How often do you clean the litter box?

sherit

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I have one huge litter box I p urchased at Pet smart that will hold enough litter for 4 or 5 cats.

We buy Exquisite fragrance free  clumping cat litter there at same store.

I scoop out at least 4 times in 24 hours the litter box

and my cats are outside some of the day and inside at night,

I change the entire l itter box out totally and clean it every Saturday  morning.

I add litter during the week as I scoop out the jobs they do..

Sheri T
 

sivyaleah

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I probably sound like a broken record by now. but @sivyaleah  , i highly reccomend Nature's Miracle Intense Defense Clay litter.  I used to use the Arm and hammer one you're using now and i had the same problem. i HATED it.

Look at the review I left for the litter i currently use, and very straight to the point on the Pro's and Cons, and it's deff worth a try!

http://www.thecatsite.com/products/natures-miracle-intense-defense-clumping-litter
We'll look for that, thanks for the suggestion.  I see you mentioned tracking is an issue in the review but honestly, that part doesn't bother me all that much.  We always have a large pad underneath, and keep the Dust Buster close by :D
 

lamiatron

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We'll look for that, thanks for the suggestion.  I see you mentioned tracking is an issue in the review but honestly, that part doesn't bother me all that much.  We always have a large pad underneath, and keep the Dust Buster close by :D
Tracking and dust i feel is an issue with any litter you use, its just the amount of dust and tracking. I've used so many different types of litter in the short amount of time that i've had my cats, Arm & Hammer multi cats being one of them (also the Ultra Last kind they sell). And i hated it. You get a lot of litter for your money, but then you have to end up buying litter every other week because it runs out so quick, so in the long run i'm spending more. of all the brands i've used, natures miracle has the least amount of dust, and very minimal tracking, and i've only felt li needed to add litter every 2-3 weeks to maintain the 3-4 inches at all times and both my cats like to use the same box..very little waste, very little dust and tracking. VERY MINIMAL. my litter mat catches everything. 

The thing that sold me on this litter, aside from all the pro's i've listed, was when my black kitty went into the litter box to use it, and did not come out a different color LOL. With other litters my poor girl will come out with greyish/light legs and face, or brownish (with WBCL dust omg it was the worst).
 

hopps

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1. What kind of box or boxes you have.

Breeze Litter Box

2. What type of litter do you use (please mention clumping or non-clumping, crystals or other).

Pine Pellets (equine bedding)

3. How often do you scoop?

Every few days

4. How often do you have a total change of litter and/or cleaning of the entire box?

Never. I only clean the tray at the bottom and spot clean around the box. I will start cleaning the whole thing with soap maybe every two weeks.
 

hopps

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Tracking and dust i feel is an issue with any litter you use, its just the amount of dust and tracking. I've used so many different types of litter in the short amount of time that i've had my cats, Arm & Hammer multi cats being one of them (also the Ultra Last kind they sell). And i hated it. You get a lot of litter for your money, but then you have to end up buying litter every other week because it runs out so quick, so in the long run i'm spending more. of all the brands i've used, natures miracle has the least amount of dust, and very minimal tracking, and i've only felt li needed to add litter every 2-3 weeks to maintain the 3-4 inches at all times and both my cats like to use the same box..very little waste, very little dust and tracking. VERY MINIMAL. my litter mat catches everything. 

The thing that sold me on this litter, aside from all the pro's i've listed, was when my black kitty went into the litter box to use it, and did not come out a different color LOL. With other litters my poor girl will come out with greyish/light legs and face, or brownish (with WBCL dust omg it was the worst).
Haha WBCL made my cat a different color too and she's all black. To get rid of tracking I just changed mine to pine pellets. Luckily she took to it right away but I don't think many people are fortunate enough to have a cat adjust so quickly. And the best part is my cat is always the same color and no more tracking! Although I do find a random pine pellet here and there :D
 

catsallaround

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I am curious how are you never changing the litter? or do you mean all the sawdust falls through the bottom tray.
 

sivyaleah

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Tracking and dust i feel is an issue with any litter you use, its just the amount of dust and tracking. I've used so many different types of litter in the short amount of time that i've had my cats, Arm & Hammer multi cats being one of them (also the Ultra Last kind they sell). And i hated it. You get a lot of litter for your money, but then you have to end up buying litter every other week because it runs out so quick, so in the long run i'm spending more. of all the brands i've used, natures miracle has the least amount of dust, and very minimal tracking, and i've only felt li needed to add litter every 2-3 weeks to maintain the 3-4 inches at all times and both my cats like to use the same box..very little waste, very little dust and tracking. VERY MINIMAL. my litter mat catches everything. 

