# How Often do you Sanitize the Litter Box?



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Because my 15 year old Winnie was so sick we had to euthanize her yesterday, I sanitized everything she was exposed to. (I had kept her isolated from the other cats when she first became ill). This got me to thinking, how often do others sanitize their litter boxes?. I use scoopable litter and normally just top it off, but looking at the other yucky 3 boxes compared to the nice clean one I just scrubbed out got me to thinking maybe I should do this much more often. My 5 cats almost never got sick so I really didn't give this subject much thought until Winnie got so sick. How often do YOU sanitize (totally clean out, disinfect, etc.) YOUR litter boxes?


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## britishvixen21 (Jan 6, 2013)

Boo and Bee share a littler box so daily scooping is necessary, but Fiance totally changes litter and sanitizes the box once a week. 

I have nothing to do with this process as I have a terrible gag reflex LOL so bless him he does it for me. we decided when we got the girls that I deal with all things going in and he deals with all things coming out. LOL


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

You totally change out the litter, too? Even with using scoopable litter? What a great guy!!


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

britishvixen21 said:


> we decided when we got the girls that I deal with all things going in and he deals with all things coming out. LOL


That's funny!

I used to completely clean it out and put in new litter once a week. After a while that seemed excessive, so I switched to once every 3 weeks or so. I actually read somewhere that there's such a thing as doing it too often . . . that cats think of leaving their waste somewhere as establishing it as their territory, and they need that to make them feel comfortable. And from a cost perspective, litter sure gets expensive when you're changing it out every week.


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## britishvixen21 (Jan 6, 2013)

Yeah it adds up! its like $40 a month! I guess thats just what we thought we had to do. Maybe il tell him what I read here and we can ease up a little bit. 

Thats why i love this forum!

I guess the reason we were doing it so often too is that Boo has had a pretty bad tummy on and off since we got her and she can leave some real sloppy stinkers in the box. we were afraid that if we didnt change it often that Bee would get annoyed and do it somewhere else in protest.


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

I dump out the wood pellet every 2 weeks, so to make it easier for me to remember, I dump out the litter on the 15th and 1st of each month, sanitizing once a month on the 1st. Its costing me less than S$3 a month for just the litter.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Each box gets soaked in bleach water and rinsed well before I dry it out and set it back up. I do that once a month. I have two boxes so every two weeks I do one of them.

I use clumping litter but after a while the boxes themselves start to stink in my little apartment.


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## 3furbabies (Dec 7, 2011)

I almost never do that either. Maybe once every 6 months I will scrub and wash the boxes. I scoop 2-3 times a day and it never gets yucky or smells. I always get compliments that if I didn't have a massive cat tree in the living room they wouldn't be able to tell we have any cats. Lol


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## rightsaidfed (May 31, 2012)

Scoop 1-2 times per day
Top off as needed

Totally empty and sanitize around once every 6 weeks. 

It's really not that dirty when I do it, I just like the idea of a fresh start every so often. 


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## anie (Dec 4, 2012)

hoofmaiden said:


> I almost NEVER dump and "sanitize" the boxes. I use a really great litter that clumps hard (Precious Cat), so I'm removing all the waste when I scoop (daily, 4 boxes for 4 cats). I replace with fresh litter what used litter I remove. The boxes do not smell at all.


I do almost the same. I also use precious cat (love it!) and scoop boxes two times per day. Then add new litter to the litter box, if level goes too low. Every once in a while I do wash/scrub litter box, but more like every 2-3 months, and I guess only for my own comfort, because boxes dont smell bad at all. Precious cat is great.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

hoofmaiden said:


> I almost NEVER dump and "sanitize" the boxes. I use a really great litter that clumps hard (Precious Cat), so I'm removing all the waste when I scoop (daily, 4 boxes for 4 cats). I replace with fresh litter what used litter I remove. The boxes do not smell at all.


I was doing the same thing Hoofmaiden. I have 5 indoor cats and have NEVER sanitized the boxes before unless someone gets really sick with diarrhea and it dribbles down the sides (sorry for gross visual here). Think I may do it semi-annually or quarterly now since I've not had a problem before. I use a good quality litter too with almost no dirty litter remaining after scooping. First time visitors to my home do not believe I have (sigh, HAD) 5 indoor cats because my house is neat and smell free (unless Zipper forgets to flush (cover).


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

anie said:


> Precious cat is great.


Agreed! I just discovered it when I was cat-sitting for a friend, and I feel like I have new lease on life.  Really.


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## 3gatos (Nov 28, 2012)

When i was using clay litter, I would do it about once every 3 weeks or so. I use wood pellet litter now and will sanitize about once a month.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

I don't use scoopable litter. My Vet really doesn't like scoopable.

