Outdoor Potty

[susank521]

I don't know if anyone else will have use of this, but thought I'd share just in case. It took me a couple of years and a lot of trial and error to come up with this, so perhaps it can save someone else a little bit time and aggravation. Also, if someone has a suggestion for improvement I would love to hear it.

This potty pit is attached to the Clowder Kennel. It was the first one I made and even thought I've already made some alterations to it there are still changes I'd like to make (one day). This pit has a removable lid, but it is too big and heavy for me to move by myself. The second potty pit I made is attached to Dewey's Cat Castle. The most important improvement on the second one is the hinged lid which makes cleaning much easier and more comfortable for my poor old back and knees.

The pits are filled with aquarium gravel, which cleans up very well and doesn't absorb bacteria or odor. 

potty pit - closed door 100_0675.jpg

• susank521
• Oct 5, 2013

      

potty pit - open door 100_0679.jpg

• susank521
• Oct 5, 2013

 

If you make something like this and your cats are like these guys were; feral, semi-feral, or just have no idea that you want them to go to the bathroom in this thing, fill it with peat moss or soil conditioning additive first. After they have used that for a couple of weeks you can remove the dirt and put in the aquarium gravel. I tried just using the above on a permanent basis, but it was too buggy and too labor intensive.

If you're thinking of saving some money and using regular pea gravel instead of the aquarium gravel, don't bother. I've already tried that. The pea gravel is too large (the cats didn't like it at all and it wouldn't sift when I dipped) and it's absorbent (not healthy).

Initial filling with the aquarium is rather expensive, but after that it only requires about 25# every 2 months or so.

 

[shadowsrescue]

That is just awesome.  My outdoor cats would be so thrilled if I made something like that for them.  My one feral, Shadow used to come inside for short visits.  A few times during bad weather, he stayed inside over night.  By using Litter Attract, I was able to litter box train him.  When it would be raining, muddy, or really freezing cold, he would sometimes come to the door and wanted in just to use the litter box!  I tried setting up a small area with a litter box for him outside, but he didn't care for it and also I couldn't keep it dry.  I thought about making one that uses sand, but it seemed to be a big hassle.  I will have to think if this would some how work in my space.

Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[ondine]

That is awesome!  I like the idea of aquarium gravel too.

I did make one for Schofield, our outside cat with sand.  He uses it pretty well but it is a bugger to clean.  He buries his poo so deep, I am digging to China to find it all.  He does use regular litter inside his house (a small chicken coop) when its wet out.  But that set up is ideal for free-roaming ferals.  (Schofield is in an enclosure).

 

[susank521]

Thank you for the comments, guys. That is one of the downsides of sand, it's too easy for them to dig very, very deep and you have to go treasure hunting! All of my outside cats get locked up in kennels at night, 10 in this particular kennel. Night is typically the only time that they use the potty pit, unless it's really cold and they don't want to venture too far from their warm condos. The other kennels are smaller (for one or two cats) and have regular litter boxes with regular litter. I've seen all of the little hooligans slipping in and out during the day to use those, especially when it's raining. 

 

[shadowsrescue]

I just wanted to say that you have the most amazing set up I have ever seen.  I am totally jealous and awe struck!!  You and your husband are just wonderful for caring for all of these kitties.  I love the name too. 

I live in the suburbs and also in a development with a pretty strict Home Owners Association.  I am lucky that I can set my tent like structure up each winter for my outside two without the association coming after me.  I would love to have a screened porch or even better a 4 season room where the outside boys could come into at night, but it most likely won't happen at this house.  I keep dreaming of what I want for our next home so the cats will have a better environment.  Doubtful we will move for another 5 years or so, but I can still dream!

Also, how do you get all of your kitties into their kennels at night?  Do they have an outside enclosure or do they free wander during the day. 

You have done such amazing things for these cats!  Bless you for all you have done.

 

[susank521]

I saw a picture of your winter house, it looked nice and cozy! We all do what we can, don't we? Someone, can't remember who, has the greatest saying in their signature which, of course, I can't remember! Something like saving one cat means nothing to the world but means the world to that one cat.

These cats are usually are quite willing to go into their kennels at night as that's when they get fed. I let them out of the kennels at 5:30 am and take the food up then. Then lock them back up about 6:00 pm. I have a bell I ring when it's dinner time and almost always they'll all come running. Sometimes there maybe one not ready to go in yet, so I'll give them an hour or so and then they're ready. Right now there are 12 cats that do free roam during the day, unfortunately. We've got about 3 acres fenced with 5' fencing to keep coyotes and dogs out, but no matter what we do the cats will find ways to get out when they want to.

