Litter Box How Often Does One Replace The Whole Content?

[phillyman]

Hi All,

Our cat took to her new litterbox and we have not had any accidents or issues. When I first filled it, I liked to have it filled more or less to the top. It is located in an unused bathtub so the mess is less of an issue. I've "topped it off" a couple of times without an issue. There is no smell and there are only minor "mini clumps" which get passed the scooper.

I'm not a fan of liners and also want to not be wasteful but do you replace ALL the litter? I assume so and if yes, how often do you do it? I haven't refilled the box for a couple of days and we are now at the halfway point.

So curious as to how people handle their litter boxes. Our cat seems happy as is so I don't really see the point of throwing it all away but her nose of course is better than ours and we use unscented litter.

My current regimen would call for first litter to be added and throughly mixed with the already in use litter.

Thanks for your thoughts,
Philly

 

[rubysmama]

Are you using clumping litter? If so, you probably will only rarely, if ever, have to dump out all the litter and replace with new. As long as you remove the waste clumps daily, and add extra litter as the level gets low, it should be fine.

I've never used anything but clumping litter, so can't advise on other types.

Here's a couple TCS articles with more info:
How To Set Up An Effective Litterbox Maintenance Routine
How Often Should You Clean The Litter Box?

 

[phillyman]

Hi, yes, I use clumping litter. Thank you for the articles. Good, that is what I wanted to do (from a waste perspective) but was worried that it might not be recommended for some reason.

THanks,
Philly

 

[rubysmama]

Oh... I should have mentioned, I do dump the litter out into an old litter container once a week so I can clean the litter box. I use litter box wipes, which though a little expensive do a good job. Once it dries, I dump the old litter back in, and top up with new, if necessary. I buy the wipes at Walmart.

amazon.com/Petkin-Litter-Box-Wipes-40-Count/dp/B00QQHZ7S6

 

[phillyman]

that is a good idea I'll add that to my routine... Seems like a good compromise between cleanliness and waste
Philly

 

[tabbytom]

how often do you do it? I haven't refilled the box for a couple of days and we are now at the halfway point.

A clean litter box is a must and it's very important to have it scooped everyday. Some cats are more careful while doing their business while some are just more untidy. Having it cleaned and waste scooped out will be more welcoming to the cat. It's just like us hoomans, we like our washrooms clean and dry and order free.

Some people, clean out the litter box each week just like what rubysmama do for her cat. Some do it bi-monthly, some monthly and some bi-monthly. Some even take a longer time.

For me, I do it once every two months as I try to scoop out the tiny bits that falls off and make the litter box as clean as possible. My boy pees at the 4 corners of the litter box which make scooping the litter a little more troublesome and I use non scented wipes to clean the corners as the pee gets stuck and also wipe the I also wipe all around the inner side and top of the litter box each time in my routine.

I use clumping litter for my boy and I scoop the clumps every day as he only pees 3 clumps a day but if he poops, I immediately clear the poo.

As clumps are being scooped, the litter gets lesser and lesser. My boy has a very large litter box and I fill it up 4 inches high. I top up the litter every week. As for clumping litter, the more you scoop, the finer it becomes and it all settles ate the bottom of the litter box as fine sand. If you move the litter and expose it, you'll find that on the top layer is coarse litter and you work your way down, the litter gets finer and finer and eventually you see sand at the bottom.

Also you can never get to scoop out the whole clump as it'll break into smaller pieces where you have to use a scoop with smaller or finer holes and pick out the smaller bits.

So when it's time to clean out the litter box, I dump all the litter. Scoop the litter out into boxes which came with his canned food and lined it with plastic bag, fill up and put the box into another plastic bag and tie up and dump. I wash the litter box with mild soap, scrub off any stubborn stains, wipe and air dry.
Fill up litter box (spare one) with new litter (4 inch high). Total, my boy have 4 litter box and 3 spare litter box for rotation

This is pretty much my regime when comes to cleaning the litter box.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I use clumping litter and rarely get rid of it all. I use a small plastic spoon to scoop out those little pieces of litter that fall off of the clumps when I scoop them out. I scoop twice a day for one cat (she goes twice a day), and always add some litter nearly every time. Feeby pees on the side of the box (without fail) so I also clean that area (generally with just paper towels and some antibacterial soap) with each scooping. Then, about once a month, I take all the litter out and clean the box, and then put the litter back in. Tbh, I can't remember when I last threw it all out and replaced it.

 

[kittyluv387]

I have one litter robot for 3 cats who pee a lot. So it gets completely changed out every 2 weeks and I wipe down the inside every week.

 

[Willowy]

The person who invented clumping litter didn't fully change it for his cat's entire 16-year life! I don't know the details of their maintenance routine though. Maybe they replaced most of it occasionally.

Anyway, if you scoop every day and get most of the little bits out, and keep the box clean too, I think you can usually get about 3 months from clumping litter. All depends on what works best for you and your kitty .

 

[phillyman]

thank you for the feedback. I probably clean the box six times a day. The kitten is very productive on all fronts :-) ... I like the idea once every couple of weeks to empty the box and clean it; then refill it with the existing litter. Thank for all the input, Philly

 

[tabbytom]

empty the box and clean it; then refill it with the existing litter.

Maybe I'll try doing this too. Scoop out the top half (which is much cleaner since my boy only pees at the four corners of the litter box), dump out the other half and fill back with the cleaner existing litter to the four corners of a new litter box and top up the rest with new litter.

This way will save me more time and money.

 

[Minxxy]

I use clumping litter. I clean the litter then dump in a big bucket. Wash the litter boxes with soap and bleach then replace litter. I usually do this every few months.

 

[tangers40]

My litterbox gets scooped daily, topped off when it needs it, then completely dumped and replaced monthly. I dump the remaining litter, scrub the box with soap, then refill with fresh litter. I have found that if it goes much longer than a month, the litter starts to have a slight smell and just looks grungy.

 

[Maria Bayote]

I scoop my cats' litter boxes (clumping litter) twice to 3times a day because I have a cat who is so particular with cleanliness (LOL). Otherwise, she would not use any of the litterboxes and instead do her thing in the toilet.

Once or twice a month I do wash the litter boxes, though.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

I/DH scoop our two boxes daily. When I decide it's time to clean the box (monthly...bimonthly...err three months...it's been kind of crazy around here lately! ) we let the litter get wayyyy too low, like maybe an inch in the box (shame shame), and then just dump the entire thing. That way I feel like we aren't wasting too much litter but I want new, fresh litter after I go to the trouble of cleaning two giant boxes!

I take the boxes in the backyard after dumping them. I use Dawn dish soap and hose water, then scrub with a sponge specifically for the litterbox. Rinse. Then I spray vinegar liberally in the bottom and top and let them dry in direct sunlight. My logic is that the UV rays kill whatever bacteria managed to survive my scrubbing and vinegar-ing. I also wash their litter mat with Dawn, vinegar spray, and let dry in direct sunlight.

 

[DreamiesFtw]

I have 4 indoor cats and i absolutely hate the smell of cat pee. I clean out the litter tray every day and put in all fresh litter. Once i clean it i sit there and wait for each cat to do their business then i clean it immediately again. My cats race to the litter box when they hear its being cleaned out because they love being the first to rummage around in new litter.

 

[jcat]

I use clumping litter and scoop 3 - 5 times a day, topping off the litter. Once a week the litter gets dumped in a huge flower pot, the litter box is wiped clean with water and enzymatic cleaner, and the litter is put back in.

I do a complete change of litter and steam clean the box every four weeks. It's probably not necessary, but I figure there must be lots of bacteria and very tiny particles of waste at that point.