Litter Liners

[IndyJones]

Does anyone not use litter liners? I have always used them but have noticed the litter seems to clump around the bag and break apart when lifted. Would I be less likely to have this happen without the liners?
What are the downside of not using liners? Does it effect the lifespan of the plastic box (is urine not corrosive)?

 

[LTS3]

I don't use liners. The "jumbo" liners are too small for my litter box and they're easily ripped by sharp cat claws. Urine is acidic but not corrosive enough to wear a hole in a plastic litter box.

 

[GoldyCat]

I don't use liners because my cats rip holes in them when they dig in the litter. Then the urine just collects under the liner and makes a big stinky mess.

 

[rubysmama]

I use clumping litter, and do not use liners. Ruby tends to pee on the sides of the litter box, so not sure if liners would even do anything. I just use paper towels to lift the clump from the side of the litter box and remove any "residue" that sticks to the side.

And each week I dump the litter out, so I can give the litter box a cleaning using litter box wipes, such as these: Litter Box Wipes (40ct) - Petkin Once it dries, I put put the litter back in the litter box, and top it up with some fresh litter.

I've been using the same litter box for a few years now, and except for some claw scratches on the bottom, it seems fine, and cleans well with the litter box wipes.

 

[jcat]

I don't use liners because my cats rip holes in them when they dig in the litter. Then the urine just collects under the liner and makes a big stinky mess.

Same here. I tried them years ago for our last cat, and he made a game out of completely shredding the liners.

Urine doesn't seem to affect the service life of litter boxes, but harsh chemicals used to clean them will. Mowgli's boxes are older than he is - I bought the last one 8 years ago - and have never been lined. I use a steam cleaner for litter boxes. Some of the boxes at the shelter are 10 - 15 years old. They're cleaned with a vinegar-based detergent and then a commercial disinfectant and have held up well.

 

[IndyJones]

I have always used liners because that's what my mom always used and I was always told to do it as a teenager. But now we have the green bins here and liners can't go in the green bin because of the plastic.

It would be easier to just dump the box into the green box wouldn't it? IDK.

I thought urine was corrosive because I've seen how unflushed toilets get when people let it melow (nasy pee stained ring etched around the bowl). But I guess plastic is different?

I've never had issues with the bags ripping myself.

 

[Willowy]

If you keep the box properly scooped, the urine should stay in the litter and not spend a lot of time in contact with the box. But, yeah, if you let it go too long and one corner gets soaked, yes it will leave a mineral deposit. Vinegar will remove it though.

I don't use liners. Too much trouble, too much fun to shred, and the pee collects in the folds and gets smelly.