For the first four weeks of living in our new home, the cats were fascinated with the mysterious, unexplained, automatic litter boxes. They developed a routine I nicknamed “the approach.” It was a timid walk-over to sniff the side, then careful entrance into the box, head first. Once it was clear nothing was moving, there was a slow step into the litter. Then the next paw, then finally all four. Promptly when the business was done and pawing completed, there was a fearful jump out, then walk-around to sit and wait for the mysterious noise. They jumped, every time, as the magical rake came to life and slowly pushed the poops into an unknown place, where they were never found again. Not stopping there, the rake started moving again, right back. What fascination! Is it alive? Is it chasable? Is it a threat? Three months of careful, regular observation finally convinced them: nothing was going to bite or snarl, and the rake only comes out well after business is done. And that meant three months of entertainment for us!
I was so happy that they didn’t protest the new boxes. When we had the cheap, typical, plain, plastic boxes that I feel like everyone starts with… Ariel frequently became upset with the quality of the litter, and would do the unthinkable: go JUST outside the box! She would choose a spot close to it, in the nearest and most annoying place possible. Which was typically on my bath mat, as the boxes were kept in the bathroom. She needed to make absolutely sure I saw the protest. And ooooh I saw it.. But no amount of yelling “bad cat!” or “gross!!” made a difference. If I didn’t scoop every day, or if the litter got too stinky, the protest was repeated.
Figuring out Litter and Boxes
If you’ve ever brought a new cat home or are planning to, one of your main concerns is probably “Ok, how do I give it a litter box and make sure it uses it?” Thankfully all it takes is a little reading, and you can choose one and prepare well enough for a successful routine. Several sites such as Northampton Veterinary Clinic have quick, easy resource reads on that. The little time spent pre-researching can pay off in literally months of happy cat ownership days ahead.
As someone just learning as I went, here’s what I did:
I started right away with crystal litter (have you seen the “pretty litter” commercial?). I have a thing with bad smells. It really bothers me, and I’ll even air my house out in the morning just to freshen it up. The crystals really do the best at absorbing urine smell. Unlike normal cat litter, it doesn’t clump though, so the urine collects in the bottom until absorbed by the crystals. But it absorbs completely! However, you do have to scoop the poops every day, or likely risk…the protest.
With the typical plastic cat box, I used a slated scooper to shake off the crystals, and flush as soon as possible after the cats finished. (Making a cringe face the entire time, every time haha.) For me, not having “cat smell” in my home was worth the extra few dollars and work of scooping. Whereas my friends would be able to leave their clay litter boxes sit for a few to several days without attention, although there was a smell. But if you’re not a smell freak like me and can handle a little odor now and then, my budget tip is: clay litter. Clay litter has been used successfully for decades by thousands of cat owners, is cheaper, and sold everywhere. I’ve even seen it at gas stations. Click here for more budget tips!
Now that we have upgraded to the super bougie, automatic, self-cleaning litter boxes (see my link in Elle’s list), life has become SO much easier. While significantly more expensive (about $120/month for the refill litter trays), they are a game changer!! I LOVE them. They really do contain the smells, and there is no more scooping involved. In fact, if you empty them right, you don’t ever even see the poops.
Plus, it is an excellent way to have the freedom to leave your cats while you go on vacation. I’m talking about a real trip. We took a 10-day trip across the country over Thanksgiving, and the entire time the boxes just kept scooping and cleaning, scooping and cleaning, taking care of everything. There were no messes when we got home, just a couple of anxious cats who thought we had let them forever.
(bet you can’t guess where the box is!)
Budget tip: instead of changing the trays every month, alternate with just buying bags of litter and re-using the trays. It works, I promise!
Why Having Litter Boxes Makes Cats Great
What these litter boxes, and this kindof gross discussion highlight, is one of the greatest things about owning cats: how easy they can be! Just providing them with the right kind of supplies makes cat ownership feel like a breeze. That leaves all the more time to focus on just enjoying each other when you are together. Which at the end of the day, as they curl into little balls at your feet and get ready to drift off to sleep with you… leaves you with that warm, contented happiness that cat owners around the world experience and love.
Please note that CatLoveLady provides general educational information on various topics on this website as a public service, which should not be construed as health, medical, mental health, professional, or veterinary advice. These are my personal opinions only. See more in our disclaimer policy here.