A silly cattitude: Digging a toilet hole, then deciding to rest the paws
Building a toilet in the ground seems complicated, but cats can easily manage this task. I used to think cats follow the same basic technique when building and using their toilet on the spur of the moment several times a day. At ten years old, I stood corrected when I noticed my cat digging a hole in the ground with a determined look on her face, get into position to do her business and, to my surprise, rest her front paws in her newly bulldozed hole in the ground. I thought she was building a toilet hole, not an armrest. After doing her business, she gently scratched the ground here and there, possibly shredding a few strands of grass and making a few paw prints in the dirt. I thought this was a hilarious, unique kitty ritual until I noticed Smokey follow a similar pattern in his litter box.
They don’t always cover the poop…that’ll teach us humans to cover that stench for them
Many sources note that not covering the poop may indicate a sign of dominance. However, after seeing each of my cats waltz away from the litter box without covering their business, it’s as if they don’t give a crap in a light-hearted, carefree manner. This behavior makes me wonder if neglecting to cover the poop indicates that they are simply observing and learning. After all, if they see us tend their garden of poop, why would they continue to go through the trouble of covering that mess when they have a human servant waiting to clean up after them…just my two cents.
So, how can we prevent that stench?
When bringing Smokey home, I wanted to keep the litter box area as sanitary as possible and prevent my home from smelling like a porta potty. As an apartment dweller, I can’t simply toss the litter outside and rinse the litter box with the garden hose when it’s time to clean the litter box. After weighing my options, I began cleaning the litter box in the shower once a week as it seemed to be the most practical place to clean the litter box in an apartment. However, this may not be the best choice for some people, so before implementing a routine like this, you can check with your doctor as this may be a concern for those who are pregnant, immunocompromised, or have other health-related concerns.
The litter box setup
To make it easy for me to keep the litter box area clean on a daily basis, I use the following setup as shown in the picture below. This setup makes it easy to scoop the litter multiple times a day and keep the stinky waste contained in a covered mini garbage can.
Litter box cleanup
At least once per week, I use dishwashing liquid (diluted in water) to clean the litter box, scoop and container, garbage, and stairs. After cleaning the litter box items in the shower, I rinse each item, use a hand towel to dry the litter box and accessories, and then replace the litter. After cleaning the litter box and accessories, I just use whatever cleaner I prefer to use to clean the shower and this seems to work well without leaving any stinky odors behind. I also pour about a cup of baking soda followed by boiling water into the shower drain every once in a while. Be sure to thoroughly rinse to make sure you don’t leave any soap, chemicals, or baking soda residue in the shower. As an added precaution, I use a small hand towel to dry the shower since some cats sip the water left in the shower, and wiping away the residue will add an extra preventative measure to keep my cat from ingesting small amounts of chemicals or germs that may be left behind in the shower.
A few extra tips to keep in mind
When maintaining the litter box routine, I take the following steps to avoid a few common issues and make the cleaning process a little easier:
1. Avoid clogging the shower drain. Since I use clay litter, I don’t want the residue from the litter to get sticky and clump together when it gets wet while rinsing it down the drain. This may clog the shower drain over time, so I take an extra precaution step to prevent this from happening. After emptying the litter, I wipe the empty litter pan and litter scoop with a few wet paper towels until the dust and small pieces of litter from the litter pan and scoop are gone and then toss the paper towels in the garbage. Then the empty litter pan and accessories are ready to be rinsed and cleaned in the shower.
2. Use a non-stick scoop. Many litter scoops tend to get litter stuck to the scoop during the scooping process, so I use a non-stick litter scoop. I’ve found it quite easy to wipe away litter residue from this type of scoop compared to other scoops I’ve used in the past. Also, the litter sifts through the scoop rather quickly.
3. Keep the area around the litter box easy to clean. Since cats tend to scatter litter, I make sure the area around the litter box is easy to clean. I keep the litter box on a floor that has a smooth surface to make the area easy to sweep and mop. If a carpet floor is your best location for a litter box, you can keep the litter box on a desk chair mat if you want a smooth surface that’s easy to clean.
4. Keep the litter layer thick enough to prevent litter clumps from sticking to the litter pan. When the litter layer is poured too thin, the clumps of litter tend to stick to the bottom of the litter pan when Phoebe pees. To help prevent many of the litter clumps from sticking to the bottom of the litter box, I make sure to pour the litter into the pan until the layer is thick enough. As shown in the picture below, a litter layer of about 2 to 3 inches thick seems to work well in preventing clumps from sticking to the bottom of the litter pan after Phoebe pees.
