Cat litter box hacks that will save your life 

Or check restaurant supply stores, it's basically just a steel baking dish. Slapping a litter box label on it instead of baking sheet just lets them charge more for essentially the same thing.

I bought mine on Amazon.

@@Jcewazhere I thought of that too, since I work for a restaurant supply distributor. The only problem is my male cat (part Maine Coon) is three feet tall on his hind legs, so the plastic litter box I bought for him has 11” high sides-which is barely enough to keep him from peeing over the edge, lol! Not sure even a chafing dish is that deep! 😆

Me neither

And why not use plastic bags to line the box, so you don't have to completely clean out the box every time?

YES!! Thank you for telling everyone to thumb up lol this video is blowing up!

Similarly, if people use the toilet and didn’t flush it afterwards, it would smell. Instead of complaining, flush it, wipe your tush, scoop litter box, take your dog out, pick up their poop, throw it away. Change the babies diaper too. Everything eliminates.

Yes exactly I saw a CFH episode where owners would pick up the litter once a week or twice a week. And there's me cleaning it twice a day and my litter box has never been smelly and it's an open one.

Yes exactly

Guilty...im lazy af

Meu deus eu pensei a mesma coisa, fica falando de contaminação de bactéria no plástico e lavando a caixa onde o ser humano toma banho 💀

I’m right there with ya I have a utility sink in my home just for cleaning purposes.

Yeah I'm American & don't clean it in the bathtub that's fucking gross. My litter box is on the back porch & my cat has a kitty door to get to it. I wash the box in the yard with a hose.

Her bathtub looks like mine. She is probably in an apartment. But I fill buckets and clean mine on my balcony and when I lived in a house I used my hose. She probably doesn’t have those options so this works for her.

Some of us don’t have that type of sink. I don’t wash it in the tub though because I don’t have one, I wash it in the shower and clean the shower afterwards

The sunlight thing is a myth unless you live in a place where it gets reaaaally hot like Texas then shit just gets baked

@@animeloveer97 Ultraviolet light rays from the sun is not a myth.

@@animeloveer97 - wrong "Naylene". The disinfectant properties from UV rays has zero to do with temperature. Sunlight/uv-light kills bacteria and viruses AND other little bugs that make us (and our furry friends) ill. Why do you think there are UV light toothbrush holders, etc... Do you think that is a lie? Ask anyone that works in a medical environment if UV light kills icky bugs... a "myth"...lol

7th Generation spray. After cleaning, spay, leave it on, let it dry. Instructions say that will 99.9% sanitize

@@animeloveer97 uv is not dependent on the temperature. you could also just as easily burn yourself when it is freaking cold outside.

Cats ARE a lot of work, especially younger ones. The litter box is the main thing, then trying to keep them entertained, so as not to destroy your home and trying to keep them from running out the door. I love mine very much, so I guess I'll do what I need to until I can't.

🥰

ha ha... sounds normal to me! 😄

😂😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍👍

Remember...cats (and horses) have Staff...dogs have owners

Exatamente, eu tenho só um gato mas limpo todas as vezes que ele faz as necessidades, e lavo a caixa uma vez por semana

I scoop multiple times per day as well. It actually makes life easier for everyone. If you leave waste sitting in the box for a long period of time, there's also the chance that the clumps might get broken the next time the cat uses the box. When I scoop, I tilt the box so all the loose litter slides out of the away, and I can remove the clump in a single piece. Even if it does break, because it's isolated, I can scrape out the other pieces without it contaminating the rest of the litter. Scooping multiple times also adds a bit of resiliency. If I forget to scoop in the evening, I might find a bit of extra waste the next morning , but it's not like it's going to find a huge pile like I would if I cleaned it less frequently.