I dump 2x a week and sanitize the box weekly using Windex. My ex-clinical biologist Vet say's Windex is the best because it contains ammonia.

Having gone thru and successfully beaten an outbreak of Giardia(probably from the squirrels that poop on the pool cage top) I'm a kitty poop expert.

P.S. Bleach doesn't kill giardia that's cystic.


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## CatMonkeys (Sep 27, 2012)

I use Precious Cat litter and completely dump out/scrub the box every two weeks. One of my cats likes to pee right up against the sides/corners of the box and some of the litter turns into a cement-like mess and sticks to the box. I usually can't get it all off when I scoop, so I find it necessary to wash the box regularly.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

I don't unless I feel it really needs it. Very rare. The cats are just going to poop and pee in it again. I use clumping litter, and don't change the litter often either. Not only is it unnecessary, and time consuming, and wasteful, and gets expensive (though I'm sure the litter companies want you to think you're doing a great disservice if you aren't), but cats like the bathroom to smell like the place they're supposed to go. It's a territory thing.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Dave_ph said:


> I don't use scoopable litter. My Vet really doesn't like scoopable.
> 
> I dump 2x a week and sanitize the box weekly using Windex. My ex-clinical biologist Vet say's Windex is the best because it contains ammonia.
> 
> ...


I used Pine Sol today. Do you know if it kills giardia (I'll look up what the heck that is!). Pine Sol says it kill 100% of cold and flu viruses, but I know human cold and flu are not contagious to cats. I figured it if killed the C&F virus then it must kill just about anything else. Interesting about Windex!


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

hoofmaiden said:


> You may not be using enough litter. If the litter is deep enough, the urine will never reach the bottom of the box--it will clump towards the top/middle and you should be able to remove the whole clump, intact, without scraping the bottom of the box.
> 
> Best box IMO: Cat litter box by Biddy Cat Co.


I use the biggest, deepest boxes I can find because two of my cats lift their rumps and just go over the sides! Not all the time, but often enough to be a problem. You should see my set up, I put layers and layers of newspaper down (a very good use for our local paper) with paper towels on top all around the boxes (because the newspaper is slow to absorb). They try, they just don't step in to the middle of the box and then they overshoot sometimes! I found out the hard way when urine soaked under the box into my freshly refinished hardwood floor. Now I put an old plastic shower liner down, newspapers over that and paper towels over all that! Ready for battle!!


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

I clean my adult cat's litter box completely about every 3 months. I keep it with about 4 inches of World's Best Cat Litter all the time. I scoop it once a day usually and add more litter as needed. It stays incredibly clean like this.

We empty the foster kitten's litter box about every week and a half. She's a lot messier and will get urine/poo on the edges. It just has to be cleaned a lot more often. I use Tidy Cats Small Spaces with her.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I rarely, if ever, fully replace the litter, but I do thoroughly wash/sanitize the boxes every 3 or so weeks. I empty the litter into a spare box, wash/etc., and then refill the boxes. Typically, the existing litter is enough for 2 boxes (since I don't top up before I do the wash). I then use new litter for the 3rd box. My cats don't show any preference for the "new litter" box relative to the "re-used litter" boxes.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

CatMonkeys said:


> I use Precious Cat litter and completely dump out/scrub the box every two weeks. One of my cats likes to pee right up against the sides/corners of the box and some of the litter turns into a cement-like mess and sticks to the box. I usually can't get it all off when I scoop, so I find it necessary to wash the box regularly.


One of my BEST purchases is a steel scooper - extra large and extra strong. I got so sick of trying scrape up the stuck pee goo from the bottom and sides of the boxes with those cheesy plastic scoops that I paid the big bucks for the metal one from PetSmart ($14)


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

hoofmaiden said:


> You may not be using enough litter. If the litter is deep enough, the urine will never reach the bottom of the box--it will clump towards the top/middle and you should be able to remove the whole clump, intact, without scraping the bottom of the box.


i use the giant size omega paw. To fill it to the level where i keep it is 28lbs of litter (big box of Arm & Hammer). It's plenty deep. 

Book backs up against the back of the box and pees down the back of the cover. (If he uses an uncovered box he backs right out of the box and pees on the wall/floor behind it). He does the same when he poos so if it's not rock solid he gets poo on the plastic.

MowMOw goes in, turns around and walks halfway out so he hangs the entire front half of his body out (often with one back foot up on the edge of the box) and pees down the front of the box.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Not to mention that I add about 3/4 of a cup of water to the canned food each day. They produce elephant size pee clumps.


