How often should you replace litterboxes??

[moosmom]

After ccompletely cleaning 5 litterboxes, I was just wondering how often they should be replaced. I know that plastic has a tendency to harbor bacteria, germs and odors. I've had my cat boxes for a while. Does anyone here replace their boxes with new ones??? If so, how often?

I'd appreciate any input.

[Freckles]

I read someplace, once a year. I've never change it that often.
Recently the litter box seemed stinky even with new litter, so I replaced it even tho it was only five years old!:eek: The new box was completely smooth and I realized the bottom of the old box was rough from scratching, and probably harbored the smells.

[Uabassoon]

I've also heard once a year. Which means it's time for me to get some new litter boxes.

[boscibo]

I got new ones last year, but before that I bet it had been about 7 years! I never knew they should be replaced that often. :eek: I do take them outside in the summer when the hose is hooked up and scrub them out with bleach. I always use thick liners and newpaper between box and liner so no dirty litter ever touches the box itself.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I also didn't know that they had to be replaced so often. I have 2 litterboxes and have had one of them for almost 6 years now. I had to replace the other one because the latches to the hood broke on it. I'm going to a new pet supply store tomorrow with AmberLee so I guess I should look at some new litterboxes too.

[neko1]

I do replace mine about once a year. They're cheaper to buy at wallmart than the pet store.

[moosmom]

I can't remember when I bought my litterboxes, so I guess it's time to replace mine as well. I might just replace one at a time (I have 5 :eek: ) which can get a little expensive.

I was eyeing one of those round Booda boxes last night at Petco. It's sort of self-cleaning. It has a tray the clumps land in that you pull out and dump. Pretty cool! Anything to help my litterbox chores :D.

[Vio&Juni]

I bought one for Juni last year, the one consisting of two parts. She used in the beginning only for nr. 2, which is stupid, because it was good esp. for nr. 1. The liquid goes through those bars and the paws are dry. Well, can you explain that to a kitty? Then she started not using it at all. Only the old one, which is falling apart already. I have to buy one more, although the one I bought last year is like new. Still, I can't just remove this one, I tried, she doesn't use the new one.
That's a big question. What to do? I hope I'll figure out somehow.

[rosethecopycat]

I wipe mine down with alcohol after scrubbing it a few times a year.

[moosmom]

Vio & Juni,

How would you rate the box (On a scale of 1-10, 10 being best)?? I really liked the fact that there was alot of room in it. I might buy one for now just to see how they like it.

Cats are fussy creatures, aren't they??? But ya gotta love 'em!!

we have 2 litter-boxes . I scoop "everything" out every day ; I buy the litter that clumps , so that is easy ! I change the whole filling every 2 weeks ; then I always wash out the box too with a regular dishcleaner . this works out perfectly ! My cats do agree;)

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by lut
we have 2 litter-boxes . I scoop "everything" out every day ; I buy the litter that clumps , so that is easy ! I change the whole filling every 2 weeks ; then I always wash out the box too with a regular dishcleaner . this works out perfectly ! My cats do agree;)

Wow, if only you lived closer, I would have you to my house to clean it! I don't even clean my things as well (I guess no one will come visit me :( ).

I don't clean mine more than once a year, and I must admit, they need it now. I put whole fresh litter in it when I clean them. So, I guess I will stop at the store and buy 10 tubs of litter, go home and clean them all out, and refill them. What a weekend, huh?

LOL !!!
No thanks , I have enough with our litter-boxes here !! :D ;) :D

[NoahsMommy]

I know I had planned on buying new ones once a year....what do they do to them?? :D

We have the covered ones, and they seem to hold up better than the non-covered ones. I have no idea why.

We out fresh litter in every two weeks and clean them with those Clorox Wipes or 409. Nice and clean smelling! :) I am an anal person when it comes to germs/cleaning/smells. ;)

[All Creatures Great And Small]

:o :rolleyes: I'm in the "not often enough" group, I guess. I have never replaced the litterbox in the 4 years I've had it, and I have only replaced the entire contents of the clumping litter maybe twice? Funny, because I'm an "anal" person about cleaning and germs too, but since the box is downstairs in the laundry room, I don't really notice it. I think I'll replace the litter more often though, because it really does get stinky from the little crumbs that fall off of the clumps. I do wipe down the rim and/or sides if kitty "missed" the box.

I'd like to hear, too, from anyone who has used that rounded litterbox that you "roll" to clean it. It looks really interesting, but I couldn't quite figure it out in the store.

I think I misunderstood the original question here ... ! I was talking about the maintenance of the boxes :rolleyes: and the question was about when to "REPLACE" the whole box ...

