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Using A Covered Litter Box
- Thread starter Cymraes
- Start Date
They may be too set in their ways or among those cats that simply hate covered boxes. The box might also be too small or poorly ventilated.
Mowgli prefers a covered box, and the vast majority (>95%) of the cats at our shelter use covered boxes. The boxes are jumbo size and have both the flap and the filter removed.
Mowgli prefers a covered box, and the vast majority (>95%) of the cats at our shelter use covered boxes. The boxes are jumbo size and have both the flap and the filter removed.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
That could be the case. Have you tried providing both a covered and uncovered box? If there's no pressure to use a particular type of box, maybe they'll try it out.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
How does your shelter afford/clean that much? The shelter I volunteer at uses medium sized uncovered litter boxes, and even that is a fair amount for the dish washers to handle. The covered boxes we have take up almost a full load in the sanitizer!
Litter boxes are scrubbed by hand, allowed to air dry, disinfected, then steamcleaned. It's a small, no-kill, cageless shelter that can't afford a sanitizer, though we have two steam cleaners; we average 40-70 cats in cat rooms with catios at any given time. The two dishwashers are used for food and water bowls (and run multiple times a day).
Okay, that makes sense. Our shelter has capacity for 150 cats, and at least 50 dogs (not quite sure on the max for that one, not my area) and a small critter section, as well as a wildlife/large animal section. Large litterboxes/covered boxes are used as a last resort, like if a cat came from a home using them and can't adapt to a not covered box, or if they kick litter too high/far for even the large boxes we have. Our sanitizer can handle a load in a couple minutes on a commercial dishwasher rack, but with all the animals here, it's always full. And all dishes need to be fully rinsed of particles/grim/dirt/food before going into the sanitizer. We have a local correctional center with people that come work here and that really helps us out!
Most cats I've seen hate the covered boxes anyway. They feel too cornered in them and there's not enough ventilation. But a few cats here absolutely love them and feel safest with them, so I get why some people use them.
C Cymraes why are you trying to switch to covered anyway? Dog eating the litter?
I would do their old boxes plus 1 covered box. Also I might add some of their litter from the old box (and maybe a cat poop... 
gross
I know but it might work.) That way it is already scented like their boxes.
I clean my cat's litter box with lysol about once a year. I use clumping litter. How often does it really need to be cleaned? My cats don't like the cleaner smell I think ... is there a scent free cleaner you can recommend?
gross I know but it might work.) That way it is already scented like their boxes.I clean my cat's litter box with lysol about once a year. I use clumping litter. How often does it really need to be cleaned? My cats don't like the cleaner smell I think ... is there a scent free cleaner you can recommend?
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Charlie wasn't a fan so we just did a crapload of sweeping litter lol for a normal tray. But we got one for Vi and she loves it. Filter and flap removed too like i've seen in above comments. Have you tried maybe those deeper lipped trays that prevent alot of spillage?
