Sick and tired of dealing with cat litter, don't know what to do

[ginny]

Is the Precious Cats blue bag litter you use scented or unscented?  If it's scented, that could be part of the problem, imo.  If not then I don't really have any good advice.

I've used all kinds of brands over the years and have found that the unscented to be the least offensive of all.  Perfume does not cover up pee and poo smell, it makes it worse, imo.  

 

[ginny]

I personally don't have any problem with my litter boxes. They are easy to keep clean and my cats use them all the time. Not to mention, I only have two boxes. 

What size are these boxes?  Can you estimate how many pounds of litter you've got in each box?  I LIKE the look of these!

 

[misee930]

We have three cats, and two large litter boxes (yes, I realize we should have additional boxes -- I'm about to give in and put out a third).

To put it mildly, I am obsessive about cleaning the litter. I clean it three times a day AT A MINIMUM (usually it's more like four to five). I have seemingly tried it all. Many different boxes, many different types of litters. I looked through this thread and have already tried a lot of the things recommended. I've tried the paper boxes, and I also tried that "Breeze" system that various stores sell (both the paper box experiment as well as the Breeze experiment were epic failures).

The crux of the problem is that we have one cat who uses the "back up and spray" technique when she pees. Due to this, we can't use a box that isn't covered, and as far as those paper boxes are concerned, even when we would put them inside a plastic box, it makes a huge smelly mess (pee getting sprayed in between the paper and plastic boxes, resulting in me having to clean up around it several times a week). She makes a big mess that gets trapped in the back and/or in the corners of the box, and it's really hard to get out.

The "best" (using that term loosely) system I've found so far is a combination of:

• Catit Hooded Cat box
• 2 MIL (thick) litter liners from PetSmart
• Precious Cat Ultra Litter (the only cat litter I've found that clumps worth a damn and seals odor without any of that perfumey awfulness)

My biggest problem is that I can't find a good combination of products do use. Is there really no company that makes a box and liners designed specifically for that box, to resolve the problem of all the excess plastic flapping around and getting littler/pee caught up in it? I have tried using packing tape to sort of "seal up" all the excess plastic and make for a tighter, more form-fitting liner, but it just doesn't really work all that well. I shake and tip the box as needed to try to break it loose, and I get most of it out but, it just isn't as sanitary as I would like it to be.

And as far as the litter getting tracked everywhere, don't even get me started...NOTHING has worked. I've tried every mat on the planet. They get it all over the room, all down the stairs; I find it in the craziest places. I spend as much time vacuuming each day as most people probably do in a month.

What have others in my situation done? If it weren't for the "back up and spray" cat, I would even consider going without liners but, due to her it just seems like it would be a rather disgusting option right now. I really just don't get it. I know other people with cats and their lives don't revolve around cleaning up after them. It's gotten to the point where it makes me afraid to leave the house, anxious when I'm doing things like taking a vacation because all I can think about is, "what does that room look like since it's not being cleaned five times a day, and what are they tracking all over the house while I'm away?"

What am I doing wrong and what can I do better???

 

[misee930]

My Cat From Hell had an episode with a cat that did this. Jackson called it "elevator butt". You might get lucky finding what you need if you google that. Good luck!

 

[mgudites]

I personally don't have any problem with my litter boxes. They are easy to keep clean and my cats use them all the time. Not to mention, I only have two boxes. But they are used to sharing. They were from the same litter, and they don't mind sharing litter boxes. I realize that you have three cats, and you're right. You should have three boxes, but personally I think you're making too much out of a simple situation. I think I could manage three cats with no problem. I keep my cats room clean too. I vacuum everyday, and keep their boxes poop and pee free. It's just a routine I have. Maybe if you got into a routine with your cats, you wouldn't have such a problem. Ever since I bought these tall boxes, Rascal hasn't gone over the box. He's fairly small anyway, so those boxes are perfect for him. And Shadow has never had any litter box problems. But that was my way of compensating for Rascal. So far they both do a good job of using their boxes.

I always read about people who are having litter box issues. They complain about what a problem they are to clean out. My response to that is if you don't want to bother with cleaning out litter boxes, then find your cat or cats a good home, and get a dog. That way you won't have to worry about cleaning out another litter box. I've had dogs before, and I can personally say that they can be just as messy as cats. The only difference is that they don't require a litter box. But since I've had my cats, I just got used to cleaning out their boxes on a daily basis. So it's all in what you're used to doing. Some animals just need more care than others, so it's up to us to make sure they get the best care that we can give them. It's like taking care of a small child. You have some children with special needs and you compensate for that. So I compensate for my cats, by doing the best I can to make sure they have all their needs met. And that includes their litter boxes. Sometimes you just have to go the extra mile for your pet. I've even gone into public women's restrooms where some women have peed all over the seat! That's pretty disgusting.

You would think that they could hit a hole the size of a toilet hole. It's amazing! It could be that your cat who keeps peeing on the sides of the box, has a problem. If so, take it to a vet and see if it has any medical, or urinary problems. There may be something that you're not aware of. Once you rule out all physical, medical, or internal problems, it may be some psychological problem. Believe it or not, animals get psychological problems too. So check that out too. It could be that the cat just has not learned how to use a litter box. I was lucky. I never taught mine to use a litter box. I just put out a plastic litter box, and filled it with some litter, and they started using it right away. I was really amazed! I thought they were the smartest cats in the world! And they have been using a litter box ever since. So it could be that your cat just hasn't learned how to use a litter box. Just keep working with him(her) and hope for the best. Good luck with your cat, and your litter boxes.

