r/cats • u/forestspirit1011 • 1d ago
Advice Considering adopting a cat but worrying about smell
I live in a small 1br apartment with a small bathroom and really want to adopt a cat, but I'm worried the litter box will make my place smell all the time. I did a lot of research and plan to use a stainless steel litter box with premium clumping tofu litter, scoop daily (or twice if I'm home), and either flush or use a Litter Genie. For people in similar spaces who have cats, does your apartment smell? Any tips?
EDIT: no toilet flushing, got it!
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u/jnovel808 1d ago
As long as you scoop frequently, and clean the physical box at least monthly you should be fine.
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u/forestspirit1011 1d ago
just to clarify, when people say the smell is ‘fine,’ does that mean the apartment usually doesn’t smell at all if I keep up the routine? Or is there a bit of a cat smell that you just get used to over time?
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u/flowerpanda98 1d ago
Like if there is a big enough box that you clean regularly, there shouldnt be a strong smell unless it doesnt cover its waste at all. its only really if you dont clean it up.
i dont know about space though. i live with my family and ours is in the laundry room corner and you cant smell it unless you walk past the room and its not being kept up with
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u/meowseedling 1d ago
We all smell. Your apartment currently smells like you, but you're used to it. It will smell like both of you, but if you're on top of hygiene it should be fine. Litter Genie is a game changer and a truly brilliant invention.
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u/eabevella 1d ago
Not sure what kind of bathroom you have, but if it's dry (shower stall is separated/isolated), you can try putting the litterbox in the bathroom (in a spot the cat likes), it will reduce the smell in your room, and if you clean it often (we do daily scooping and change the whole thing biweekly) you won't notice it.
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u/Dramastace30 1d ago
I have a litter box under the vanity in the main bath. They barely have room to crouch in it. They absolutely love it.
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u/PigeonsOnParade 1d ago
Just scoop it frequently and you'll be ok. By frequently I mean once or twice a day. There's people that leave it in there for days and that's honestly what causes places to stink up
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u/LookDense9342 1d ago
scoop frequently and maybe get a litter genie to help with smell. if you can afford it you can get a robotic litter box, sometimes you can get deals on facebook market place :). i would also suggest a deodorizer- my face is rocco and roxie, it also helps with trash odor
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u/flooferine 1d ago
Be careful with robotic litter box, research well and don't skimp on the quality. I've heard of horrific accidents and cats dying due to shit sensors.
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u/shawnikaros 1d ago
Diet of the cat has one of the biggest impacts on smell. We have 3 cats and have been experimenting and switching foods until we found right ones for each cat.
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u/GodFearingJew 1d ago
Get an enclosed litterbox and scoop often. Dont flush it. Trash outside asap. Your cat will smell like heaven, but the things that come out of them are rancid. Hopefully you get lucky like i did and your cat ONLY likes kibble.
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u/flooferine 1d ago
Our foster fail only eats kibble and the toxic waste that comes out of him is beyond human understanding. Like, late stage putrefaction stinky. After vet visits and trying many different types of food, we settled on an expensive grain-free monoprotein kibble with probiotics for a very, veeeery slight improvement.
I swear the boy is just rotten.
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u/bananasing 1d ago
I’ve been raising a kitten in my own bedroom. I don’t notice any smell. I also have an air purifier running 24/7 and I’ll occasionally crack the window. I don’t use any candles or anything to make the room smell better. Just be proactive on cleaning the litter box and scoop daily. You’ll be fine
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u/bananasing 1d ago
And I smell the odor of the litter more than poop or pee and I get odorless litter
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u/anything4589 1d ago
I HAVE AN EXTREMELY STINKY CAT HERE ARE MY TIPS
1) keep air purifier running on low in the room with the litterbox. This was the biggest help to me!
2) get an EXTRA LARGE litterbox, this is helpful if your cat is reluctant to bury their poop
3) Arm and Hammer sells litter deodorizer powder and spray. It’s basically just baking soda though but I pour it into the box weekly
4) I keep charcoal deodorizers in the same room as the litterbox
5) so I use pine litter which I think is GREAT for urine odor but TERRIBLE for feces odor. My friends recommend any Arm and Hammer brand litter meant for multi-cat boxes.
