Keeping the Cat's Litter Box Clean

Cats are very tidy creatures, but they won't clean their own litter boxes. You'll need to clean that thing before it stinks up the house. But isn't there an easier way than cleaning it out completely every time? I'll let you in on a few tips that will help your cat's litter box stay clean longer.

First of all, get organized and gather your materials. I'd recommend creating a "litter box cleaning kit" by putting the supplies you routinely use just for this task together into a bucket or bin. That way, most everything will be conveniently gathered in one place when you're ready to clean. Here are the things you'll need:

• Rubber gloves (keep a separate pair just for this task)
• Garbage bag
• Hot water and dish soap
• Several clean rags/cloths used only for this task
• Bleach
• Newspaper
• Fresh kitty litter
• Pet hair and odor remover (Arm & Hammer brand recommended)
• Scooper

The first thing you should do is clean the litter box out really well. Follow these steps:

1. Wearing rubber gloves, dump out the used litter into a garbage can and dispose of it.
2. Fill the litter box with hot water and soap. Use some rags to scrub it out well. Don't forget to also scrub the sides and bottom.
3. Rinse all the soap off and refill with hot water. Mix 1/4 cup bleach into the water and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
4. Dump out the bleach mixture and rinse the litter box completely with more hot water.
5. Let the box air dry, or if you're short on time, use rags or cloths to dry it.
6. Line the bottom of the box with newspaper. This will cut down on the amount of scrubbing you'll have to do next time. (Another option is store-bought litter box liners.)
7. Put the box back in its original location and fill it with fresh kitty litter.
8. Run all the used cleaning rags through the laundry separately. Use bleach to disinfect them. When they're clean, return them to your "litter box cleaning kit."

The litter box will stay clean longer if you use a scooper to remove waste daily and dispose of it. To keep the litter box smelling fresh, periodically sprinkle Arm & Hammer pet hair and odor remover on top of the litter.