Of Litter Boxes and Sand Lots...

[Geila]

Ok, first of all, I'm sorry for all of my recent cat litter postings! :|( Trying to learn the best way to care for the kitties...:|(

Now, I've been thinking of how to solve the litter box dust problem. I elevated the boxes to about 2' off the ground, and that helps as I'm now bending over the box as much, and eventually would like to elevate them to counter height. So that's the first issue: litter box dust.

The second issue is litter waste. Today I tied up the bag liner that I put into the outdoor can by their boxes, which I use to hold the daily bags of their waste along with the dogs' waste. That bag was heavy! No wonder, as cat litter is very heavy. I mean those little 42 lb. bags are solid weight. So I thought, how can I reduce the waste going in the landfill?

That's where the sand lot idea came in. What if I create a sort of raised bed for them using wood - similar to veggie beds - where I first fill it with cat litter and gradually change it to sand? The box would have no bottom, so that ideally, the sand can be washed regularly and the water just gets recycled into the dirt for the trees and shrubs around it.

This would eliminate the dust problem, the waste of litter (cat urine soaks up an awful lot of litter!), and is environmentally & budget friendly. I would not have to lug home heavy bags of litter on a regular basis, instead, fill the box with sand once and having it permanently.

I can forsee a couple of obstacles: a) will the cat urine persist even if I wash the sand on a regular basis? I've heard that cat urine smell is almost impossible to get rid of, and b) will the cats use it in the winter when the sand might stay wet?

So far, the kitties have not shown any fear of water. They regularly get their feet wet when I'm out there watering the garden, they enjoy drinking from the little streams created by the hose and don't mind getting their feet wet. One of them was playing and fell into the water bowl and seemed unfazed by it, just kept playing. And they are not bothered by the mister we've used a few times outside when it was hot out. But maybe the box will be different?

Please help me think through the possible pros and cons of this idea. I really like the idea of this plan, but have no clue how doable it is.

Has anyone ever tried anything similar?

p.s. Not sure where this should go, so I put it in Open. It somehow doesn't seem right to put it in the Relationship forum...:)

[iris lilies]

Any obstacle you place in front of a cat using his litter box may/will at some point work against you because the cat will choose to eliminate in a place that is more convienient and attractive to him.

Making the litter boxes high is ok if the cats don't mind it. One day ,one of them will decide that's too much trouble and will pee elsewhere in your house.

washing sand is not practical. And, the reason they don't mind their paws getting wet is because they are playing in water, it's what they want to do. When getting their paws wet is something YOU want them to do, they won't cooperate. They are cats.

if your cats are going to be outside a lot, they will like to use the yard and if you have sand or soft soil, that will be their preference.

[cdttmm]

Have you considered training them to use the toilet? That would eliminate your litter use altogether, eventually.

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/should-you-train-your-cat-to-use-the-toilet

Or you could train them to simply go outside in the yard, however, they will want to bury their waste and will most likely choose the lovely dirt in your vegetable or flower gardens, which is a problem. But this would also require that you install a cat door and that you are comfortable with your kitties being indoor-outdoor cats without outdoor supervision. Although my cats love the great outdoors, we can't let them be indoor-outdoor cats as the coyotes, foxes, bobcats, hawks, or fisher cats would likely turn them into dinner pretty quickly.

[Geila]

Oh, maybe my post was confusing - in addition to being long!

The sand box that I'm proposing would be installed outdoors, in the garden, under existing trees. Thus, I could wash out the sand regularly and the water would just percolate down into the soil to water the ground. This would be their outdoor potty station.

They would still have a regular litter box in the garage for when they want to be inside. We have a doggie door in the garage that all the pets use.

We live on a small city lot, and don't have many predators around. We also have two dogs, which keep out any raccoons and possums. Several of my friends and neighbors here have cats that are indoor/outdoor, sometimes mostly outdoor, and they've done fine for many years. Truthfully, I would not have adopted them if they were to be strictly indoor cats. Five pets inside the home all the time is too much, especially with needing litter boxes. And I find that most cats want to be outside, not inside, so keeping them inside without being destructive is a real challenge.

I have been volunteering at our local shelter and we get inundated with kittens every year. Right now there is about 175 kittens and cats up for adoption. This is after having a Maddie's Day Adoption Fair (with free adoptions) last month. I think that if more people felt that they could have a cat that was indoor/outdoor, more adopt. We have a very mild climate, which makes it very pleasant for cats to be outdoors - no snow, very mild winters, moderate summers, etc.

[Float On]

I know that when we had a sand box for the kids all the neighborhood cats would do their business in it if we forgot to put the lid on it so I think you could encourage them to use it. My cat is outdoors only. She use to use a huge mulch pile we had. Honestly I have no idea where she does her business now. It is nice to know that I haven't had to spend hundreds of dollars on cat litter over her lifetime.

[Geila]

I know that when we had a sand box for the kids all the neighborhood cats would do their business in it if we forgot to put the lid on it so I think you could encourage them to use it. My cat is outdoors only. She use to use a huge mulch pile we had. Honestly I have no idea where she does her business now. It is nice to know that I haven't had to spend hundreds of dollars on cat litter over her lifetime.

Float On - did you have any issues with odor when she used the mulch pile for her business?

[Float On]

None at all, course it was quite a ways from the house but I walked by it daily and never noticed any smell. One cat, not three. This was probably a 1/2 a dump truck load that I let let sit there for a year or so. The road crew asked is I wanted mulch so I couldn't turn them down. Used 1/2 the load around the trees and as walkways between my raised beds and let the rest sit there in my side yard.

[ctg492]

I can't and would not let my dogs run free outside. How come you would want a cat to be free outside? I imagine my Rott mix would love to free roam the neighborhood returning to have a dinner and warm bed. Yet for many reasons I would never do that and could not imagine my neighbors liking this. If I told the shelter I wanted a puppy and my plan was to let it run free, I am pretty sure the response I would get.

[Tammy]

There's a huge cultural divide between urban and rural in where pets live (as well as many other components to pets' lives).

When I was living on farms, most dogs and cats roamed freely outdoors. In the city it's considered abusive to both the pet and ones neighbors to let them out.

[pinkytoe]

I have one cat who goes outside but stays completely within our fenced backyard. I have never had a cat that doesn't try to roam so I appreciate that about him. However, he then comes back inside to do his business. I am considering the outside sandbox idea for him.