Litter & Cleanup for #toiletthursday and #caturday

There is an immensely satisfying feeling when one is able to get "two birds with one stone," as the old saying goes. This week, I am doing that with this post, participating in #toiletthursday as envisioned by @brittandjosie and doing a #caturday post, too, all-in-one! 😁

My sister-in-law did much "due diligence" and experimentation on various types of litter over the years that she has served as caretaker for kitties. She has found that the "Arm & Hammer" brand is one of the best. Their "Clump & Seal" variety is a clay-based litter that clings to any bits of "number 1" and "number 2" that land in the litter pan/box, thus helping to clump it rather than its being spread-out over a larger area. When the cat does their instinctive scratching afterwards to cover the mess, the litter helps to seal the residue so that it is not exposed to the air, thus cutting down on odor as well as cleanup.

Because it is so good, that is the brand and type of litter that I have continued buying while caring for her little darlings. It is also as-affordable, if not cheaper in some cases, than competing brands.

Even though the litter is touted as "100% Dust Free," I found myself coughing quite a bit after doing my doodie duty emptying the litter box. I found myself donning a dust mask before doing the job. That's the type of mask many people wear when working in dusty environments, sanding furniture, and other such tasks. The mask definitely helped my breathing afterwards, although it frightened the cats the first time or three they saw me wearing it. 😬

Maybe the litter truly is dust-free and it was just my allergies acting up at the time which caused the cough...? Or perhaps my coughing was triggered by a fear of breathing some contaminated dust that wasn't even there...? Who knows...?!?!?

Care should be exercised when emptying litter boxes and litter pans. Cat poop can be contaminated  — especially if the cat has spent any time outdoors. One of the most common is a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii which can cause a disease in humans called Toxoplasmosis from contact with contaminated cat feces. That is another good reason for wearing a simple mask when cleaning the litter and washing hands thoroughly afterwards with hot, soapy water. Some people even wear goggles while doing it, to prevent dust from getting into the eyes.

One of the best tools I put into service for litter box duty is an old, plastic Maxwell House™ Coffee container. (These containers are great for a variety of jobs around the house!) Shown in the photo is the 33.5 ounce (950 gram) size with a molded handle. It is the perfect place to store the sifting-scoop that I use for cleaning the litter box. And, it gets even better...

When I clean the litter box, I take the scoop out and stand it up in the litter box. Then I place a plastic grocery-bag in the coffee container just as one would place a garbage-can liner in a garbage can, with the edges hanging over the outside. I sift the litter with the scoop and gently drop the poopy-clumps into the bag. When finished, I stand the scoop in the litter box again and remove the bag-o-poop, tying the top securely, and place it in a special garbage bin in the garage and wash my hands thoroughly. Then, the scoop goes back into the coffee bucket for storage until the next time it is needed! This technique makes clean-up so much easier than any other method I have ever tried!

Sprinkling a little baking soda on the litter will also help to keep odors at bay. I often also end the cleaning process by spraying the litter box with a diluted solution of Thieves' Oil, a blend of several essential oils that provide anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, disinfectant properties, plus it smells really good, too!