[lgnutah]

Every few weeks, I completely empty all the litter out and wash the box. As I was washing one of them, I was wondering how people who live in apartments (without access to hoses and open areas to dump wash water) manage this job.
I don't know if it is my cats or the litter I use or what, but washing out the litter box has gotten to be a real chore. It seems like litter sticks to the bottom and sides despite my putting bleach and laundry detergent in the empty box, letting it soak for hours, and scrubbing at the sides and bottom with the scooper thing. I blast it with the hose and still there is residue.
Is there a better way?

 

[Ninde'Gold]

I used to do the same thing... nothing ever really seemed to "clean" it though.

Same with my rabbits cages. The pee stains just never go away.

 

[SheetsSM]

Do you use litterbox liners?

 

[lgnutah]

That was one thing I was wondering about. Do they work? Do they just cover the bottom of the box or do they go up the sides?

 

[Ninde'Gold]

I think they cover all of it... kinda like a garbage bag.

My old neighbour gave me a box but I never tried them.

 

[SheetsSM]

Love the litterbox liners, covers the whole box...you can use a thicker trash bag for the same purpose. You do have to pay attention to the cats claws as my kitten thinks she should tear through the liner as opposed to putting her "hands" in the litter & covering her "business". You dump the whole bag and I use a disinfectant wipe weekly on the box.

 

[hubbub]

The litter box here goes through periods of heavy use, then no use. My "formerly feral" cat is outdoor/indoor (outdoors during the day and locked in when he's injured and then kept inside for recovery - - he also stays on the screened porch if the weather is expected to be bad or nights I work late, etc). Anyway.....

After I captured him, I was reading online about cat litter (I'd never had a cat and didn't know if I needed to "teach" this 15 pound tom about the litter box) and found an interesting website that showed a storage container converted into a litter box. It mentioned using a large pan for larger cats, but I was more interested in how they recommend using deep litter to help minimize the normal clean/scrub/toss/refill cycle.

I modified the plans a bit and have an oversized box with high sides. It's filled with about 4-6 inches of litter and I've only had a few times where I had to bleach an area. When he's indoors, I clean the box out in the am and pm or as soon as I realized he's used it.

 

[Jamm]

I seem to switch all the time haha. Sometimes I'll use clay litter and scoop 3-4 times a week into a bag and then garbage. Sometimes I use the litter liners and change it once a week. Sometimes I change Jesse's litter and use a pine clumping and then put it in my washroom so every time he goes I just scoop and flush it whenever im in there. Jesse has ALWAYS been amazing with the litter, and litter changes so he kinda just goes with whatever his crazy mom decides

 

[Pumba19]

we have two cats so it needs to be cleaned a couple times a week we put baking soda on the bottom of the pan, and then baking soda on top of the litter

 

[Deb_Bayne]

Why not get a spray of non-stick oil and spray the bottom of the clean pan and then put the litter in it. Get the non-toxic type of course, but it's not like the cats lick their own litter pan anyway.

 

[cubbysan]

When I lived in an apartment, I would wash the litter boxes in the tub (and the bunny cage). Then I would have the chore of sterilizing my tub!!!

The liners never worked for me, my cats would tear it apart and my then bunny would chew it up.

 

[coppers-mom]

Ditto to a very generous sprinkling (well dumping) of baking soda in the bottom of the pan. It also helps with the smell in-between cleans.

I used a litter pan liner years ago and the cats scratched all the way down to it and shredded it.

I don't know how to keep the sides clean though.

 

[lgnutah]

Wow! So many great ideas. I think my cats are sooper poopers as their litter box could never go without scooping for several days or a week. I scoop first thing in morning when I feed them, then just before I go to work, then when I get home from work and then before bed. I have 3 litter boxes for 2 cats and one is actually an "under the bed" plastic storage thing so is much bigger than a usual litter box, with low sides.
I think keeping really deep litter will help prevent the pee going all the way down to the bottom so it glues on. With 3 litter boxes, you are talking about a lot of litter. I go through a 20-30 lb scooping type litter container each week (at least) right now. If I doubled the depth of the litter, I'd be spending $$$ a month on litter. I am not sure why my cats seem to use the litter box so frequently (one has borderline kidney failure, so does pee more)

 

[Red the super dog]

i use the arm in hammer multi cat clumping litter, after i do a complete litter change and the box is dry i sprinkle baking powder in the bottom. i do get some stuff that sticks. but its not too bad. i never liked the box liners, because my one cat likes to try to eat plastic bags. she thinks she is a goat.

 

[Elisabeth Kazup]

OMG...first stuffies, then collars and leashes and now litter boxes:doh: All this washing going on!!!

Just kidding. Our barn kitty uses a litter box in the barn when it's too cold/windy/rainy/snowy/hot/sunny/cloudy/humid to go outside! We use a manure fork...gets everything in one fell scoop.

I don't believe his box has ever been washed, but then again it's in the barn! My answer does not apply to this thread but that doesn't stop me. I think it's cute that our barn kitty actually uses a litter box or he goes in the shavings in the stalls.

And I've heard clumping litter is bad for dogs.

 

[Huggenkiss]

I must be spoiled by my cat. I don't think I've ever washed out her litter box or had stuff stick to the sides or bottom. And I use the cheapest litter that walmart has. When I've tried the nice expensive pine or newspaper stuff she'll pee on the mat outside the box! I do keep the litter deep; about 4"-6". And she spends tons of time digging and to me what seems like playing in the litter. She likes to move it all to oneside of the box so the bottom is bare and then moves it all to the other side the next day. On clean litter day she's in there rearranging forever! Cats can be so strange!

 

[Nyahsmommy]

Ive only had kittens for about a month now and I have never washed the litter box yet. I have been using Maxx clump litter(love it) and have been using thick liners. It's like a big garbage bag so I change it about once a week and put a fresh liner and fresh litter in.

 

[hubbub]

I think keeping really deep litter will help prevent the pee going all the way down to the bottom so it glues on. With 3 litter boxes, you are talking about a lot of litter. I go through a 20-30 lb scooping type litter container each week (at least) right now. If I doubled the depth of the litter, I'd be spending $$$ a month on litter. I am not sure why my cats seem to use the litter box so frequently (one has borderline kidney failure, so does pee more)

I've never had any urine make it to the bottom of the pan (he's a super digger) - only had urine on the side - and that was when I'd be at work and he had to use it a second time.

Because it's deep and since I clean the litter out often, I don't have broken bits of "matter" in the litter. It might seem gross and, again, it's used lightly, but I only dumped and washed the whole thing once last year. He was inside in "recovery" from various fight wounds about 6 months of the year and then he used it a few times a week during the other months.

You might spend more money on the outset, but less in the long run since you wouldn't be dumping it all out. Maybe you could try it with one deep litter box and see how you and the cats like it. I use Dr Elsey's Precious Cat Litter.

Keep us posted

 

[Ninde'Gold]

Do any of you use covered litter boxes?

Our cat had an opened one and he sure loved to wipe his poo all over the walls in the bathroom after every bowel movement :yuck:

 

[hubbub]

Do any of you use covered litter boxes?

Our cat had an opened one and he sure loved to wipe his poo all over the walls in the bathroom after every bowel movement :yuck:

That is SO gross!

My cat is so big, we don't have a covered box for him. I tried it first, but he wouldn't even go in it! He went and used the uncovered one on the screened porch instead. :doh: He also does nearly all his digging while standing outside the box, but then stands in the box to cover things up.

I'm SO glad he doesn't do any "wall wiping" - :yuck: