Please help me sort out my cat's litter tray, it's GROSS!

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

I have recently got two kittens, and their litter tray is a bit of a disaster arean thanks to them kicking litter and poo everywhere, but it's also a nightmare to clean.

The kittens "came with" a bag of fullers earth litter, which I've been putting straight into the tray. The litter clags up when it gets wet and turns into foul smelling clay which clings to the plastic and is really hard to get off without scraping it.

I find myself having to wash the tray every night in hot water (And then scrub the bath!) to try and get all the bloody stuff off it. Changing the tray seems to take about 15 mins every night and it's a vile job. I must be doing it wrong.

What do you use, what's your system, and how do you change it? Please help me!!!

[moshie]

First of all I'd get a tray with a lid so they can't kick litter all over the place. You can buy plastic liners to make cleaning easier, but I would change over from fullers earth to a different litter, but I think you'd need to do it gradually so that they would still recognise it as their loo.

[bozza]

I got a kitten last Thursday and she was using a kitten size tray with just ordinary litter in it, but we had the same problem of her kicking it everywhere. So I have bought a much bigger one, not with a lid, but with a sort of lip on it and it is much better for containing it. I have a scoop thing and just scoop out the messy bits into a bag and bin that and then refresh the full litter every few days. I tried the liners but she was getting her claws stuck in them.

[SqueakyPop]

When I had a cat, I had an electric litter tray. It was amazing - no more grossness.

[fruittea]

I use litter tray liners and the wooden pellet type litter. My boys are 3 now and outside a lot, so it's not in constant use, but we've always found the wooden stuff good. just scoop out as required, and when it's seen better days, pick up the whole liner and bin it, and replace.

[JoyS]

The cedar litter is quite good. I always put just enough in the tray to line the bottom and changed the whole thing every time there was a poo. My cat was really regular though so it might not work as well for kittens.

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Thanks a lot guys! will try the cedarwood pellet type then and get a deeper tray (still using kitten one)

squeaky pop, electric litter tray? was it costly? where would I find one and how do they work?

[SqueakyPop]

The name of the electric litter try is Littermaid. I got a deluxe version in Costco for about $50, which was about half the advertised price.

It works by detection movement in the litter tray (ie your cat), and starts a ten-minute countdown timer. After the 10 minutes, the tray is automatically raked and all solids (poo, and clumped litter from wee) is deposited into a lidded receptacle.

After about a week, you dispose of the receptacle, or if you are stingey like we were, just empty the receptacle and reuse.

They really are amazing.

[SqueakyPop]

Just had a peek on Ebay - you can get them for £60 - 80.

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Thanks, that's a bit pricy right now, but if I saw one on offer I'd go for it! I assume you're in America? they don't appear to be on the uk ebay. I've seen some cheap sifting litter trays which look ok though, and only about £13.

[SqueakyPop]

I'm in the UK and I just looked on Ebay UK - found loads.

[beanieb]

Don't use the fullers earth - it's awful. The clumping stuff is useless. I prefer the pink stuff they do in Tesco (or Wilkinsons) as it's easier to get the shits out and you don't waste as much.

My vet Cousin says you should have as many litter trays as you have vats. You should clean it out completely once a week.

[beanieb]

cats, not vats

[JamesAndTheGiantBanana]

Squakypop, sorry for assuming you were from the US, I was thrown by you saying dollars! I will have a better look on ebay later, I didn't see any!

BeanieB, Pink stuff, tesco. Righto!

[aaaarrrgh]

seconding the idea to change from clumping litter. Non clumping doesn't seem to smell as much. We use cheapo Tesco's own stuff.

Also, get a lidded tray, our cat seems happier with that too, think she feels more protected from small children watching her when she's pooing! (know how she feels! lol!)

Am going to investiage electric litter tray - sounds AMAZING!

[GroovyRach]

I was having the same trouble with my 2 house cats getting the litter all over the spare room (where the tray is). I bought a great tray from pets at home a few weeks ago. its got the lid over the top. sorta just looks like a cat carry box thing. now they can go in, dig and kick the litter till their hearts are content!!!

oh and funny story. i bought the sorta cheapish orange coloured litter from tesco a while back. changed their litter than night, woke up the next morning and my cats had been tangoed! it had turned their white paws a nice shade of orange

[elliephant]

Got a new kitten as well and was not happy with the sieving and cleaning job. However have thankfully discovered the magic of vinegar. Pour it into the tray and it dissolves any clumps instantly.Rinse tray out and its clean without any effort. You can use malt(brown) or distilled (clear). I line the tray as well, with either plastic bags or newspaper, which is a help. I think the litter bags aren't great though, they're really just light bin bags and my kitten rips them with her claws. I also buy cheap cat litter and just change it daily/ when required.

[ShinyPinkShoes]

I use Beauticat which is a wood pellet litter which dispells odours so much better than any other litter I've used.

I use a scoop and nappy sack to get rid of poos every other day and change the whole litter tray every 4 days (ish)

I get it from Sainsburys usually

[izzysauntyclaire]

Wow! electric thing sounds good! I've got a cattery and somebody once brought their own litter as she reckoned their cat wouldn't use anything else. It was the fullers earth clumping stuff, my God waht a bloody mess. The cat stood in his water bowl and had wet feet so then when he stood in the tray it was all clagged into his feet and stuck in his fur (he was long haired) i had to try and cut it out from between his toes. Consequently, I NEVER use or recommend fullers earth stuff! I used to use the wood pellets stuff but found that a bit dusty. I have tried lots of different products in my quest to find the best stuff and find nothing can beat Makro's own make. It's called Miaow and its a white, chalky looking granular type litter. Really good value and looks nice and crisp and clean in the tray.(Important in our place!) Also apparently Bob Martins do a good one you can get from Asda but it's a bit expensive for my liking!