How do I clean the litter box?

jellybean

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I have a 14 year old cat and we've had her since she was a kitten and haven't changed her litter or the box at all. Anyway, I don't think that me and my family have been cleaning her litter box correctly for all this time. She has the type of litter that clumps and her litter box is just a normal pan with a rim on the sides. We scoop the clumps out once a week or so(i know its ment to be done once a day now and i'm going to start doing that so please don't yell at me). But Im sure thats not all were supposed to do. How do I actually clean the box? or have I been misguided and I'm not supposed to clean it at all? I'm also going to get her a new box thats bigger for her(like I said we havent changed it since we got her)but the same style, so if you have any advise on that it would be appreciated.
 

hissy

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Jelly-

Normally a litter box should be scooped anywhere from 2-3 times a day depending on how much action it is given. I scoop my boxes at least that many times a day, but I have multiple cats. For me, I also change litter at least once a week, and before I put new in, I clean the boxes with a bleach water mixture, air dry them, then spray the bottom of the pan where the litter will be poured with PAM Cooking Spray, let that dry a bit, then dump new litter on top of that.

Most cats do not like to go in a dirty litter box. Their sense of smell is so keen, it can make them find alternate places to go if their box is to dirty.
 

angelzoo

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Jelly:

Ok, along with what Hissy said. Most people probably clean their litter box out once a week, some litters let you get away with once a month (this is what I do). Unless of course the box gets REALLY dirty before hand.

If you are using clumping litter, scoop at LEAST once a day. Dirty boxes can turn a cat off to wanting to use the litter box, specially with your older cat, they can often develope problems with using the litter box, so you want to encourage her to be able to use it as much as possible, and for it to be a positive experience for her.

Everytime you scoop, add a little bit more fresh litter back in.
When you clean the box, you can either dump all the litter out, or you can hold it somewhere while you clean the box. I clean my boxes with very hot water, scrub them down with a hard brush, and then spray it down with a bleach/water mixture, and then scrub that down really well, and then I rinse it off again, with hot water. Make sure you rinse it very well.
Try not to use cleaning products that have very strong or citrus scents to them, as it can turn a cat off from wanting to use their box.

I let mine air dry and then I add either the old and new, or just all new litter back in. If all of the old litter is very dirty and smells just pitch all of it. And start off with a brand new batch
 
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jellybean

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Thank you very much for the replies so far. What does the pam do?
 

hissy

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The PAM just makes clean up a lot simplier, everything just slides right off instead of sticks.
 

jcat

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There's not much I can add, except that you can also get litter pan liners which make the cleanup a lot faster, provided your cat will accept them and doesn't scratch them to pieces for sport, as mine does.
 

gurlpower

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i scooped up their undesirables in the mornings, and throughout the day, about 3-4 times, depending how many times they do their businesses. i have two kitties.

Oh, on kitty litter, please be careful purchasing some of the ones out in the market. i spent a day researching kitty litter, and some of these stuff can be pretty toxic! (Just imagine your kitties licking their paws, thus, licking the toxic stuff!)

i use theworld'sbestcatlitter, which is biodegrable, and non-toxic. It is really easy to clean, and the kitty paws remain smooth and clean.

i clean their litter boxes (two - one hooded and one not) every time i fill them with more litter, about once a week.

i emptied out the litter in a big plastic bag. Next, i wash the litter box thoroughly with detergent, then rinsed off with clean water. Dry, even blow dry (faster), then replenish litter.

Almost everyday, i need to use a damp paper towel to wipe off the dirty areas found around the litter boxes.

i feel it is really essential to keep their toilets clean. Just like i want my toilet to be clean, i think they would too.. smiles!


Cheers!
 
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