There is a lot of talk about cat care. There are countless books on the market on caring for these pets, but none of them will teach you the secrets of preparing and cleaning a litter box. Follow these simple instructions and you'll cut down on the time spent cleaning.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Clean with the Dustpan
Step 1. Lift the litter box and tilt it slightly
Gently shake it up and down. You should see small balls of urine appear towards the surface. Repeat this step on the other side. At this point most of the waste should be on the surface ready to be collected. If you notice a lot of dust picking up when shaking the litter box, skip this step. The dustiness of the bedding material depends on the brand and quality.
Step 2. Remove the lumps from the ends
Very often the sand is cemented in the litter, forming very sticky lumps of clay. Do not scrape off the lumps as they will tend to break into pieces that are so small that they cannot be scooped out and will contaminate the litter box. These pieces are the cause of the appearance of bad smells that are impossible to eliminate even if the litter appears clean. It is important to try not to break the urine pellets. There is a trick: remove the cemented waste by lifting the litter box and tapping on the outside to make the lump fall out. If the litter box has a plastic liner, pull it lightly to release it.
Step 3. Use a dustpan to remove the debris and dispose of them in a resealable plastic bag
After sealing the bag, throw it in a lidded bucket along with the rest of your daily trash. In this way you will not smell any bad odors and you will avoid annoying dripping.
Step 4. Fill the litter box
You should create a layer of about four centimeters as most cats (especially longhaired cats) will not use a litter box with a deeper layer or dig a hole, scattering sand on the floor. Use the scoop to make the sand state thicker towards the ends of the litter, creating like a small groove. This difference in height is very important to keep the litter box clean: you need to increase the depth in the areas where the cat tends to urinate more. This way the sand will absorb the urine before it reaches the plastic bottom and sticks to it. Cats, especially males, tend to urinate towards the sides of the litter box and almost never in the center.
Method 2 of 3: Change the upholstery
Step 1. Remove the sand and protective film
Throw it all in the dustbin.
Step 2. Add a thin layer of baking soda to the bottom of the litter box
The layer will absorb bad smells without disturbing the cat - cats are repulsed by strong odors, so avoid using scented litter sand or air fresheners.
Step 3. Place a new litter and fill the litter box
Method 3 of 3: Clean with Vinegar
The vinegar neutralizes the bad smell of urine and is not toxic to cats.
Step 1. Empty and wash the litter box
Step 2. Pour an inch-thick layer of vinegar into the litter box
Step 3. Try to cover the entire base and sides of the litter box
Step 4. Let it sit for half an hour
Step 5. Remove the vinegar and pat dry with kitchen paper
Step 6. Place the litter box in its usual place
Step 7. Change the liner and fill with sand
All done!
Advice
- Buy a quality litter scoop, a plastic one with rounded corners is perfect.
- If your cat sprays sand, consider purchasing a litter box with a lid and door.
- If you want to avoid cleaning the entire litter box every time, consider purchasing an automatic self-cleaning litter box. There are various types and some do not require any manual intervention.
- You can also use a metal scoop.
Warnings
- Bleach smells the same as urine for cats. It is best to use vinegar for cleaning.
- Do not use bleach on plastic bedding. Noxious fumes can be released which cause asphyxiation.
