In the post about making space for cats, I mentioned that at one point we had a cat that used a litter box inside a mudroom bench. The cat had a door at each end of the box, and we could lift the bench seat for easy access to clean it. My favorite veterinary behaviorist pointed out that some design ideas work better for humans than the pets we are caring for, like hidden litter boxes. It turns out that having a hidden or covered litter box raises some concerns with vets…and cats.
The Downside to Covered Litter Boxes
It seems that when most cats do their biz, they feel a little vulnerable and want to have multiple escape routes. Also, the covered and hidden designs can keep the smell contained. That’s why we love them, but the cats…not so much. Remember how super annoyed you were in college when your roommate would not use a match in the bathroom. We are basically creating that experience for our cats on the reg.
The Secret to A Smell-Free Litter Box
If we love them enough to post their cute faces on Instagram every day, we should probably up our game on their restroom experience. The absolute best way to keep your litter box from smelling is to clean it every day. That’s right—every single day. Wait! Don’t stop reading. We can make this work.
I know when you think sophisticated home design, you don’t picture a plastic box of cat poo. I get it. We will deal with aesthetics in the future, but first, we have to get the basics down, which is training ourselves on how to change the litterbox every-single-day.
Our Barking Bungalow understands your pain. We are here for you. Together we can make this work.
Training Humans to Use A Litter Box
Here are some tips and tricks to train humans on how to use the litter box…by cleaning it every single day.
Temptation Bundling
This is a great tip from the book Atomic Habits about creating systems of change. We are going to modify it for the Litter Box. (It’s also used in dog training to reward the dog for doing the desired behavior.) So choose a fun reward you can bundle with emptying the kitty litter.
For example:
- Play your favorite power song (Copacabana? ) while you empty the litter box.
- Upgrade to a fancy-pants skin serum or moisturizer and only apply it after cleaning the litter box (and washing your hands)
- While you scoop, meditate on how much you love your cat and the happiness they bring you
- Wear your favorite hat, scarf, or shoes that your partner or roommate doesn’t allow you to wear in public. Take this moment every day to wear that bowler hat. You’ll great the entire time you are scooping.
- Upgrade your hand soap to something that smells amazing as a post poo pick up reward.
Put it on the To-Poo List
I read a financial tip that told you to add checking your bank account to your to-do list every day and do it first thing in the morning. It keeps you aware of your financial situation and it’s an easy way to have the gratification of checking something off your to-do list at the start of your day. Add scooping out the litter box to your to-do list and start the day by quickly getting it done.
Create a Schedule
Choose a time of day you are going to scoop and build a routine. It helps to sandwich it between two other daily habits that you already consistently do. For example, if every night before you go to bed, you check lock the backdoor followed by turning on the porch light. Put kitty litter duty right in between those two well-established habits.
Accountability
Put a calendar for the whole family to see and mark a large checkmark when you scoop the doo. This works for training you and the kids.
Make it Convenient.
Everyone loves the covers because they have the carbon filter. If getting to the trash can is too much, put a mini-waste keeper within reach of the k-litter. Make sure it has a carbon filter to squash the smell for your CAT and the humans in the house.
You could also increase convenience by using a paper pellet kitty litter that is flushable. (They clay versions are NOT flushable, be warned). Some people hate the pellets because you can’t use the sieve component of the scooper. This is what we used. I was okay with the pellets around the poo being tossed. I found it to be a bonus. Another option is to hack the scoop by cutting the plastic to make the holes large enough to accommodate the size of the pellets.
For the love of cats, let’s commit to cleaning the litter box every day. Like Nike says…Just doo it! Check out this guide from the Humane Society for more Litter Box tips.
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