Well , I replace them , when some part is breaking , when it gets to small ... , when the bad smell is staying put , no matter how much it is being cleaned ..!

Sorry !:rolleyes: :D

[moosmom]

Lut,

No problem. My boxes really don't hold the smell so I think I'm safe for a while. I did go and buy a couple of boxes (larger ones for Casey :( ) about 6 months ago. I'll tell ya, it's nice to have a room for all the cat's boxes! In my other apt. I used to keep them in closets.

[moosmom]

All Creatures,

Not to change the subject, but I LOVE your avatar!! It brings back fond memories of when I was a kid and used to spend weekends at my Nanny's (grandmother's) house. Every Saturday night she and my Bumpy (grandfather) would watch Lawrence Welk. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! :D

[Felicia's Mom]

How do you get rid of the litterbox? I have to put the box out for

the recycle/garbage men to take, but they won't take it. (it is

clean too). I don't drive so, I can't take it myself.:(

[moosmom]

I usually wash them out with hot water, soap and bleach and then donate them to the animal shelters. If they're really in bad shape, I'll just toss them. In CT where I used to live, I'd put them out for recycling and they would pick them up. In Michigan (I've been here 3 months) they don't recycle :eek: which I find very unusual. But every state is different.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

xx

[moosmom]

No, not sad. Just reminscent of our childhoods. They still have reruns of Lawrence Welk and every once in a while I'll turn it on. :rolleyes:

Let me know how the litterbox works out.

[Lachesis]

Whats the round, roly-poly litterboxes? Ive never heard of such a thing :)
We have 2 litterboxes but my sister just gave me a third one (I have one big box and one small and this one is big as well).

[Cataholic]

SOME people wake up on Sunday mornings, and go to church.
SOME people wake up on Sunday mornings, and read the paper.
SOME people wake up on Sunday mornings, and eat a big meal.

What do I do? CLEAN/SCRUB/SCOUR SIX LITTERBOXES SO I CAN POST ON PET TALK THAT I "REGULARLY" CLEAN THEM OUT!!

PEE-yew, my hands still smell like bleachy cleanser.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

xx

[boscibo]

I have one like that too, ACGAS, and I think it was less (either 19.99 or 24.99) at Target - for the smaller sized one.

One thing I learned - clean it out daily, because if there are a lot of "goodies" inside, they won't all fit into the tray, meaning I have to roll / empty more than once to get them all. At that point I find it easier to empty the whole thing into a plastic bag and start over.

But I like it a lot, I only have one but would like to buy more of them. Except Hanna is the only one who uses it, the other two cats insist on using clay litter.

[Vio&Juni]

Hooray! I threw the old litterbox that was falling apart and Juni just started using this one (with litter). If you remember, I said before, Juni was using her boxes only with paper or nothing. Now, I just bought some litter, poured it in the litter box and she used it like this was not the almost 2 years old litter box.
I liked the covered ones, but I am not sure if Juni would use it.
About cleaning them, I wash them with bleach or some other washing liquids at least once a week.

[All Creatures Great And Small]

Boscibo, you're right about the frequent cleaning with this style of litterbox. I don't know if it would be good in a household with multiple cats, because the surface area of usable litter is only 12" x 14" in the larger box. My kitty is one of those who can tolerate (and use) a box that hasn't been cleaned often enough :o :rolleyes: . I know some kitties will protest if their box isn't fresh every day (like my mom's RB kitty, who pooped down the bathroom sink drain once :mad: ).

Vio, if Juni adapted so quickly to the new litter, she probably wouldn't have a problem with a covered box, either - maybe you could experiment by putting the litterbox under some type of cardboard box enclosure, to see what she thinks before spending money on a covered box. (I don't think stores let you return used litterboxes - so I'm glad the one I bought worked out!)

[moosmom]

WOW!!! Geez guys, thanks for the testimonials. I went and scooped all my boxes just now and I think I'm convinced that those boxes are far better than the ones I currently have (the cloud of dust was the main factor, cough, cough).

[moosmom]

I took a ride to Petco to look at the rolling litterbox. They had one which was regular size. I sat on the floor and put it together to see exactly how much space the cats actually have to do their thing. The space is approximately 12"x14", which ain't a hell of alot of room when you're trying to squat and go (from a cat's perspective that is). I'm going to look around for the jumbo size and do the same thing . If it has more room, I'll try it and let you know.

[ChrisH]

Being as the topic is to do with litterboxes.....(Please try not to laugh too much at my ignorance as you read the question!:) )
Do all cats `bury` their urine in the cat litter as well as the other stuff?

