Disposing Of The Litter
Bring out the two trash bags. Scoop the litter into one bag, tie it up and then place it into the other bag.
Tie up the second bag tightly. His should prevent the odor and bacteria from leaking out of the bag and causing a bad stench in your house of apartment.
Dispose the dual bags outside or in a sealed trash receptacle.
Wash Your Hands And Arms Thoroughly
After youve cleaned your cats litter box, wash your hands and arms thoroughly. This helps to prevent the spread of T.gondii, a parasite often found in cat feces.
After youve scooped and discarded the waste, youll want to wash your hands and arms thoroughly. Not only is cat waste and litter messy, its potentially harmful to sensitive populations.
Cat feces may carry a parasite called toxoplasma gondii. While healthy adults generally dont experience illness from toxoplasmosis, an infection can be very harmful to immunocompromised adults and developing fetuses.
Because T. gondii is so dangerous to human fetuses, pregnant women should avoid cleaning the litter box at all. If you are pregnant and absolutely must clean the litter box, be sure to wear disposable gloves, and dont touch anything until youve discarded the gloves and thoroughly washed both your hands and forearms.
What Size Cat Litter Tray Is Best
The size, depth and shape of your cat’s litter tray needs to allow them easy access with plenty of space for turning freely. If you have more than one cat, make sure you provide enough litter trays – we recommend one tray per cat, and a spare is also beneficial. Litter trays should always be made of robust, non-toxic, sturdy and durable material.
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How To Safely & Quickly Clean A Cat Litter Box
Nicole Cosgrove
When you think about dangerous activities, you probably think about skydiving or mountain climbing. You certainly dont think about cleaning your cats litter box!
While you might not realize it, cleaning out a litter box can be hazardous to your health. Here, we show you the safest way to accomplish this unpleasant task, so you can give your pet a clean bathroom without winding up in the hospital in the process.
Use Enough Litter Boxes
Many new cat parents make the mistake of not using enough litter boxes in their house. A general rule of deciding the no. of litter boxes is no. of cats you have plus one. For instance, if you have one cat, you will need two litter boxes, if you have three cats, you will need four of them and so on.
Using multiple litter boxes will make your cats less stressful and also will keep the litter boxes cleaner.
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Why Its Important To Regularly Clean Your Cats Litter Box
Ever wonder why cats are always licking themselves? Its because they like to be clean, which means they wont be too keen to use a dirty litter box. In fact, if you dont clean the litter box regularly, they may start looking elsewhere for places to go . A clean place to go is also important for your kittys overall health and can prevent illnesses like urinary problems and bacterial infections. Same goes for you and your family, as humans can contract issues like cat scratch disease and salmonella from a dirty litter box.
Proper Litter Box Maintenance
In a previous blog post we discussed different types of cat litter that your feline may or may not prefer, so here well add a few comments about how often the litter should be scooped and changed. You should be scooping their litter box at least once a day and replacing their litter entirely about two times per week. Changing the litter could be as often as every day or as little as once a week, but the cleaning schedule depends on how many cats you have and if they seem content to use their litter box. And when it comes to washing the litter box, we recommend doing so once a week, or at the most, once every two weeks.
If you follow these simple guidelines, your cat should be happy to use her litter box. If she is still avoiding the litter box when relieving herself, there could be another issue at hand that should be discussed with your local vet. Anasazi Animal Clinic is a compassionate pet clinic, and we pride ourselves on the level of care we offer our pet owners and their four-legged companions. Well be happy to address any of your pet-related concerns, so call us today at 426-8364.
Images used under creative commons license commercial use Pixaby
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Recommended Litter Box Cleaning Supplies
Before you get started, make sure you have all the cat supplies you need to clean the litter box with proper hygiene in mind.
Youll need:
- A scoop
- Trash can or trash bag nearby
- Fresh litter box liner and floor pad
If youre wondering whether its safe to clean a litter box with bleach, vinegar or other pet care cleaning supplies, the answer is yesas long as you rinse them properly. However, youre probably better off just using good old soap and water.
If you have indoor cats that dont have access to the outdoors, then full disinfection of the litter box is probably not going to be necessary, said Dot Baisly, certified pet behaviorist at Northeast Pet Shelter in Salem, Mass.
The only time I would consider disinfecting the litter box would be if your cat has had potential exposure to a pathogen. In between cleaning with soap, something like Natures Miracle is probably the best option to combat the usual litter box smell, said Baisly.
