Outdoor litterbox

[allieq]

I live in a townhouse, and in the near future I am planning to screen in my back patio. There are two dirt plots out there, and I would like to turn the smaller one of them into a "litterbox" for my 4 cats.

My cats are strictly indoor and right now they are using the Breeze litter system. Before that I had regular clay litter. The main reason I want to have an outdoor litter box is because I find store-bought litter to be extremely wasteful and expensive. Clay litter is bad for the environment, creates dust and makes a mess. The Breeze pellets and lining are also super expensive for four cats and wasteful. Plus, it sucks at covering any poop smell.

I would like a natural solution, but I am worried about the smell. What sort of material could I use for this outdoor litterbox that would neutralize odors? I plan to remove their poop on a daily basis but even that can get stinky if they drop a ripe one (lol...sorry, but I'm sure you know what I mean), and I am worried about the ammonia from urine building up. Mind you, although my patio will be screened, the plot where they would go to the bathroom would still be exposed to sun and rain. A lot of it, too, since I live in Florida. I live in a townhouse so I am also concerned about smells for the sake of my neighbors.

I've read about people using gravel instead of dirt, mulch or whatever. Does anyone have any input or experience?

Thanks!

 

[red top rescue]

I would suggest using real sandbox sand, which you can buy at garden supply stores, but it would have to be in a covered area where the rain could not get in.  It could be open on one side, if it was like a 3 x 3 boxlike structure,  Cats like sand an thus they bury their poop quite well in it.  You would have to scoop out the tootsie rolls and dig out the wet areas regularly.  If you do that, there would be no ammonia smell.  Dont just keep adding sand as it gets low, but actually dump and wash the entire box once it gets low.  Florida has sandy soil so it is possible you could actually dump the wet sand outside somewhere and hose it down.

The litter I think deoodorizes best is Blue Buffalo's walnut based litter.  It is expensive but it lasts very well and it is clumping, so you can dig out the "wet" spots, leaving most of the litter clean and dry.  It may appear expensive compared to other litters but it lasts much longer an is lighter to handle.  You would not want to spread it outside in open sandy areas but it's natural so can be disposed of outside (always remove the tootsie rolls first -- either put them in a bag in the garbage or flush them down the toilet.  We use it in the Petco adoption enclosures where we have several cats in a very small space and any odor would float out to the visitors.

 

[allieq]

@Red Top Rescue Thanks for the input. Do you have any experience using safflower seed as litter?

 

[allieq]

Bump! Still looking for a solution that is viable for a dirt plot that will be exposed to sun and rain!