The thing that sold me on this litter, aside from all the pro's i've listed, was when my black kitty went into the litter box to use it, and did not come out a different color LOL. With other litters my poor girl will come out with greyish/light legs and face, or brownish (with WBCL dust omg it was the worst).
WBCL, ugh.  When we got Cocoa, we tried using it because she was used to it and Casper has always been easy about switching litters.  While it clumped really well, and dust was not a problem, the smell of the litter itself made me sick to my stomach.  Kind of this barnyard odor to it.  It wasn't their poop - thankfully their waste doesn't smell too awful. It was the litter itself.  Every time I walked into the bathroom (or even near the stairs) I wanted to barf.  I finally couldn't take it anymore, and we went back to using whatever else we were before.  That's how we wound up with the Arm and Hammer - it just turned out it was the best of a lot of evils.
 

gapeach

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What kind of box? One regular Walmart cheap box that came with a scoop that has a holder which attached to the side. The other is a high side box because Zoey went through a flingy digging stage.

What type of litter? Tidy Cats Scoop for multiple cats twenty four/seven performance continuous odorous control. Tight clumping

How often do you scoop? Every time I see poop (our dog thinks it's snack time EEEWW)
And at least twice a day for pee

How often total clean/change of litter? Anywhere from once a week to once a month. Depending on how dirty the litter looks and if it is still easy to scoop out. Periodically I add new litter to refill without changeling or cleaning if it looks low
 

cheshirecat

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I guess I'm the odd ball on this one. 

1. What kind of box or boxes you have.

I have 1 cat and 1 high side box from the pet store.

2. What type of litter do you use (please mention clumping or non-clumping, crystals or other).

I use Worlds Best regular clumping formula and I flush it.   Yes I flush.  It will be 9 years in June and my plumbing is fine.   I started using Worlds Best because it is flushable. (don't tell the neighbors)   Because I live on the 3rd floor and am partially disabled disposal is a problem.  So I did tons of research on cat boxes and litter disposal before deciding on flushing.  

3. How often do you scoop?

I usually have to scoop only once a day.  Sometimes twice if needed.

4. How often do you have a total change of litter and/or cleaning of the entire box?

I wipe down the inside and outside with anti bacterial wipes as needed.   I find that thorough scooping and topping it off with fresh litter the box stays pretty clean.  I don't remember the last time I had to do a complete litter change.
 

reba

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1. What kind of box or boxes you have.

I made my 3 boxes out of sterlite containers.  Got the idea from here:  http://catsadored.com/LITTERBOXES/LITTER_BOXES.htm 

Cost about $10 each, less mess because of the high sides. 

2. What type of litter do you use (please mention clumping or non-clumping, crystals or other).

Just switched and  started using Tractor Supply's clumping litter.  $5 bucks for a 25lb bag on sale. 

3. How often do you scoop?

One - Two times a day.

4. How often do you have a total change of litter and/or cleaning of the entire box?

Used to be about every 10 days, we'll see with the new litter.
 

allenkm

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Sorry, los like I didn't use the correct form earlier....



1. I have two boxes and two cats. One is open and high back. In ga separate location I have a covered box.


2. I use fresh step clumping litter.


3. I scoop one or two times daily.


4. I do a total cleaning once or twice a month.
 

haeleyn

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1- I use the regular old cheap $6 litter box from petsmart.  It is pretty big and has low sides for my petite kitten.

2- Currently I am using feline pine pellet version.  I got my kitten from a shelter that used pellet horse bedding so I figured I would try and keep it consistent.  I dont like it, I want to switch to scoopable, even if it is a natural type scoopable.  At the very least I plan to get yesterdays news pellets for the next bag, I dont like the smell of the feline pine, makes my bathroom smell like a hamster cage.

