There's no way around it. If you have a cat, you need a litter box. And if you have a litter box, you have to clean it often. Even outdoor cats that prefer to heed the call of nature outside will occasionally have to "go" indoors. But litter boxes don't have to be a messy source of bad smells. With the right type of box and litter and, most importantly, diligent cleaning habits, you can keep the odor down with a minimum of fuss and prevent your cat from using the carpet rather than a smelly litter box.

Until the introduction of clay litter in 1947, cat owners had to make do with messier options such as sawdust, wood ash or sand. Clay litter proved so effective at absorbing moisture and odors that the popularity of cats as indoor pets rose sharply. In the 1980s, the arrival of clumping litter was a huge breakthrough, much appreciated by cat owners, doubly so by those in charge of multicat households. Taking advantage of clay's binding properties, this type of litter dissolves as it absorbs urine or the moisture in feces, encasing the waste in a hard lump. The lumps can then be quickly removed (some types are even flushable), keeping odors to a minimum. Clumping litter has skyrocketed in popularity, and while it is more expensive by weight than the conventional clay type, it doesn't have to be completely replaced as often.