Diy Sifting Litter Box?

sabrinah

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I have a top entry litter box (this one: ) and I'm not looking to change it. It keeps my dog from eating cat poop and gives my cat extra privacy. I've become thoroughly unimpressed with clay litter and I have an incredibly tight budget, so I've been switching slowly to pine pellets. I'm using Feline Pine until she's completely switched to the pellets then I'll be using horse pine pellets from Tractor Supply since they're only $5 for 40 lbs. Sifting boxes are great for pine pellets. Does anyone know of a way to turn a regular litter box into a sifting one?
 

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I found this in an older thread - perhaps you could reach out to R raggmoppgal , if they are still active, and see whether they were ever successful with their DIY two-pan arrangement?

I just want to let you know that the Breeze box works perfectly with pine pellets from Tractor Supply Company (natural pine Equine Pelletized Bedding, about $5 per 40 lb bag, pellet size appr 5/8" x 1/4" around). I threw in a handful of the Breeze pellets but I too wondered what they are made of, and how they work. I'll wait and see whether they disintegrate. But with the pine pellets, there's no need for the urine pads. The urine is absorbed by the pellets, the pellets disintegrate into sawdust, the sawdust falls easily through the sifter pan into the drawer for disposal. And the provided scoop has large enough holes to let the pellets drop out while lifting out solid waste. Trying the pine pellets because a friend said they offer superior odor control, plus I'd been wanting to try higher-walled boxes to see if I could cut down on daily sweeping time. Also looking for affordable litter, PLUS looking for healthiest, dust-free, fungus-free alternatives for immune-suppressed cat. I made a DIY two-pan arrangement for one set of cats, but it's a bit funky, need to keep working on it to improve the sifting. Was happy to find this ready-made item that works well.
 

FeebysOwner

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Sorry - I checked AFTER posting the above, and it would appear that R raggmoppgal is no longer interacting on this site. I would delete the message above, but not sure I can. Again, sorry.

I felt so bad for giving a no-where link, that I did a search for DIY sifting boxes, and came up with a few that might help you come up with your own ideas:

How to Make a Self-Sifting Kitty Litter Box


 
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sabrinah

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Thank you anyway! It's fairly simple to make a sifting box with 2 tubs or 2 open-top litterboxes that are the same type since they already stack inside one another. I just can't find any information on how to make an existing top-entry litter box into a sifting box. I'm certainly not going to buy another of the same top-entry boxes because they're not cheap! The one I have now was given to me. My thought was to find a plastic bin that would fit inside the litter box, but it has to be high sided because she likes to pee on the side of the box. I've been completely unsuccessful in finding such a bin. There's also the issue of being able to easily remove the inner bin since the top of it has to be lower than the top of the current litter box to accommodate the lid... I'm just not sure what to do!
 

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I did add some links that I didn't finish on my previous post before you responded. Again, just thought maybe that might help trigger some thoughts about doing it for your current box.
 

raggmoppgal

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Hiya kids! I just got a notification that my name was mentioned. So, in the meanwhile, I've totally switched over to sifting pans like (see link below). The Tidy Cats Breeze tray was so shallow it didn't hold much and it was such a mess, had to be placed on top of newspaper when emptying, big process. I had the thought that maybe these sifting trays -- which are meant to be used with regular clay cat litter -- would "float" on top of the accumulating sawdust in one of the two plain pans, and they do. Much better all around. When you're ready to empty, just knock the balance of the sawdust down through the sifter, lift the sifter tray and empty the filled solid pan. Works quite well, and if you want to go back to some other type of litter, you can...can even use the solid pans as plain old pans. Still trekking to Tractor Supply for the pellets, though. That price cannot be beat.
 
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sabrinah

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FeebysOwner FeebysOwner Thank you for the links! I think I'll end up doing some combination of slits and holes when I find the right container.

R raggmoppgal So the sifting trays just hang out on top of the sawdust? They work without having to be propped up? That would make everything so much easier! Have you ever had an issue with claws getting stuck in holes or anything? I worry my kitty might hurt herself while digging.
 

raggmoppgal

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Yes, that's right. When we use these with the pine pellets, we're using them in reverse of the way people who use clay litter use em. They pick up the sifter and their litter falls through to solid tray leaving solid waste and clumped urine in sifter for easy disposal. With pine pellets we're letting the sawdust go through, leaving intact pine pellets on top. Still have to scoop out solid waste. Yes, the sawdust goes through, and some sits in the sifter box as well. If you want to encourage it to go down, just lift the sifter a little and put it back down. More will fall through and the sifter box just lays on top of it, however high it might get. And you know, I find you can still use this litter for a while even after it's broken down into sawdust...it doesn't really smell until it gets saturated enough to look a bit dark. I haven't had any issues with claws. The holes are large enough and they are smooth so claws just pass along...
 
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sabrinah

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That's comforting!

Now I just have to find a bin that fits in the current litterbox. It's proving to be far more difficult than I expected!
 

FeebysOwner

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I'm going to take a tape measure with me to stores until I find the right sized litterbox for Feeby - maybe you can do the same while on the search for a bin to fit the current litterbox?
 
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sabrinah

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The stores here are pathetic at best, so I've been looking at my order online, pick up in-store options that match the dimensions. Thus far, it doesn't look promising! Everything is too wide. I may have to ask a relative that lives in a big city to buy me one and bring it when they come for Thanksgiving.
 
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sabrinah

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I've looked online and at multiple stores, and had my mom check the stores where she lives. There are zero bins that are the right size! Nothing is even close! I can't even find a bin that I could just put the Clevercat lid on. If anyone else is looking to make the Clevercat top entry litterbox into a sifting box, the only option is to drill holes in the Clevercat box and put it inside a larger box. The litterbox is wwaaayyyy too expensive for me to ever put a hole in it, so no sifting box for me :(
 
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