Cleaning the cat’s litter box is important – for you and your cat. Cats are clean animals, but they can leave nasty germs in their litter box. Toxoplasmosis, for example, is one of the nastiest. In fact, health experts advise pregnant women to stay far away from the cat litter box and get someone else to do the chore.
Once a day, scoop the feces and urine that clumps together and throw it into a garbage bag. Clean the litter box itself once a week. To clean the litter box, follow these tips:
- Wear a pair of rubber gloves and a mask if possible (don’t breathe in any of the dust).
- If there’s a liner in the litter box, pull the liner off of each corner and place the entire contents of the bag into a trash bag. If there’s no liner, dump the litter into a garbage bag and tie it up. Put the bag into the garbage bin outside.
- Wash the litter box inside and out with a sponge, warm water and dish detergent. Include the lid too, if it has one, and the scooper. Harsh cleaning products are not recommended because they could harm your cat. Don’t clean the box in your kitchen or bathroom sink, or the tub. Use the laundry sink, or if weather permits, take the litter box outside and use an outdoor bucket. After scrubbing, rinse away the soap. Repeat if necessary.
- If possible, let the box air dry outside. Otherwise, dry with an old towel. Add a new liner, if you use one, and then add about 2 – 3 inches of new litter. Put the litter box back in its place.
- Clean the gloves, and then wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