 

[betsygee]

 
I don't know if anyone else will have use of this, but thought I'd share just in case. It took me a couple of years and a lot of trial and error to come up with this, so perhaps it can save someone else a little bit time and aggravation. Also, if someone has a suggestion for improvement I would love to hear it.

The pits are filled with aquarium gravel, which cleans up very well and doesn't absorb bacteria or odor. 

If you're thinking of saving some money and using regular pea gravel instead of the aquarium gravel, don't bother. I've already tried that. The pea gravel is too large (the cats didn't like it at all and it wouldn't sift when I dipped) and it's absorbent (not healthy).

Initial filling with the aquarium is rather expensive, but after that it only requires about 25# every 2 months or so.

This is perfect timing for me!  We've just built a catio and it has a potty pit at one end.  I read in another forum about using pea gravel.  It seemed too big to me but I wasn't sure.  Great to read this before I bought anything to fill the pit with.  Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[susank521]

Do you have any pictures of your catio? Would love to see them! 

 

[betsygee]

 
Do you have any pictures of your catio? Would love to see them! 

Not yet--it should be open for business  

 in a few days, and then I'll definitely post some pics.

 

[betsygee]

Hi, Susan, here's a link to the catio story:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/266917/catio-unveiled   There's a link to a slideshow of the catio progress at the bottom of the post.

We're still tweaking it.  So far the cats haven't shown any interest in the aquarium gravel so I've sprinkled some 'Cat Attract' stuff on it and hope to get them to at least try it out.  :-)

 

[ondine]

Man oh man, am I jealous!  That is so fabulous, I have no other words.  Good job!

 

[betsygee]

Woohoo! Travis just used the aquarium gravel to go potty!

OMG. That's what gets me excited these days?! I need to get out of the house more.... Lol

 

[susank521]

Woohoo! Travis just used the aquarium gravel to go potty!

OMG. That's what gets me excited these days?! I need to get out of the house more.... Lol

HA! It's really sad what makes our day sometimes! Your catio is fantastic!

 

[betsygee]

Three out of four of the cats have used the aquarium gravel now--it looks like that will work out for a potty pit.  How did you ever come up with the idea for the aquarium gravel instead of pea gravel?  I would  never have thought of that!  

 

[ondine]

So they use it for poop, too?  If so, do you scoop that out?  I may take a trip to PetSmart and check out the aquarium gravel.

 

[betsygee]

Ours has only been in use about two days so I'm not sure what the routine will be!  I was thinking I'd try raking it out.  Susank521, how do you clean it out?

 

[susank521]

I do scoop it with a regular litter scoop and use a mini pump-sprayer with a water and Palmolive anti-bacterial dish liquid mixture which I spray on the gravel during and after scooping. Once a week it gets a drowning with the garden hose and the same soap with the addition of Dawn. I use a child-sized shovel and rake to move and smooth the gravel. It sounds labor-intensive, but considering that this particular pit serves 10 cats overnight, I don't think it would be any more so than comparable number of litter boxes. Certainly more economical, neater, and takes up less room. We are currently working on an enclosure for these 10 cats, so their outdoor days are numbered (Although we get slower as we get older, so the number may be rather large!). The enclosure will have an additional potty pit, but they'll then be using the pits 24/7.  So we'll see then how well I can keep up.

 

[betsygee]

I went to the hardware store looking for something like a child's rake/shovel and found something similar to this:  http://www.petguys.com/-01784903981...tm_medium=GoogleShopping&utm_campaign=PetGuys, which works fine.  I didn't know they made things like that specifically for pets.  

But I didn't think of the anti-bacterial soap, that's a very good idea.  All four newbies are using the outdoor pit now.  I've gone from having four litter boxes in their room indoors to just one inside, and the rest of the time they do their business outside now.  

  

I can't thank you enough, susank521, for the aquarium gravel idea.  It sure works for our situation.  And I got some of the brightly colored rocks so it even looks cool.  

 

[susank521]

The colored rocks do look prettier! The aquarium gravel was all DH's idea. He told me to use that from the very beginning, but I just had to try the pea gravel. I only did it to give him something to say "I told you so" about 

!