I feel so sorry for cats whos owners don’t scoop multiple times a day 😢

Same here. 2 healthy cats with two plastic litter boxes. I am cleaning the boxes two times a day. The only time I wash a litter box is if an accident has happened. The litter is designed to dehydrate whatever gets into it, therefore, the environment is unsuitable for bacteria growth. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that the boxes are sterile, but my cats are often licking their butts after using a box, if this doesn't harm them in any way, I don't see how the imaginary bacteria would. Yet again, I'd rather see an OCD cat owner than a cat with a neglected litter box.

I agree. I've had multiple adopted cats entire life and plastic work fine as long as you scoop and clean them regularly. I use a little dawn dishsoap and wash them outside on the pavement with a hose, dry them out and put fresh litter in probably once a month or so.

fyi you should have 1.5 litter boxes for each cat

I do the same. No smell and rarely clean with water. hi from sweden 😀

You just described me lol! My cats love digging into the high sand and get noticeably cranky when it's shallow

I tried this for a few months but the residue litter started smelling and it became dusty.

I purchased a stainless steel one from Amazon a while back

Well here its more expensive than normal cat litter but yea its great

Please can you recommend a particular enzyme cleaner? Many thanks 🌺

same question as below : any brand recommended ? thanks

Any brand you recommend?

@@eleanorwoods6873 I dunno why my replies aren’t showing up, but I use simple solution extreme stain and odor remover. You can buy the patio and decking 4liter bottle, it’s the same product just a lot more economical.

@@Ida-Adrianahey! I recall replying but for some reason my replies aren’t showing up sorry! I use the Simple Solution extreme cat stain & odor remover; you can buy the patio and decking 4liter version and put it in a spray bottle- it’s a lot more economical

I ran across a deal on a ton of little puppy waste bags so I kinda stopped using the genie. Lol. It worked well until the smell assaults you all at once when you change the bag. (For me anyways lol). Plus the cost and fiddling with changing the bags. I put the poop in the thick little bags, tie a knot to seal it and Chuck it in my regular trash. Granted I have very little urine to scoop tho Bcuz I use pine pellets/sifting for that. I only have one box that isn’t sifting/pine. I had too many cats to keep up with so I had to seek out alt ideas beyond traditional. Puppy pads also catch the urine sawdust so I just change the pads once a week and they can go in my regular bin to be quickly taken out as well as the little puppy bags. For me I guess I like not having to have a special bin. I like being able to throw everything nasty into one place and then summarily take it out. It is also a lot less heavy as well and the pine keeps it all very dry.

a diy one can work if you use the right container - I use a biscuit tin, but it's got a seal a bit like a tupperware, it's meant to stop biscuits etc going stale but it keeps the smell in

Plastic is porous and the urin eats away at it. while bleach is nice and all its wayyy to harsh on cat noses. you might not notice anything on your cat but one of mine is a bit sensitive and kept on sneezing until I stopped using bleach and used only vinegar instead. Normally, I wouldn't throw my bin away after a year, but let's say every five years...I expect my cat to at least live 15 years so the cost of a stainless steel one isn't too bad. And I wouldn't be opposed to buy a used one if I find a good deal

the point of the diy litter genie was to use something with an air tight lid on it, hence the candy jar!

@@drifloons The jar in the video didn't look very airtight tbh. I have a similar candy jar and the lid just sits on the opening and can be easily knocked off (not what I want for a waste bin that holds poop). Whatever works for her is fine, but I felt like she skipped the actual benefits of the litter genie so that she didn't have to show the equivalent in the diy version and instead just pointed out that it's plastic so it's bad. A big benefit for me with the litter genie is that I don't have to smell the old waste every time I scoop (which is every day). I only have to deal with it when I change the liner, which is only once or twice a month.

Isn't it great? I love the added benefit of not having clay litter dust covering every surface near the litter boxes.

Thanks for the tip! Where do you purchase it for that price?

@@heidiw637 yes would love to know too😻

@@Its_me--Boo_Radley where do you buy it?

