Kitty Litter Tips and Tricks

We have two cats and they are a playful pair of little fellows.  We adopted them from RAPS when they were 9 months old and since then, they have grown 50% in size.  When we had meow meow, we only had one small kitty litter box for him and he did not complain or make a mess.  However, with two cats now, we decided it is a good idea to give them something bigger before they give us a mess.

So we looked at different pet stores in Vancouver but couldn’t find something that is big enough for two cats and yet does not look like a little house.   We also did some online searching and there are different hacks that people do to hide kitty litter box in furniture.  Actually there are specially made kitty litter box furniture as well.  But they are a bit pricy and usually are not any bigger than the 1 cat solution.

So we ended up spending $11 at IKEA for their kitty litter box.  It is a repurposed SAMLA storage box.  We bought the big, low profile version (79x57x18 cm) and without the kitty litter, 3 to 4 cats can sleep in there comfortably.  With this box, the increased surface area actually helps as now they can pick a cleaner part of the litter box to do their business without stepping on something smelly.  After using this for 6 months, we did not find any down side to it.  The box did not melt away from cat pee or anything, it is a pretty good litter box.

We also looked around for different kind of kitty litter for the fur kids.  We used to buy the cheap bulk box from Costco for meow meow.  It is clay based and is ultra absorbent.  The problem with the clay based kitty litter is that they are usually pretty dusty and might not be very healthy for your cats.  Imagine all the dust that gets on their paws and they have to clean them every time after finishing their business?  Also the clay stuff is not very friendly to the environment and is usually not flushable.  So we ended up having to use plastic bags to store the used litter and have to dispose the heavy bag after.

We also tried the crystal type (silica gel) kitty litter.  The crystal type kitty litter is in general a great product.  The crystal litter is bigger in size and usually does not track.  Also they absorb quite good when they are fresh and has really good odor control properties. This kind of kitty litter, however, is usually more expensive and it doesn’t last very long. Once it is saturated, it does not absorb moisture anymore. In this case, the bottom of the kitty litter will remain wet and smelly.

We tried the corn kernel based kitty litter, as well as the wheat kernel based kitty litter. They are both very good products as they are clumping, flushable and bio-degradable. They are generally not dusty and they smell very fragrant. Pet stores sell a great variety of corn and wheat based litters these days and they are great alternatives. For us, we get a bulk bag of wheat and corn mix litter from RAPS for $26 and that will last 5 weeks for our cats.

If you are curious about the different kitty litter mix, here is a pretty good summary.

With the corn and wheat kitty litter, we do have one problem. Because the litter is rather light weight, it tracks easily.  We used to sweep a few times a day around the kitty litter box and wherever the litter got tracked to but that was too much work.  You could try this hack, but we have a different solution.

We line the bathroom with special plastic mats.  The mat is supposed to look like fake lawn.  It creates an elevated surface that we can walk on, but has a lot of holes to let the kitty litter fall through underneath.

When our fur kids are done with their business, they walk out and leave the litter below the mats.  This is quite effective as we have very little litter being tracked outside of the bathroom.

These mat tiles can be had for $2 a piece and they come in different colors from Daiso. They are 30cm square and they can lock together to form a large surface. They are durable and can be cleaned using just water. They are strong enough to be walked on and yet they don’t feel like “thousand needles” under your feet. Also they can be cut to fit different shapes so that you can totally fit them around the entire bathroom surface area like laying down carpet.  You don’t see the litter being trapped under on the floor so it looks clean all the time.  All I do these days is to lift it up and vacuum under the mat once in a little while to keep the bathroom floor clean.

Do you have pets?  Do you pet-prove your place both for safety and for convenience?

4 replies
  1. Mary
    Mary says:

    Hi there, I really like the litter mat idea you used. I’ve tried to search for these online but was unsuccessful. Would you be able to link me to the product? Much appreciated!

    Reply
  2. Justin
    Justin says:

    I’m very interested in the kitty litter options you’ve recommended.

    I/m also in Vancouver and am curious about where to get the litter in bulk as you do. You ay RAPS,as Richmond Animal Protection Society? Do they have a retail outlet or something?

    Can you point me in the right direction please?

    Many Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Kam
      Kam says:

      Hey Justin, unfortunately RAPS stopped selling the kitty litter. I have since switched to use the World’s Best Cat Litter and it is a bit more expensive. I have not found anything that is as dust free and natural as this one so far. Hope this helps.

      Reply

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