Question for Jen and others with multi-cat households

[catcrazylady]

I have three Jumbo litter boxes for my nine. I scoop in the morning, evening, and before I go to bed. We do not completely empty and clean as often as we should. Probably every six months unless there is goo on the sides. We just keep adding fresh litter as needed. They seem ok with it so I'm ok with it.

[sirrahbed]

Two jumbo boxes for three cats using Fresh Step Premium. We scoop twice a day and I keep a tiny broom/dustpan to pick up the kicked out litter. No problem with anything uncovered because we have superfinicky Emily who does catbox patrol and makes sure EVERYONE'S business is covered. As for a total empty and scrub.. well, can't even remember when I last did that - many months I am sure, but there is no odor and we keep them in the same room off the hall. Once a week or so, I remove the boxes to vacuum and mop the floor really well under and behind, etc.

[Felicia's Mom]

Two boxes for two cats. Both boxes are in the bathroom, and they are scooped at least twice a day.
The litter is made of wheat and is flushable. I have not completly changed the litter since I started using this brand.

[Lallypop11]

Only cat lovers would be talking about poo, hehehe, I love it.

To answer the question, I have 3 cats and 2 big covered litter boxes. I scoop everynight before bed and only change and clean the whole box when it looks or smells bad. I just add litter.

Once we got the third cat, we realized the second litter box was needed after one of the cats (we know it was Priss, hence her name) pooped in the shower twice. Imagine my surprise when I went to take a shower!

Just 2 days ago she made one poop in the HALL! We caught her covering it up. I think it was because I had been in the process of cleaning the new litter box (her favorite) and stopped when my show came back on and left the lid open and the plastic bag and scoop in her way....talk about a PRISS! I had to laugh at it because just seeing the poop in the hallway was hilarious and to hear my fiance, her favorite person in the world and she's his baby girl, trying to discipline her "Priss! Don't poop in the hallway!" It was too funny.

Silly Kitties.

I can't belive Jen with the 18 boxes! That's love!

[jazzcat]

I have three cats and four litter boxes (two are jumbo sized). I scoop once a day.

[Julie Grove]

I have two litter trays and Lucy has access to outside. In this weather she prefers not to go outside though.

I have read somewhere that it is not advisable to use bleach around cats, particularly in case they walk on it and then clean their paws. (I shall see if I can dig out the paperwork where I read that). I usually use "green" washing up liquid and a bit of elbow grease! Seems to do the trick.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Once again I am feeling inadequate....we have two litter boxes. I, along with my faithful helper Eddie, scoop only once a day -- in the evening actually. Once he checks the quality of my work, he leaves a new sample. (While we are in the basement he also takes the opportunity to greet Turnip the guinea pig with a pat on the head through her cage )

I have posted before of the Battle of the Pans. Right now I am trying to get them (Edwina) to accept the same litter in both pans so I don't have to buy two different brands.

The pans are not in a heavy traffic area so I'm not aware of any odor problems.

And I keep a small broom by Eddie's pan. He's a kicker.

[Cataholic]

7 cats, 6 boxes. I scoop the box once a day, in the am.

I change out the whole box prolly 4 times a year.

[leslie flenner]

let me know if you find that article. Years ago, a cat rescue org. told me that bleach is so safe you can actually drink it and be ok (small amt.). I know, that's just wierd!
Anyway, if the bleach is mixed with 1 part bleach and 2 parts water it's supposedly fine and kills bacteria. When I had a bad ringworm thing going on in my apt. years ago, I was advised by yet another rescue group to make the above solution and use it to wash the cats with a washrag squeezed out from the solution. I did that as well as used a garden pump with solution to spray baseboards, walls, the bed and furniture (they deliver a fine mist) Ring worm is SO hard to get rid of and Fulvicin sucks. There is a better remedy now that kills it so much faster. (Than the typical 8+ weeks). And the bleach helped control it and tresederm on the cat's ringworm areas helped too.
But anyway, if there are any dangers, us in MA need to know- bleach is used in all the shelters (one place I went to made us walk through a pan of bleach solution in a big pan they keep inside the doorway to prevent others from bringing in infectious diseases, conditions, etc.

[Julie Grove]

I found the article. You can see it at www.fabcats.org under Poisons in the Home (Feline Advisory Bureau). It says that bleach is POTENTIALLY dangerous so I suppose it is not absolutley clear.

[sirrahved]

Neither of my cats cover...

We bury for them when we're in the bathroom (where the kitties' litter is) and scoop once a day or every other day. We empty the litter once a week. they have a big litter box. We had to buy it after we had problems with going outside of the box when we got Pickles.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Two cats and two jumbo litter boxes. We scoop AM and PM, and empty and bleach them every 4 weeks.

BTW, if someone does a REAL STINKER, shake some of that "Shake and Vac" powder into the box. (Connors nick-name is Stinky-Butt - for VERY good reasons ). The "Shake and Vac" works as well as commercial litter deoderiser, and is half the price for a huge tin.

[Kirsten]

Originally posted by Ally Cat's Mommy


BTW, if someone does a REAL STINKER, shake some of that "Shake and Vac" powder into the box. (Connors nick-name is Stinky-Butt - for VERY good reasons ). The "Shake and Vac" works as well as commercial litter deoderiser, and is half the price for a huge tin.

That sounds interesting, never heard about that here! I've got some litter box deo with vanilla flavor. Has a nice scent and the girls don't mind it.

Kirsten

[Randy_K]

Glade Shake N Vac is a carpet deoderizer marketed by SC Johnson and is available in the UK. There's probably something like it in Germany if not that same product.

I use a baking soda-based cat box deoderizer by Arm & Hammer. It has a pleasant scent and does a good job of killing the odor.

[AvaJoy]

I have 6 cats. Two are FeLV+ and have to be separated and have their own boxes. For the 4 that have the run of the house, I have 4 large boxes and use unscented Exquisicat clumping litter. I ritually scoop morning, evening, before bedtime, and whenever in between.

My black and white cowgirl Debra will pee inappropriately at times, so I try to make sure whatever box she may choose is clean enough for her, or she will pee on the litter catcher outside at the box entrance. She will never cover her poops or pees, and she will also pee/spray down the inside of the box at times, so I have paper towels and Simple Solution to clean up after her.

With clumping litter, I never have felt it necessary to empty a box; I just add more as needed, and keep it quite deep, which is why those automatic litermaid boxes would never work for me and mine.

No cat odor in my house (except momentarily after Debra does her poop) and if any of my cats were sick with worms or something contagious, then I would feel the need to completely empty and sanitize the boxes.

Only problem I have is with the darned DUST!!!!!

The 99% Dust-Free claims of the litter manufacturers are total BS, for sure!

I used to use Scoop-Away unscented, until their "unscented" started having a fragrance. I complained to the company but they still insist on adding fragrance to their "unscented", which is false advertising. I have opened the plastic to stick my nose in the boxes, hoping I had just gotten a batch that got mixed up at the factory, but not so and I had to switch brands.

Does anyone know if only clay-based litters are clumping, or are there alternatives? I won't go back to any litter that is not clumping . . . wonderful invention . . . but I just can't stand the dust that lands on everything close by to the box. Maybe it is due to the natural breakdown of the litter, since I never actually change it completely, even though I am replacing it cupful by cupful . . . I'm stymied and want answers, because I have even tried to pour a brand new box of litter back and forth into buckets to try and rid it of as much dust as possible, but the nature of the beast must be that the dust only increases as the litter gets moved around . . . I don't know what the answer is !!!