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Post by _Linda_ on Jun 13, 2010 19:46:12 GMT -5
My wonderful three cats seem to have a heyday with spraying the litter all over the place when they scratch in the litterboxes. They don't care for the ones that are covered, so I have litter all over the floor. I am thinking of putting the boxes in something that is high enough in the back and sides to contain most of it, but low enough in the front that they don't have to climb. Then have a rubber door mat outside of the boxes to catch extra litter.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
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Post by kmogirl on Jun 13, 2010 20:06:34 GMT -5
linnie,
I think your idea is a good one. Maybe like a large plastic box with the front cut into? If it was clear it would probably seem even less "enclosed," since your kitties seem to dislike that.
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Post by mellowyellow on Jun 13, 2010 20:15:57 GMT -5
Tall big cardboard box. Cut a small entrance on one side but not a low entrance, just low enough that they can stretch over it to go inside.
Line the box with a plastic garbage bag.
Put your plastic litter box inside the cardboard box area. There should be 2-4 inches of space between the cardboard and the plastic boxes. More is better.
That's it. Has completely revolutionized the way I deal with litter mess.
3 cats experience-worth
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Post by bigtimetroubles on Jun 13, 2010 22:40:20 GMT -5
this is why I do not have cat....dog using the outside is much better in my house....laughing though that I had the guts to say this here....hehehe
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Post by phoebepj on Jun 13, 2010 22:44:37 GMT -5
do you have a bathtub? I have found that by placing my litter box in the tub... a majority of the litter stays within that contained area. if theres any spills its contained quickly and easily and because the sides and bottom of the tub are smooth... it makes sweeping it up a breeze.... Any excess (the dust and what not from the litter) can easily be rinsed down the drain.
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Post by homesteph on Jun 13, 2010 22:44:49 GMT -5
Going to have to try that box-in-a-box thing. Maybe with a large plastic bin that is now too warped to hold its lid.
I've found that the regular clay litter tracks less than the fine-grained or self-clumping litter for our kitties.
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Post by lizzie on Jun 14, 2010 4:22:34 GMT -5
I once made the mistake of using some sawdust someone gave me, my poor kitten stood on the edge of the (very light) box and flipped it..... years later tried sawdust for another, adult cat, she thought it VERY substandard, MUCH too floaty, so we went back to the weightier stuff...
I second the idea of a larger container/box if you have room, but a lot depends on whether your cat is a 'High' kicker!
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Post by dtesposito on Jun 14, 2010 9:25:33 GMT -5
Just keep in mind that cats can be particular about various aspects of their boxes, so if you begin to notice any "accidents", they could be due to having the box inside a box, or lined, etc.
I had a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia, which results in a jerky gait simliar to a child with cerebral palsy. He was an enthusiastic coverer and didn't have perfect control of his legs so when he buried something in the litter box, the litter would fly in all directions (and sometimes, so would whatever he was burying!) There wasn't anything I could do but sweep constantly, there was no way he'd have been able to maneuver himself into a box within a box, and that wouldn't have contained it anyway. I did have plastic under the pan and up along the wall because he also needed the box to be right up against the wall so he could lean on it getting in and out of the box--this sometimes resulted in urine over the edge, the plastic prevented it from hitting the wall.
I've had several special needs cats over the years, requiring some creative accomodations!
Diane
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Post by _Linda_ on Jun 14, 2010 16:46:16 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for your ideas and comments. I am going to look into getting like a large rubbermaid storage tote and line it with a shower curtain. Moving the ltter boxes isn't an option since the dog really loves the "treats" she finds in it.  BTT-  At least the good thing about litter boxes is that you don't step in any landmines while walking through the yard.  |
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Post by DJ on Jun 17, 2010 8:19:07 GMT -5
www.thatpetplace.com/images/large/246326.jpgi use very high sided litterboxes with low entrances i keep a small handvac and wet wipes for repeatedly picking up litter through out the day i also try to run the vacuum every day and when i vacuum the carpet i hop into the bathroom and use the wand extension to vacuum up kitty litter thoroughly once a day before i wipe down the floors... actually keeping it in the litterbox.. as far as i can tell that is a dream other people live  i have shaved the fur between my cats toes with some success though. i leave the top ruff and remove the fur on their feet. my cats are all and have always been remarkably tolerant though so i know it's not an option for everyone.
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Post by amberwind on Jun 17, 2010 17:16:44 GMT -5
I've had that problem several times in several homes with several cats.
With the current brood, I've found a corner in the kitchen where the box is surrounded on 3 sides by walls, so they can only trail out litter in one direction. In my parent's house, they put it in the bottom of a shower they never used and taped over the drain. Cat litter does swell when wet, so I wouldn't put it in a shower/bath unless you either tape over the drain or are comfortable having a plumber out every 6 months to fix the pipes.
The easiest solution is to just put less litter in the box to begin with - it shouldn't be more than 2" deep anywhere, 1 1/2" is ideal. I've noticed a lot of people put too much litter in, which is why it goes everywhere when the cats dig and cover.
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Post by _Linda_ on Jun 17, 2010 18:26:30 GMT -5
Thank you dj and amber for your suggestions.
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Post by Peach on Jun 19, 2010 18:28:35 GMT -5
I watched a Clean House episode last night that featured a "Litter Robot". The house had 4 cats and several smelly litter boxes that the show's regulars kept commenting on. During the final "reveal" to the homeowners, this product was shown as the solution for people who don't like to deal with litter boxes. Price tag is pretty hefty $329. Has anyone tried a Litter Robot? Here's a link to see it in action: www.litter-robot.com/ |
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Post by _Linda_ on Jun 19, 2010 22:19:45 GMT -5
I have not used the litter robot, but have had 3 littermaids. I, personally, won't waste the money on one of those again. None of them lasted even a year before the motors burnt out. I will stick to a regular box and keep scooping.
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Post by phoebepj on Jun 19, 2010 23:44:21 GMT -5
I found that when i had a littermaid, the stupid machine smelled bad and made the apartment smell by proxy. Its just as simple to scoop and throw stuff away.
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