Cat Litter Box Cleaning

Step by Step

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Cat litter box cleaning can be a real chore that hardly anyone looks forward to.

If your litter box smells then it probably means that you are not cleaning it properly…plain and simple.

Even the best cat litter and deodorizers in the world won’t be able to mask odors from a stinky, poorly maintained litter box….which is one of the main reasons why a cat will stop using it, and can you blame her?

Here are some tips from this great video I found to make cat litter box cleaning easier and to keep them smelling fresh and clean.

Check out the video about cleaning cat litter boxes, by Lisa A. Pierson DVM.

This is an excellent video to watch if you’re a visual learner and will definitely help change and improve your cat's litter box!

I've broken it down below...

Fill litter box at least 3-4” deep

Most cat litter manufacturers recommend the litter be filled to this depth to properly absorb urine. If you have a litter box that is not filled to the recommended level then you’ll see that the urine sinks to the bottom and becomes one dirty and smelly mess that permeates your entire home.

And no one likes the smell of urine odor.

The whole point for this depth is for the litter to be deep enough to catch any urine and prevent it from even touching the surface. Your cat shouldn’t be able to dig to the bottom of the litter pan.

When cleaning daily use a water and bleach solution

Instructions: Remove the litter box cover (if applicable), shift it to move litter to the other side from whichever wall the urine clump is stuck to. You can hit the outside of the box (as shown in video by Lisa A. Pierson DVM) and the clump will dislodge itself.

Scoop up the urine clump and any feces then discard.

Next, use the bleach and water solution to dampen a paper towel to clean the soiled side of the litter box.

Be sure to wipe it off completely or else the smell will not be eliminated. Dry the wall of the litter box with another dry paper towel and shift litter back into place. Make sure it is leveled off.

This is also a good time to clean the litter scooper as well!

Use a clumping litter to make scooping urine easier and less likely of it touching the bottom of the box

Clumping litter is also highly recommended to scoop out all urine and feces.

Make note that with non-clumping litters, you’ll end up changing it more often because you are not able to scoop out all the urine which will really start to smell.

Your cat will not like this, remember that her sense of smell is much better than yours and mine.

Just because YOU can’t smell it doesn’t mean that she can’t.

Use a litter box mat

To help make your job a little easier, you can also purchase a litter mat that gets placed either underneath the litter box or to the side so your cat will step directly on it when she exits the litter box.

Then, when you do your daily cat litter box cleaning you can discard the litter that’s fallen on the litter mat easily, instead of sweeping the whole room. Litter mats really help to cut down on cat litter spreading all over the house.

Warning: Be sure the mat is soft and comfortable for your cat. There are some mats that may not be comfortable to her sensitive paws and if she doesn’t like it she may just choose to use the bathroom elsewhere!

Read more about litter mats and how to prevent this problem.

Sift and scoop daily

Your cat’s litter box is only as clean as you keep it. It’s up to you to provide kitty with a clean, fresh and safe litter box environment.

To keep you from slacking on your litter box duties.. . just ask yourself this: Would you want to sit on a dirty toilet?Remember that your cat is no different. Help keep her happy by keeping the litter box clean.

Cat litter box cleaning should be done a minimum of two times daily. If you cannot promise to do this then add more litter boxes.

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