How do you scoop the poop? *article for cat people*

We got an electric cat box. It has battery backup for power failures. This worked well for nearly 5 years. We got it at Target. So easy, as the poop was automatically raked up EVERY time the cat went to the cat box and then put in a nice close container. Very little odor problems and we never had to even come NEAR the poop.

Then came the infamous day we call the "cat box incident" The electric eye malfunctioned and the scooper started to move while she was INSIDE the box. Now we don't know if we can get her to use the box EVER again! She goes right outside it, making an attempt to get in the general area but I am sick of cleaning up the mess. Help!

Ah that is one of the things i was afraid of! was the kitty hurt during the malfunction?
I have heard that if you put the accident back in the box and let kitty see it there they will learn that is where it goes again. If you are still using an electric box id be sure it was unplugged for a while til kitty gets use to it again

Angela, we have four inside cats so we have a TON of poop laid out in the litter pan every day! We use the covered litter pans - the regular ones with the big lid on them - and they work quite nicely at keeping any odors inside. I've tried every single litter they make (and that's no exaggeration) and the best I've found at odor control is Arm & Hammer Crystal Blend. It's comparable in price to all the other brands except it works MUCH BETTER and lasts MUCH LONGER. We scoop poop every morning and put the poop in two regular sized grocery bags (doubled up) and then just toss it in the trash. We use the litter for about two or three weeks (yours would probably last longer if you've just got the one) and then toss it all out, scrub the litter pans (we have three!) out with Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner, and then refill them all with fresh litter. Hope this helps! Good luck! :)

We use scented scoopable plus deodorizers (or baking soda). We tried the electronic litter box but found it didn't work that well so we took it back.

And wash the box in soapy water once a week. No ammonia or bleach.

BTW, what do you feed him? Has he had all his shots? Wormed?

I use the cheap clump litter and it works fine...

I use Fresh Step for Calypso and haven't had any problems. I scoop it at least once a day.

We use the Tidy Cats and a covered box and it does just fine. We didn't have much luck with electronic, clay litter stunk and it didn't like clumpable stuff

We have a covered litter box & it has a little swinging door - Silky can't fit through the door so we took it off but I'm sure it would help with the smell if she did! Also they make litter box deodorizer - we use Arm & Hammer. And we don't scoop we just change it every other day or so.

Aiden changes what litter I use, sometimes he wants the cheap stuff, other times the scoopable. Either way I use a littler box liner and change it weekly, I cant scoop all the poo out or he goes balstic looking for his poo. Kitty is very strange.

Shannon hes had the best wormer nemex from the vets, shots, and he eats purina kitten chow. And we use revolution for fleas.

and we always scrub the box sometimes twice a week depending on how much damage he has done.

kitty will not go in a box with a cover, he dont like the dark at all

I have always used scoopable litter, we get the kind from Petco that you buy the container once and just pay to refill it when you need it. It works just fine and there is no dust or odor. We have two cats. All cats are different though, so I think you need to just experiment and find what works for you and your cat. I had a cat who would not poop in the box, always right outside it. He would pee in the litter but decided his poo was too good for the box. We have two litter pans, also, so that helps. I scoop twice a day. Baking soda helps if you have an odor problem. Unaltered males will leave a strong urine smell and also the spray around the house to mark their territory.

I have 2 cats (my mom has 6) we both use Tidy Cats. There is a version of it called "Indoor Cat Formula" or something of that nature. It actually smells very nice and clumps great. My daughter and I share kitty box cleaning duty. The first time she cleaned the box when we switched to this litter she asked me why the cat box smelled like flowers. It's true. It really smells nice, even when you're right over the box doing the scooping! And the box we use is not covered. We live in a small apartment and so everything is in close proximity. The cat box is damn near under the kitchen table and you can't even tell it is there. Good luck!!

I don't like the scoopable cat liter. I buy the cheap walmart stuff then I add in some baking soda. I have six liter boxes so much time is spent doing this disgusting chore. I scoop poop at least once a day. The trick is to stand back a bit so your face isn't over the litter box. I sometimes put my shirt over my nose and mouth. I have to completely change the boxes and wash them out at least once a week. But I add a little baking soda everyday.

