Litter & box questions - for a happier parent

[minish]

Hi veryone
I'm very lucky, minish is not picky about litter and almost always uses the box. But I want to be able to clean it better. . Any ideas or suggestions will be very helpful.
Box: I use an open box with dimensions 1X & 1.5X her size. She prefers the edges but I doubt that will change with a bigger box
Litter: I have used variety of clumping litters and I scoop regularly waiting a few hours after she pees or poops. Super clumpy litter sticks to the scoop, large particled litter doesnt clump well, small particled litters clump ok but still a problem to clean from the edges, even if I wait.
Depth of litter: 5-10 cm work well if the litter is fresh enough but edges...
Scoop or sift?: Even with smaller holes, scooping leaves small pee clumps in the litter, then I have to change it frequently. This is the main problem I have. I was considering getting a sifting tray but the sifters I found on the net that can be delivered in Turkey (incredibly expensive ones included) all have openings larger than my scoop. Would it be worse? More particles and/or sticking to the sifter than scoop?
Would you suggest a DIY solution for either scoop or sifter?

 

[rubysmama]

Here's a short TCS article that might have some tips: How Often Should You Clean The Litter Box?

Plus this longer one: How To Effectively Eliminate Litter Box Odor In Your Home

What I do, is use the scoop when the clump is in the middle of the litter box, and is easily scooped. Ruby, however, tends to back her but against the ends of the litter box, so frequently pee clumps stick to the side. Sometimes I'll tap the outside of the litter box to loosen it, cover with litter, then scoop. Other times I'll use paper towel to remove the clump from the side of the litter box.

Once a week, I dump the litter in a container, then wipe down the sides and bottom of the litter box with litter box wipes. It usually takes 3 or 4 to do a thorough job. Then once it dries, I put the litter back in, then top it up with some fresh litter. I use clumping litter, and almost never replace it completely, just top up as needed.

Here's the litter box wipes I usually use:
Petkin Litter Box Wipes 40 Count: Amazon.ca: Pet Supplies

Natures Miracle has some too. And recently my Dollarmama started selling some as well.

 

[minish]

Thank you rubysmama box wipes is a wonderful idea!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Feeby is a side of the box 'pee-er' as well. No amount or specific type of litter seems to make much of a difference in terms of the pee/litter sticking to the sides and the difficulty of removing it without making an even bigger mess with debris particles breaking away from the clump. However, I do use Fresh Step Ultra Unscented - other than a bit of dust when pouring more in the box, this litter seems to do the best job overall.

I always cover the pee entirely up first, tip the box away from the clump so all the loose litter is out of the way. Through trial & error, I can tell by the size/specific location which will work better - tap the side of the box to loosen the clump or just take a 'tear-to-size' paper towel and scoop it off the side and into a bag (I use doggie bags as they are easier to confine to the inside of the box for a quick deposit without spilling any of the clump). Another paper towel to wipe down the area, a 3rd one sprayed with an antibacterial spray to clean the area, and a 4th one to dry it. If there is any bits of debris left behind I use a small plastic disposable spoon to scoop them out. I re-level the litter and top it off with more.

I have tried numerous different type 'tools' as scoops and, unfortunately, none work any better than standard litter scoops.

The bottle of antibacterial spray lasts forever, and the tear to size paper towels makes it easy to avoid using tons of pieces. I also rarely ever have to dump the litter and replace it all because it stays pretty clean this way. The box stays clean as well - as the same technique can be used when the other sides and bottom of the box need a cleaning.