How to Change Your Cat's Litter Box

I know that cats are very clean animals. They like to groom themselves often and make sure their coat is 'cat-clean' proof. However, if your cat lives indoors his litter box hygiene is something he depends on you for. Follow these simple steps to ensure that your cat's litter box is clean and up to 'cat standards'.

1. The first step is to discard the used cat litter as well as as the litter bag.

2. Wipe the whole litter box with a disinfectant. However, be careful not to use strong cleaners such as Clorox since the smell and ingredients are very strong and could negatively affect the cat's sensory organs and skin. I prefer to use vinegar which also acts as a disinfectant but is non-toxic and the vinegar smell usually dissipates right away.

If the litter box is very soiled, it might be preferable to completely rinse if off with hot water and soap and brush off all dirt and waste before wiping it down with the disinfectant.

3. Place a new litter bag into the litter box. Make sure the corners of the bag are lopping over the sides of the box, so you can easily grab it when it's time to replace it.

4. A quick tip is to sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of the box, which will help to absorb strong odors.

5. Pour fresh cat litter on top of the baking soda filling about 1/2 to 3/4 of the litter box. Make sure not to over or under fill the box, as this will cause a cat litter mess every time your cat steps in and out of the box or just not enough cat litter which could result in your cat soiling its paws.

6. I strongly recommend using pine litter as opposed to other litter types since I find it masks strong odors more efficiently, it doesn't give off dust which is inhaled by your cat when they shift the cat litter around inside the box and it lasts clean twice as long as other cat litters.

7. Depending on the amount of cats that you have, boxes should normally be changed every couple of days. The more cats, the more often it should be done. If you use self cleaning litter box, you’ll clean the waste drawer once a week.

So, there you have it. Follow these easy tips for a squeaky clean litter box. Your feline will appreciate it!