How I Manage My Cat Litter Boxes
One of the questions I get asked about most being a “Cat Expert” is “what is the best way to manage my cat’s litter boxes?” A close second is “how do you feel about automatic cat litter boxes?”
I will answer the second question to lead into the first. Automatic litter boxes are a big “no” for a few reasons. Consider the following:
- Cleaning after every pee or poo is not natural for the cat and can often lead to issues further in life.
- The automation can be “spooky” for them, causing them to not use the box.
- The self-cleaning aspect basically “flushes” away the poop and pee right after the cat goes to the bathroom. They aren’t human and they don’t like that. They want to be able to smell the stuff that you and I cannot smell. If an automatic box is removing the scent after every poop and pee, it is highly likely that it can lead to marking in other areas of the house so they can leave their scent somewhere.
- The litter box is often one of the first tools that I use to see if there are any medical issues going on with my cats. I check the litter to see if the pee and poo is normal (i.e. no blood, excessive mucus, diarrhea, etc.). Self-cleaning boxes clean everything right away and put it in a big pile of excrement . Because of this, you won’t be able to tell if diseases are beginning or catch things right away.
- If the cat has loose stool or diarrhea, and a self cleaning box tries to sweep that up, just imagine how much of a nightmare it is to clean from the automatic parts. Poo. Poo everywhere.
- Many, many more reasons (feel free to message me for others or leave comments and questions below!)
So what system is best?
I have two sets of cats that need two distinct litter box systems. One set of cats are all normal size, and the other has a cat that is slightly heavier and needs a bit more room in the litter box.
(*excuse the poo in the photos, I needed it to explain in my video haha)
Set One
Set Two
What I Used...
How it Works...
So, this is super easy to set up.
First, you take your Tidy Cat Breeze Litter Box System (I recommend the one without the hood.) You can get either an XL size or the regular size. Next, pour in about an inch and a half of the Yesterday’s News Paper cat litter. (I will also link some other paper litters that are amazing below, but I have found Yesterday’s News to be the easiest to transition cats to). Using paper litter is FAR better for cats long term and for human health as well. Even though clay is great for odor control, (especially clumping clay) clay can accumulate in cat systems if it sticks to their paws and they lick it off. Clay can cause intestinal blockages which can lead to death, and the sodium bentonite is also a known health hazard for people. Some cats can inhale enough dust that it can cause lung issues, and possible death. Not to mention the dust in eyes and kicking all over the floor when the cat is done. Also, clay litter is environmentally destructive in addition to being a health hazard. Clay is mined from otherwise pristine natural environments, killing native wildlife, ruining their habitat, and dumping tons and tons of silt into rivers and the ocean, where it chokes aquatic life and further destroys the ecosystem. Further, used litter ends up in a landfill. Hundreds of thousands of tons of clay litter end up in a landfill each year!
Why do I choose to use the Yesterday’s News and not the breeze pellets? Personally I find it easier for clean up. I don’t want to have to deal with cleaning poopy pellets for reuse as the recommend and also … what happens is quite amazing. When the cats urinate, the pee disintegrates the paper pellets and it falls through the holes on to the pee pad. When the cat poos, it remains on top and is easily scooped with the pellets.
If your cats are used to using paper or pellet litter fantastic! If not, you’ll have to make a bit of a transition.
Here are some tips to transition:
- Adjust only ONE thing at a time until the cat gets used to it. That means adding some paper litter to the old litter box first, then moving to the new litter box when they get used to it.
- Once the cat seems fine with the paper litter, place the Breeze system with the paper litter near the old litter box. Now this is very important – STOP cleaning the old litter box. Cats prefer a clean litter box, so they will begin gravitating towards the Breeze box.
- Once you see your cat consistently using the Breeze box, remove the old litter box completely.
The biggest benefits of Pellet Litter: Anti tracking!!! Your cat isn’t dragging litter with it everywhere!
The design of the Breeze box allows for outstanding odor control, with simple cleanup.
Scoop every day to keep your new litter system clean! I usually like to keep a Litter genie next to my litter boxes to dispose of my scoopings.
Urine is where most of cat litter odor is coming from. Poo odor tends to fade after the first few minutes as it hardens. Depending on how many cats you have will depend on how often you change the pad on the bottom of the box. Four cats use each of my systems and I change it about once a week. Having the odor absorbing pad underneath the system helps to adsorb the smell and keeps everything smelling fresh.
There you have it! Simple, affordable, and easy. If you have any questions or comments about my litter system, please leave them below.
Other Great Paper Litters (Links):
Disclaimer: The information on my channel is not intended as expert advice. Views expressed here are my opinion and what I have learned and experienced personally. Viewers are encouraged to inform themselves thoroughly and find all points of view that apply to them. Unless indicated otherwise, I am not sponsored by anyone to endorse nor critique any products. All comments, opinions, and views are my own. The pages on this site may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This helps support the site and allows me to continue to make content like this. Thank you for your support!affiliate referrals.