I would like to know if he is neutered. If not, that is the source of the odor and the only remedy is a trip to the vet. Intact male cats can have such strong smelling urine it makes you eyes water.

I have had no trouble or excessive odor with any name brand scoopable litter. I rarely dump it all or wash my 4 litter boxes.

I used to use Tidy Cats then one week switched to the cheap Mimi brand. I found it at Walmart. It is the crystal type. I would not go back to anything else now. The kitty made stinky poos and the oleder cat didn't like going if the box was too stinky. Now we don't have any problems. I scoop as necessary and change the litter every 2 weeks with 2 cats

I have only one cat, a neutered female, and she likes the privacy of a covered box. She actually prefers going outside, unless it is bad weather. I think the covered box with deordorant litter works best.

The cat box is carried to the kitchen, box is slid into tall kitchen trash bag, and emptied into the the bag. bag is tied up and put in trash. News paper is put in bottom on littler pan, kitter litter poured into pan and it is ready again.

I've had many cats over the years that were indoors. A lot depended on the cats. baking soda we have used a lot for odor. Cover pans some cat will use other wouldn't go near. The last one we had was sort of covered. A Friend built us a Cat tree for our two cats with a Litter Cave on the bottom. Large enough for a large litter pan. The cats loved it.
Never had much luck with scoopable - clay the cats like the best and we have always had baking soda for when we clean and cat boxes.
One of the time we had a covered box and three cats. One of the Cats was a BIG old fixed tom and the we had a older Tom also fixed about middle size and a small fixed tom. The Big Tom couldn't bury when he was in the covered box so he would go over to the small Tom and pick him up like a mother cat and take him to the litter box to bury for him. After doing this several times the smaller cat would be waiting for the larger one to finish using he box, and would run in and bury.
If the cat doesn't bury you can get an odor.
My current cats are IN/OUT's Spend most of the time indoors, but bathroom is outside not in a box...this is great, but realize some people don't live where it's safe to let a Cat out...that why most of my cats were indoor.

Marian, no he is not neutered yet he is verly 8-10 weeks old. but as soon as its time he will be getting that little problem taken care of. we dont want a house peeing kitty

I am glad my cats go outside all the time now. They used to use a covered litter box, but prefer the outside .

Ok, I was cleaning the cat box this morning before work and realized that I had given you the wrong name. I said it was Tidy Cats "Indoor" something or other. Well, that's just stupid because if you've got a litter box then it's not going to be outside, is it?! LOL So the coorect brand that I use (which actually smells like flowers and works quite nicely with 2 cats) is Tidy Cats Scoopable for Small Spaces. It's got an orange label. Hope all the advise here helps!

We put the electric scoopable box into an enclosed box, then attached a dryer vent to that box (which has a swinging cat door on it and a fan that blows the stench up and out of the dryer vent. Works like a charm. We have six cats and coming into the house people usually say "Wow, you cant smell a litter box in here. Another tidbit trick is to take one of those cheep gel airfreshners and stick it into your return air duct where you put your air filters in. This makes the whole house smell fresh.

kitty would not go for that he cant stand being enclosed in a covered litter box, he dont like to play in boxes at all Im guessing he went threw a lot before we got him. when he arrived at the vets office he was almost dead and they patched him up. and fans forget that one too he will not even come in a room if a fan is running its a good way to keep him out of the living room and off the sofa.

good idea for those that might have a kitty that would use it. But one question if its attached to a dryer type vent where do you run that out of? did you have to cut a whole in the floor for that?

I really like Arm and Hammer, plus they have an additional deodorizer you can add.

I have an automatic litter cleaner too...but you can't have mine...mine is one of a kind...LOL...my daughter.

I always used baking soda after the scooper work and it helped.

I like to use the liners too and then just dump the whole thing. Seems less smelly that way.

We turned our cat into an outdoor cat. Never had to scoop. Of course the bunny, chipmunk, field mouse, bird, and squirrel populations were quite low until he passed away.