I buy big plastic bins at Goodwill and cut a notch in it. I put a square of leftover floor vinyl in front so cleanup is easier. I've never found a 'litter catcher' that worked. I use a combination of clumping and non-clumping litter. It's a good compromise, but I also find that pure clumping litter sticks like Hades to the bottom of the box. a mix is much easier to scoop. I also use the Litter Genie to keep odors down, and highly recommend MyCatPeed for accidents. I used to have one [Minavi] that used the litter box if it was perfect and she felt like it. So I used a lot of weewee pads. Two boxes and three boyz now and no accidents. Litter gets cleaned twice a day and sometimes they go in the garden during they're daily outing.
Every two weeks I dump the old litter, put a thin layer of baking soda on the bottom of the pan and litter on top. Every couple days I add litter to replace what’s been scooped, and if there’s been any sticking, add a little more baking soda and mix it in. I’ve had cats for decades, but this litter box I bought for my newly adopted kitten is the first one that’s had this sticking issue. It was driving me nuts.
My cats like a box for #2 and a box for #1. They are very patient about people not cleaning the box. I still get after my fam when I’m not home “nobody wants to use an outhouse!!!!”. My mom’s poor cat has a tiny box, and wants it absolutely pristine. She might like a robot box, but my mom would NEVER spend the $.
I had a huge cat that no box was big enough. He needed his own bathroom 😂. He would huff and puff and grumble and turn all around, and likely hang his butt off the edge. He was 22# of just cat, though. I’ve no idea what breeds he was made of (bobcat? Mountain lion?), he was a rescue.
That’s a huge cat! Small litter boxes are for kittens and tiny cats like my Boudicca. The Jersey Boys are like your cats, using different boxes for #1 and #2, but the other cats couldn’t care less. LOL for nobody wants to use an outhouse!😸 Nor do they want to smell one!🤢 Purrhaps you can buy a bigger litter box for your mom's cat?
One of my cat scratches the wall next to his box in lieu of burying his business. And the other cat will poop next to the box if her box isn’t pristine(sometimes her staff - us - are late cleaning up after them and I believe this is her reminding us of our incompetence!)
We have six cats: Bullitt (yes, after the Steve McQueen film 😸), Arya, Ruari, Max and Molly (actual siblings), and Padriac (aka Paddy). We lost my first cat, Scout, last July to diabetes and end-stage kidney disease at 16 years old. After adopting Scout, I became a feline behaviourist and nursing assistant. It’s changed my life…
We follow the rule of one box per cat plus a spare. I use large transparent bins without liners, which most cats hate. Most commercial litter boxes are too small for cats, so large storage bins are terrific.
Clean/scoop frequently. I tell carers that a dirty litter box is like using the Porta-Potty at a large concert—not nice.
We use IKEA microfibre bath mats underneath. They are a great price and a game-changer! They are great at catching litter bits and are super easy to clean. I use hot water, a good detergent, and a hot dryer, and they come out beautifully every time. I sew two mats together for more square footage. It’s limited litter tracking almost entirely (we use clumping corn litter—unscented as cats don’t like perfumes. The companies add fragrance for humans).
As a behaviourist, I don’t recommend automatic boxes. They’re way too small for starters. Yes, some cats do get used to them. However, I feel it’s often because an alternative isn’t offered.
Litter box setup is also terribly important. Two or three boxes in a row together are seen as one big box by cats! So spread them out. Often, where we humans would like to put them isn’t where cats would like them! So, away from food and water stations, high traffic and noisy areas, and escape routes in multicat homes (also why transparent bins are used).
There is some excellent advice from icatcare.org, and I encourage carers to check it out!
RE: automatic litter boxes: My experience has been that they can be glitchy, and do not have the longest life overall, and the consumables (the waste deposit bin liners, etc.) add up, cost wise. However, when they work, they're great! But when they don't..ai yiyi. That's not so great. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!!
Please add caution to any thought of putting a litter box in the bathtub or shower! Litter is AWFUL for drainage of any kind, not to mention our sewer systems. Please be wise with your advice.
Did you watch the short video? It's right after the paragraph where I suggested to put the litter box in the tub. I demonstrated how we put a board over the tub drain and a sock in the drain.
Yucky treats! Could you put the litter box up high where she couldn't reach it? Maybe build a shelf from the wall. Or some type of furniture to put the litter box on top of? This way the cat can jump up to use it, but the dog can’t reach it.
I buy big plastic bins at Goodwill and cut a notch in it. I put a square of leftover floor vinyl in front so cleanup is easier. I've never found a 'litter catcher' that worked. I use a combination of clumping and non-clumping litter. It's a good compromise, but I also find that pure clumping litter sticks like Hades to the bottom of the box. a mix is much easier to scoop. I also use the Litter Genie to keep odors down, and highly recommend MyCatPeed for accidents. I used to have one [Minavi] that used the litter box if it was perfect and she felt like it. So I used a lot of weewee pads. Two boxes and three boyz now and no accidents. Litter gets cleaned twice a day and sometimes they go in the garden during they're daily outing.
