Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am interested to know if one has to take as granted that if you have two cats at home your house and your sofa will have cat odor no matter how clean you keep the litter box? I have never owned a cat and as i am deciding to get two kittens my oponents are warning me about the cat smell problem.

Cats are very clean animals. A healthy cat shouldn't have a noticible odor. Litter boxes are smell, but that can be overcome by cleaning it regularly. Otherwise I never notice a cat smell in my apartment- even on my couch and bed where they regularly sleep.

It sounds like you have non cat people trying to convince you not to get one! I'd take everything they say with a grain of salt- people who don't like cats try to come up with logical reasons for their dislike, even if it means making things up!

You are right in assuming that most of my friends are not cat people. I was not either but now I am possessed with the idea of getting not one but two . This happened after I lived for a week in a friends house with 3 bengals and 1 russian blue. They were so much fun. They were kind to me, even though I was stranger to them and were playing. I did notice that there was some kind of sweet smell in the apartment and the area were the litter box was placed, but the cats did not smell themselves.

I am getting my kittens in January. I will do all I can to make them comfortable and play with them. I have to read and consult people how to prevent them scratching my furniture (I have too good furniture to destroy) and avoid them urinating or defacating outside the litter box. Some owners say that sometimes cats may suddenly choose not to use the litter box and could make a mess.

Is there any type of litter box that is specially designed to kill odor and clamp the cat's extrements really well so that they can be removed without residue?

Cailin is right...the only time you can immediately tell a person has cats when you walk into their home is if they neglect the litter box...

Fresh Step clumping with charcoal....my new favorite...it really works much better than any other I've used.

In my experience, the only times a cat will deliberately not use the box is if they are trying to tell you they are sick...or, like my Bentley...trying to tell you to clean it out...Bentley did not like to poop in the box after someone else had pooped...and he would let me know by pooping on the mat right outside the litter box entry...I finally got an automated litter box and solved the problem. Now everyone gets to go in "clean" litter...a new cat may also "protest" a different litter box or different litter...the breeder will explain how to transition the cats to minimize this...

Male cats will also start "spraying" at about 7 months when they become sexually mature...they are marking their territory...this is why you must neuter them BEFORE this starts happening...the smell of marking urine is pretty impossible to get out...which is pretty much the point as far as the cat is concerned...

Cats are very intelligent...so keep in mind they don't do things to displease you just to displease you...they are more than likely trying to tell you something or in the case of marking, doing what instinct tells them to do...