 

[Willowy]

I have several cats who back up and spray. Including females . And I've never had the litter be sticky or gloppy, or have the loose litter stick to the walls of the box :dk:. But I guess I've never used Precious Cat, although I hear good things about it so I wouldn't think the litter would be the problem. Sorry it didn't work for you .

 

[raina21]

M mgudites

Its a long shot but maybe you could try something like this with the largest plastic tubs you can find? You can cut a hole in the lid for a door (best if the lid is clear, so they can see through it).

20160806_235753.png

• raina21
• Aug 6, 2016

I would use a minimum of 3 of the tubs.
And only cut the holes in ONE SIDE of each tub and stack them in a way that alternates which side has holes.

Example:

bottom tub- holes on left with right side intact.

Middle tub- holes on the right, left side intact

Top tub- holes on the left, right side intact.


This way, when you change the litter, all you do is lift and sift. And place the tub you just sifted on the bottom of the stack (but remember to alternate the side that has the holes in it).

 

[momto3cats]

I have a female cat who has always done the "elevator butt" thing in the litter box, all of her 18 years. I had the same problems with having to scrape clumping litter off the walls of the box, no matter what brand I used (I tried a lot of different litters, including Precious Cat, which was the best other than this problem). I used liners for a while, and they did keep the box itself cleaner, but they would get urine in folds of plastic where it was hard to clean and smelled awful after a few days. I ended up getting away from clumping litter completely and using Tidy Cats Breeze, which I see you've already tried without success. IMO there just isn't a perfect solution for this. I do find it easier to deal with just wiping the walls down and not having to scrape clumping litter off them as well. Maybe traditional non-clumping litter would work?

 

[rascalshadownj2]

 
What size are these boxes?  Can you estimate how many pounds of litter you've got in each box?  I LIKE the look of these!

Hi Ginny,

Sorry for the long wait. I get busy from time to time, and it takes awhile to reply to all the comments and emails. I measured my containers, and here are the measurements. 12" high, 26" long, 15 1/2" wide. I generally buy 16 to 20 pounds of litter for my boxes, but I only put in 3 to 4 inches of litter in each box. That way they can dig down and not see the bottom. The brand I use is called Fresh And Natural, Fragrance Free. I too don't like all that scented litter that Walmart, and the pet stores sell. That makes the poo and pee smell worse. I buy my litter at my local Pet Food Center store. I like the litter, and it clumps really well, which I like. It's easy to scoop. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's pretty dusty. But one time I priced some of that low to no dust litter, and it was pretty expensive just for a small amount. I can't afford that kind of litter. Maybe if they lowered the price, I could buy it. Too bad they don't give free coupons on that kind of litter. ;-)  But I like the boxes. They are not too hard to clean, and are a good size for my cats. You can buy them at Walmart, Kmart, or Target. It just depends on who has the best price. I think I bought mine at Walmart. They weren't too expensive. They have them in the storage container aisles. So far they are pretty sturdy. They haven't cracked, or broken. So they make good litter boxes. Not to mention, Rascal can dig all he wants, and not throw out the litter. ;-)  Thanks for the "like" on my boxes.

 

[ginny]

 
Hi Ginny,

Sorry for the long wait. I get busy from time to time, and it takes awhile to reply to all the comments and emails. I measured my containers, and here are the measurements. 12" high, 26" long, 15 1/2" wide. I generally buy 16 to 20 pounds of litter for my boxes, but I only put in 3 to 4 inches of litter in each box. That way they can dig down and not see the bottom. The brand I use is called Fresh And Natural, Fragrance Free. I too don't like all that scented litter that Walmart, and the pet stores sell. That makes the poo and pee smell worse. I buy my litter at my local Pet Food Center store. I like the litter, and it clumps really well, which I like. It's easy to scoop. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's pretty dusty. But one time I priced some of that low to no dust litter, and it was pretty expensive just for a small amount. I can't afford that kind of litter. Maybe if they lowered the price, I could buy it. Too bad they don't give free coupons on that kind of litter. ;-)  But I like the boxes. They are not too hard to clean, and are a good size for my cats. You can buy them at Walmart, Kmart, or Target. It just depends on who has the best price. I think I bought mine at Walmart. They weren't too expensive. They have them in the storage container aisles. So far they are pretty sturdy. They haven't cracked, or broken. So they make good litter boxes. Not to mention, Rascal can dig all he wants, and not throw out the litter. ;-)  Thanks for the "like" on my boxes.

Thank you! 

 

[rascalshadownj2]

Hi again mgudites,

 Just found this link to this really cool self-cleaning litter box. It's called the Litter Robot. Of course it's Way more expensive than just your regular litter box. But this might solve your problem. Especially if you have that elevator butt type cat. I think my nephew has one of these and he and his wife have two Main Coon cats. So it looks like it works for them. Personally I can't afford this type of box, but maybe you can. This link tells you how it works. It looks like a really nice box. Looks like they have different types too. And the price shows what they are worth too. Sometimes they let you try one out for free, and then if you don't like it, you can send it back. You could contact the company about that. I think there are some other self cleaning boxes. You just have google and find out.

As for cleaning out my boxes, sometimes I take out all the litter, and put it in some buckets, then clean out the boxes. I never use bleach. I use Mr. Clean and dilute it with some water. I put it in a spray bottle, and squirt some in the containers, then wash them out with my shop rags I buy at my local hardware store. I love those shop rags. They are like heavy duty paper towels, and you get 200 paper rags to a box. Mine run about $10.00 a box. Sometimes Menards has a sale on them and they are half price. I use them all the time. They come in handy in case of accidents too. They are definitely worth the price. Again, hope this link is helpful.

Take Care and good luck!

https://www.litter-robot.com/

 

[rascalshadownj2]

 
Thank you! 

You're Welcome!