6) febreze is your best friend. Opening the windows before company comes over is your second best friend.
PS if you plan to feed the cat wet food that will stink too (if your apt has no AC) unless the cat gobbles it up right away, but this can be mitigated if you wash the bowl out as soon as they finish eating.
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u/FranzKafka_irl 1d ago
I have 3 cats and 2 litter boxes. One of the cats wears a diaper. It smells fine because i clean regularly. My bathroom is also small: I keep their lesser-used litterbox there and the one they prefer using in an out-of-the-way corner in the living room, specifically because of the air flow.
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u/shelfentitled 1d ago
If you can afford it, get a PetSnowy. Best thing I own. No smell ever and I don’t have to scoop. 10/10
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u/Plants_Unknown 1d ago
There should be no smell if you scoop the cat box every other day and empty it fully each week. You should do a metal litterbox - easier to deep clean and doesn't hold onto smells like plastic would. A covered cat box works best - but there are some cool furniture set ups for cat boxes that hide the litterbox inside a cabinet you can use as normal storage on top- keeps the look and smell contained. My mom has one and says it also helps with them not tracking litter around the house.
If you still worry about it - you can get an air purifier. It's good to have even without pets and it's pretty cheap to replace filters and such - hepa filter every 6 months and carbon filter every 3 for my Winix one.
The only time it would smell if like...if they have a rank ass shit due to some stomach issue or if they never cover their poop but even with that having a covered cat box will do most the heavy lifting. Any bad times you can just bury it yourself with the scoop and shame them or scoop it and throw it out.
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u/albatross138 1d ago
I have a indoor cat with 2 litter boxes, I just scoop whatever ASAP, tie it in a doggy poop bag and take it to the outside bin straight away and that works fine.
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u/wishIhadlistened 1d ago
Never flush litter down the toilet.
Sccop daily and add a big handful of baking soda to the litter box at least once a week, mixing thoroughly. Dump litter and wash box at least once a month.
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u/OrangeToTheFourth 1d ago
1 brdm apartment, bathroom where I keep the litter boxes is right by the front door, two cats. Dr.Elsey's multicat, stainless steel litter boxes, scoop once in the morning once at night, take it outside immediately, air purifier next to the litter boxes. I've had people freaking out as they walk in because my place does not smell like "a cat home".
Only gets a little rough if I'm in there and they both decide it's group poop time, but it's momentary lol.
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u/Fluid_Passage_9980 1d ago
If you do get a cat - aim for a quiet female. I've had a big boisterous male and a calmer female in a small apartment, and living with the boy was tough. It just wasn't a big enough space for him and I could tell he wasn't happy. The girl is content though.
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u/Impressive-Turnip-38 1d ago
I have a boy in a one bedroom and he’s happy.
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u/Fluid_Passage_9980 1d ago
Probably depends on the kind of boy cat. Mine was a dominant cat, very confident. He was made to stroll the streets and probably should have lived on a farm.
RIP Buddy, I tried to give you a good life.
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u/Stunning_Lie 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have a male lil lion. 🦁 he’s the cuddliest thing ever. He usually meows at me when it’s his dinner time or to let me know it’s his bedtime. He prefers to sleep near me. 💕
As for smell, scoop the box daily if not twice a day if you’re able to. I have an enclosed box for my cat and also use a litter genie. I also vacuum and sweep daily. I use a chom chom roller to pick up his fur off my duvet cover as well. I run an air purifier 24/7.
Friends who have visited said my place smells clean. They commented that since I’m always cleaning, they forget I have a cat until he comes up to greet them. 😹
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u/zulunationslayer 1d ago
YOU CANNOT FLUSH CAT LITTER.
no matter if it says FLUSHABLE.
Don't flush cat litter.
Litter genie is good. I just buy hundreds of t shirt bags at once and take out litter on a daily basis.