# Litter box odor (what litter box odor?)



## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

For the past several months, my neighbor has claimed she can smell a litterbox odor coming from my apartment. Sooo...along with diligent scooping, I've stopped using any other type of litter but pine, which is the best,imo, for nuetralizing odors. I've also sprayed near his box, all around the apartment, and in the HALLWAY with cleaning vinegar and/or febreeze. she still claims she can smell Robin's box. She told me she has a better sense of smell than most people. She also has asthma,and claimed the litterbox odor caused an attack. I almost got evicted, but I was like 'I'll make sure there's no odor at all, Misterlandlordsir.' For a few weeks I had no problems, now she's complaining again. Is it possible, that, working at a cat shelter, I've gone noseblind to certain smells?


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## eldercat (Jul 3, 2015)

I would think that your trip home would eliminate that. You'd notice at once when you walked into your own house. I'd be inclined to invite the landlord over. I'd also wonder what else she might be smelling that she thinks is litterbox. Or is it your clothing from the shelter? 

I agree about pine litter, it checked the odor at once. But here I read that the type of food makes a big difference too.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Yes, I would invite the landlord over for a sniff. Tell him he is authorized to come and even do a surprise inspection any time he wants. Maybe it's not your apartment but the apartment under, over or on the other side?? I agree, pine is the best. We have 26 cats in one cat room at the shelter and there is NO smell unless we get an unneutered male in. None, nada, zip, zero smell. Customers often exclaim that they are amazed that there is no smell.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I would think your landlord would be more concerned about the noise 
your neighbor is making just *walking* in her apartment.



> The undisputed king of animal sniffers is the African elephant.


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## DebS (Jun 14, 2015)

I agree....invite the landlord over for a sniff test.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

marie73 said:


> I would think your landlord would be more concerned about the noise
> your neighbor is making just *walking* in her apartment.


 :lol:


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Ooh, I hope you get it resolved! Me? I think I'd invite a third party (like a few friends) over to your apartment first for an honest opinion from each (so they won't feel pressured to lie if it faintly smelled) before I went to the landlord for the sniff test.


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

That's really odd. I never smell a "litter box odor" unless I am sitting at, scooping my litter boxes. Same with at my parent's house, I never notice there's even a litterbox unless I'm literally sniffing it. And that's coming from a person who has a SUPER strong sense of smell--which is a curse, not a gift! Lol my landlords are not pet people and have never own cats. They made an exception for us to live here. Even then, they were amazed because our apartment smells fantastic and they smell absolutely no odor, even when they walk by the litter boxes.

Now the odor that IS strong is when a cat has urinated in the house and permeated the flooring--I can smell that sort of odor before even walking into a house. The smell is nauseating and incredibly strong.

Unless Robin has been peeing around the house I couldn't see your neighbor actually smelling the litter box through a wall.

I agree with TabbCatt--I'd ask a friend's opinion before getting the landlord involved.


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## skyrun (Dec 9, 2014)

Definitely get a second opinion from a friend/guest. I know that when Puddle was having his... um... litter box issues (ie., he decided his new litter box was the second floor landing) I would treat the area and not be able to smell anything... but guests to my home would be able to smell it, because they weren't used to it. 

I know that in some older apartments (and even some newer ones!) the air ducts can be conduits for scent travel, so you might want to make sure your litter box isn't right next to a duct/furnace/air return/etc.

If it does turn out that there's a smell, try a small air filter. I have a small Holmes filter for my current apartment that is parked right in between the litter boxes, and I run it on its lowest setting almost 24/7. It does an awesome job sucking in bad smells and dust, too!

In all likeliness... your neighbor is smelling something else (probably something from her own apartment  ) or, it's all in her head!


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## littlecatblue (Sep 3, 2013)

Your neighbor can smell the litter box? That does seem strange. If you are scooping daily (or changing regularly) there should be no lingering smell. 

I like the idea of asking other people if they can smell it in your apartment. If they can't, that neighbor is FOS.


