How to Set Up and Maintain a Litter Box

Have you ever seen the commercial where the friends walk in and promptly pass out from odor? That could be your home if you don't maintain your cat's litter box properly! What? You say your litter box does not have an odor? Think again...

You may not even notice as you are in your home constantly. Someone coming in from the fresh outdoor air will indeed smell it. It is like a non- smoker that finds a smoker's house quite obnoxious. If you have multiple cats, you have multiple odors.

Unless you can afford one of the fancy self cleaning litter boxes, you are going to have to "stick your nose right in it" to keep it odor free. Every time your cat uses the letterbox, he or she will leave an odor behind, especially if they defecate. Don't think that by your cat covering it up, the odor is covered too.

A basic litter box is not very expensive and should come with a cover, so that the cat has some privacy while doing her job. You can purchase these at dollar stores or Wal Mart for around $20.00. The covered litter box snaps apart for easy cleaning and it also has a slide in filter to help with odor control.

A bag of litter box liners should be another standard item. These fit into the box much like a trash bag. They are very easy to use and help with litter disposal. The litter box liners also protect the plastic bottom and will avoid it retaining any of the odors.

Setting Up a Litter Box

To set the litter box up, you should sprinkle the bottom with a layer of baking soda and then insert the litter box liner. Use a good quality, absorbent cat litter. Some litter has air freshener in it and will release it as the cat scratches to cover their mess. Using litter that clumps when wet is good too, as it makes it easier to scoop out the "used" parts.

When you insert the filter into the top of the litter box, give it a good dousing of your favorite air freshener spray. This also helps control odor because when the cat is inside the litter box moving around, he or she will fan air past the filter and release a fresh smell.

Keeping the Litter Box Clean

Now that you have the litter box all set up the proper way, you need to maintain it. Knowing your cat's habits will help you know when to clean the clumps. If you do not want to clean the entire litter box on a daily basis, you will at least need to remove the smelly clumps where your cat has went to the bathroom.

Just unsnap the top lid and use a litter scooper to lift out the used parts. This may not be a very pleasant job for you, but it is part of cat ownership! Think of it as keeping the bathroom clean for your cat. You wouldn't want to sit on a dirty unflushed toilet would you?

Your cat does not want to step around, nor on, its own mess the next time it goes to the bathroom. A dirty litter box may even discourage the cat from using it. You should thoroughly empty and scrub the litter box at least every few days, depending on how many cats you have and their bathroom habits.

The litter box liners make this very easy. Just grab all four corners of the liner and close the bag up. Dispose of it in a trash can with a tight lid and the smell is gone. Dump the baking soda out of the bottom tray and give the entire litter box a good wash in hot water.

Dry it well before you reassemble it. You'll have to do this quickly or you may have a cat looking at you in scorn and contempt, much like the looks you get when taking to long in a public bathroom!