3- I scoop the poops and areas I can see she peed out daily.  

4. I replace the litter once a week (I use the pan liner bags so it is pretty easy).  Sometimes she pokes a hole in it and some pee leaks through, I just rinse it out.
 

starryeyedtiger

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1. What kind of box or boxes you have.Mine use a box I found on Amazon called, "Clever Cat". It's a top entry box and works very well! Prior to this box, I had problems with the boys peeing over the side of the box, and tracking litter; this prevents both issues very well.

This is what it looks like.
2. What type of litter do you use (please mention clumping or non-clumping, crystals or other). Tidy Cats multi-cat, scoopable. I also sprinkle Tidy Cats deodorize on top of the litter to control odor.
3. How often do you scoop? Twice daily. Our three cats share the same box, so we clean it twice a day. We add in extra litter as needed.
4. How often do you have a total change of litter and/or cleaning of the entire box? 1-2x a month I dump the entire box and scrub and sanatize it.
 
Last edited:

Winchester

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1. What kind of box or boxes you have.

We have six cats and five litter boxes. Four of the boxes are lidded and one is completely open. The reason one is open is strictly because Muffin seems to like an open box, so that she's prepared when Mollipop comes around. (Molli will try to corner Muffin inside a litter box.) I had a situation where I think it was Muffin who peed on the bathroom rug right next to her favorite box. And I think Molli got her cornered inside and she was afraid. So I took the lid off that box and we haven't had any trouble since. 

One of our boxes is a litter box and a bench for the cats. We keep it in the kitchen and the cats walk inside to use the litter box. But then they can also sit on top of the box and look out the French doors. The whole thing is carpeted; you'd never know it was really a litter box unless you looked for the opening at the end. We use a Sterlite storage container inside the bench as a litter box. The opening is at the end next to the hutch. The top is hinged and opens to get the litter box out for cleaning.


One of our boxes is a large storage container with an opening at the end. And a regular litter box inside the container. That's nice because the cats can go inside the container and then into the box. And it helps with BooBoo, who likes to pee standing up. We keep paper towels in the rear of the container where the lid goes on. BooBoo will pee high and the paper towels help to catch the urine. The paper towels are replaced every time I scoop. All of our covered boxes have paper towels wrapped at the back of the boxes where the lids go on the containers. The rug catches most of the litter the cats drag back out of the box. Most of it, but not all of it. 


We also have a Booda Dome and the cats seem to like using it. 

The remaining two boxes are just the standard covered litter boxes.

2. What type of litter do you use (please mention clumping or non-clumping, crystals or other).

Tidy Cats non-clumping litter in three of the boxes. Tidy Cats scoopable in the other boxes. Some of the cats like to poop in the regular litter, but pee in the scoopable litter. I don't know why.

3. How often do you scoop?

With six cats and only five boxes, I scoop twice a day. Sometimes on very hurried mornings, I may not get all of the boxes scooped, but I make sure most of them are done. It's rare that they're not all scooped in the mornings, but it does happen. For the most part, it's twice a day. If I'm home during the day, I may do a quick third cleaning.

4. How often do you have a total change of litter and/or cleaning of the entire box?

With the regular litter, the boxes are completely cleaned out every Wednesday night (trash night). The boxes with the scoopable litter will go two weeks, but no longer than that. During the warmer months and whenever I can get outside to do so, the litterboxes are also completely scoured out before being filled with fresh litter.
 

qbunny

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1. What kind of box or boxes you have.
One box with high back and sides and lower front.

2. What type of litter do you use (please mention clumping or non-clumping, crystals or other).

Used Tidy Cats Immediate clumping for years and then recently switched because my cat Starsky with kidney disease starting liking less litter and seemed to want to feel the litter box itself and Tidy Cats didn't do well if there wasn't 3-4 inches in the box. So now I use Fresh Step Multi-cat Unscented and sometimes Everclean original unscented and Fresh Step Extreme Unscented.