[AmberLee]

Well, mine usually bury their liquid deposits as well as their solids, unless they're on a tight schedule. (No, I have no idea what constitutes a busy schedule for them, just trying to accurately report what goes on here... :rolleyes: ;) :p )

[shais_mom]

I have only had one kitty and I had a large square litter box with a cover that had a broken latch when I got it. I got Kylie in June of 2001 and I just replaced it with a new one this Dec. I got a booda one but It isn't like the one shown it is simply a round pan with a cover. She has plenty of room, and took to it right away. I saw them first in www.drsfostersmith.com but they didn't have the covers for them and where I have her box a cover is a MUST!!! Its in my closet and if my clothes fall off the hangers boom, its right in there!! YUCK! I found one with a cover at www.petsuppliesplus.com and I have been using the liners that come with it so that should make it last longer too. I really like using the liners, makes cleanup so much better!!
AND
I completely change the litter once a week. It just works out that way!!! And I scoop it it gets stinky if not just once a week!

[shais_mom]

OH and sometimes Kylie doesn't even bury the solid waste!!! That is when It is STINKY!!!

[wayne0214]

I keep 8 litter boxes and litter tubs around the houe, all made of plastic. They get scooped cleaned at least once every two days. Also, the contents gets changed about once every 3 days or so. It depends on how much they use it. Some boxes and tubs are used more than others. I never replace any litter material in the tubs and boxes unless first they are thoroughly washed out in the bathtub with dish detergent and a plastic bristled broom. Then they get new litter replacement material. So, far, I havn't had any problems with odors nor any of my furkids not wanting to use them. BTW, the old litter is dumped in the back yard so that my truck tires will grab on to the rock material -to keep them from sliding around when it rains here.:) Kitty urine is also burried more often than their poops, and it take its toll on cat litter (that is, it contaminates) more so than poops. When their boxes begin to smell like amonia, the I know that kitty urine has reached the saturation point, and the material needs to be changed, regardless if it is visible or not. Generally it is buried deep within the box.

......wayne:)

[All Creatures Great And Small]

Originally posted by AmberLee
Well, mine usually bury their liquid deposits as well as their solids, unless they're on a tight schedule. (No, I have no idea what constitutes a busy schedule for them, just trying to accurately report what goes on here... :rolleyes: ;) :p ) Too funny!! and too true!! Mine's just lazy; he rarely buries either one. I guess he's not worried about being found out by other animals in his little "wilderness". I don't think he received proper litterbox training in his mysterious formative years, either, because he just doesn't get the concept of "dig the hole, then turn around over it". He digs a hole, and then stares at the hole while doing his business wherever he happens to be, even if that's at the very edge of the box! :p :rolleyes: :D

[AmberLee]

Originally posted by All Creatures Great And Small
... he just doesn't get the concept of "dig the hole, then turn around over it". He digs a hole, and then stares at the hole while doing his business wherever he happens to be, ...

Too funny!! Unfortunately I read this while eating lunch at my desk. It's going to take a while to get all the rice I just laughed out out of my keyboard!!! :p :o ;) :eek:

Aren't they wonderful, albeit odd, little precious companions?!

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by All Creatures Great And Small
Too funny!! and too true!! Mine's just lazy; he rarely buries either one. I guess he's not worried about being found out by other animals in his little "wilderness". I don't think he received proper litterbox training in his mysterious formative years, either, because he just doesn't get the concept of "dig the hole, then turn around over it". He digs a hole, and then stares at the hole while doing his business wherever he happens to be, even if that's at the very edge of the box! :p :rolleyes: :D

GOODNESS, that is FUNNY AS HECKLES!!!

Are you guys all telling me that you CHANGE OUT COMPLETELY THE LITTER MORE OFTEN THAN ONCE A MONTH? What are you, a bunch of cleanaholics? With six cats and six boxes (thanks to JLB, I think) I scoop at least once (though normally, just once) a day, and switch out ALL litter no more often than once every four months or so..AND NO MY HOUSE DOESN'T SMELL LIKE A KITTIES PRIVATE PARTS!!!!! :p

[shais_mom]

Johanna, you are too funny!!
My brother in laws mom has about 15 - 20 cats. (Some indoors and some outdoors ALL have been spayed/neutered/microchipped/ and are current on their shots, she takes 3 to the vet a month!!!:o )
She scoops 3 times a day!!! Once in the morning, comes home on her lunch and scoops and in the evening!!!! Now that is a clean-a-holic!!!