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Urine Clumps/Balls getting stuck on bottom

post #1 of 19
7/3/11 at 8:49am
Thread Starter 


I hate these nasty things!!!!!!!!

We've been using Dr. Elsey's litter for about a month I'd say. I accidentally bought scented Scoop Away previously. I was hoping it would help with the urine clump situation, but it hasn't.

The kittens have two boxes and the litter is 3-4 inches deep at least. I actually cleaned out their pans altogether yesterday and added new litter and was sure to put in about an inch more than I had before, hoping that there wouldn't be any urine balls stuck to the to bottom. No luck.

My problem with them is that when I'm unsticking them from the bottom, they break apart just a little bit and leave bits & pieces that are too small to get caught up in the litter scoop, which end up getting mixed in with the rest of the litter while I'm cleaning it. I feel like this makes the litter nastier and less attractive to kitty noses.

I clean their boxes a minimum of twice a day so it's not that they don't have room to pee. I've seen Simon dig down to the almost the very bottom to pee right after I cleaned it out! Grrr....

Do you have this problem? How do you deal with it? Is it just a fact of kitty life?
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post #2 of 19
7/3/11 at 12:30pm
Jake does this too sometimes. He will dig down until there's no litter of just a bit and then he will pee. It is so hard to get off the bottom. He also likes to pee on the sides of the box. I have found that by using a metal slotted spoon that I then use duct tape to tape about 1/2 of the openings helps. The metal spoon allows me to scrape it off the bottom and then I get spoonfuls to dispose of. The metal slotted spoon with the duct tape allows you to get the little pieces that break apart. This almost always happens immediately after a fresh litter change.

I hope others will come along with suggestions too!
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post #3 of 19
7/3/11 at 2:49pm
I lift the edge of the box 3"-4" and let it drop sharply to the floor. That usually pops off the balls that are stuck to the bottom. You can also try tilting it far enough to tap the bottom of the box with something hard, although I end up dumping some of the litter on the floor that way.
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post #4 of 19
7/3/11 at 3:08pm
My guess for that that's worth:
1) You're trying to scoop too frequently, not giving the chance for the urine balls to harden.
2) Dr Esley's sucks at clumping
3) The litterbox sucks
4) or some combination of the above

With Swheat Scoop Multicat at least, if you wait an hour after they go to scoop, the urine balls are hard as rocks and shouldn't be breaking. I do occasionally get clumps that stick to the bottom of my rolling litterboxes called the Omega Paw Large (see Amazon), but since its sifted the littler to the pocket its easy to see the clump and just a quick mini-scrape w/ the kitty spatula scoop and it falls down leaving no residue.

If you don't feel like swapping litterboxes, what you might try is literally just using PAM antistick spray on it after you clean it next time.
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post #5 of 19
7/3/11 at 6:28pm
My cat does the same thing. He always pees at the front of the litter box against the floor/wall of the box. >:[ The solution is pretty easy though. When you scoop tilt the box away from you, so that the area where the clumps are is free from litter. Now when the pieces fall off, they are in an area free from the other litter, so you can use the edge of the scooper to pick them up.

A solution might be to get one of those plastic storage bins, and cut a hole in the side and use the whole thing as a litter box. When I have a larger place to stay, I know I'm going to try this.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldyCat View Post
I lift the edge of the box 3"-4" and let it drop sharply to the floor. That usually pops off the balls that are stuck to the bottom. You can also try tilting it far enough to tap the bottom of the box with something hard, although I end up dumping some of the litter on the floor that way.
I didn't think of that, thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
If you don't feel like swapping litterboxes, what you might try is literally just using PAM antistick spray on it after you clean it next time.
I'm not sure this would work but it made me laugh SO hard!
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post #6 of 19
7/5/11 at 7:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldyCat View Post
I lift the edge of the box 3"-4" and let it drop sharply to the floor. That usually pops off the balls that are stuck to the bottom. You can also try tilting it far enough to tap the bottom of the box with something hard, although I end up dumping some of the litter on the floor that way.
Thanks!! I'll have to give the "lift & drop" method a try.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
My guess for that that's worth:
1) You're trying to scoop too frequently, not giving the chance for the urine balls to harden.
2) Dr Esley's sucks at clumping
3) The litterbox sucks
4) or some combination of the above
1. Possibly. I clean the box while they're eating, so once in the morning and once when I get home from work.
2. Nope.
3. Definitely - they're the $4 from Wal-mart variety.

