How to stop cat litter from smelling | HG’s effective tips for when the cat-litter tray smells

With HG it is now easy to do something about cat litter odour control. With HG litter tray deodoriser you produce an odourless cat-litter tray. This 100% animal-friendly and organic spray neutralises the cat-litter odour. Our cat-litter deodorant does not mask the odour, but actually breaks down the odour molecules and only starts to work when it comes into contact with urine. This means it stays effective longer and makes sure the cat-litter tray continues to smell fresh. And perhaps most importantly: the cats won’t notice. Cats do not like change or strange smells. Because our cat-litter trays deodoriser does not contain perfume and only works on contact with urine, the cats will continue to use the tray.

There are few alternative products for a cat-litter tray that smells of urine. However, there are some convenient methods for preventing this as much as possible. Needless to say that it is a good idea to change the cat-litter tray regularly.

• Clean the cat-litter tray with baking soda
  Baking soda can help to neutralise the odour. It is best to clean the cat-litter tray with a mixture of water and baking soda. You can also sprinkle a layer of baking soda at the bottom of the cat-litter tray. Although baking soda is not dangerous for cats, you do use it at your own risk.
• Use the right cat litter
  Not all cat litter is the same. It is a good idea to experiment with the litter that works for you and your cat. We do recommend you keep using the same litter once you've made your choice.
• Air freshener for a smelly cat-litter tray
  You can also mask the cat-litter smell with an air freshener. You can make your own with water, vinegar, and a few drops of essential oil. Put it near the cat-litter tray but be sure the cat cannot reach it. The air freshener will not solve the smell, it just masks it.
• Ventilation or air filtering
  Good ventilation is an easy way to reduce the smell of the cat-litter tray. Put the tray in a place where it is easy to ventilate. If you don’t have a suitable place, an air filter or air cleaner could work. These devices remove the smells from the air but remember that this can be an expensive solution.
• Healthy diet
  The cat's diet affects the smell of its faeces. A healthy and balanced diet with quality feed will help to reduce the nasty smells.
• Additional cat-litter trays
  If you have more than one cat, it can make an enormous difference if you have more cat-litter trays. By having several cat-litter trays, you reduce the chance of a full and smelly cat-litter tray. Cats are highly territorial too.

There are several reasons why a cat-litter tray is likely to smell. The main reason is that cat urine has a strong odour anyway because it is highly concentrated and smells of ammonia. However, faeces also has a strong smell because cats eat a lot of protein. The type of cat litter also makes a difference. A cat-litter tray will smell more quickly when the litter is of a lesser quality. The position of the cat-litter tray can also play a part in producing a cat-litter tray smell in the house. The smell will spread faster if it is close to the living room or in a poorly ventilated room. And finally, it matters how often you clean the cat-litter tray of course.

Sometimes it is recommended to clean a cat-litter tray with vinegar. This is not a good idea. Vinegar will neutralise the smell to some extent, but you’re left with a pungent vinegar smell instead. Worse still, your cat may no longer want to use the cat-litter tray because of the smell of vinegar. We don't recommend cleaning the cat-litter tray with bleach either. It is often said that cats find the smell of chlorine attractive, but we don't recommend it because bleach is extremely harmful to cats.

If you have a good tip for dealing with a smelly cat-litter tray, please let us know.