Tips On Taking Care Of Those Litter Boxes

While I know that discussing my litter boxes and its contents is not the most holiday-minded theme, with the end of the year approaching, it’s a great time to replace my well-used “toilettes”.

Before we discuss the why’s and how’s of waste management, let’s consider its contents first. After all, what goes in one end, comes out the other end in one form or another!

Start with the right diet, which in our case is fresh, raw, 90%+ whole animal protein, store-bought not home-made in our case – not cooked or processed, no fillers, no chemicals and preservatives. Nothing in a can and no kibble.

Beau and I are thriving on this diet, and never have diarrhea and almost never throw-up. Many people tell mom that their cat throws up “every day” – that is not normal! See your vet immediately if you haven’t already and seriously consider switching your pet to the raw diet!

Because of our fresh raw diet, more of what we eat stays with us and we have much less poop, like 50% less! And as mom says, it is beautifully formed! And, wait for it, it virtually has NO ODOR! The best part for her is LESS scooping!!

What more could any pet parent want?! And our dog friends who eat raw, also have the exact same results with less poop for the dog owners to pick up!

Okay, now that we have established what the optimum contents should be, let’s discuss the litter boxes and proper waste management!

Since litter boxes are made of plastic, they will retain the urine odor no matter how many times a year you may empty it out completely and wash it. So we recommend throwing out the box at least every year or so as we kitties like a very clean box!! And after a point, you cannot eliminate the retained urine odor completely.

Here are a couple tips on keeping a litter box clean throughout the year:

1. Use a mild dish soap mixed with warm water (mom likes Dawn!) You can also use a mixture of baking soda and warm water.

2. Scrub the interior very well and rinse thoroughly so there is no residue left inside.

3. We like a very clean box so please scoop daily!

4. Consider using a sustainable litter such as OKOCAT, which is reclaimed wood from the forests that are turned into cat litter with no chemicals! It clumps, does not retain odors, is flushable and biodegradable.

5. The optimum number of litter boxes is one for each cat and an extra just in case. I know space can be a concern for many apartment dwellers, but try for at least one box per cat. For those of you with many cats, you will just have to scoop a few times a day maybe to keep it all under control!

So change out those boxes for fresh ones! Mom is always on the prowl for inexpensive litter pans at the dollar stores, online when there are promotions, etc. She says she pays on average $5 a pan.

With 2020 right around the corner, ring in the New Year with brand new litter boxes for your fur babies! They will love you for it!! Meow!