If I had a bigger place, I'd do the sterilite box thing and put in like half a foot of litter so they couldn't dig that far 500 sq. feet ain't much, though, and my bathroom barely holds the two boxes I have. I hope to be moving in January!! So maybe at that point I can get more creative with solutions to this annoying problem.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
My cat does the same thing. He always pees at the front of the litter box against the floor/wall of the box. >:[ The solution is pretty easy though. When you scoop tilt the box away from you, so that the area where the clumps are is free from litter. Now when the pieces fall off, they are in an area free from the other litter, so you can use the edge of the scooper to pick them up.
I do try to tilt the box, but it's a bit shallow so I can't do it too much. Also, my scoop doesn't have much of an edge so that's why they fall through the slots when I try to pick them up. Over the weekend I looked for a different scoop but they all seem pretty uniform, at least the ones available at Petsmart & Wal-mart.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
A solution might be to get one of those plastic storage bins, and cut a hole in the side and use the whole thing as a litter box. When I have a larger place to stay, I know I'm going to try this.
Yup!!!!!! Same here.
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post #7 of 19
7/5/11 at 8:22pm
I use Dr. Elseys Ultra litter. It is excellent at clumping, nice hard clumps. My cats also dig and pee on the bottom of the box. I scoop very often, almost too much. If the clump was fresh, then it might break apart a little. If you leave it set for a few minutes then it scraps off all together. Please don't use Pam cooking spray on the bottom of the litter pan, cooking spray fumes can be bad for cats to inhale. If your litter box is older, I have found that clumps stick more to the bottom. I replace boxes every few months because they get scratched up quite a bit from claws. With a new box, the clumps practically slide off.
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post #8 of 19
7/6/11 at 1:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by parsleysage View Post
I do try to tilt the box, but it's a bit shallow so I can't do it too much. Also, my scoop doesn't have much of an edge so that's why they fall through the slots when I try to pick them up. Over the weekend I looked for a different scoop but they all seem pretty uniform, at least the ones available at Petsmart & Wal-mart.
If it helps, here is the scoop I have, which I bought from Walmart http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sport-Pet-...-1-Ct/15136924
It's the Sport Pet Designs Scoop n Toss

And the litter box I bought is from Petco http://www.petco.com/product/112514/...es_LitterBoxes
It has plenty of room to tilt and scoop
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post #9 of 19
7/7/11 at 1:18pm
I'll chime in for crystal litter. Not all cats will take to it, but for me it's the best at odor control and super easy to maintain.

Use either ScoopFree system or buy fresh step crystals alone. Just read the reviews, you'll see.
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post #10 of 19
7/7/11 at 2:14pm
I use Dr. Elsey's too... However, with any litter, I've noticed that any pees that are new will fall apart. Dorothy often likes to use the litterbox while I'm scooping (doesn't matter if it's the one I'm cleaning or the one next to it, she hears me digging in there, and she's gotta dig too. ) If she pees, I won't scoop that one til later. If she poops, I do scoop it right away, after she works so hard to cover it. Also, when clumps do fall apart a bit, I just tend to take longer scooping, and try to get as many of the little pieces on the edge of the scooper as I can. Takes me at least 10 minutes to scoop 2 boxes. It's just the way I do it.
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post #11 of 19
7/7/11 at 10:29pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone. I've actually been doing the "lift & drop" and it works pretty well! Leaves some residue on the bottom but I'm more okay with that than have bits and pieces all mixed in. YUCK!!!
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post #12 of 19
7/7/11 at 11:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feralvr View Post
Please don't use Pam cooking spray on the bottom of the litter pan, cooking spray fumes can be bad for cats to inhale.
Its good to be cautious, but PAM is perfectly safe. Cooking sprays are edible, minute amounts of olive or vegetable oil do not fume, and the minute amount of propellant does not linger indefinitely as implied.

