# litter box tips?



## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

Hello all! My boyfriend is looking to get a cat but his apartment is not small exactly, but everything is very connected - big wide doors and a very open living plan. So he is worried about the litter box situation. I figure lots of people must also have cats so I was just wondering if people had any tips on...

Where to put a litter box?
What type of litter box is least smelly? Have you had luck with the covered type?
What type of litter is least smelly?

Thanks guys!


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

Is he planning on getting a male or a female? Is it going to be fixed? A male cat that isnt fixed will likely spray so covered boxes help with that but spray doesnt stink. If you are going to have the kitty fixed then I would go with an open box as some cats need to sit very straigh up or it can cause UTI's. 

I think the bathroom is the best place for the box. I also like freshstep cat litter. I dont notice too much smell from the box but then I wash mine out once a week using bleach and in the summer I like to set them outside in the sun.


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## wakemup (Feb 6, 2011)

I use the Scoop Away brand litter for multiple cats. It really works well. If I had only one cat I would definitely get a self cleaning litter box (Littermaid works well but is expensive).


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

I use the Fresh Step for multiple cats non-clumping. One of my litter boxes that I use has a cover on it and a round hole on the top. It was advertised as dog proof, and the dogs do leave it alone.

Do you have a laundry area/ room? My bathrooms are not configured correctly to keep a litterbox in them. I have one in a daughter's room, one in a unseen hallway, and one in a spare room.

I recently saw some end tables at Petco, that have a place to keep the litterbox - thinking about maybe getting one for my daughter's room.

My kids are responsible for the litter boxes, so if the aren't cleaned regularly, yes they will smell.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

General V said:


> Is he planning on getting a male or a female? Is it going to be fixed? A male cat that isnt fixed will likely spray so covered boxes help with that but spray doesnt stink. If you are going to have the kitty fixed then I would go with an open box as some cats need to sit very straigh up or it can cause UTI's.
> 
> I think the bathroom is the best place for the box. I also like freshstep cat litter. I dont notice too much smell from the box but then I wash mine out once a week using bleach and in the summer I like to set them outside in the sun.


Unsprayed female cats can also spray. 

A clean box is a happy owner. I agree the bathroom is the best place plus you can easily clean the floor frequently from the kitty litter dust storms. I have tries various litter brands over the years I have never really seen a difference. As long as the box is scooped several times a day I don't find an odor present unless the cat does not bury there poo or misses the box with the poo on the edge of the box.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

wakemup said:


> I use the Scoop Away brand litter for multiple cats. It really works well. If I had only one cat I would definitely get a self cleaning litter box (Littermaid works well but is expensive).


I would love a self cleaning litter box but with 2 resident cats and fosters coming and going it would not work for me.


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## wmag (Mar 17, 2011)

I keep my cats litter box in the kitchen. My bathroom is just not big enough. My kitchen is pretty big so it is not a problem with it in the corner because it is far enough away from the table and the stove. I have one with a lid and I keep it facing the corner so the cats can get in but the dog can't. I like to use scoop away for multi cats. I never have a problem with it smelling but with 2 cats I make sure I clean it everyday sometimes twice a day.


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

What do you guys think about something like this? Would it work in your opinion?

Merry Products Cat Washroom-Night Stand & Pet House in White at PETCO

And how would you go about getting a cat that is used to a regular litter box to go in there? Just kind of toss them in and hope they figure it out?


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

Two dogs & two cats & two liter boxes. Dogs think they are filled with tasty treats, so each box has limited access. One has a pet gate with the cat door/gate on the bottom to the room where it is stored. It works great because I don't have to step over the gate to go in and clean it. The other is in the pantry and we cut a mouse hole shaped hole in the bottom of that door. That works great, except the cats are Big & rotund and so when the dogs were pups they could also fit thru the door. 

For awhile we had the litter box in an open corner between the washer and dryer and hung hooks on each and then suspended a small, cut to fit piece of plastic fencing to block the opening for the dogs. The cats could go over or under. That worked well for a long time, but was a pain to remove it to clean the box.