Great suggestions! I'll check out the Litter Genie. I'm not sure if I'm up to cleaning 5 litter boxes twice a day.
Adding baking soda to the litter stopped the sticking for me.
I'm just wondering how much baking soda do you add?
Every two weeks I dump the old litter, put a thin layer of baking soda on the bottom of the pan and litter on top. Every couple days I add litter to replace what’s been scooped, and if there’s been any sticking, add a little more baking soda and mix it in. I’ve had cats for decades, but this litter box I bought for my newly adopted kitten is the first one that’s had this sticking issue. It was driving me nuts.
Clean litter box make Cat very content. Make Cat feel like human really get Cat, understand needs.
I'm in purrfect agreement!
My cats like a box for #2 and a box for #1. They are very patient about people not cleaning the box. I still get after my fam when I’m not home “nobody wants to use an outhouse!!!!”. My mom’s poor cat has a tiny box, and wants it absolutely pristine. She might like a robot box, but my mom would NEVER spend the $.
I had a huge cat that no box was big enough. He needed his own bathroom 😂. He would huff and puff and grumble and turn all around, and likely hang his butt off the edge. He was 22# of just cat, though. I’ve no idea what breeds he was made of (bobcat? Mountain lion?), he was a rescue.
That’s a huge cat! Small litter boxes are for kittens and tiny cats like my Boudicca. The Jersey Boys are like your cats, using different boxes for #1 and #2, but the other cats couldn’t care less. LOL for nobody wants to use an outhouse!😸 Nor do they want to smell one!🤢 Purrhaps you can buy a bigger litter box for your mom's cat?
The box is cleaned daily, just timing isn’t always on schedule with our kitty. Our little furry dictators run a tight ship!
Those furry dictators can tell time and you better stick to it! 😹
One of my cat scratches the wall next to his box in lieu of burying his business. And the other cat will poop next to the box if her box isn’t pristine(sometimes her staff - us - are late cleaning up after them and I believe this is her reminding us of our incompetence!)
Scratching the wall is so annoying! I understand wanting to slack off on cat duty, but the consequences aren't worth it. 😼
Little cute.😽😽
I love my kitties even when Tiger drums drumming in the early morning 🥁 😼
We have six cats: Bullitt (yes, after the Steve McQueen film 😸), Arya, Ruari, Max and Molly (actual siblings), and Padriac (aka Paddy). We lost my first cat, Scout, last July to diabetes and end-stage kidney disease at 16 years old. After adopting Scout, I became a feline behaviourist and nursing assistant. It’s changed my life…
We follow the rule of one box per cat plus a spare. I use large transparent bins without liners, which most cats hate. Most commercial litter boxes are too small for cats, so large storage bins are terrific.
Clean/scoop frequently. I tell carers that a dirty litter box is like using the Porta-Potty at a large concert—not nice.
We use IKEA microfibre bath mats underneath. They are a great price and a game-changer! They are great at catching litter bits and are super easy to clean. I use hot water, a good detergent, and a hot dryer, and they come out beautifully every time. I sew two mats together for more square footage. It’s limited litter tracking almost entirely (we use clumping corn litter—unscented as cats don’t like perfumes. The companies add fragrance for humans).
As a behaviourist, I don’t recommend automatic boxes. They’re way too small for starters. Yes, some cats do get used to them. However, I feel it’s often because an alternative isn’t offered.
Litter box setup is also terribly important. Two or three boxes in a row together are seen as one big box by cats! So spread them out. Often, where we humans would like to put them isn’t where cats would like them! So, away from food and water stations, high traffic and noisy areas, and escape routes in multicat homes (also why transparent bins are used).
There is some excellent advice from icatcare.org, and I encourage carers to check it out!
I'm glad you found a system that works for you. We replaced two of our smaller ones with larger ones.
I agree to keep the boxes away from food and water. Who wants their food by the toilet?
Sadly, space isn't always available in some homes. We spread out our 3 litter boxes in a row and the cats can tell the difference, thankfully.
RE: automatic litter boxes: My experience has been that they can be glitchy, and do not have the longest life overall, and the consumables (the waste deposit bin liners, etc.) add up, cost wise. However, when they work, they're great! But when they don't..ai yiyi. That's not so great. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!!
Thank you for the useful feedback! Your comment confirms my feeling of cleaning clean the litter box the old-fashioned way.
Actually, I did not, didn’t even see it. I’m sorry to overstep! Peace.
P.S. In case someone else missed the video. I added the following (bold) sentence above the video:
The below video shows our current setup and how I avoid getting litter down the drain.
Please add caution to any thought of putting a litter box in the bathtub or shower! Litter is AWFUL for drainage of any kind, not to mention our sewer systems. Please be wise with your advice.
Did you watch the short video? It's right after the paragraph where I suggested to put the litter box in the tub. I demonstrated how we put a board over the tub drain and a sock in the drain.
Yucky treats! Could you put the litter box up high where she couldn't reach it? Maybe build a shelf from the wall. Or some type of furniture to put the litter box on top of? This way the cat can jump up to use it, but the dog can’t reach it.