Cleaning Cat Litter

Cats are pets that are well known for their cleanliness. Even though they are good at taking care of themselves, however, sometimes their owners need to clean up after them.

If you are a cat owner or are thinking about getting a cat, you have to know how to properly clean a litter box. It is fortunate that cats can be trained to use the bathroom in only one spot, but you still need to clean the litter often to ensure your cat stays healthy and to prevent unpleasant odors. Plus, if the litter box is left uncleaned for too long, there is a good chance that your cat will get disgusted as well and stop using it. If this occurs, you might be unhappy to find that your cat chooses to do its business in other parts of the house instead. This situation would only mean more cleaning for you in the end, so it's important that you stay on top of the task and keep the litter clean.

Cleaning cat litter is a fairly easy task that can be completed in just a few minutes or less. When considering cleaning a litter box, keep these ideas in mind:

• How you clean the litter box depends on the kind of litter you use. You might use clay litter, clumping litter, natural litter, or something else to fill the litter box.
• For litter that clumps, you will need a litter scoop that will allow you to easily collect the clumps and throw them away. Other litter types require a full cleaning to get rid of waste in the litter.
• It is easier to fully clean the litter box if you wrap a plastic bag (like a small garbage bag) around the box like a liner before you fill it with clean litter. This way, all you have to do to clean the box is pull the bag off with the litter inside. If your cat scratches through the plastic bag, just empty the contents of the litter box into another bag to dispose of it.
• Once in a while, you should empty the box out completely and clean it with a cleaning solution. You can try dish soap, a mixture of water and vinegar, or a commercial cleaner that is safe for animals to wash the box, then rinse it off thoroughly.

Remember that if you have more than one cat, you will need to clean the box more often. It can also help to have more than one litter box in your home.