has anyone invented a cat litter box that keeps the litter IN the box?

vash · vash's Garage

i swear, i feel really great after a fantastic "session" in the loo, but i dont spring forth from the bathroom. both my cats, do their business, and effen launch out of the litterbox in jubilation. downside, they drag so much of the grit out with them. making me crazy. i sweep 4-5x a day, trying to minimize the mess. i am thinking of putting the box, in another box, give them a "maze" to work thru to get in and out. sorta like catbox speedbumps.

any ideas?

masraum · 10-03-2009, 09:58 AM

My guess is that you use the common new style clumping litter. It's small gritty pieces. It's great for what it does, but back in the day when the little was larger more irregularly shaped pieces (like small gravel) it migrated less.

It's not as good for scooping out the pee though. That may help.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Just get a trap mat and put it in front. Works fine for me. I also (highly) recommend this. Smells great, natural (made from corn) and doesn't track. The clay-based stuff sucks (doesn't trap odors and makes large "globs". The silica stuff is sharp - I imagine very uncomfortable for the cats and the dust can cause lung problems.

pwd72s · 10-03-2009, 10:10 AM

Trap mat here...but we still sweep. A stand-up dustpan & broom, similar to this, makes the job easier.
http://www.amazon.com/each-Rubbermaid-Standup-Lobby-Dustpan/dp/B000ALF3HO

Hugh R · 10-03-2009, 10:11 AM

Trap mat and an automatic litter box here, works well. About $80 at WalMart.

syncroid · 10-03-2009, 10:17 AM

I make my cat drag his little hairy a$$ outside to do his business. No cat box. No mess!

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

I had a covered one (typical rectangular one) and it was far better than full open, but still my female cat managed to put litter pretty much everywhere outside the box. In my old apartment I actually put the box in the bathtub to help contain the litter. My new place doesn't have that luxury (actually the best spot is next to the fridge at the far end of the kitchen), so I tried this:

Cat Litter Box: Booda Clean Step Litter Boxes at PETCO

It is better, but not perfect. I also have a fairly large mat in front. I still have to vacuum once or twice a day. The little rat...

scottmandue · 10-03-2009, 10:47 AM

The covered box does help... I keep a dust buster next to the box for cleanup.

crustychief · crustychief's Garage

I made a chicane in the laundry room so my cats wouldn't fling litter. We tried one of the "top entry" cat boxes but the cats just looked at me like I was a homeless guy that just asked them to sniff my... well you know.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

We've been having the same discussions in our household. The mats I've used haven't worked. The cat just springs over them. Maybe we'll have to try another one, again.

Putting the box in the bathtub helped, but I was always concerned that if enough litter somehow got swept down the drain, more problematic ($$$) plumbing issues might ensue.

The covered rectangular box has helped. Our previous cat never seemed to "miss," but the current two felines sometimes think they're aircraft parking on deck on an aircraft carrier. (Picture the tail end hanging over the edge of the deck.) Result was poop outside the box. Arrggghh!

Right now our solution is keeping the box in the backyard. But we don't have a cat door installed, yet, so we always worry about middle-of-the-night and gone-all-day issues. Mrs. Noah has adamantly vetoed putting the litter box indoors, so looks like I've have to borrow a jigsaw and put in a pet door.

911pcars · 10-04-2009, 03:04 PM

Think twice about a pet door if your cat is a hunter and likes to bring in prey for play pleasure inside the house. Our last cat "invited" birds and roof rats into our house despite our fitting him with an prey-reduction bell around his neck. Unfortunately, his hunting skills far exceeded the ring time of his bell clanger.

We banished him from the house because of this which eventually caused him to eventually seek a more compatible home.

Our current "find" was a 5 week old abandoned kitty with fleas (didn't know it at the time). It resides in our 2nd story outside deck until he's old enough for flea treatment and more sociable surroundings. Sammy (no relation to any Sammy here).

Sherwood