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## robert4301 (Aug 27, 2011)

Well, I can tell you how to _NOT_ clean litter boxes! I use two big clear plastic containers with 12" high sides for three cats. Got the bright idea to take them to the car wash. The high pressure wand promptly blasted a bunch of stuck-on litter directly back in my face ..EEEWWWW!!! I can tell you it doesn't taste too bad, but it is pretty gritty. So I turned them on their sides against the car tires and jetted them out while standing to the side. That worked great! It got all the funky stuff out so I could wipe them down with surface cleaner.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

Marcia said:


> I used Pine Sol today. Do you know if it kills giardia (I'll look up what the heck that is!). Pine Sol says it kill 100% of cold and flu viruses, but I know human cold and flu are not contagious to cats. I figured it if killed the C&F virus then it must kill just about anything else. Interesting about Windex!


be careful with pine sol around cats. people get nervous about the phenols in pine litter but it has been heat-processed and isn't dangerous. pine sol is though. to what degree, i'm not sure. i don't know if they'd have to ingest it or just be around something that had been cleaned with it a lot. but phenols do cause nervous system damage in cats.

when i used regular clay litter and no liner, i threw it all out once a week and cleaned it with bleach. not to sterilize it, but to keep the odor out of plastic, or keep it from becoming smelly (to me). (i don't care if the cats like a stinky box or not,* i* don't.) then i switched to clumping litter a couple of years ago, and i have to say i was never happy with it. it tracked, it was dusty and choked me, got dust everywhere, and was costing me about $70 a month for three cats. i started using liners but i still washed the boxes out, but usually just with dishwashing soap and hot water. they don't get really filthy but cats scratch through the plastic. i started using windex on the pee residue simply because of the ammonia. no one told me to do it but it seemed reasonable. 

i used tidy cat and i have x-large booda boxes. and either tidy cat isn't any good or something because i always kept the litter 2-3 inches deep (that honestly seemed to be the cats' preference) and i don't care if i scooped it 2/3x a day, it would begin to smell like urine to me 2-3 days later. i wouldn't change it until a week was up, but i was still buying a lot of litter.

i switched to pine pellets in may and i've never been so happy. i still use the booda domes, but i triple line--2 x-large hefty bags, then one johnny cat liner. they always scratch through the first one, so the first garbage bag gets any spills and i change that probably every 2 months or so. the first one gets thrown out every 10 days or so, so i rarely have to wash the entire box.

if you have any doubts about cleaning, a 5/water 1/chlorine will kill almost anything, and a wipedown with hydrogen peroxide gets the other end of the ph spectrum. some protozoa like giardia and toxoplasmosis are harder to kill (and cryptosporidium but that mainly affects immuno-compromised individuals) but giardia is really the only one that just about everyone can get. you can also use a ammonia-based cleaner like mister clean, (which like) just never mix chlorine and ammonia together.

if i had a seriously ill cat though, i'd probably just buy new boxes.


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## Katniss (Dec 29, 2012)

MowMow said:


> Each box gets soaked in bleach water and rinsed well before I dry it out and set it back up. I do that once a month. I have two boxes so every two weeks I do one of them.
> 
> I use clumping litter but after a while the boxes themselves start to stink in my little apartment.


I also use the clumping litter (worlds best cat litter) and its great but for the past week I have notice a pee smell coming from the box. I am scooping it daily and it continues to smell after I have scooped all of the clump pee and poo. I will have follow your suggestion and clean the box once a month. I also live in a small apartment and don't want a stinky litter box. 


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Marcia said:


> I used Pine Sol today. Do you know if it kills giardia (I'll look up what the heck that is!). Pine Sol says it kill 100% of cold and flu viruses, but I know human cold and flu are not contagious to cats. I figured it if killed the C&F virus then it must kill just about anything else. Interesting about Windex!


I don't think much short of a flamethrower kills cyctic giardia. The amonnia is just good at removing poop that might contain the bug.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Katniss said:


> I also use the clumping litter (worlds best cat litter) and its great but for the past week I have notice a pee smell coming from the box. I am scooping it daily and it continues to smell after I have scooped all of the clump pee and poo. I will have follow your suggestion and clean the box once a month. I also live in a small apartment and don't want a stinky litter box.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


Be sure to rinse the bleach off the boxes REALLY well and keep them away from them while they are soaking. Bleach = bad for cats.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

cinderflower said:


> i used tidy cat and i have x-large booda boxes.


HA! I bought a booda box when Abby got so overheated from sitting in the sun that she started using the porch floor and sofa cushions to pee on. I thought the booda box was a grand idea being covered and all, it would keep the rain out. Then I noticed pee OUTSIDE the box and caught her in the act! That is Maddie monitoring the situation! You can't see the pee, but it is streaming out.