Spraying a litterbox with PAM or similar sprays is not something I have just invented. Its a fairly common trick and has been done for ages. The reason it works is that plastic is actually porous, which is why its considered less hygienic than ceramic or stainless steel. A very light coating (zero point in trying to saturate it) of oil ends up filling those pores, and since water or pee for that matter and oil don't mix, it can't stick well. A particularly dusty litter might end up absorbing all the oil though, I dont know, but its even recommended by the manufacturer of the Omega Paw litterbox.
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post #13 of 19
7/8/11 at 7:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
Its good to be cautious, but PAM is perfectly safe.
...
A particularly dusty litter might end up absorbing all the oil though, I dont know, but its even recommended by the manufacturer of the Omega Paw litterbox.
No way would I do this. Use something the cats might think is edible to coat the bottom of their litter pan? Er... no.

Quote:
Originally Posted by parsleysage View Post
Thanks everyone. I've actually been doing the "lift & drop" and it works pretty well! Leaves some residue on the bottom but I'm more okay with that than have bits and pieces all mixed in. YUCK!!!
Glad this is working out for you, Parsleysage. Like many others, I use giant plastic totes (104 gallons), and I keep 84 pounds of litter in each; this maintains the litter at a depth of about six to seven inches. With this set-up, I've never had a problem with the urine reaching the bottom, or the cats digging that far (they probably get tired long before then!).

AC
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post #14 of 19
7/10/11 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy View Post
Glad this is working out for you, Parsleysage. Like many others, I use giant plastic totes (104 gallons), and I keep 84 pounds of litter in each; this maintains the litter at a depth of about six to seven inches. With this set-up, I've never had a problem with the urine reaching the bottom, or the cats digging that far (they probably get tired long before then!).

AC
Lol! Thanks for the laugh, but Wow that's a lot of litter xD
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post #15 of 19
7/10/11 at 6:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy View Post
No way would I do this. Use something the cats might think is edible to coat the bottom of their litter pan? Er... no.
Er.... Swheat Scoop is literally just ground wheat, also edible. Its also not a hypothetical, cats don't dig through their litterbox to lick the PAM. Its recommended by the manufacturer, fairly common if you google search, and done w/ my own cats. If you know of a confirmed case where a cat actually went to town to lick the PAM, by all means, but I have never heard of it and I would classify it as pica. Most cats are fairly finicky about what they eat, and even shun brands of actual cat food, yet alone would want to eat something they defecated in.
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post #16 of 19
7/10/11 at 7:01pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
Lol! Thanks for the laugh, but Wow that's a lot of litter xD
Holy cow, yup!!!!! You have six babies, though, so it makes sense. How many litterboxes do you keep for them?

84 pounds... I'm trying to imagine it, haha! I thought I was practically buying an endless supply when I picked up the 40-pound bag of Dr. Elsey's!!
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post #17 of 19
7/10/11 at 7:16pm
That is a heck of a lot of litter! I use Cat Attract from Dr. Elsey and I found it clumps very well. As mentioned, very fresh urine may need a few minutes to set up, but that's about it. My girl likes to pee right in the corner of the box....I just tilt the box a bit, give it a sharp 'whack' and the ball normally disengages from the side. My boy doesn't like very deep litter - about two inches is all we can do.
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post #18 of 19
7/10/11 at 7:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
Lol! Thanks for the laugh, but Wow that's a lot of litter xD
You're welcome. And you're telling me?! I usually buy 4 or 5 of the 42 pound bags at a time and try to bribe the neighborhood kids to carry them in for me. *grin*

Quote:
Originally Posted by parsleysage View Post
Holy cow, yup!!!!! You have six babies, though, so it makes sense. How many litterboxes do you keep for them?

84 pounds... I'm trying to imagine it, haha! I thought I was practically buying an endless supply when I picked up the 40-pound bag of Dr. Elsey's!!
I have two of these litter boxes. That's not even close to what's recommended for six cats, but then, each of these is probably triple the size of a "normal" litter box, and - thankfully - the set-up is working well for my group. I think it helps, too, that everyone is raw fed, so there's less waste to begin with, and I have a single-story home with one box at each end of the house.

AC
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post #19 of 19
7/14/11 at 2:32am
I've been using PAM in litter boxes for years, recommended to me by my former vet.
She does caution not to use with kittens, but you're not supposed to use clumping litter with small kittens either.

I've never had a cat associate the litter box PAM coating with anything other than clean potty smell and a cue to go nuts dirtying it up again.

As for fumes, you coat the bottom 2 inches of the box only and allow it to air dry a bit before adding litter to allow it to soak into the plastic a bit. By the time its ready for the cats to use, there are no fumes from the propellant.
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