The best litter box air freshener is one that eliminates odors instead of covering them up with a new scent. Mixing a new scent with the smell of cat poop does not produce a good smell, and your cat probably won’t like the new smell either.
There are several different solutions for getting rid of the smell of cat poop that comes out of a little box.
Everyone knows that you need to clean the cat litter regularly. As a general rule of thumb, you should scoop the clumped up cat pee and poop out of the box at least once per day. This will minimize bad smells and also give your cat a clean toilet to use every day.
But if you’re tired of coming into your room and smelling fresh cat droppings, and you want to eliminate the odor without having to scoop the litter box so often, then I have some options for you below.
Option 1: For Immediate Relief, Use An Odor-Neutralizing Spray Bottle
If you want the easiest, lowest effort solution that just makes the bad smell go away immediately, I recommend using a spray bottle called an ozone spray. Ozone is a natural chemical that destroys odor-causing particles when it comes into contact with them.
This won’t keep your litter box smelling fresh for more than a day, but it is a great solution for getting rid of a really bad smell right before company comes over. Or, if you’re just too tired to clean the litter box right now.
There are also spray bottle products made with baking soda and specifically tailored for cat odor removal. I’ve listed the most popular one below, under the ozone spray.
- Ozone spray bottle – Spray in the air near your litter box for immediate, short-term odor relief.
- Cat litter deodorizer spray with liquid baking soda – Spray this directly into the litter box to eliminate foul odors.
Option 2: Get An Odor-Trapping Cat Litter
Most people just use whatever cat litter is cheapest in the store. However, if you have a particularly big problem with the smell of cat poop, then you may want to choose a more expensive cat litter that is designed for trapping odors, including the smell of cat poop.
The average cat litter is made from a clay-like substance. But these more sophisticated cat litters are made of other substances which often eliminate odors before they even escape the cat litter box to begin with. Let’s take a look at the options:
- Pine litter – Made from trees, with added baking soda for odor prevention.
- Walnut shell litter – Made from walnut shells. Said to be better than most cat litters for odor prevention.
- Corn cob litter – Made from ground up corn cobs. People say this is the best litter for preventing the smell of cat poop.
Option 3: Put Odor-Trapping Additives In Your Current Cat Litter
There are several products that naturally get rid of odors that can be added to a litter box to help keep the smell at bay.
The most common one, which you might already own, is baking soda. Just sprinkle a little bit of baking soda into your cat litter box before adding the cat litter. The baking soda will help trap smells that the cat later produces. There’s even a baking soda-based product made specifically for litter boxes.
There are also other products which perform similarly. I’ve listed the most popular one below, right under the baking soda product.
- Cat litter deodorizer with baking soda – Sprinkle this in the cat litter box before adding the cat litter. Will reduce bad smells later when the cat goes potty.
- Cat litter deodorizer with custom formula – Made with other compounds that neutralize odor. Can help cat litter last longer before needing to be changed.
Option 4: Use An Odor-Trapping Device Near The Litter Box
There are two odor-trapping house decorations that I recommend to people all the time. The first one is a bag of activated carbon. The carbon in the bag traps odor particles that come into contact with it, and the bag doubles as a decent house decoration.
The second is an odor-trapping gel canister. The gel traps odors just like the bag of activated carbon. If your cat litter box is on the floor, you can set the gel canister right next to it if you want to. Or, you can set it on a nearby counter top.
- Bag of activated carbon – Traps odors and looks cute. No scent. Lasts for months.
- Canister of odor-trapping gel – Traps odors. Gives off a slight “cleaning product” scent. Lasts for months. Great option for placing on the floor right next to a litter box.
