Litter box changes?

Question

This is a pretty rediculous question, but I want to know if you wash out your cat's litter box when you do a litter change. A friend of mine (who also has a cat) and I somehow got to talking about how I wash my cat's box out completely with antibacterial soap and hot water. Apparently I am crazy for doing this :-P Though it's not very pleasant, it makes a lot more sense to clean the whole box if you're going to be putting in all new litter. Anyone else do the same?

Kittycat: I've tried litter liners, which otherwise are a great idea, except my cat tears them up with his claws pretty badly.

Lizzy: I use plain old antibacterial dish soap.

Answer 1

Okay well for starters cats are very picky animals and only will go in clean litters. I have 3 cats myself and found that litter liners are no good. My cats tear them up and make a mess. I have tried many things and found a sheet of news paper at the bottom of the tray are great, the cats dont really notice or scratch it up. I do wash my litter tray out with baby soap as it is gentle and non toxic so it doesnt harm the cats. It also has a pleasant smell and lasts. I change my litter 2 times a week. I choose paper based littter as it is soft on my feet and their paws. Overall you are not weird about washing your litter tray but if you use paper based littter and some news paper it will reduce the ammount of washing dramatically

Answer 2

You're not crazy, cats have a very acute sense of smell and are naturally clean creatures. I spray the litter box with antibacterial spray when I change the liner and litter both for the cats sake and mine. You also need to thoroughly wash your hands after touching the litter tray as there is a disease - Toxoplasmosis - that is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and unborn children. You are practicing good hygiene both for you cat/s and your home.

Answer 3

Yup, I wash my litter pans after dumping the used litter. I have 6 litter pans......3 are in use, and 3 are soaking with Clorox, then I rinse them THOROUGHLY and switch them every other day.

Clorox is the best disinfectant for litter pans and if you rinse then thoroughly there is no harm to your cats. Being doing it this was for decades and never lost a cat becuse of it. Anti-bacterial soap does NOT kill all the germs.

Part of being a cat lover involves unpleasant chores, but the alternative is just not appealing. I will suffer through scrubbing 9 pans a week as opposed to living without cats.....:)

Answer 4

It is best to rinse the box or wash with a mild dish soap. Be careful with the antibiotic and disinfectant stuff, cats can be sensitive to these products. Phenols (in Lysol and Pine-sol for example) are highly toxic to cats. The cleaner the boxes, the less likely you are to have an issue with inappropriate urination.

Answer 5

I do the same thing with a litter box cleaner spray I got at a pet store, makes no sense to dump out stinky litter and leave the box stinky. Don't listen to your friend, you're doing the right thing!! I also tried the liners, my baby tears them to shreds - no use.

Answer 6

Absolutely, its not a waste of time, your not crazy and your not OCD. It is better for your cat and homes overally health and air quality, think about it, it is similar to mouthwash. "if i brush my teeth, why use mouthwash if im just going to brush my teeth again later anyways, mouthwashs is a waste" but actually its not, mouthwash kills the buildup of germs and bacteria and kills anything (mysterious) that may be lurking, like a virus. Same goes for your litter box, washing it with antibacterial soap kills most of the germ, and since it is in contact with feces, its a good practice to do it often, it keeps your cat and yourself healthy

Answer 7

do u use litter box liners at all? they are really handy. when i first got my cats i never used the liners. i used to also wash out the boxes with hot water and lysol. since using litter liners i now wipe out the boxes with those lysol wipes before putting in new liners. every few months i will actually wash them out with lysol and hot water. i think it's nicer for the boxes t o be really clean. i think it's great you are looking after your kitty so well :)

Answer 8

in case you have the clumping sort then the urine would desire to be clumping up besides. It seems such as you're cleansing on a popular foundation yet something you will desire to remember is that kitty urine is ammonia based, and is the reason the ammonia like scent in the muddle container. If the scent is effectual then you definately would desire to evaluate taking your cat to the vet to be checked for a URI or different ailments. I certainly have one 7-month previous kitten and that i take advantage of Dr. Elsey's helpful Cats type muddle. they have Kitten allure to and Cat allure to. whilst those are designed greater for kittens who want help muddle-training, i admire them through fact they are ninety 9% dirt-loose and does a superb activity of hiding smells. i do no longer would desire to alter the muddle very usually in any respect as long as I scoop popular. it quite is somewhat greater costly whether it quite works quite properly for me.

Answer 9

yes it does as long as your not doing that everyday, well it good if you do, but you when you change the liter it's good to wash the pan. I usely change my liter once a week, and i also put the carpet fresh for pet odor inside of my liter box.

Answer 10

I do it. I wah out the cat litter bos because it will also stink. it needs to be washed out.