@@NubianP6 Tractor Supply, Target. Be sure to get KILN DRIED.

I put a thin layer of baking soda (same thing as bicarbonate soda) in the very bottom of the litterbox. I do this because I heard that it can irritate some cats skin (I have hairless kiddies), and I have not had any problems. It definitely keeps odor down in our household.

@@RokiMowntinHi I haven't had any problems with irritation from my cat, but yes definitely place under the litter if you cat seems irritated by it. or stop using. I'm not an expert, this was just an old, old, old family trick.

thank you. i'm gonna try this

its only unsanitary if you dont clean your bathtub..

My litter box is in my WC so I clean the litter everytime I use the WC myself. I was going to wash my hands after that anyway, might as well take care of both of our WC at the same time ;)

I used baby powder 😂

Yes..no steel needed..baking soda ..earth friendly as well as for people and animals..hygienic re odour..tra la..🇨🇦

@@sahriestar talcum is very toxic to the lungs!!

If you use silica based litter like pretty litter, mixing baking soda with it creates sodium silica which in turn create ammonia gas when wet and can also burn your cat's paws.

Hydrogen peroxide works wonders when cleaning any biological stains, like urine, blood or feces. Just pour some onto the soiled area, then watch the bubbling action lift the stains out of the fabric; then pat dry with a clean rag. Every thread will be as clean as it was before the unfortunate accident. To deal with the odors as well as the stains, I use the hydrogen peroxide with a dusting of baking soda.

I have 5 and use plastic boxes that I take outside and soak it with bleach and water in the direct sunlight. Am I doing wrong by my Keke's?

@@rjchavers9267 I do the exact same thing. My only problem is when the kiddies think the litterbox is gone too long... then I have extra cleanup. I found out I could put one of those "pee pads" for dogs in the same place the litterbox usually is, so when they get urgent and the box is being cleaned outside, they use that instead of the floor...

@@RokiMowntinHi I have 5 cats so I have multiple boxes that I can rotate just one at a time out to avoid the occasional accident.

I do similar with pine pellets/sifting/sawdust. The wood idea is intriguing tho. Do you get it at tractor supply? I guess I do pine Bcuz it is just readily available and simple and works well enough for me. I have 9 cats. Not that this was my plan to have this many or anything I solicited, it just turned out that way. I had to let them be indoor/outdoor for my own sanity. Fortunately most of them now do most of their business outside when the weather permits. I also occasionally take the boxes out, clean them with something enzymatic and use the water hose and let them dry in the sun. I know what you mean tho. I got two girls who would rather religiously use the puppy pads. 😅😅 Fortunately most days they have good aim and they’ve trained me to lay the pads just so for them (which is usually just folding them in half-this way you have top and bottom absorbing-and placing them in a certain direction/location) Lol. Of course I learned all of this over a long period of time with a lot of trial and error. Lol.

In the winter, the warmed litter would be nice- or cover the stainless steel with cardboard, maybe😊

Thanks for sharing even more solutions!!

That's exactly how I made my litter boxes - three of them for three house cats. I warmed the plastic lids to reduce rigidity before I cut the entry holes, placing them in the centre, which works much better than at one end. Top-entry boxes work brilliantly to reduce tracking - we get none. We use pine pellets, which are w-a-y out in front as the best litter - naturally antibacterial too. Absolutely no smells except for the brief period before solids are buried. I scoop with a doggy bag and use a Litter Locker, and also use a lidded pail with a plastic liner. That option is the most economical with plastics. Our dog and one of our cats love to travel as well, though it's not full-time like you.

@@janebrown7231 I'm 73 and have had indoor cats my entire life. Of all the systems I've tried, this works best for us. I made sure to buy the tallest container available to allow for plenty of head room as my senior boy is a big cat. Was a bit concerned that my new blind kitten would have trouble accessing it but she goes in and out like champ. I'm using a clumping litter right now but want to try a wood pellet type.