3. How often do you scoop?

Once a day

4. How often do you have a total change of litter and/or cleaning of the entire box?

Every 3 weeks.
 

lamiatron

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Haha WBCL made my cat a different color too and she's all black. To get rid of tracking I just changed mine to pine pellets. Luckily she took to it right away but I don't think many people are fortunate enough to have a cat adjust so quickly. And the best part is my cat is always the same color and no more tracking! Although I do find a random pine pellet here and there :D
 
WBCL, ugh.  When we got Cocoa, we tried using it because she was used to it and Casper has always been easy about switching litters.  While it clumped really well, and dust was not a problem, the smell of the litter itself made me sick to my stomach.  Kind of this barnyard odor to it.  It wasn't their poop - thankfully their waste doesn't smell too awful. It was the litter itself.  Every time I walked into the bathroom (or even near the stairs) I wanted to barf.  I finally couldn't take it anymore, and we went back to using whatever else we were before.  That's how we wound up with the Arm and Hammer - it just turned out it was the best of a lot of evils.
because of WBCL, i'm totally turned off to natural litter products. There maybe ones out there that are better...but then again, they might just be like WBCL.

@sivyaleah  i totally agree with you about the smell. and i really tried to give this litter a chance. I've tried the lavender scented one and the unscented one, both for multi-cat house holds, and clumping, and the smell was just HORRIBLE. my room mates would complain about the smell, and the litter box was in my room with the door closed and i had JUST cleaned it. the smell would not only be in my room, but the hallway, and my roommates bedroom (around the entrance area) because our door were RIGHT next to each other. It was crazy! it was an okay smell on it's own, but mixed with cat waste it was just unbearable. and i think my cats didn't like it much either because while using WBCL, i've had 2 instances of my Jet (my black cat) going out side of the box, and that was the only time she actually used the uncovered box, EVER. After i got rid of WBCL, i didn't even bother to transition them, i just dumped the whole thing out and put some tidy cats (desperate purchase) and they went happily.

@Hopps  , based on member reviews here on the site, on their (WBCL) website, and on amazon i really had high hopes for WBCL, especially when it came to dust control. but the dust with WBCL was worse in my opinion. Sure, the 1st couple of days you didn't see or feel the dust, but on the 3rd day, its like, my cat went in black and came out orange and brown -____- not to mention she'd leave her little paw and body prints where ever she decided to sit or walk or lay down....it was gross.

for the amount of money you have to pay for "worlds best cat litter", the cons seriously are NOT worth it. 
 

mycatsinthetub

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1. What kind of box or boxes you have.

3 plain plastic boxes about 20x36", 1 for each cat but they share.

2. What type of litter do you use (please mention clumping or non-clumping, crystals or other).

unscented clay clumping in 2 boxes with extra baking soda (generic store brand...about 2 Tbsp), the other (that they only poop in) is scented nonclumping clay kind

3. How often do you scoop?
The poop box is scooped 4-5 times a day, the pee boxes once a day or so unless they do double duty in one. My dog is a gross litter box snacker so I keep it tidy. 

4. How often do you have a total change of litter and/or cleaning of the entire box?

Once a week we completely change out the litter and steam the boxes. 

Thank you! 
You're welcome!
 

burkey

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1. What kind of box or boxes you have.

For two cats, we have two 30 gallon Sterilite storage tubs with a 9"x9" opening cut into one of the long sides. We don't use the lids, so they are open-top. They are kept on opposite ends of the house.


2. What type of litter do you use (please mention clumping or non-clumping, crystals or other).

We use clumping... Dr Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra Premium Clumping Litter, in the blue bag.

3. How often do you scoop?

Twice per day. I do it in the morning, and husband does it in the evening. If I am home & motivated, I'll occasionally hit them an additional time in the afternoon.

4. How often do you have a total change of litter and/or cleaning of the entire box?

We recently adopted and one of the cats tested positive for roundworm. During treatment & until the "all clear" is given, we are doing a complete breakdown & cleaning of the boxes once per week. Our normal schedule is to spot clean as often as needed, and a complete breakdown and cleaning roughly 3 times per year.  Right now the litter level is low to save on cost, but we'll go back up to about a 4" depth (we drew a little line inside the box) because it greatly reduces clumps hitting the bottom and the cats really enjoy it, too.
 
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