Cat litter/trays

[poiuytrewq]

Recomendations wanted from those of you who have long term house cats please!

By far the worst thing about having two extra cats, who currently don't ever go out as they are not neutered yet is the litter trays! We have had a tray in the house for years anyway,because Arlo cat stays in over night, Its upstairs out of the way and it rarely got used. I buy a benotite (is that right!) clumping clay litter which is tiny little grey bits and smells like baby powder. Works brilliantly for Arlo. I treid several different ones when he was small and rated this one best smell and easiness to use wise, wee literally sinks and forms solid balls so is super easy to scoop out.
I also just use basic plastic high sided trays (currently 2 but hoping to get back to one )
I scoop out the poo and wee balls, put into a nappy bag and in a tub outside the door- for easiness and because I am cleaning them so often. Then tie a few days wirth up in another bag and into out regular outside bin.


However, Firstly I'm getting through lots of it now. This also means lots of plastic bags, It stinks, not so much in the house although i do worry Ive become nose blind but our wheely bin, even double bagged smells terrible when I open it.
Its also getting everywhere. I assume arlo is just a tidy cat! The kittens seem to traipse it across the room, including little white paw prints.

So any Idea's as to how to manage this better please? or a better non tracking (I even know the lingo now!) type of litter. I found pellets stank but its been years since I tried anything else.

 

[Highmileagereindeer]

I used wood pellets when The Hooligan Cat had to stay in, and as soon as he reached neutering age, he went for the chop and the stinky urine gradually faded. Seem to remember liberally spraying the bin with Jeyes Fluid, inside and out.

 

[m1stify]

I use cats best litter and a litter locker ( you can get proper refills for this but an ordinary bin liner works great if you keep the original cartridge)

 

[skinnydipper]

Although my cat is free to go outside she does use a litter tray, with clumping litter.

She has one of these, a Booda Clean Step. You can fit charcoal filters into the top of the dome but I haven't found it necessary. It is quite a deep tray. The litter seems to come off her paws when she comes down the ramp, just a sprinkling of litter in front of the opening which I clean up with a hand held Dyson. If you found that the litter was getting tracked into the house you could use a litter mat in front of the opening, I've never used one so I don't know how effective they are.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Bin day today so I have poured boiling water and jeyes fluid in and am letting it dry out in the sun. It smells a whole lot better and wasn’t as hideous a job as I’d expected!
Will have a look at both mentioned thank you!
I can’t wait for them to be old enough to go outside, although I kind of dread it too. Toilet wise it’s a very exciting prospect!

 

[Fransurrey]

I used straw pellets and put all urine soaked pellets on the compost heap. Same with cardboard pellets. The latter are the easiest to pick up if they're tracked (I was able to sweep them on a carpet!). Only poo got bagged. I feel your pain with the fine clay. I made that mistake when Willy was ill and it was awful to clean up (particularly as his problems were urinary so he was in and out multiple times during a flare up!). I kept a separate bin for poo bags and only put them in the main bin for bin day (double bagged at this point), as my bathroom is quite cool, so no smell as long as each poo was bagged in the little bin.

 

[honetpot]

I have a walk in shower that as three trays in it, for four cats. I use wood pellets, it smells less IMO and I can put it on the muck heap, I theory they can go outside but they come in to pee. If I can buy a big enough washing up bowl I prefer one, the sides are higher and the plastic a lot better quality. Why do they make litter trays so shallow? I only bag poo.

 

[Cloball]

When I was at the vets with M and his cystitis (have lived with cats my whole life) I was informed we didn't have enough litter trays which was new information to me. Apparently you are supposed to have one more than the number of cats. We have an extra large covered one with a folding door, although M requires the door open, which does keep the smell in. I skip out when required and deep clean once a week or so. If I skip the deep clean he refuses to go in and demonstrates this by walking up to it sighing and walking away when we are in the room. I use the cheapest clumping litter Lidl do, I found the non clumping smelt worse as the wee just sat at the bottom and I put it in poo bags much the same as you I haven't found a better system really but I only have one cat

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’ve heard about the amount of trays in relation to number of cats. I assumed it was only a problem if they didn’t like to share? Mine are all happy to use the same one and I really don’t want more!

I need a walk in shower! That would be perfect.
We have an unused shower down stairs but it has a door and houses dog food and recycling as it’s one of the few places dogs can’t get!
Maybe I will relook at pellets.
I do like the clumping though. It’s sadly satisfying
I’m loving the litter locker type things, never heard of them before so am definitely going to look closer at them.