Post Published on March 27, 2011.
Last Updated on April 24, 2016 by davemackey.
Charity and I have four (yes four) cats. We love them, but they are also stinky little critters and I am constantly looking for new ways to eliminate their odors. I’m just doing some research on odor control options. I’ve listed some out below with comments as appropriate and would love to hear if you know of additional odor control options besides those I’ve mentioned.
- OdoBan Pet Solid Odor Absorber and Air Freshener (8 oz.) – I’ve purchased products similar to this one in the past – though not one specifically made to absorb pet odors. I find that they work okay, but they don’t do much for that *real stinky* short-term smell right after a cat goes, and they seem to whither out after a while. I wish the product description told us a little more about how this is product is specially formulated to eliminate pet odors as opposed to those I’ve already used. Realistically, the price would need to come down as well – I can’t see paying almost $6 ea. for these when I would need at least three simultaneously and they need to be swapped out once a month.
- Fresh ‘n Clean Odor Grabber Deluxe 1000 Air Purifier – The price on this unit isn’t bad ($40) but the replacement filters are always killer ($20 for 2). I’ve found, in general, these air purifier units seem to do the best job – if you keep a new filter in them at least once a month…but that gets expensive! Again, especially if you have multiple locations!
- Hamilton Beach TrueAir or Febreze Odor Removal Appliances – I picked up one of these units a while back and I think it works well in very small, confined areas. It seems to control odor, but if the room is even moderately large (e.g. a large closet) it doesn’t have a strong enough fan to pull in and change the air…but if it’s right up close, it does a decent job. I’ve decided to pick up another one of these – though I’m not buying it off Amazon. I’m spoiled by wanting products with free shipping (Amazon Prime), so I’ll wait till I go to Target where the price is the same and I don’t have to pay shipping.
What hasn’t worked for me? Good question – and just as important as what I’m considering and what has…
- Domed Litter Boxes – These are really a good idea, problem is if you have a massively overweight cat (Barclay) who believes that once her body is in the litter box, she’s good to go (which can result in her defecating everywhere but in the litter box). This issue is significantly exasperated by domed litter boxes which tend to be smaller than many litter boxes one can otherwise purchase.
- Automatic Litter Boxes – I’d love to say I’ve been able to get something like the CatGenie or co. to work, but I’ve run into more issues than blessings with these units. My old CatGenie unit finally went out with the garbage perhaps six months ago – after sitting in the shed for a year. Ohh well. If anyone wants to send me a unit (by CatGenie or others) I’m more than happy to give it a try…but I’m skeptical.