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## littlesushi (Jun 8, 2011)

i scoop multiple times a day, but i don't dump out the litter and completely wash the boxes nearly as often as i feel like i should, which is like every 2 months or so. we also use precious cat which clumps wonderfully, but cody will occasionally pee on the side of the box. i use 7th generation all purpose cleaner. spray and soak for 10 minutes and wipe dry.


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

hehehe...look like I can afford to slacken abit. I dump out and sanitize not because it was filthy, more because I didn't know how often I should be doing it, and also I thought it is more hygienic doing it more frequently.


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## Yuki'sMum (Dec 3, 2012)

I use wood pellets and love it! I scoop daily and dump it once a week. I don't always use cleaner on it unless there's poop on the sides. Usually I spray any poop with windex until it wipes off and rinse it very well with really hot water. Good to know windex is ok to use. It just happens to be handy in the bathroom where we keep the litterbox  I get no stink with pine pellets 


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## gosha (Oct 16, 2011)

I use big trash bags for lining, they are pretty tough and almost never get clawed. All i have to do is to replace thrash bag with used litter once a week, litterbox itself looks brand new an it's been used for over 2 years now. And I use Worlds Best litter which gets scooped and dumped it the toilet.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Wow, I thought you weren't supposed to use Windex, precisely because of the ammonia - something about cats avoiding the box because it would smell like cat pee? 

I've never sanitized my litter boxes. I use a 14-lb. bag of World's Best for 2 boxes, top off after a week or so. When the bag runs out, I dump the litter and wash out the boxes with dish detergent (Palmolive pure & clear) - aboutf every 3 weeks. Margaux not only pees right up against the side of the box, no matter how much litter I put in, she then walks in her pee clumps (someone else said their kitty did this). I'm assuming it's because she's blind and just scratches in the general vicinity of her pee. This means small pieces of litter are wet, but they're too small to be picked up with a scoop, so after a while, the litter gets stinky.



robert4301 said:


> Well, I can tell you how to _NOT_ clean litter boxes! I use two big clear plastic containers with 12" high sides for three cats. Got the bright idea to take them to the car wash. The high pressure wand promptly blasted a bunch of stuck-on litter directly back in my face ..EEEWWWW!!! I can tell you it doesn't taste too bad, but it is pretty gritty.


LOL!! I'm sorry to be laughing at your experience, but this is too funny.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

I don't use clumping litter but this is making me consider changing. I scoop a few times a day and empty and clean completely every few days. I use floor wipes in the litter tray!!!


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

Marcia said:


> HA! I bought a booda box when Abby got so overheated from sitting in the sun that she started using the porch floor and sofa cushions to pee on. I thought the booda box was a grand idea being covered and all, it would keep the rain out. Then I noticed pee OUTSIDE the box and caught her in the act! That is Maddie monitoring the situation! You can't see the pee, but it is streaming out.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

gosha said:


> I use big trash bags for lining, they are pretty tough and almost never get clawed. All i have to do is to replace thrash bag with used litter once a week, litterbox itself looks brand new an it's been used for over 2 years now. And I use Worlds Best litter which gets scooped and dumped it the toilet.


really? i think it might be because the booda domes are round so it makes little puckers around the sides sometimes (hard to explain) but part of the liner gets sort of tight and then if the cat makes something really smelly, they go to town scratching and there it goes. sometimes it isn't so bad, other times they will scratch right through the johnny cat liner and second trash bag (that's why there are *two* trash bags lol). johnny cat liners are really sturdy, i would imagine that anyone who has a square box and wants to use liners would be happy with them. they're about twice as heavy as a trash bag. i hate using so much plastic but it's really hard for me to wash these out every week.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

Marcia said:


> HA! I bought a booda box when Abby got so overheated from sitting in the sun that she started using the porch floor and sofa cushions to pee on. I thought the booda box was a grand idea being covered and all, it would keep the rain out. Then I noticed pee OUTSIDE the box and caught her in the act! That is Maddie monitoring the situation! You can't see the pee, but it is streaming out.


i should count my blessings then lol. i almost bought the kind with the little stairs inside (to help stop the tracking) but i read bad things about it and passed. my two male cats go in and turn around and stick their faces out, which looks hilarious like they're in a little house or something. sometimes diotima does that but she's so small she can just go in and do whatever she needs to do without turning around.




spirite said:


> Wow, I thought you weren't supposed to use Windex, precisely because of the ammonia - something about cats avoiding the box because it would smell like cat pee?
> 
> I've never sanitized my litter boxes. I use a 14-lb. bag of World's Best for 2 boxes, top off after a week or so. When the bag runs out, I dump the litter and wash out the boxes with dish detergent (Palmolive pure & clear) - aboutf every 3 weeks. Margaux not only pees right up against the side of the box, no matter how much litter I put in, she then walks in her pee clumps (someone else said their kitty did this). I'm assuming it's because she's blind and just scratches in the general vicinity of her pee. This means small pieces of litter are wet, but they're too small to be picked up with a scoop, so after a while, the litter gets stinky.


as far as i can tell, it's usually advised not to clean fabric or carpet with ammonia or bleach, because the residue will smell like urine and the cat returns to the scene of the crime. i only use windex to clean up the inside of the top, because sometimes someone backs up too far and pees against the lid. the bottom part is lined so i just throw it away but the top part can get kind of cruddy. then i wipe it down with water, even though i doubt if they're licking the inside of the lid.

you don't have to clean with bleach or ammonia either, washing it with dish-washing detergent is really enough. i was just using bleach to keep the smell out of the plastic, but eventually it picks up the odor anyway and you have to throw it out. if you use liners, i think the boxes will last a lot longer but a lot of cats don't like them. mine don't seem to care, anything to tear up is usually fine by them. 

diotima is blind but i don't think completely because i just saw her go for a long string of dental floss inside my make-up bag that i left unzipped. i don't know how she would have known it was there unless she could see it. well, it's mint too but i don't know if she would have associated that smell. anyway, she has always been okay with her litterbox habits, but if you switched to pine or wheat or something not clumping, that would eliminate her stepping in the pee clumps if that bothers you.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Ok thanks for the info. I'll just stick with my Palmolive - although the litter boxes are SO old that they seem to have a faint odor. I bought a new litter box, washed it, and put it in the place of one of the old ones. They completely ignored it and now it's gathering dust in my bedroom. 

Why would a non-clumping litter work differently? I did use a wheat litter years ago, but I don't remember what the inside of the litter box looked like. It was great for odor control, but I didn't like the sawdust-y quality. I don't think I could cope with non-clumping litter, though, so I guess I'll have to cope with her walking in the clumps. :?


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

About every 6 months I empty the whole thing and start over. When I do I use Scrubbing Bubbles to clean it out and I dry it really good before adding more. Otherwise I just add to it every couple weeks ( I keep it quite full). I use Fresh Step Cat Litter. Its the best clumping litter I have found. Awfully dusty though when first put in!


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

cinderflower said:


>


HA!! That would make a great poster!! 
Another thing I didn't like about the booda box is most of my cats are edge pee-ers. They stick their butts right up to the edge and pee (when it wasn't coming out the front!) In this box's case the pee would dribble between the lip of the top and edge of the bottom. I hated the box being round, too. I found it hard to scoop around the edges. It is now clean and in the attic, but I've been thinking of putting a pad in it and using it not as a litter box but as a bed for the winter porch snoozes a couple of my cats enjoy.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Penny135 said:


> About every 6 months I empty the whole thing and start over. When I do I use Scrubbing Bubbles to clean it out and I dry it really good before adding more. Otherwise I just add to it every couple weeks ( I keep it quite full). I use Fresh Step Cat Litter. Its the best clumping litter I have found. Awfully dusty though when first put in!


I also found using a plastic paint scraper will dig up those petrified pieces stuck in the corners, too. Once all that is out a soak will take care of the rest. I like the idea of the scrubbing bubbles though. I can deal with every 6 months.


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## lovetimesfour (Dec 1, 2010)

hoofmaiden said:


> You may not be using enough litter. If the litter is deep enough, the urine will never reach the bottom of the box--it will clump towards the top/middle and you should be able to remove the whole clump, intact, without scraping the bottom of the box.
> 
> It's been my experience that most people use boxes that are too small and too shallow, w/out enough litter added. I use really large boxes and keep the litter pretty deep.
> 
> Best box IMO: Cat litter box by Biddy Cat Co.


That looks like a cool box but the website says 



**NOTICE: Biddycat is temporarily suspending all sales until further notice. Thank you for your support. *

Do you know why?



gosha said:


> I use big trash bags for lining, they are pretty tough and almost never get clawed. All i have to do is to replace thrash bag with used litter once a week, litterbox itself looks brand new an it's been used for over 2 years now. And I use Worlds Best litter which gets scooped and dumped it the toilet.


I wouldn't recommend trash bags. Who knows what kind of toxic stuff they put in them.

Up until recently I dumped and scrubbed every week, even with clumping litter. I have two sets of litter boxes, one set in use while the other is being cleaned and aired. The plastic just starts to stink after a week, even though I scoop some might say obsessively.