We like Arm & Hammer Reg Super Scoop best. It doesn't usually smell unless there was a recent deposit. Then I go and clean it out. They are both cleaned multiple times during the day. We've given up on the litter boxes from the pet store and just box a high sided, smooth bottomed plastic bin from walmart, lowes, etc. That way we can get a bigger box with higher sides since occassionally one of the cats decides not to squat so much when he urinates and it keeps it in the box and off the walls. Neither liked using a box with a lid. We also have an an ionic air machine in the pantry with the box and that helps with the smell too.

I personally have found the male cats to be more affectionate, as a rule but they are also more prone to issues of not using the box and or marking. Plus, their urine is sometimes more pungent. Also, often the poop is stinkier when they are fed alot of tuna based food vs. some of the other types.


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

No, don't do that. If you just tossed him in and it scared him now you have to deal with a cat that doesn't like the litter box. Or he might associated it with unpleasent occurances. Save some of his previous deposits and put it in there and he'll get the idea, especially if you leave the door open until he gets the hang of it. If you don't have a cat yet, then get it before you get him and have it waiting for him. That way you could lock him in the bathroom for a few days or week during the introduction period and he'd have his litter box. Or put a gate with the cat door or raised enough for the cat to scamper under it and the dogs can't for a safe zone for the cat. They always need a have a safe zone. 

Petsmart, and I am sure other pet places too, sell a litter that has a attractant in it to encourage them to use the box. Its a LOT more expensive then the regular, but I think a good investment when adding a cat to a household and things are new and scary. Keeps them from developing bad habits that are a pain to break.


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

BTW - from experience I can tell you if the cat urinates on the wood or pressed board, it will smell like that forever and encourage them to hit that spot again and again. That's my biggest concern with this type litter box and the reason we haven't gone to one. If its lines with something waterproof, it'd be great, but if there's a chance .....


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

Just to be clear, I didn't literally mean toss the cat in, I obviously would never do that! I just meant it as figure of speech - just casually put him near it or in it and see if he is okay with it! I would never force the cat to go in there! I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.


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## Lucky Penny (Nov 13, 2011)

I use Feline Fresh and like it a lot. There is no smell, unless the cat poops, then I scoop that out, and everything is fine! It has a fresh pine smell! I use a big litter box with a cover. My cat is happy!


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

You wouldn't be the first person that I'd heard of forcing a cat into a litter box - thats why I know it doesn't lead to good things. Didn't think you were going to "throw" it in there - although there's been times........... LOL 

I love having cats too. Different types of comfort from them.


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

Yeah, I just didn't want it to come off the wrong way! Thanks for all the litter tips guys! I'm much more used to dogs!


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## iforget (Jun 26, 2009)

We also use the scoop away litter in a covered cat box. But with two cats and two dogs we had to do some modification. My husband connected two hooks, one on the cat box and one on the wall with a chain connecting the box to the wall. We finally had to do this because the dogs love cats leftovers!! The dogs can longer get their noses into the entrance to help themselves.
Hope you find a safe spot for the box or you will have the same issue. Some treats are just worth the effort.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

I always have at least one more cat litter than cats, so two for one, three for two, etc.. I keep one in my bathroom (I found a nice box that looks like a wooden end table in Walmart that is made to hide litter boxes) one under a desk that is never sat at (again in the wooden-look box) and one in the laundry room.


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## jpajinag (Nov 25, 2010)

We use the silica type litter. It does not track like the clumping kind and controls almost all of the odor, it is the best odor control I have tried. It dehydrates the feces and therefore eliminates almost all smell and absorbes the urine. I have never had anyone come over that realized we had a cat because the smelled her. I have had multiple people remark how they shocked they were when she walked out because they could NOT smell her. We have never gone back to any other litter since. We also have a covered box, less tracking or digging spills and more doggie proof.


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