Litter preference is also important, as cats dont like floral scents or aroma additives. A good tip to test whether the scent might be too strong: Baisly says if you can put your face near the litter, give it a whiff and not be overwhelmed by the smell, then its probably OK for your cat.
Well Ill Admit It I Love My Cats
I never liked cats before I had my own in fact I remember being horrified when I used to babysit kids with cats. After calming the kids down from their night-time fears, my own would set in. Any sound, glow or creek in the house would scare me. I was literally on edge until the parents came in the door. The culprits of these noises? No paranormal activity here, just a couple of cats staring at me in the dark and creeping around.
From that point, cats and I didnt get along.
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Cat Litter Box Smell Hacks
Cleaning your cat litter box regularly should help to keep it smelling fresh, but there are extra measures you can take to prolong the freshness.
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Sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda on the bottom of the tray before refilling it with litter. Baking soda is super absorbent so it can help to keep nasty smells at bay.
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Try a different type of litter. Some cat litters are specially designed to fight odours so it could be worth trying a new brand. Wheat litter is also a good option as it naturally helps control odour. Also you may find that clumping litters are better at fighting odours than non-clumping variants.
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Make sure the room is well-ventilated. Donât hide the litter box away in a dark, enclosed space â this will just make the smell worse. Keep your litter box in a well-ventilated area and be sure to prop a window open regularly.
Now you know how to clean a cat litter tray in just a few simple steps you can keep your household smelling fresh and keep your pet healthy, too!
Originally published
How To Clean A Litter Box
Cleaning the cat’s litter box is rarely a favorite chore, but procrastination will result in some seriously stinky consequences – potentially inspiring your cat to “think outside the box” the next time it relieves itself. If you enjoy having stench-free bathmats, rugs and closets, you’ll want to provide your kitty with a clean litter box at all times!
Cats can be finicky about their bathroom habits, and don’t like to share their “waste space”. As a result, one litter box is recommended for each cat in the home, so one pet doesn’t refuse to use their designated spot when it detects the presence of another.
However, households with multiple cats will likely find space limitations for so many boxes. This will require extra attention as a preventative measure, as regularly scooping out the solid waste will help prevent any urges to “go” outside the litter box.
Some cats use a kitty litter bag or mat under the litter box to collect any loose litter or waste. Make sure you shake this out every few days to prevent buildup, and clean the mat on the same schedule as your litter box cleaning.
Getting your urine-soaked litter box back in good condition requires more cleaning power than typical household cleaners are equipped to offer. They can leave behind stains or only temporarily masks odors, making urine stains considerably harder to remove after they have dried.
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How Can I Prevent Offensive Odours
If you notice that your cats litter box smells unpleasant, reduce the intervals between cleaning. Try different cleaning intervals to find out what works best. Alternatively, you can switch cat litter and use one with good odour-binding properties. Just a few COSYCAT granules are sufficient to absorb the moisture and firmly trap the odour.
Offensive odours can also indicate that your cat is ill. If the odours appear suddenly while using the same litter consistently, you should consult a vet.
Tip: Be careful when switching cat litter. Many cats dont like it when the litter is changed abruptly. Mix old and new litter for some time so that your feline friend can slowly readjust.
What Type Of Litter Tray Should I Use
Every cat is an individual with their own likes and dislikes, but most cats prefer to use a litter tray that is easy to get into and large enough for them to turn around in with ease.
The majority of litter trays are plastic and rectangular but there is a wide variety available, from simple cardboard disposable litter trays to elaborate, automatic devices.
Automatic, self-cleaning litter trays are a popular idea for many owners, but the motor noises and vibrations caused by the self-cleaning process can be disturbing for cats and may even deter them from using it.
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When Emptying The Litter Box
Dump the mat out on top of the litter box before emptying it. Get a strong plastic bag and cover one end of the box with the bag. Tilt the box slowly making sure all the dirty litter goes inside the bag. Use wipes to clean the sides or bottom of the litter box. This step is necessary in case the box has some caught feces.
How To Scoop A Litter Box
Do you remember playing with a pail, sieve, and shovel at the beach or in the sandbox when you were a kid? Scooping out the litter box is much the same as sieving out items from the sand, but in this case the buried treasure is clumps of urine and feces. The real treasure, though, is a clean litter box in about the same amount of time it takes to brush your teeth .
