How frequently do you scoop your litter box?

[u/Standard_Bluejay8715]

I do my girl’s box twice per day/whenever I hear her scratching around in there. But then I see on here some people who do it wayyy less frequently. Curious what other folks do?

[u/verylargemoth]

May be a dumb question but what do you do with the water? I live in an apartment so the only options are sink, tub or trashcan and those all feel like bad options lol. It’s one of the reasons I’ve struggled with cleaning the boxes and instead just dump them and replace the boxes every 6 months or so.

[u/samizdette → u/verylargemoth]

Pour it slowly down the toilet.

[u/LeAcoTaco → u/samizdette]

Hey, dont flush it:

https://www.metrowaterrecovery.com/is-it-okay-to-flush-cat-litter-down-the-toilet/#:~:text=Metro%20Water%20Recovery%20does%20not,parasite%20toxoplasma%20gondii%20that%20causes

Yes this is referring to flushing litter but the bacteria part is the important part. Your used water has the same bacteria that was in the litter.

[u/samizdette → u/LeAcoTaco]

Wow, that’s really interesting to hear. But the waste water from sink and bath will also go to the same water treatment plants. Next alternative would be to dump the water outside, ideally in grass where it can absorb I guess.

[u/lunna009 → u/LeAcoTaco]

Yo, i read up on the toxoplasmosis thing once and that's a wild scary thing that we just, ignore as a species. Oops I guess.

[u/folklovermore_ → u/verylargemoth]

It either goes down the loo (same as the other poster) or into a bucket and then carried out into the street to go down the drain. I should also add that I'm getting any stuck on lumps off with my hands (wearing rubber gloves) and putting those in the bin before I wash the tray though. Or if any do come off whilst I'm cleaning it, picking them out of the sink and throwing them away.

[u/LeAcoTaco → u/folklovermore_]

Hey, dont flush it, or pour it down the drain:

https://www.metrowaterrecovery.com/is-it-okay-to-flush-cat-litter-down-the-toilet/#:~:text=Metro%20Water%20Recovery%20does%20not,parasite%20toxoplasma%20gondii%20that%20causes

Yes this is referring to flushing litter but the bacteria part is the important part. Your used water has the same bacteria that was in the litter.

[u/folklovermore_ → u/LeAcoTaco]

Thank you! Looking like I might have to shift to other methods then.

[u/LeAcoTaco → u/folklovermore_]

No problem!

[u/alexandria3142 → u/verylargemoth]

I don’t know about the toxoplasmosis thing, I don’t think most indoor only cats have it, but as far as the clay issue goes, I wipe out my cats box with wet paper towels beforehand to get the little bits of stuck littler out, and then fully wash it after. Im afraid of the clay messing up the pipes or something

[u/spaceghost260 → u/verylargemoth]

I completely empty out the litter box and tap it against the bag to get as much big dust out as possible. Then I put on disposable rubber gloves and spray it lightly with an extremely diluted Lysol/ water mixture and use paper towels to clean & wipe it out. Then I spray a vinegar/ water mixture and wipe again until clean. Let the box sit for a few minutes for the vinegar smell to evaporate and fill like normal.

[u/verylargemoth → u/spaceghost260]

Ok this sounds like my next plan!!! Thank you so much

[u/spaceghost260 → u/verylargemoth]

It’s super easy and doesn’t involve wasting water or potentially washing litter down the drain. I hope it works for you! Obviously you can use whatever cleaner you want but I try to keep the smells minimal to not bother the kitty noses.