The right cat litter box is necessary for busy cat moms and dads. Every pawrent knows the pain of scooping and cleaning the litter box. It's a smelly, unpleasant but unavoidable task that takes more time and effort than we want it to. Not something that any cat parents would enjoy after a long day's work. Thankfully, self-cleaning cat litter boxes exist to help take some of the work out of looking after your cat.
The self-cleaning litter box
These litter boxes are one of the best options for working pawrents. They will take care of all the cleaning hassles for you, thereby freeing up a lot of your time to focus on other things. It is one of the must-haves for busy pawrents.
Modern self-cleaning litter boxes come equipped with smart sensors. The sensors work to sift through the material and put the waste in a separate compartment that can be disposed of in no time. Most of these machines don’t just have the auto-cleaning feature, they come with the auto odour removal feature too so you can always return to an odourless home.
Some self-cleaning litter boxes like this PETKIT PURA MAX Auto Smart Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box comes equipped with a phone app, allowing you full control of the cat litter box anytime and anywhere. This piece of equipment will also allow you to track your cat’s weight, times of use, duration of use, and litter capacity. You can now monitor your cat's health. Another advantage of the PETKIT PURA MAX Auto Smart Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box is that it’s compatible with all kinds of clumping cat litter such as clay litter, tofu litter, mixed litter, and more.
Because of the technological superiority of the self-cleaning litter box, they are more expensive to purchase. Some can get quite noisy when they operate and might end up scaring the cat, especially if you have a skittish cat. If you do decide to buy an automated self-cleaning litter box, make sure to buy from a recognized brand with high-quality designs and after-sales service support.
Other easy-to-clean litter boxes
If you’re looking for a more affordable option that still makes cleaning easy, get a double-layer or double tray litter box.
One such double-layer litter box is the Stefanplast Furba Cat Litter Tray. This litter box does not require a litter scoop. The box comes with an upper strainer layer. You can easily lift the strainer layer, sift the waste from the litter, and toss the waste straight from the strainer into the bin, without the need of using a litter scoop. This double tray system makes the litter removal process much easier and more convenient.
The Unicharm Pet Deo Toilet Half Cover Cat Litter Box is another cat litter box designed to make cleaning up a breeze. This litter box works best with the Unicharm Deo Toilet Cat Litter Box Zeolite Pellets. The top layer of this litter box contains the zeolite pellet that allows urine to flow smoothly to the bottom layer, keeping the top layer dry and clean. This is important as most cats do not like a dirty tray and may choose to do their business elsewhere around the house. This is not an ideal situation for a busy cat parent.
With this Unicharm Pet Deo Toilet Half Cover Cat Litter Box, the urine will flow to the bottom layer. The bottom layer is where you lay out the Unicharm Deo Lite Cat Litter Box Absorbent Pads to absorb the urine. These uniquely designed absorbent pads have anti-odour & anti-bacterial elements to eliminate unpleasant odours. With this double-layer system, you’ll only need to change the pellet once a month and the absorbent sheet once a week.
The Unicharm Pet Deo Toilet Half Cover Cat Litter Box comes in 2 designs – a Half Cover and a Full Cover design. The full cover design allows your cat some level of privacy and may even help to control odour from the cat litter. The cover may help to minimise litter spillage on the ground too. If you have other pets in the house and want to keep the other pets out of your cat’s litter tray, buy a covered litter box for the cat.
Other handy items to make cleaning a breeze
Accessories do play an important part and can make it easier for you to clean the litter tray. Here are a few items that may help to reduce the hassle of cleaning up for busy parents.
Hooks
Hooks are an extra feature in litter boxes that help to hold in scoopers or liner bags. Be advised that cats are known for playing with anything in their environment, including your litter box hooks! Once kitty discovers the hooks, scooper, liner or anything else hanging at the side of the litter box, she may just decide to make them into playthings.
Litter mats
You should purchase a litter mat along with your litter box. These litter mats are not just for aesthetic reasons, though most of them are artistically appealing. They serve to collect the litter particles from your cat’s paws and reduce litter tracking.
The Kit Cat Litter Locker Mat is a double-layer cat litter trap, designed to prevent litter tracking and catch any litter that falls out from the tray. It is also waterproof and very easy to clean, just shake the trapped litter out of the mat back into the litter box, and spray it with water. Having a litter mat will reduce the mess around your cat’s litter box and make it less of a burden when cleaning up after your cat.
Liner bags
Liners is another useful accessory to have. Litters can stick to the sides of the litter tray. Using a liner will help to prevent litter sticking to the box and making the removal of these litter from the sides a breeze. Having a liner is a great time saver when it comes to cleaning up.
Pet stain and odour removal solutions
Accidents will happen and having a bottle of stain and odour removal around the house is a must for every pet parent. The Simple Solution (Floral Fresh) Stain & Odor Remover For Cats & Dogs is one of the best and safest cleaning solution available. This unique pet stain and odour remover is formulated with bacteria and natural enzymes that break down, neutralize, eliminate stains and odours from pet urine, faeces and vomit. It’s designed to be used on carpets, upholstery, bedding, fabric toys, clothing, and other water-safe surfaces. Without harsh chemicals, this cleaning solution is safe for use around children and pets, when used as directed.
Finally, one important thing to note is the size and depth of the litter box. Find a litter box that’s big and deep enough to prevent litter from flying everywhere when your feline friend is concealing their waste. The last thing you need is to have to clean up litter dust all around the area!
KATHERINE KHOO
Katherine is a Pet Nutrition Specialist and GDP’s Pet Wellness Advisor. She is committed to helping pet owners make informed dietary and lifestyle choices in nurturing healthy pets. Katherine is also a practicing Nutritional Therapist (human nutrition) and has been helping hundreds of clients to heal naturally with nutrients.