@@rouxchat6033 I do agree with you... we've tried most systems and this is by far the best. Height is important, and the commercial top-entry box I tried wasn't tall enough for natural movement and scratching for our average-sized cats. It also had slightly rounded lower corners and tipped over as the cats jumped off it. Our two chats roux and their torbie sister are much happier with my home-made quarter-price boxes! I hope your upcoming winter travel goes well (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere) and that fuel remains affordable and available for you.

@@janebrown7231 Yes, getting the right size and shape box is key. Glad you found what works. Giggles on your chat roux. My senior boy is one too, hence my RU-vid handle. Yep, gas is expensive. I am adjusting my travels and staying longer in each location. Life is all about prioritizing and re-prioritizing. 😆 🤣 😂 😹 All the best!

Ohhhhhhhh, yes!! My cats, all 3, act like they’re digging a hole to China in their litter boxes. They’ll spend upward of 5 minutes scratching and burying. It’s unreal. I have to have a hood or I’ll have litter everywhere. My one cat I adopted is blind, so I get why she spends so much time in there. Well, not really. But the other two…no idea. I have 3 litter boxes that I clean out daily. It’s a phenomenon I’ll never understand.

Not all are made the same. I literally spent a month sifting through metal box brands, and they all had some major flaw. However!! I came across one finally 🤣 Litter Earth is the BEST for metal litter boxes. They're made from medical-grade steel. Their website breaks it down, but in a nutshell, there are at least 3 grades that they mention... Stainless Steel 200 (metal staws, kitchen utensils, and kitchen trays) ... Stainless Steel 304 (commercial equipment, pots & pans, outdoor BBQ grill) ..... and finally, Stainless Steel 316 (surgical instruments, marine applications, medical equipment) ..... The Less Litter Earth litter box is made from stainless steel 316. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, this stainless steel type rates 5 stars at being able to stand up against degradation from cat urine and 5 stars for being corrosion resistant. It resists odor, bacteria, ammonia in cat urine, stains, and rust. It is PH proof against cat urine.... Finally, the design has VERY high sides and it is round as opposed to the traditional rectangular shape. If you notice, cats always make circular movements in their litter box. The shape of the box fits their natural movements. I also like the Less Earth litter box because other metal boxes (and plastic too of course) tend to get scratches and degrade ovetime, which costs more money in the long run when they have to be replaced. This one does not have to be replaced. It's pricey upfront, but you're saving money down the road and you have a top of the line, highest quality litter box. 🙃

I don't like nails on metal either lol

Thanks for letting us know! I was under the impression it was all made from recycled plastic bottles.

You can make your own easily. Scissors and Velcro with two rugs, non-latex.

This is where toilet training could benefit some cats. The cats with lazy humans that never clean their trays 🥺

I use the softwood pellets as well.. so much less stink!

My mom uses pine pellets

Where do you order your horse pellets from?

@@annabellefay3307 It depends, ebay, amazon, I guess you can get wood pellets at any home depot as fire medium, it's almost the same and works just as fine. I usually get a 15kg bag of pine wood pellets.

Those are actually meant to be wet down! Give it a spritz and it will turn to powder- super easy to scoop.

Not all are made the same. I literally spent a month sifting through metal box brands, and they all had some major flaw. However!! I came across one finally 🤣 Litter Earth is the BEST for metal litter boxes. They're made from medical-grade steel. Their website breaks it down, but in a nutshell, there are at least 3 grades that they mention... Stainless Steel 200 (metal staws, kitchen utensils, and kitchen trays) ... Stainless Steel 304 (commercial equipment, pots & pans, outdoor BBQ grill) ..... and finally, Stainless Steel 316 (surgical instruments, marine applications, medical equipment) ..... The Less Litter Earth litter box is made from stainless steel 316. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, this stainless steel type rates 5 stars at being able to stand up against degradation from cat urine and 5 stars for being corrosion resistant. It resists odor, bacteria, ammonia in cat urine, stains, and rust. It is PH proof against cat urine.... Finally, the design has VERY high sides and it is round as opposed to the traditional rectangular shape. If you notice, cats always make circular movements in their litter box. The shape of the box fits their natural movements. I also like the Less Earth litter box because other metal boxes (and plastic too of course) tend to get scratches and degrade ovetime, which costs more money in the long run when they have to be replaced. This one does not have to be replaced. It's pricey upfront, but you're saving money down the road and you have a top of the line, highest quality litter box. 🙃 I just got one for my ragdoll kitten