I recently discovered pre-formed disposable paper litter box liners. They are wonderful, not only keeping the plastic clean, but don't stink as fast as plastic. They can last up to a month before needing to be replaced. My only gripe is that they are really too small, I wish I could find a brand that makes a much larger size.

I have three cats, four litter boxes, though the fourth one never gets used, I leave it for them, in case someone ever wants to use it.

PS I have two girls who like to stand up and pee against the sides of the box. They do it only in the high sided litter boxes, thankfully, when they use the regular size ones, they squat nicely.


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## Alex Harris (May 4, 2012)

Besides topping off the litter several times per week, I do a complete dump once a month.Rico likes to leave dirty stuck to the side of the box :evil:,which requires periodic wipe downs of those areas.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

Marcia said:


> HA!! That would make a great poster!!
> Another thing I didn't like about the booda box is most of my cats are edge pee-ers. They stick their butts right up to the edge and pee (when it wasn't coming out the front!) In this box's case the pee would dribble between the lip of the top and edge of the bottom. I hated the box being round, too. I found it hard to scoop around the edges. It is now clean and in the attic, but I've been thinking of putting a pad in it and using it not as a litter box but as a bed for the winter porch snoozes a couple of my cats enjoy.


mine never hung it out the front but two of them are edge pee-ers too, except not every time. and since i have liners, they catch all the overflow pee and i can just spot clean the top with windex. i don't really mind it being round, except that it took an enormous amount of litter to fill. maybe that's why i never had problems with the edges. i just think they look so cute, like little spaceships lol.

i would think you could easily use it for a bed, as long as they never really got used to using it. two of my cats will pee in the box when i'm changing litter when there isn't even anything in it.

the box i got that never went over was the clever cat top entry one. supposedly it stops tracking (that part was driving me to distraction) if you can get them to use it. diotima's just too old to jump up on top, and even if she were able to get in it, i don't think she could get out. baci would sit on the top and just stare down into the hole. the kitten was the only one who used it for two or three days but when he saw the others didn't like it, he quit. i'd like to sell it if someone had a cat that would use it, but i'm afraid it probably isn't very popular. i guess i could put it on its side with a little bed in there.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

cinderflower said:


> i would think you could easily use it for a bed, as long as they never really got used to using it.
> QUOTE]
> 
> I originally bought it for Abby, (backside showing in pic) she was quite petite, but didn't like going all the way inside. Only one other cat is small, so it's not worth the hassle of keeping it as a litter box now that Abby is gone. The bigger cats won't use it, and the problems outweighed the pros for me. I think it will make a good bed during the winter though. It will keep the wind and rain off them on the screened porch. Zip is too dumb to come in out of the rain though, so we'll see how it goes.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

spirite said:


> Why would a non-clumping litter work differently? I did use a wheat litter years ago, but I don't remember what the inside of the litter box looked like. It was great for odor control, but I didn't like the sawdust-y quality. I don't think I could cope with non-clumping litter, though, so I guess I'll have to cope with her walking in the clumps. :?


non-clumping will only be completely unsawdusty (nice word. thank you. i made it up myself lol) if you get a special box where the pellets sit on top of a grid and the sawdust falls through to a false bottom. you empty the false bottom and the cat never steps in sawdust. so i guess it isn't the litter only, it's the type of box that would prevent her from stepping in it. well, with wood pellets they don't step in it if you keep the dust out of it because the wood soaks it up and disintegrates.

that kind of box won't work for wheat, though. in that case they totally would track it everywhere. you can use a regular litter box and scoop the sawdust out every couple of days but it's a lot more work. i never used wheat, only pine pellets because i love the odor-control.

and everytime i get a new box, i throw the old one away or else i suppose the old one would be the one they went for.


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## onyxsham (Aug 8, 2012)

I scoop it every day (also have two cats sharing one), I used to use two litter boxes, but found no real added value in it. I also completely dump out the litter and wash the box once every 3-4 weeks. It is a huge pain, but I like my bathroom clean, so I assume they do to.


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## LunaTheHimmydoll (Dec 15, 2012)

I dump out all the litter about once a month and I scoop everyday or every second day. But I only have one kitten.


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## dt8thd (Jan 7, 2013)

I have 5 cats and 5 litter boxes, which I scoop once in the morning and once at night. My mother, who is home during the day will also scoop if she notices a lot of clumps. The litter boxes get completely emptied of litter and washed about every 2 weeks, though we have one cat that often accidentally pees over the side of the pan, which sometimes necessitates more frequent cleaning of his favoured box. The kitten also takes really stinky poos, so there's only so long you can go without scooping the pans that she uses.

Amusingly, my sister and her fiance have a cat that won't even use her box unless it's been scooped since the last time she went. When she has to go she stands beside the litter box and meows continuously until someone comes and cleans it.