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## Nuliajuk (Oct 25, 2014)

If your neighbour is claiming that the smell is giving her an asthma attack, she's full of it. People get asthma attacks from proteins, or pollens, or chemicals, or spores. Not from odours. I have asthma and I've never had an attack from even the worst odours, not even bad outhouses on camping trips.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Mm. This is good to know. Meantime, I haven't had any further problems with her. Y'know, she SMOKES. Could THAT be a contributing factor?! Anyway, I'm inviting my LL over when he gets home from a trip.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

This woman has asthma and she smokes! Good grief. She needs her head examined. It sounds like you live next door to a drama queen. I agree with Naliajuk, no way would smelling a litter box in the next apartment trigger an asthma attack. If you were using very, very dusty litter AND your next door neighbor scooped and cleaned your litter boxes, that might trigger an asthma attack...but not simply a bit of odor (and any odor worth discussing likely doesn't even exist in your case).

My daughter has asthma. She most definitely does not smoke. Indeed, she can't be with 20 feet of someone who is smoking. However, my daughter has a cat. That has never caused any issues with her asthma (even though she does the scooping!).

Hopefully, your neighbor won't give you any further trouble.


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## Nuliajuk (Oct 25, 2014)

bluemilk said:


> Mm. This is good to know. Meantime, I haven't had any further problems with her. Y'know, she SMOKES. Could THAT be a contributing factor?! Anyway, I'm inviting my LL over when he gets home from a trip.


She smokes? Well no, of COURSE that can't possibly be the reason! :roll:..(sarcasm)
Smoke of any kind used to set off my asthma. That (and bad outhouses) is why I don't camp any more.


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## skyrun (Dec 9, 2014)

Well now we know she's full of it... since smoking has been identified as causing loss of smell, I seriously doubt her sense of smell is good enough to identify a litter box from a different apartment!


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

One night it got below 0. There she was, outside, smoking. In shorts and a t-shirt.


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## Nuliajuk (Oct 25, 2014)

I wonder if she was smelling ammonia and was assuming it was coming from your place because you just happen to have a cat?
This reminds me that years ago, when I was pretty serious about distance running, I'd sometimes have the smell of ammonia in my nostrils after a very long or hard run that only I could smell.
It was explained to me that it was from the breakdown of ketones into acetate within the muscles, being exhaled through the lungs/nostrils. It's not too uncommon for people who do hard training (although not the best thing, a sign they're depleted in water, electrolytes and carbohydrates). In a sedentary smoker like your neighbour, it can likely be a sign of health problems. Not your problem, anyway. It's good you have her off your back.


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## Litter-Robot (Oct 27, 2015)

Agreeing with all of the previous posts here!

I recently stumbled upon "Littermint, Cat Box Deodorizer" in the catosphere. I haven't used it myself but it may be worth looking into.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

At 3 oz. for $10.95 (and you're supposed to use 1/4 cup), it better freshen MY bathroom, too. And my neighbor's.


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## amy22 (Jul 5, 2013)

How do you use the pine litter? My friend used it but I could never figure out how to scoop it. The little pellets turn into sawdust which I can't scoop. I'd love to try something different in my cat's boxes. The cat smell isn't particularly bothersome but the dust is really irritating. I recently tried "Tidy Cats with Glade 4 in 1" and the perfume odor is overwhelming; I'm surprised the cats use it at all. 

Freyja has used the walnut pellets in the past but randomly stopped one day so I switched her back to the tidy cats. Emily has been in a shelter using donated litter (constantly changing) so she's pretty easy to switch. I would put a lid on to decrease the perfume smell but I worry they won't use the box then. They already insist on only 1 box which they share (2 others sitting around barely used)


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## Nuliajuk (Oct 25, 2014)

amy22 said:


> How do you use the pine litter? My friend used it but I could never figure out how to scoop it. The little pellets turn into sawdust which I can't scoop.


I don't think you are supposed to scoop it. One of our local rescues uses it and they just empty the whole lot (shallow layer) into the garbage each day, wash the pan, then put in a fresh layer. So, it's a bit like using the old clay litter in that way.


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

You just scoop out the solid wastes. The bad thing about pine litter is that cats usually can't cover it up, so you'll have to scoop out the solids or it will leave a lingering smell. Some cats don't like the pellets either, and may not use the box if they have issues with it.


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

There's a trick to scooping the liquid waste. You get under it, and lift the clumped sawdust quickly and smoothly, so it doesn't fall apart. Takes practice.

the problem some cats have with the stuff is that it's not easy for kitty to get a steady foothold in it.


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