Is there anything worse that having a guest come into your home and instantly say "Oh, you have a cat?" And the cat is nowhere to be seen? Oops. That's a good sign you may not be keeping the litter box as clean as possible.

In my work as a professional organizer, organizing the litter box is usually the first thing to be done for my dear cat loving clients. In my 25 years of owning cats, I've tried everything to make the job of keeping the litter box clean smelling easier. I'm proud to say that today I have 3 gorgeous Maine Coone cats (you can see pictures on my blog) and guests in my home are always SURPRISED when they see the cats. That's because they can't smell them!

Here are seven of my best organizing tips to keep your cat's litter box neat, clean & fresh.

1. NEVER put the litter box in your own bathroom unless you absolutely have to! The litter gets everywhere and it stinks. If you have to keep it there, get a fully enclosed litter box with an opening for the cat to walk through. They will track litter outside the box though. So that leads to my next tip.
2. The best place place to keep the litter box is in a small closet with cleaning supplies. Just make sure to keep the door cracked open. I recommend keeping a long item such as shelf paper on one of the shelves so the door can't close. If the area is carpeted, line it with plastic or vinyl carpet liner. Or better yet, remove the carpet if you can. Be sure to get a litter box that has high walls.

3. Every time you scoop the litter, use a handheld vacuum to clean the area around the box. Store the vacuum cleaner on a shelf or hang it on a wall in the closet. My favorite vacuums are the Black and Decker ones that use the same rechargeable batteries as all the other B&D tools. We keep an extra set of batteries and charger by each vacuum so we never run out of power.
4. Use a great litter. The best litter I've found in 26 years of living with cats is Tidy Cats with Crystal Blend Scoopable litter. Even with 3 cats, it keeps odors under control. Make sure to fill your box half full with litter. One of the most common mistakes I see is too little litter in the box. Cat's like a very clean box, if there isn't enough litter, they may go outside the box. And if they use the box without enough litter, it will stink horribly!
5. Remember to scoop often. Make that job easier by keeping a large scooper hanging near the box, and plastic grocery bag holder attached to the inside door. You can get one for around $7.00 in the Neat Living Store at www.neatliving.org. Keep it stuffed with lots of grocery bags. Every day, scoop the pet waste into a bag, double bag it, tie it up airtight and put it in the trash.
6. Keep a roll of paper towels near wherever the litter box is. If it's in a closet, use a paper towel holder that screws into the door and hang the papertowels on the inside of the door. Also keep a spray cleaner handy.
7. Empty the box completely once a month. Dump the litter into one of your handy grocery bags. Use your paper towels or a disposable pop-up cleaning products such as Clorox Wipes handy to clean the litter box and the surrounding floor. When you are done, throw the towels or wipes in with the litter, tie the bag up tight and dump it in the trash!

There you have it. A nicely organized litter box area. So what's keeping you? Go and organize that box today so you'll never again have a guest smell the cat before they even meet the dear furbaby!

Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed., is a professional organizer, coach, author and speaker with over 25 years experience helping people and businesses reach new heights of performance. She has written over 80 articles which can be found on the popular "Neat Living Blog: Neat Ideas for Life" at http://www.NeatLiving.net and at http://www.OrganizingForHealth.com. She also publishes the "Neat Living Newsletter."

Ariane has coached hundreds of individuals to reach their goals and consulted with many of the Fortune 500. She resides in Bloomfield, NJ with her husband, Alan and three adorable Maine Coone cats. When not helping people organize their lives, she enjoys gardening, entertaining, traveling and riding her motorcycle. She can be reached at 973-429-2100 for private consultations and coaching. Visit her on the web at http://www.NeatLiving.org.