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## ezmeray (Nov 8, 2012)

oh wow, I feel like a horrid pet owner now.. it never really occurred to me to dump out and disinfect the cat box, it's just scooped daily and topped off with new litter.. but I have only one cat and luckily there are have never been any litter box issues.. 

Is it necessary to do that?


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## SamSim (Oct 7, 2012)

The last time I completely sanitized Meenus litter box, she became aversive to it and so started a week of cleaning ALL the linens and carpets in my basement because she would pee and poo ANYWHERE BUT the box. I became quite worried about sanitizing since then (oct) and havent done so. I also use good clumping kitty litter and scoop once a day. When I find it getting a little old I'll scoop it out, but I will probably never clean the bottom, only the top (she lifts when she pees so we use a cover box and I will wash the top every once in a while.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

ezmeray said:


> oh wow, I feel like a horrid pet owner now.. it never really occurred to me to dump out and disinfect the cat box, it's just scooped daily and topped off with new litter.. but I have only one cat and luckily there are have never been any litter box issues..
> 
> Is it necessary to do that?


naw - i wouldn't feel horrid! I only did it because Winnie was so sick and I didn't want spores to spread to the rest of the cats. I had not done it in all my years of scooping until now, but it was relatively easy and I think it is value added maybe two or 4 times a year. (In the past I just bought new boxes every couple/few years.)


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## LunaTheHimmydoll (Dec 15, 2012)

ezmeray said:


> oh wow, I feel like a horrid pet owner now.. it never really occurred to me to dump out and disinfect the cat box, it's just scooped daily and topped off with new litter.. but I have only one cat and luckily there are have never been any litter box issues..
> 
> Is it necessary to do that?


Dumping and cleaning/ sanitizing the litter box is more for the pet owner than the cat. Cats like to smell themselves (i.e. their business) in their litter box.


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

LunaTheHimmydoll said:


> Dumping and cleaning/ sanitizing the litter box is more for the pet owner than the cat. Cats like to smell themselves (i.e. their business) in their litter box.



Hmm. I disagree. I've watched every episode of "My Cat from ****" so I know what I'm talking about. If the litter box isn't clean they'll go elsewhere.


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## LunaTheHimmydoll (Dec 15, 2012)

Dave_ph said:


> Hmm. I disagree. I've watched every episode of "My Cat from ****" so I know what I'm talking about. If the litter box isn't clean they'll go elsewhere.


I don't mean scooping, just dumping out all the litter and sanitizing. I actually got that tidbit from My Cat From H*ll too. I think what Jackson said is that you can definitely go overboard with it.


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## ezmeray (Nov 8, 2012)

LunaTheHimmydoll said:


> I don't mean scooping, just dumping out all the litter and sanitizing. I actually got that tidbit from My Cat From H*ll too. I think what Jackson said is that you can definitely go overboard with it.


Hmm, sounds like excess either way is troublesome. Well, my cat has two litter boxes (I added the 2nd one when she had a bladder infection--long, long since cleared up w/antibiotics--and while I think 2 is a bit unnecessary for a small cat, she's used to it now), both scooped daily, so I guess I'll just keep the same routine. 

ALso, I've never heard of that show, is it a tv show I'm guessing??


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## dt8thd (Jan 7, 2013)

ezmeray said:


> Also, I've never heard of that show, is it a tv show I'm guessing??


Yep, it's a show on Animal Planet. I haven't seen much of it, since I don't get Animal Planet, but you can find some clips online through YouTube and the Animal Planet website.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

ezmeray said:


> Hmm, sounds like excess either way is troublesome. Well, my cat has two litter boxes (I added the 2nd one when she had a bladder infection--long, long since cleared up w/antibiotics--and while I think 2 is a bit unnecessary for a small cat, she's used to it now), both scooped daily, so I guess I'll just keep the same routine.
> 
> ALso, I've never heard of that show, is it a tv show I'm guessing??


I keep 2 upstairs and 2 downstairs for my 4 cats. They are very old so I don't want them navigating the steps at night if it can be avoided. Zipper fell down the stairs last spring and broke her breast bone. If I had not seen it happen I might not have heard it in the middle of the night and she would have laid there suffering.


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## ezmeray (Nov 8, 2012)

Marcia said:


> I keep 2 upstairs and 2 downstairs for my 4 cats. They are very old so I don't want them navigating the steps at night if it can be avoided. Zipper fell down the stairs last spring and broke her breast bone. If I had not seen it happen I might not have heard it in the middle of the night and she would have laid there suffering.


aw, poor kitty, was she okay (after vet care naturally)? 

Yeah my cat is getting older and while she doesn't seem to have trouble with stairs yet I feel better having one on each floor. 

