How To Neutralize Ammonia In Cat Litter

Ammonia is highly volatile and can be detected by humans easily, even at quite low concentrations.
The decomposition of urea by bacteria results in ammonia, which is an essential part of the urine. Many bacteria are present in the litter box; your cat might also bring them on her skin from the environment. The bacteria might have emerged from feces of cat or already found in the substrate of litter. An enzyme urease is responsible for the conversion of urea to ammonia and carbonic acid.
It is quite toxic. If boxes of litter are not made clean regularly, then the accumulation of urine and feces results in building up of fumes of ammonia. Fumes of ammonia can lead to various diseases i.e., respiratory diseases and irritation of the membrane of lungs, which can also cause cough and breathing issues. 

cute litter box will discuss how to neutralize the ammonia in cat litter.

Ways to neutralize the ammonia in a litter of cat

There are various methods that you can use to neutralize the odor of ammonia and other volatile odorants which are given below:

Cleaning of the Litter box

It is better to clean the litter box every week if not weekly at least it should be cleaned once in a month. Cleaning of litter boxes should be carried out with water, soap, or with any diluted solution. After cleaning the litter box, make sure it is clean and dry thoroughly. Apply few inches of litter in the litter box. A layer of two inches of litter will be helpful for cats to cover up their feces. The large litter box is quite useful for your cat, and she will like to sit there more often. 

Cleaning of clumping litter must be carried out on a daily basis and replace with fresh one while cleaning of non-clumping litter (which includes wheat grass, cedar, corn, crystals, and newspaper) should be cleaned after seven to ten days. You should apply a less dense layer of baking soda before the application of fresh litter in the litter box of a cat, which will absorb unpleasant odor and stink.

Covering of litter box with hood

The litter box can be covered up with a hood to keep the fumes of ammonia inside the box. It is best to use plastic litter boxes because they are durable, less expensive, and easy to clean. Self-cleaning boxes are also available in the market, disposable bags are attached with these self-cleaning litter boxes which are used to collect feces. However, self-cleaning boxes add further costs up to 100 US dollars.

Use of Urease inhibitors

Blockers can be used to lock the activity of the urease enzyme (which converts urea to ammonia), which leads to avoiding the formation of ammonia ultimately.

Use of antimicrobials

As urea is converted into ammonia by urease and  is produced by the action of bacteria. So, if antimicrobials are sprayed on the litter box, it will mitigate the degeneration of urea. It is recommended to use antimicrobial along with other anti-odor solutions i.e., fragrances.

Covering up odor

Manufacturers of the litter box can include different sorts of fragrances in a litter, which can mask the unpleasant smell of compounds. But this sort of method or mechanism can put manufacturers in an odd situation to add those molecules which are acceptable to both owners and cat herself.

Elimination of odor

It is need of the hour that litter manufacturers should adopt an effective strategy to work on the stinky compounds. Such molecules might be added, which can react with volatile products and can banish them from the air before they enter into the nose.

Keep the Litter box in the ventilated area

Few owners of pets or cats tend to place the litter box in shady, dark places and out of the way. However, it is recommended to put it in a ventilated area. Some of the cats don’t like to go in dark spots, and it also can result in a fight with another bully cat. If you keep the litter box away like in the garage or basement, then it will be the case out of sight and smell, but you may forget it to clean it regularly.

Conclusion

 You can neutralize the odor of ammonia in a litter by various methods, which are mentioned earlier. By adopting all possible strategies will not only keep you away from the obnoxious smell of ammonia and other substances but also keep your cat clean and healthy.