***Less Litter Earth is the brand name -- just noticed my typos 🤦‍♀️

@@everything-pz2ev I'm located in germany so probably not worth the shipping cost. :) But thank you for coming back to me with the brand name!

You could also get food cooking steel container it's the same thing.

Where do you get one of these in the UK 🤔 I'm curious about it, I hope she has tips to contain the smells of litter

interesting. is it plastic?

@@amel2784 cement mixing trough=cement😅

@@GGugg-gk8eg I think it’s a trough for mixing cement so not necessarily cement itself

@@maloumasereel966Gotcha. I am a literal reader.

@@amel2784 yes. It's a heavy plastic.

i was thinking about those but cant find in where i live

Are you saying you threw the pan away with the litter every day?

The oil from wood shavings can be dangerous for pets. I think I saw a yt video on that.

@Jazz K - Exactly. Three of my cats got so sick from it that they couldn't swallow. It caused their esophagus to swell. It could've even caused liver failure. We ended up spending $2000+ on the vet visits and medication. All to save a couple dollars on litter.

@@kellmac The pine kitty litter needs to be kiln dried so the oil is removed.

@Jazz K - It was regular pine litter sold for cats.

There is a sawdust kitty litter available here which is sawdust which has been compressed into pellets. I used mind a neighbour’s car and they were using it. When the liquid hits it the pellets breakdown into sawdust again. And it uses a double tray where the sawdust can drop thru to the bottom tray. I was really impressed by how little smell there was, even for the poo as the pellets were pretty large but somehow it suppressed it still. The was reusing a waste product and was natural. Sounds like you have discovered your own, cheaper and just as effective version of this.

Our kitty litter boxes are next to our toilets.

Exactly! Mine too.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm glad you like the walnut litter. I still haven't found an alternative that I think is worth switching.

Try softwood pellets! Much cheaper but works exactly the same as the walnut shell litter.

My white-pawed cat gradually got brown feet from the walnut litter!

Walnut is toxic to all animals.

Or dump that water in the toilet? That's what I do.

We always sanitized the tub, and taps afterwards, you could also clean it outside. Tho its best to dump waste water down the drain.

Cats make micro scratches in the both plastic and most cheap, stainless boxes which harbers bacteria. BUT! Not all metal boxes are made the same either. I literally spent a month sifting through metal box brands, and they all had some major flaw. However!! I came across one finally 🤣 Less Litter Earth is the BEST for metal litter boxes. They're made from medical-grade stainless steel. Their website breaks it down, but in a nutshell, there are at least 3 grades that they mention... Stainless Steel 200 (metal staws, kitchen utensils, and kitchen trays) ... Stainless Steel 304 (commercial equipment, pots & pans, outdoor BBQ grill) ..... and finally, Stainless Steel 316 (surgical instruments, marine applications, medical equipment) ..... The Less Litter Earth litter box is made from stainless steel 316. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, this stainless steel type rates 5 stars at being able to stand up against degradation from cat urine and 5 stars for being corrosion resistant. It resists odor, bacteria, ammonia in cat urine, stains, and rust. It is PH proof against cat urine.... Finally, the design has VERY high sides with a lower front opening for them to get inside. Also the shape of the litter box is round as opposed to the traditional rectangular shape. If you notice, cats always make circular movements in their litter box. The shape of the box fits their natural movements. I also like the Less Litter Earth litter box because other metal boxes (and plastic too of course) tend to get scratches and degrade ovetime, which costs more money in the long run when they have to be replaced. This one does not have to be replaced. It's pricey upfront, but you're saving money down the road and you have a top of the line, highest quality litter box. 🙃 just got one for my ragdoll kitten!