Giving the litter box a scoop is easy and takes only a few minutes. Heres the basic process for how:
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The Soap And Rinse Cleaning Technique
Like you have been cleaning all other mats of your house, you can adapt this technique to clean the cat litter mat. It is not harmful but may affect the mats durability if you continue doing it for long.
It will be better if the cleansing soap is chemical-free so that it wont give off a weird smell after you dry it and place it back in the litter box.
To clean the cat litter mat using this technique, pick up the mat, and shake it. After this, litter particles will shred off.
Now place it back on a smooth floor and wet it using water. Form up a saturated soap water solution. Dip a cleaning loofah into the solution and clean the entire mat.
Repeat the procedure until its assured that every part of the mat has been cleaned.
Do not overdo.
It will not do any good to the mat but instead result in spoiling the mats appearance.
After this, let some water pass through the mat again and again. When you can see that the water flowing out does not have any more bubbles, it means that the mat has been freed off from the soapy solution.
Now it is the time to let the mat dry. Place the mat in the open air, away from the sunlight, to let it dry for 6-8 hours.
Do not try this mat cleaning method frequently. You can either do it once a week or even once a month!
For other days, simply shaking and removing the litter will work best too!
TIP: It is best to wear gloves while scrubbing the soapy loofah onto the mats surface.
What Type Of Cat Litter Is Best
Some cats have preferences for certain kinds of litter. If your cat is avoiding their tray, try changing to a new litter. We saw wood pellets perform best in our trials however, some cats may prefer a fine sandy litter.
If changing your cat’s litter, we advise mixing in the new one gradually over a week or to place in a separate litter tray so that your cat can choose. If you¿re house training a kitten, add a little of their old litter to the fresh when cleaning the tray – the familiar scent encourages them to use it until they’re fully housetrained.
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Selecting A Litter Box
There are just as many options for types of litter boxes as there are types of cat litter. This decision is also largely dependent upon your cats personal preference. The most important thing to consider is to make sure your cat will use whatever litter box type you provide for them.
Many people like the idea of automatic cleaning litter boxes. These can be great options if you start your cat with this as a kitten. However, some adult cats will be afraid of them if they have never used one before and may choose to do their business elsewhere .
Regardless of the type of box used, I still recommend cleaning the litter box out and replacing the litter regularly. If you are comfortable with manually scooping your cats litter box, there are still many options- most of which are suitable. I recommend selecting a box your cat can get in and out of easily and has room to move around and comfortably do their business.
There is also the option of a covered litter box vs. a non-covered box. Some cats prefer the covered box for added privacy. However, oftentimes the cover traps odors and isnt as good for proper ventilation. You may find that the covered litter boxes smell worse than the open ones due to the lack of ventilation.
Provide The Right Number Of Litter Boxes In The Right Locations
Even if you have only one cat, its important to provide enough litter boxes so that your cat have options to choose from and a relatively clean place to go.
The golden rule for the number of litter boxes in a house is one box per cat plus one. But getting the right number of litter boxes isnt enough. Placement is vital, too.
Remember, three boxes right next to each other are considered one box from a cats perspective. So where should you place your litter boxes?
The location of your cats litter boxes is key in preventing litter box aversion and accidents. Here are a few tips to help you find the perfect places for your cats litter boxes:
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How To Properly Clean A Cats Litter Box
For newer cat owners, understanding the best practices to follow when cleaning their cats litter box can be confusing. In fact, many are completely unaware that they need to wash the litter box itself. Doing so can ultimately help to properly sanitize the litter box itself and help keep any odors at bay. The reality is, cat owners need to maintain their cats litter box regularly. This means that cats will have their litter box scrubbed and cleaned out routinely to keep it sanitized and clean throughout the day.
Cat Litter Box Location Is Important: Remember These Kitty Litter Rules
So, now that youve found a good litter box as well as litter, the next step will be figuring out the best place to place the box. Here are a few tips to help you determine the best location.
- The box needs to be easily accessed. Make sure your cat has at least two ways to get to it. If it can be blocked by a door or even another pet, the cat may look for someplace else to go to the bathroom. Put the boxes in different spots of your home to maximize privacy.
- Also, try to place the boxes in areas where there is good airflow. If you try placing a cat litter tray in a small spot, like near a cupboard or your basement, that could create too strong of an odor. That, in turn, could make your cat want to go elsewhere.
- Keep the boxes away from areas that have a lot of foot traffic. If too many people or other pets are around, that will make it an uncomfortable environment.5
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