Let’s face it, cat litter boxes stink! Especially when they’ve had a number 2.
Anything you can do to improve that is a good thing. So, in this article, we’re going to look at the best cat litter deodorizers.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Simple Solution Cat Litter Freshener: An Excellent Cheap Option
4.0 out of 5.0 stars (4.0)
If you’re on a budget, Simple Solution’s Cat Litter Freshener is excellent. It doesn’t last as long Rocco & Roxie but’s a lot cheaper.
Rocco & Roxie Litter Box Odor Eliminator: Best For Multiple Cats
4.1 out of 5.0 stars (4.1)
Rocco & Roxie Litter Box Odor Eliminator uses essential oils to neutralize odours. We also found a bottle lasted for ages.
Moodify Pet: The Best Cat Litter Odour Blocker
4.3 out of 5.0 stars (4.3)
Instead of putting it inside the litter box, Moodify Pet hangs above it to block smells instead of covering them up.
The Problem With Most Cat Litter Fresheners
The problem with most cat litter freshers is that they don’t work.
Instead of neutralizing smells, they try to overpower them with a ‘nicer’ smell.
There are a couple of issues with this;
- They make the litter tray smell worse: At best, they smell so strong (they’re often floral), they’re just as bad as the smell they’re supposed to cover up. At worst, their smells mix. Instead of covering the smell of poo with flowers, they create a smell, we call ‘Pooflower’. No one wants their homes to smell of pooflower!
- They can put your cat off using their litter tray: Cats don’t like the smell of litter fresheners either. This can (and often does) put a cat off using their litter tray.
Why Trust Us?
Our pet carers have been scooping and cleaning litter boxes since 2013.
We know, first-hand, what a smelly and mucky job it can be.
It’s not just our own experience we lean on either. Because we’re ‘in the industry’, we get to talk to and consult with;
- Our pet-owning clients
- Other pet carers
- Pet trainers and behaviourists
- Vets, and
- Local as well as national cat charities
As a result, we’re in a unique position to test and review pet products. Both from a pet owner, and professional perspective.
We’ve tested all kinds of products too!
From cat litter to litter boxes, to the best cat litter scoops, bins, mats and even hidden litter box enclosures.
How We Picked Which Products to Test
Choosing which products to test was easy enough. To come up with our list, we;
- Talked with our customers to see which products they use and like
- Used our own experience of using these products
- Talked with local cat fosterers to get their input
- Looked at reviews on websites like Pets at Home and Amazon to get the thoughts of other users
This gave us 16 products to test.
How We Tested
We ran our tests after running our tests to find the best cat litter.
Once that test was over, we asked those customers to then test our chosen litter fresheners.
Every day for 6 weeks, scooped those litter trays twice a day. We scored the products on two factors;
- Price
- Odour control, and
- Whether our test cats were happy to use their litter trays
Cat Litter Deodorizer Reviews: A Closer Look at Our Top Picks
After testing 16 different types of litter fresheners over 6 weeks (and continually), we picked 4 of the best.
Moodify Pet: The Best Cat Litter Odour Eliminator
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Cost | 3.5 out of 5.0 stars |
| Effectiveness | 4.4 out of 5.0 stars |
| Happy Cats | 5.0 out of 5.0 stars |
| Total Score | 4.4 out of 5.0 stars (4.3) |
Moodify Pet is the best cat litter eliminator. Unlike the other products in this list, you don’t put it into the litter tray. Instead, it’s a clay pendant that you hang above the litter tray at nose height.
The big benefit is that you won’t put your cat off using their litter box.
Moodify Pet isn’t a freshener or deodorizer, but an odour blocker.
It uses what’s called ‘white scent technology’. It works by blending different scents to create a ‘smell-cancelling‘ effect. It’s the smell equivalent to the noise-cancelling technology in your headphones.
It sounds like a gimmick, we know. But it’s surprisingly effective!
The cheapest way to pay for Moodify Pet is to sign up to their subscription which costs £9.90 per month. That said, making a single order each month is almost twice the price. Also, this cost can add up if you have more than one litter box.
That said, if you only have one cat, we think £9.90 a month is a fair price.
Read More: Moodify Pet Review
Rocco & Roxie Litter Box Odour Eliminator: Best For Multi-Cat Households
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Cost | 4.0 out of 5.0 stars |
| Effectiveness | 4.0 out of 5.0 stars |
| Happy Cats | 4.5 out of 5.0 stars |
| Total Score | 4.1 out of 5.0 stars (4.1) |
Rocco & Roxie Litter odour Eliminator is an excellent product and well-reviewed by users.
We have to say, we were quite sceptical when we first opened the container. The smell was pretty strong and we thought it would put many cats off using their litter boxes. That said, it does calm down once it’s in the litter tray. Plus, we’ve tested this with a few cats and they all seem happy.
This litter freshener uses a blend of essential oils. The manufacturer says they, ‘neutralize odours at the molecular level’.
All sounds very scientific!
What we do know is that the instructions say to use 2-3 tablespoons but we’ve found it works with half that. This is good news because a bottle lasts for ages.
You can also use it to freshen up the smell in cat litter bins too.
It is pretty expensive compared to other products in this list. That said, it’s well-reviewed by lots of users and it last longer than expected. So, it does offer good value.
Simple Solution Cat Litter Freshener: A Good Cheap Option
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Cost | 4.5 out of 5.0 stars |
| Effectiveness | 4.0 out of 5.0 stars |
| Happy Cats | 3.5 out of 5.0 stars |
| Total Score | 4.0 out of 5.0 stars (4.0) |
If you’re on a budget, Simple Solution Cat Litter Freshener is excellent.
For starters, it’s very well-priced.
It has a scent which they call ‘Spring Breeze’ but it’s not overpowering. As such all our test cats were happy to use their litter trays.
It also does a good job of neutralizing stinks rather than trying to cover the up with a different smell.
The manufacturer also says it has ‘Pro-Bacteria’ that’s activated when your cat users their litter box. We have no idea what this means, but we found that the product did a good job controlling odours.
That said, we didn’t find it to be very long-lasting. It worked, but we had to use it often.
For the price though, it’s very good.
How to Choose the Best Cat Litter Deodorizer For You and Your Cat
When choosing a cat litter deodorizer or odour blocker, there are a few things to consider;
How Many Cats You Own
If you have;
- More than one cat, and
- Litter boxes around the house
The cost of using odour blockers like Moodify Pet could add up. In this case, it’ll be more cost-effective to use a traditional powder or granular product.
Also, more cats often mean more stink, especially if your cats share a litter box. In this case, you might be better off spending a little more to get better odour control.
Your Cat’s Sensitivities
While cat litter freshers help us to put up with the stink, they’re not always good for our cats.
As we mentioned earlier, many cats don’t like strong perfumes. If that’s your cat, then an ‘outside of the litter box’ odour blocker like Moodify Pet is a better choice.
Litter Box Location
One of the cheapest ways to deal with it is to move it to a different part of the house. A place away from high-traffic areas of the house.
This might not always be possible, especially if you live in an apartment or small house. This might mean a cat litter freshener might be a must.
In Conclusion
One of the biggest complaints we hear about cat ownership is the smell of their litter boxes.
Regular scooping and cleaning will help. That said, using a litter freshener, deodorizer or odour blocker will definitely improve things.
