Successful cat litter box habits stem from many different
factors. A small investment of time pays off big with timely,
periodic cat litter box cleaning. The best "Thank You!" from
your cat is when she deposits a gift in her clean cat litter box.
Why should you empty out the old litter and scrub the box? As
your cat uses the box, she uses her claws to scratch litter to
cover her urine and feces. Cat urine gets into these cracks and
begins to smell so bad after awhile that your cat may begin to
avoid the litter box. Old cat litter smells extremely bad, and
as you scoop out cat deposits, the amount of cat litter is less
and less with each scoop. If your cat feels she doesn't have
enough litter to cover her mess, she'll find another solution -
usually outside the cat litter box.
While not difficult, it is important to properly clean a cat
litter box to eradicate as much cat urine odor as possible. With
a little bit of practice, you can quickly and easily clean cat
litter boxes to ensure consistent litter box habits from your
kitties.
First, empty out the cat litter box into a trash can with a
closeable bag. Don't get too close to the dust and breathe it -
the stuff is foul and it'll cause you to cough! Repeat this step
for all cat litter boxes in your home.
If you use clumping litter, be sure to scrape out all litter
clumps and loose bits. When you're scrubbing out the cat litter
box with hot water, you don't want major chunks going into your
drain system. The clumping litter will do exactly what it's
supposed to...clump! If this happens, you'll be calling your
plumber!
Spray or pour a little bit of your favorite enzyme cleaner into
the empty cat litter box. I either use Dumb Cat or Simple
Solution. Let this sit in the box while you proceed to the next
step.
Go back to the cat litter box location and sweep up all the
loose litter. If you use a rug or a mat, pick it up, take it
outside, and give it a hell of a shake to dislodge all loose
litter granules. Go back inside and use your enzyme cleaner to
wipe down the area where the cat litter box resides.
While this area is drying, run hot, soapy water and put some in
the cat litter box, along with the enzyme cleaner. I recommend
you wear rubber gloves during the entire cleaning process to
keep a barrier between the box and your skin. Use a scrub brush,
and scrub out the cat litter box thoroughly.
Rinse the box well, and let it dry for a few minutes. Check the
cat litter box area, and make sure it's dry. Place the litter
box mat or rug back in place.
Fill up the cat litter box with your cat's favorite litter. How
much do you put in? It depends upon your cat. Some cats like the
box filled up; others only require a couple inches worth of cat
litter. Pay attention to your cat; she'll tell you how much she
needs. Be sure to put enough in so kitty can cover her deposits
when she's made them.
Finally, haul out the garbage bag that contains the old, dirty
litter. There's less chance of your house smelling like cat
urine odor if the bag is promptly removed from your home.
How often should you clean your cat litter boxes? I have three
cat litter boxes for two cats. The two most heavily used cat
litter boxes get cleaned weekly. The third, lesser-used one is
cleaned every other week.
Repeat this for every cat litter box in your home. Sometimes JJ,
my older cat, will hang around while I'm cleaning the boxes.
Once I put them back in place, he often hops right into one and
makes an immediate deposit, as if he was just waiting for me to
finish!
When you're done, take a long, hot shower to clean yourself!
It's a great reward after a dirty job.
Happy cleaning!
About the author:
Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home,
and kept the kitty that caused it.
http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
RSS feed: http://quikonnex.com/channel/view/caturineodoradvisor
|
