smell

Question
my 5 month old american shorthair kitten has the smellest feces. When I added odor remover to the litter he started urinating on the bed( never before) guess he doesn't like the stuff.  Is there anything I can do other than try another food again?  Is there anything I can add to the food?  I may lose my roommates.  It is not a matter of not cleaning the litter box. It can be cleaned and one trip and the house stinks.  I tried changing to a covered box with a door but then he urinated on the bed.

Answer
Hi Pam,

Oh dear - this is one of the downsides of having cats, I'm afraid!  Using an odour remover on cat litter is effective at removing the smell but does tend to stop cats using the litter box, so I wouldn't recommend you continue with this.  Cats - especially kittens - identify their toilet as much by scent as by sight, so your kitten is probably urinating on the bed because he isn't sure that the litter box is a toilet anymore now that he can't smell it.  This isn't to say that the litter box needs to stink - it just needs a faint smell that the kitten can detect.

It would be a good idea to experiment with other types of cat litter, as there are many on the market that have odour reducing qualities, but do try to stick to something with a similar texture to what your cat already uses - otherwise he might not like the way it feels on his paws and could end up urinating on the bed again, which is a habit you definitely want to break as soon as possible.

Try also experimenting with foods specially formulated for indoor cats.  These have less protein, which is the main cause of smelly faeces, and are designed to reduce litter box odour.  Be sure that what you buy is suitable for kittens as well as adult cats, as he is in a stage where he needs the proper nutrients to grow properly, and this needs to be your priority.

I would also suggest trying the covered box again but without the door, which should be detachable.  Most cats will use a covered tray no problem - in fact, many prefer it as it provides privacy - but the vast majority of cats I know will not use the box with the door attached.  They don't seem to like being in the dark and some cats find it difficult to move with the door closed.  (And one of my cats likes to stick his head out and stare at us all while he does his business!)  If the box is a decent model with odour filters in the hood, the fact that you have removed the door will not cause it to smell.  Just be sure that when you clean the box, you also clean the inside of the hood, as these boxes are so effective at containing the smell that you may not realise it really stinks on the inside, which isn't pleasant for your kitty!

Just a final thought - although it's pretty common for cats to have smelly faeces, if you think they're really bad and you see anything unusual such as traces of blood or bad diarrhoea, do check with a vet that everything is normal.

Hope this helps and best of luck with this!
Take care
Annie