Here is Lisa Pierson's website with a video of a similar technique, with one difference: Dr. Pierson reminds us that if litter is deep enough the clumps should not stick to the bottom of the litterbox. http://www.catinfo.org/?link=litterbox
For those of you who avoid litterbox scooping chores because the lumps of clumping litter break into tiny fragments when you scoop them, let me suggest a simple change to your scooping technique. TIP the box. Just lift one end of the box so that the mostly-clean litter all slides down to the low end of the box. This will reveal the exact location of the litter clumps. Use a litter scoop to push and pry from the edge of each clump, and they should 'pop' off the floor of the litterbox. If needed, you can use a little spray cleaner and a paper towel to clean, then dry, the bottom of the litterbox before repeating the process with the box's other end. This is so simple, but makes a big difference in my willingness to scoop each box twice a day!
Here is Lisa Pierson's website with a video of a similar technique, with one difference: Dr. Pierson reminds us that if litter is deep enough the clumps should not stick to the bottom of the litterbox. http://www.catinfo.org/?link=litterbox
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I learn so much from visiting with other pet owners and rescue friends! My friend Sharon has a great room designed and built for her group of former-feral kitties. On a recent petsitting visit, I was introduced to her unique way of storing and using plastic grocery bags. Sharon uses a small (3-gallon) plastic wastebasket, and lines it with plastic bags, layering 10 or so in the trash can. They fit neatly, and the handles hold them in place. Her litter scooper stands ready inside the top bag. This setup is easy to carry from place to place, and the wastebasket keeps the plastic bags open and easy to scoop into. When finished scooping, the waste 'lumps & clumps' can be single or double-bagged and tossed in the trash. I am definitely going to 'borrow' this idea at home!
Thanks, Sharon! PS--When looking for a photo to illustrate this, I found a website that shared the same tip.....and other things to do with the ever-present plastic bag: http://reuseitcrafts.com/ReUsePlasticBags.aspx Enjoy! Necessity is a MOTHER! I was deep into petsitting over Thanksgiving, and found myself in need of a new tool. Specifically a tiny shovel to lift out the used, nonclumping cat litter from a litter box. Frugally speaking, nonclumping litter is excellent, and it may also be safer for kittens and cats than the clumping kind. In the past I might have dumped the whole box and replaced all the litter, but this kitty 'uses' only one end of the box. Brainstorming as quickly as I was able considering the turkey I had eaten, I looked around and found a small, flat, circular metal 'scoop' with a tiny ring for a handle. Yep, a lid from a 6-ounce cat food can! It worked wonderfully to lift out the wet litter from one end of the litterbox. It even got into the rounded corners of the box perfectly. Serendipity, for sure! Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving, too!
My Dad used to say, 'If you want something done the easy way, ask a lazy person!' (He meant himself, even though he was the least lazy person I've ever known. Now I try to live up to his example by thinking my way out of some tedious tasks....
So, today I took a carful of kennels and crates (two of each) and one litter box to the 'spray it yourself' car wash. (Funny that my car gets washed a lot less than the pet equipment!) I took a detergent 'squeeze' bottle full of soapy water and a spray bottle full of 1:32 bleach solution. Pulling into the bay of the spray-and-wash lane, almost all the way out of the building, I unloaded the dirty kennels and crates. I think of any cleaning job as three parts: clean, rinse and sanitize. So, that's what I did at the car wash, too. First, I pre-washed by squirting soapy water onto any dirty surfaces. Then, putting my quarters in the slot, I washed and rinsed the kennels thoroughly. After shaking the excess water off, I sprayed bleach solution over all the surfaces. A quick shake and partial sun-drying and I was done. Kennels back in the car, back home and unloaded in a half hour. For all my transport friends especially, trust me, it's the best $1.25 you'll spend this week. And, the water is recycled instead of going into the ground or the storm drain. All RIGHT! Time for another Shelter Care (Pop) Quiz:
What is your attitude about moving cats from one kennel to another? a. No biggie! It’s easy to do, and the cats might enjoy a change of ‘scenery’ and some different buddies, as long as they all get along! b. When cleaning kennels it can be a big help to move each cat into a new kennel after it’s cleaned, if there is an extra one to start out with. c. It can be inconvenient unless you have enough extra bedding to ‘start fresh’ in the new kennel. d. Moving from one kennel to another is SO HARD to do right! It starts with taking everything movable from one kennel and putting it in a clean ‘holding’ location, like on a large sheet of newspaper, while you work on cleaning the kennel itself. (This assumes that the litter box, bowls and bedding are recently cleaned, or that you will do it as part of the move.) Of course, the cat has to have a safe, clean place to wait…..like a washed and sanitized carrier. The kennel needs to have the ‘loose stuff’—spilled litter and dry food—removed with a cleaned and sanitized brush or a paper towel. Then you clean the kennel with an appropriate cleaner and finally sanitize it with a freshly-mixed bleach solution. Once it has air-dried, you can put the other cat’s litter box, washed & refilled food and water bowls and bedding & toys (or clean ones) in the kennel, and lastly….add the cat or kittens. *WHEW* But wait, you still have to do the same process with the OTHER KENNEL! Taking any short cuts with the process exposes both cats or groups of kittens to everything from the run-of-the-mill upper respiratory infections to the dreaded variant form of calici (ka-lee’-see).. Choose your answer, then click 'Read More'................................ Here is a multiple-choice question for you:
In a cat shelter where animals are housed in separate kennels, where should the litter scoop be kept? a. On top of the kennels, where you can easily find it, since it will be used often b. In a plastic container under or next to the kennels, to keep from contaminating the kennels c. In a plastic bag hanging at the end of the kennels, handy but not contaminating anything around it d. Outside the kennel area, with other cleaning supplies, less-handy but even safer (I have seen all of these locations used.....what is your opinion? For the answer, click on 'Read More' here............) Frugal living fans have long looked up to Amy Daczyn....(pronounced 'da-cision'....hope I'm spelling it right!) and I remember one of her essays from The Tightwad Gazette on reusing bath towels. I absolutely understand her idea, as I grew up using the same towel after baths for 'days and days.' If you are clean, as you should be getting out of the bath or shower, your towel will still be clean (but damp) when you are finished drying off. If you hang your towel up to dry right away, it will be dry and still clean when you need it again.
I got to thinking about this during the recent hot weather. The paper towels I use are the 'select-a-size' type, which allow me to use just the amount needed. I have been washing my hands and face a lot and would walk into the office to log on to email still holding a small, damp paper towel. Those have ended up next to the computer; there are three here right now! Cats sitting next to the computer sometimes play with the crumpled paper towels. I've started rounding up the handful of used paper towels that accumulate each day and putting them into a plastic container in the kitchen. Then, when there is 'something'--usually icky-- on the floor, I just grab a few of the (dry, clean, crumpled) paper towels to use to wipe the floor. I am noticing a difference in my paper towel usage already. If you need a reminder, or would like to remind others to reuse their paper towels, here is a great sticker to place on the paper towel holder or rack. Maybe order a few at about 20 cents each. It's a small cost to save 100 pounds of paper, which the stickers have been shown to do! |