Your vet must be high 😅 anything that's not routinely and properly cleaned will harbor gunk and germs. Bamboo/natural fibers and plastic, yes, toss. Stainless steel? No. 😂 Glass, etc is fine too but it shatters and breaks. If it chips you need to toss it...

Yeah, my first thought was restaurant supplies.

Yes definitely! Just make sure the outside of the pan is rounded over. Sometimes those edges can be sharp!

@@jesscaticles great point :D p.s. i love the mound idea, do you think it would be suitable for litter diggers? has jericho ever miss the mound?

I tried this and my cat refused to even step in it, so heads up if you have a very sensitive cat, this may not be an option

Glad it was helpful!

Yes definitely small baby steps!

Not all are made the same. I literally spent a month sifting through metal box brands, and they all had some major flaw. However!! I came across one finally 🤣 Litter Earth is the BEST for metal litter boxes. They're made from medical-grade steel. Their website breaks it down, but in a nutshell, there are at least 3 grades that they mention... Stainless Steel 200 (metal staws, kitchen utensils, and kitchen trays) ... Stainless Steel 304 (commercial equipment, pots & pans, outdoor BBQ grill) ..... and finally, Stainless Steel 316 (surgical instruments, marine applications, medical equipment) ..... The Less Litter Earth litter box is made from stainless steel 316. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, this stainless steel type rates 5 stars at being able to stand up against degradation from cat urine and 5 stars for being corrosion resistant. It resists odor, bacteria, ammonia in cat urine, stains, and rust. It is PH proof against cat urine.... Finally, the design has VERY high sides and it is round as opposed to the traditional rectangular shape. If you notice, cats always make circular movements in their litter box. The shape of the box fits their natural movements. I also like the Less Earth litter box because other metal boxes (and plastic too of course) tend to get scratches and degrade ovetime, which costs more money in the long run when they have to be replaced. This one does not have to be replaced. It's pricey upfront, but you're saving money down the road and you have a top of the line, highest quality litter box. 🙃

This is something I've been doing for the past couple of months. Makes the task of cleaning the litter box a breeze.

Wouldn’t this use up the litter faster than scooping? or how did you make it work?

My routine is to use 5 cottage cheese containers of clay litter each time. That is plenty for 3-7 days at a time. I don't dump a whole bag. That would get expensive.

@@rebelbecky276 Neat! This sounds like an easier way to save time and hassle without costing too much. Thanks for sharing :)

lucky you! Maybe my cats are excessive pee-ers, but if I didn't scoop the pee daily, my 2 cats would fully soak the bottom of the box in a few days. No amount of calcium carbonate (baking soda) would neutralize that smell (I have tried that). If I let their pee "compost" in the box, the smell in the bathroom would be intolerable. I think this might work if your box is not inside your house.

@@RokiMowntinHi I only had one large elderly cat at the time and I used garden lime not baking soda (which lowers ph but is salty and bicarbonate of soda and not calcium carbonate like garden or Barnlime), and as soon as the litter is thoroughly wet and at that point also stinky, you need to maybe rescue the dry bits on top and certainly dump out all the wet stuff to mulch plants in the garden or stick in a compost bin. In a 3 cat household it is recommended to have 3 litter boxes. Cat daddy has some good videos on litter box metholodgy. Some cats won't tolerate pine pellets under their paws and you need to use finer grain litter. You could expand the pine pellets with water let them dry again and use that for litter, but you would have more tracking debris. There are other types of compostable litter, like corn cobs or recycled newspaper.