Also, do you have pet stairs? (like for getting onto beds or on higher surfaces) I've been wondering if I'll need to get any in the future, since I don't like seeing her have to jump up/down from too high for an older cat.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

LunaTheHimmydoll said:


> Dumping and cleaning/ sanitizing the litter box is more for the pet owner than the cat. Cats like to smell themselves (i.e. their business) in their litter box.


I disagree. No one likes the overpowering smell of old crap and urine. Not even a cat if it's his/her own. 

If MowMow feels the box isn't clean enough he won't go outside it, but he will bother me constantly and hold it (much worse than him just going outside the box) until it's clean enough for his Lordship.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

ezmeray said:


> aw, poor kitty, was she okay (after vet care naturally)?
> 
> Yeah my cat is getting older and while she doesn't seem to have trouble with stairs yet I feel better having one on each floor.
> 
> Also, do you have pet stairs? (like for getting onto beds or on higher surfaces) I've been wondering if I'll need to get any in the future, since I don't like seeing her have to jump up/down from too high for an older cat.


Thanks for asking about Zipper. Yes she tumbled down the stairs while I was in the kitchen. I heard this noise, turned around and saw her tumbling down about 9 of the 13 stairs. She just layed there, like she was in shock! I was in shock! - it's one of those nightmare scenes that replays in your head vividly. I rushed her to the vet and they confirmed a breast bone fracture. All they could do was give her morphine for about 3 weeks while she recuperated at home. I set her up so she would not have to move, just turn her head to eat or drink, but she still got up to use the litter box - good girl. I was supposed to keep her isolated but little Missy, her buddy, was so beside herself at the separation, I let her stay in the BR with her. She licked Zipper's head constantly. It was so sweet to see that.
Yes, I have steps to our bed because it is SO tall and Missy is SO small at 5 pounds, but Zip uses them too, and to a window perch, but not anywhere else. She doesn't even use the window perch, but our old Winnie used to and used the steps to get to it. Zipper has no problem jumping on the ottoman then walking to the couch. Anything taller than 18" is a show stopper for her. She has 24/7 access to a screened in porch (as all the cats do) and she now spends her days chasing the sun across it jus chillin'. She's living the good life. :thumb
She still has problems getting down from anything more than a foot high, but she manages....and is much more careful on the stairs, I think.


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## MyBabiesDaddy (Jan 1, 2013)

Awe, poor zipper! I felt bad for her just thinking about how scared she was to take that tumble! I'm glad she's ok though !

I have two litter boxes for my 2 cats. The boxes get scooped twice a day, about 12 hours apart. I refill litter when it gets low and try to completely empty/clean/refill once a month.


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

MowMow said:


> Be sure to rinse the bleach off the boxes REALLY well and keep them away from them while they are soaking. Bleach = bad for cats.


I have never use bleach. I always soak the box with vinegar before rinsing off, rub dry with a cloth then spray a layer of colloidal silver (natural disinfectant). Anyway, somethingelse here that we can consider? Vinegar + hydrogen peroxide Tau Topics - Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide as Disinfectants


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## ezmeray (Nov 8, 2012)

Marcia said:


> Thanks for asking about Zipper. Yes she tumbled down the stairs while I was in the kitchen. I heard this noise, turned around and saw her tumbling down about 9 of the 13 stairs. She just layed there, like she was in shock! I was in shock! - it's one of those nightmare scenes that replays in your head vividly. I rushed her to the vet and they confirmed a breast bone fracture. All they could do was give her morphine for about 3 weeks while she recuperated at home. I set her up so she would not have to move, just turn her head to eat or drink, but she still got up to use the litter box - good girl. I was supposed to keep her isolated but little Missy, her buddy, was so beside herself at the separation, I let her stay in the BR with her. She licked Zipper's head constantly. It was so sweet to see that.
> Yes, I have steps to our bed because it is SO tall and Missy is SO small at 5 pounds, but Zip uses them too, and to a window perch, but not anywhere else. She doesn't even use the window perch, but our old Winnie used to and used the steps to get to it. Zipper has no problem jumping on the ottoman then walking to the couch. Anything taller than 18" is a show stopper for her. She has 24/7 access to a screened in porch (as all the cats do) and she now spends her days chasing the sun across it jus chillin'. She's living the good life. :thumb
> She still has problems getting down from anything more than a foot high, but she manages....and is much more careful on the stairs, I think.


That's good she's doing better. I don't know what I'd do if my cat got hurt (well, take her to the vet of course, logistically). My cat's only barely 6lb,but I'm afraid that even if I got steps for her she wouldn't use them, and would just jump up/down the whole height anyway.


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