The subject says it all :) I have a kitty that is not using the litterbox to pee, but uses it for shushing. I am thinking he is annoyed by the box. it is a littermaid and I havent' done a thorough cleaning of it and I need to. What should I use to clean it, that won't repel the kitties?
snip

I'm going to move this to our Care and Grooming section where someone should be able to help you better.:)

Every week I dump out the old litter(clumping kind) and then I wash the boxes out with Dawn dishwashing detergent antibacterial and HOT water. then I put in new cat litter and that's all.:tounge2:
(SHHHHHHH! ancient chinese secret! my s/o thinks I slave at them all the time! LOL!)

We have 5 cats and 2 litter boxes. We use Tidy Cats clumping litter. I sift out the clumps in both boxes once a day. We haven't had much trouble with them using outside the boxes, except when I didn't clean fast enough the litter tracked out of the boxes. :(

Just on the issue of kitty litter, I don't suppose you throw the litter into the toilet bowl? Because my lecturer just told us that there's a rise in seals getting Toxoplasmosis because of cat excreta that eventually finds its way into the sea via the toilet bowl.

no I don't put my cats "leftovers" in the toilet. The clumping litter would make it clogged. I throw it away.

Originally posted by funiecat
I don't suppose you throw the litter into the toilet bowl?

We are on a septic tank not connected to the sewer line. Litter would clog the lines and cause it to need pumping more often, so we just throw the litter away.

I also throw the litter away and I clean the box with hot water and baking soda. Works great !!

One of our cats is super picky about the litter box. If we don't scoop it out every day, she pees on the floor beside it. :( Anyway, I dump the whole box about once a month. I clean it with hot water and dish soap. I then let a SMALL amount of bleach and a lot of water soak in it for a few minutes. I rinse it out REALLY WELL. The bleach gets all of the left over smells out and it gets rid of the soapy residue that I notice when I don't use it.

Crikey- really picky isn't she? She likes cleanliness which is good though..hee
Would you recommend clumping litter or newspaper-based one? I've heard that clumping litter is not good for kittens?

I use a plastic liner for the litter box. I sift out the lumpy bits each day and each week, just tie up the whole liner and put it in the bin. Mind you, Barney has some kind of aversion to his litter tray and will hold off as long as he can before he uses it, so maybe mine is not such a good plan!
Diann in Australia

Swheat Cat Litter

I think this stuff is magic!

* Clumping BUT made out of wheat so if your kitten eats/licks it is safe!

* You can flush it down the tiolet

* Non-toxic to cats and enviornment

(since it has not scent, I use it with Tidy Cat litter deoratorizer!)

Everyone should be VERY careful about using toxic cleaning products in the litter box (I don't think Pine Sol is a very good way to go). Remember, cats mix the litter around with their paws and then use those paws clean themselves. It's really important to use something that has NO ingestion warnings (kids, etc.) and is preferably earth-friendly. While this makes this task more challenging, the payoff is knowing we are keeping our cats safe, which is the NUMBER1 priority!!

I dump it out weekly and use vinager to remove any stains on the bottom. The rake is also removable and should be washed as well. I have heard, but haven't tried it, that you can use chicken feed as litter. It is supposed to work as well as clumping litter at a much lower cost, and if the kittens eat it it won't hurt them. Anyone tried this yet?

the only thing i have tried were the plastic liners - but that was a joke - after one digging for china the liner was in shreds

I find the best thing for REALLY picky cats. Is just to wash it and soak it in REALLY hot water. Scrub it down with a hard brush as well.

Do not use anything Citrus scented, a lot of cats hate that. And anything that is too scented don't used that either.

How often do you clean your box, he might be really picky scoop it 2+ times a day, or throw it out every day if it's non scoopable formula.

I bought one of those booda litter domes and it came with special booda liners which are a joke. I find that regular garbage bags works better, since my kitties dig way down and rip the bag at the bottom. Even tho they rip the bag it helps keep the box fairly clean. I use anti-bacterial cleaner and those Clorox wipes to wipe down the entire dome cover and pan and also the floor where it sits once a week. I also use the SWHEAT clumping litter which is great! I scoop once a day and add more litter and sometimes some backing soda for controlling odors. After the weekly cleaning, it makes everything smell clean once again, but it's not over powering enough to both the kitties.

Does the litter maid work as well as it is advertised? One of my kittties, Austin, is obessive about covering his waste while my younger cat, Roger, tries to cover his waste but hasn't quite got it down yet....he means well, but I think he may have impaired judgement. I had to go to 2 different litter boxes because Austin was upset that Roger was not as "fastidious" as he was about his box. I'll take any suggestions you all have. :kitty::kitty2:

They really do keep the box tidy! You must use high quality litter or it's not so good. It really makes the box less of a chore too!