Clean your cat's litter box
Zero Waste Method
It seems kind of silly to write about how to clean a cat litter box, and what to clean it with.
There's no plastic litter box liners, that create more single use plastic bags, turning into micro plastic waste, filling up land fills. This is a 99% zero waste method. My kitty litter, which is made out of fermented grass, comes in a plastic bag.
ps: my chickens love the kitty litter and will eat it any chance they get. It really is fermented grass.
If they don't like it, they will let you know
Cat Friendly Location
The indoor litter box is under a sink in the basement. A heated floor is a great tool. I keep specific tools for these cleaning tasks by the sink.
Here is the list of what to clean a cat litter box with:
- Rubber gloves
- dust mask
- bar soap
- Instant Liquid Soap
On the floor is a dust pan, whisk broom, sponge and an all natural enzyme spray.
Cats love company
Cat Drama
Over my lifetime, I've had one, two, three and four cats at one time. My mother at one time said, you have 8 cats, like she was thinking out loud. I said we have 3 cats and 5 kittens. Only crazy people have 8 cats.
Bisou: uses the cat litter box all year and has for most of her life.
Apple: who has started occasionally using the cat litter box a few years ago
Spy: who only used the cat litter box to pester Bisou in the past. Now that he's older, he uses it when the temperature is in the single digits F. This could turn into an aromatic issue, if I didn't clean it every day.
Pippin, Spy's brother, who will likely never use the cat litter box. Whew. However, he will scowl at it if he thinks he's being forced to use it.
My cat litter box cleaning method
Develop a method
My litter box cleaning methods evolve as everyone's habits change with age. I find a morning routine is best for the mind, body and practical interests.
The litter boxes get cleaned 1st, and then I move on to the chicken coops, which are VERY dusty.
When winter temperatures are below 20 degrees F., chores are a challenge and invigorating.
When Summer temperatures rise above 80 degrees F by 9:00am, and the sun rises at 5:00am, I'm out at dawn. The cleaning tasks are best done by 6:00am, to avoid too much dust.
Did I forget to mention gear? I wear a full body coverall suit with the collar flipped up, stuff my hair up under a hat, rubber boots, gloves, and a face mask. After I'm finished, I shake out all of the dust from the clothes, and bathe.
Cat litter box cleaning technique
Be fast and efficient
I use this routine as a mini workout. In the summers this cleaning routine is followed with watering the garden.
Every morning I wake before dawn, so I can let the cats and chickens out right around sunrise. I drink a quick cup of coffee and race down to the basement.
I put on my suit, the dust mask and rubber gloves. I pick up the 2 litter boxes and move them out of the area. I sweep up all of the litter that's been kicked out of the box. I
No one likes to talk about litter box misses, but they happen. If there's a mess on the floor, I wet the sponge, squirt some Instant Liquid Soap on it, and scrub up the urine.
The dirty details
Keep it Clean
The sink is stainless steel, so I rinse the sponge, wipe up all of the soap on the floor, rinse the sponge again, and then squirt new soap on it to scrub and clean the sponge.
If there's any urine on the plastic dust pan or plastic whisk broom, I wash those too with soap and water. Then I use one more liquid soap squirt and wash the sink, including the drain. Then I put a little of the enzyme spray open the floor where I just cleaned, scoop into one of the litter boxes, and take the it outside to scoop it.
I scoop one litter box into the other and carry one down to the kitty litter compost.
Smart Litter is cool stuff. It's made out of grass, is completely non toxic, clumps really well, and comes out of the box easily. The song birds and crows eagerly pick through the kitty litter cookies. Sometimes the fox and raccoons get some cookies too.
Once a week I empty each litter box and scrub it completely using Instant Liquid Soap.