Forgive me if this is not appropriate discussion here, but the description says discussion is allowed so here goes:
After some research and online discussion we decided to upgrade our cat’s bathroom equipment from a regular litter box to a fancy expensive FurryTail automatic litter box. I am happy to report that generally we are very happy with it, the cats seem to love it, and overall it works great.
The only problem we’re trying to figure out, is that it stinks worse than the regular cat box we used to have. I’m talking about right after use, not really “ambient” odor, but when the one cat uses it, the entire first floor of our home is eye-wateringly stinky. We never noticed this happen before. With the old analog cat box we almost never had odor problems. I suspect it has something to do with the cats burrying it before and now the machine “unburies” it while it’s “fresh” and puts it in a bag that does not contain the evil… that’s the only thing I can think of. The situation also puzzles us. This is a tiny monster, pooing in a nearly completely enclosed barrel, that is closed INSIDE an unused shower, in a tiny side bathroom. There are multiple layers of containment and it still manages to permeate the whole house. On top of that, while it seems like it’s really just right after they use it, we’re assuming we’re getting nose blind and probably the whole house stinks more than we think, all the time.
I’ve been using activated charcoal in the receptacle and shower area. We also use the Arm and Hammer deodorizing powder in the litter itself. I’m wondering what else I can do? (besides go back to the old cat box.)
here’s a cat tax photo of the poo poo monster just because:
It probably is due to your fancy robot liter box literally being a shit disturber.
Your inkling is almost certainly correct; cats instinctively bury their shit because they are by nature solo stealth hunters… having a very pungent smell reveals your location to prey, and predators.
The process of totally covering the surface area of the poo pile in litter is what makes it work… if it gets flipped over or unburied in a way that now a surface of the poo is… uncovered, just exposed?
Yep, gonna smell real bad.
Cat pee and poo odor often has a strong component of ammonia.
… You are almost certainly going noseblind to this smell, as a smoker does with cigarrettes.
Somewhat like cigarette smoke, though probably less rapidly/intensely… enough gaseous ammonia, regularly released in a confined space, with poor ventilation, will slowly begin to just… seep into everything porous enough to absorb it…fabrics, carpets, possibly even wall paint.
…
Without trying to figure out how to fix your robot shit box that cant do its job right…
…Consider a coffee ground based cat liter, or just make your own out of used, decaf coffee grounds, or augment your existing litter with a layer of used decaf coffee grounds.
Introduce in progressively larger amounts over time, to familiarize kitty kat.
Used coffee grounds + a bit of baking soda is better than traditional cat litter at absorbing smells, full stop.
There is potentially a danger of a cat ingesting too much caffiene and poisoning themself, should they lick their paws or just eat the litter … this is why you use decaf.
But, other than that:
Coffee ground based or inclusive litter clumps better than normal litter, it adheres to the poo and itself better, when wet.
It absorbs and neutralizes smells much better, because of its chemical composition and porous nature.
It does not have the problem of making clouds of particulate dust when the cat kicks about to try to bury the poo, which can irritate both cats and people.
It isn’t tiny rocks that you can step on like lego pieces after your cat flings them around, and is also thus less likely to damage a vaccuum cleaner.
It doesn’t contribute to …digging rocks and clay out of the ground and then throwing them back into landfills.
It also does not have any artificial masking smells which can be irritating to both cats and people.
Also, you can use it in compost, post poo saturation.
…
Pidan, Eticat and Dofu make cat safe, decaf coffee ground based litter, or if you want to make your own out of decaf grounds or beans, here’s a pretty decent guide on how to do it safely:
https://recommendedproductsreviewed.com/coffee-grounds-cat-litter/