae is chicken/turkey based) - California Natural has a few, as does Wellness and Natural Balance. This sort of problem is almost always food-related.
posted by biscotti at 7:28 PM on September 27, 2007

Also, a vet check is never a bad idea.
posted by biscotti at 7:29 PM on September 27, 2007

Take your cat to the vet and have him checked for intestinal parasites, like giardia or worms, which can produce extremely smelly poops. Also, if your cat is a kitten, he will eventually grow out of it (kitten poop is very very much stinkier than adult cat poop).
posted by agent99 at 5:40 AM on September 28, 2007

Seconding Scoop Away Unscented. I recently switched and am so glad. The poops still smell, but not as much as before. The real difference is in the pee smell; or should i say, lack thereof. really really great clumping action!
posted by kidsleepy at 7:45 AM on September 28, 2007

Besides addressing the potential health/food problems, I've found that Ever Clean Ever Fresh litter is the best (activated charcoal!). I also used a Booda Dome (the bigger one, for plenty of digging space).
posted by CiaoMela at 8:58 AM on September 28, 2007 [1 favorite]

Changing food, for sure. We had a farting pooping cat problem too. Zack could clear a room and made eyes water. His butt was legendary. I got some probiotics from Trader Joe's and added about a half a one to his food. That helped a LOT.

Scoop away is a great litter and just scoop as much as you can.

I also have one of those plug in fan dealies that are supposed to filter the air. Seems to help the area.
posted by pywacket at 12:41 AM on September 30, 2007