Smelly Litter Box needs some help

[pear2apple]

OK so I continue to feed my ferrets mostly raw, very little kibble at this point. I just started putting baking soda under their litter to help soak up the smells. I use air fresheners in my room with their cage (its not a closed room and has windows). I don't have carpet, when they pee/poop in corners its on a puppy pad and I throw that away after a few days of usage. I clean the litter box out daily, sometimes twice a day.

My problem is their poop REEKS! I mean it really stinks!! I don't know what to do about that. Also, maybe they are gassy, because Apple "farts" everytime he poops. It makes me laugh just thinking about it, but its really gross. I mean, I have company and he does it and they look at me funny! Its not like he's capable of stopping it, or even cares that we all hear it. But I think that adds to the smell.

Anyway, my boyfriend is getting pretty pissed off about the smell of their poop. Also, my bad, I threw away the poop in his outside garbage and now the whole garage reeks! Next time, its down the toilet or in a ziplock baggie. The boyfriend and I don't live together, but I do often bring them over and I can't have this disgusting smell of poop taking over his house. I mean it can be really nasty. When is the almost no odor poop going to happen?

Is this just because they are enduring another food switch? Because I just started that this week, not the past few weeks that this has been happening. I won't use Bi-Odor to take care of the smell either, I want something natural to start kicking in.

The reason why I'm bringing this up now is because in the future (possibly next year) I want to move-in and live with this guy. But he is frustrated by the smell now, and they don't even permanently live with him! So I want to kinda "prove" to him that I can almost make the smell disappear without scrubbing the cage daily. Is that even possible? I know people claim it is, but so far its not working. HELP

[josiesmom]

P2A what are your kids eating now? Are you utilizing any type of air fresheners or such? Have you tried plain newspapers? these can go over the top of your puppy pads and get changed more frequently.

I know what you mean about the gas during a poop- but I don't think I've heard my guys do that since they've been off the kibble. I'll have to pay more attention when they leave a deposit.

Cheers,
Kim

[pear2apple]

Today is my first full day of having baking soda under the litter to soak up odors. Also, in just a few days I will be using a totally different type of litter, pelleted, much like Yesterdays News but way cheaper, and that should also help.

I use Renuzit Odor Neutralizer cones, 1 raspberry in my kitchen (it smells amazing), and then just the plain Odor Neutralizer by the cage. My cage is in my living room which is also my dining room and also holds my computer. So its one big (not so big really) room that also has 1 kinda big window and 2 doors to the outside hallways. Tonight I am sprinkling baking soda on my rugs and furniture to be vacuumed up tomorrow night, so it will get like 16 hours to soak up those odors stuck on my furniture and rugs.

Do you know how to get rid of the gas during poop? Maybe no kibble will do that??

Diet: NV Raw Frozen lamb and rabbit, Stella & Chewys freeze dried steaks, Pingsford Porridge Red, Whole Life dehydrated treats, Salmon Oil (they love it but their poop doesn't smell fishy), Foamy Fries, dehydrated duck strips, soon to be various raw meats. Right now I am transitioning out the Evo Red Meat bites. Kiwi may be the only one eating those now, but not too many. Less than 1/2 handful a day.

[suds]

I wonder if some of it is from apples IBD ?

[pear2apple]

Aug 27, 2008 18:35:17 GMT -5 @suds said:

I wonder if some of it is from apples IBD ?

The gas during pooping? Hmmm that is a good question....

[suds]

sorry but I would be cracking up everytime I heard it.
but it is possible it mite be more gassy and smelling from his tummy problems . does Kiwi eat the same she as gassy and smelly?
My kids dont eat raw just freese dry patties mostly but the smell has decreased alot from when they where eating kibble

[pear2apple]

I've never heard Kiwi do it, just Apple. And maybe it is linked to kibble and his IBS? I never thought of that before.

We shall see since I am taking that all away very soon!

[josiesmom]

First try eliminating just the "Foamy fries" - I can't find anything that lists their actual ingredients and what I have found says there is NO beef in it - which probably means there is no actual chicken either- just flavoring! But just the fact that they are "foamy" may mean the processing they undergo introduces air ( whipped) to make them : "foamy" - this may be the source of your gas.

The Kibble also will create some gas because there are some plant products in it. But eliminate the foamy fries first and see how that goes.

Cheers,
Kim

[weloveourweasels]

I have found the ingredients for most flavors!!! Woohoo go me, go me!!! lol sorry. Trust me there is nothing good for them or natural about this product.


Raisin
Ingredients: Animal protein, vegetable glycerol, dicalcium phosphate, natural and artificial flavors, and caramel color.

Molasses
Ingredients: Animal protein, vegetable glycerol, dicalcium phosphate, natural and artificial flavors, and caramel color.

Spice
Ingredients: Animal protein, vegetable glycerol, dicalcium phosphate, spices, artificial flavor, and caramel color.

Chicken
Ingredients: Animal protein, vegetable glycerol, dicalcium phosphate, pureed chicken meat, natural and artificial flavors, and caramel color.

Please supervise your ferret with Foamy Fries for the first time. Although allergies are rare, it is possible to have a reaction to almost anything, including Foamy Fries. Do not allow your ferret to place the toy in his water dish or litter box. Also, if a ferret ingests a substantial amount at one sitting, the feces may appear slimy or look like pudding.


^^^^^
Yum about slimy pudding poo

[pear2apple]

Yes when they get a Foamy Fry their poop is pudding like! So then I know they've finished it. They only get these about once a week, and they share one between each other. I don't really think those effects would last every time they poop. Its been over 1 week since they've had a Fry. I haven't really noticed it so much yet.

Can't people just hear it when they poop? Like the sound of pooping? Because I can actually just hear it, then comes the smell! And obviously, the gas is during the poop occasionally.

[razzlette]

You were putting apple cider vinegar in the water right? Could that have anything to do with the smell? TBH I don't know just trying to think of something.

[pear2apple]

I doubt it because I have since stopped that, its too warm to take them outside and I was using that for the bugs outside to help keep them away.

Also, its such a small amount, I'm not sure it would matter that much.