These litter box hacks will keep the litter box area clean and keep the smell out.
I’ve scooped hundreds of boxes working as a cat sitter. I’ve tested every type of litter, litter box setup, and cleaning routine.
This is the best litter box routine. I only spend about 5 minutes a week cleaning the litter box.
These are the best litter box hacks to keep the box clean:
- Put the litter box in a quiet area
- One box per cat plus one extra
- Use a stainless steel litter box
- Replace plastic litter scoops with metal
- Use a large litter mat for track litter
- Make a DIY litter genie for litter waste
- Use naturally clumping unscented cat litter
- Feed your cat a species-appropriate diet
- Scoop the litter box daily
- Clean the litter box completely weekly
- Don’t fill the litter box all the way
- Don’t use a litter box liner
- Remove the litter box cover
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1. Put the litter box in a quiet area
Cats are territorial creatures. They prefer a quiet, low-traffic area to go to the bathroom.
Some cats refuse the litter box simply because they aren’t comfortable with the spot.
Put the litter box in a quiet area so your cat can have a private bathroom. Don’t move the box around often.
Cats get stressed very easily with changes.
Add a second box to a new area that’s more private and quiet. See which one your cat prefers!
This location hack will make your cat feel safe and comfortable while he does his business.
2. One box per cat plus one extra
Again, cats are territorial creatures. Cats prefer (and deserve) to have their own bathroom. Plus one extra.
So if you have 3 cats, you need 4 boxes. A 5th box would be even better.
Why?
Because your cat will always have a clean option just in case you aren’t around to scoop the boxes right away.
Cats don’t like to step on and dig around pee and poop. Would you?
Multiple boxes are a great hack because your cats always have a clean option.
3. Use a stainless steel litter box
Plastic traps bacteria. Even with regular washing.
You will have to replace the plastic litter box at least once yearly. IF you are cleaning it out completely weekly.
But a stainless steel box is a one-time investment.
Better for your cat. Better for your wallet. And better for the environment.
Buy a stainless steel box on Amazon and Chewy.
Tip: Remember, cats are sensitive to changes. Set up the stainless steel box next to your cat’s current box. Slowly transition over to the stainless steel box. Only remove the current box when your cat is using the new box.
The stainless steel litter box hack will keep the box cleaner longer. Plastic traps bacteria. That means the plastic litter box will never get clean.
4. Replace plastic litter scoops with metal
Again, plastic traps bacteria. If you’re using a plastic litter scoop, you need to replace this frequently too.
Instead, use a metal or ceramic litter scoop.
This is another one-time investment. It will stay clean as long as you clean the scoop weekly.
I’ve used the same litter scoop since 2017.
Ditch plastic. Clean it weekly.
Buy a metal litter scoop on Amazon and Chewy.
This litter scoop hack will keep your supplies cleaner for much longer.
5. Use a large litter mat for track litter
All litter tracks. There’s no getting around it.
But a large double-layer litter mat can keep the litter box area clean.
The track litter falls through the layers. Then you can easily dump the track litter into the trash.
The mesh-looking mats do a good job at trapping litter. But it’s very difficult to get that litter out of the mat.
That means you’ll have bacteria buildup, and it won’t stay clean.
Buy a large litter mat on Amazon and Chewy.
Or buy the Ripple Rug bottom only. That’s what I upgraded to from the double-layer litter mat.
This litter mat hack will keep the litter box area clean from track litter.
6. Make a DIY litter genie for litter waste
The litter genie is a great invention. It’s a small garbage bin that goes next to the litter box.
It holds the waste, and it keeps the smell contained.
But it’s made out of plastic.
My DIY litter genie is much more sanitary. And it’s easier to clean.
Supplies needed (Amazon):
Make sure the jug or garbage you buy is wide enough for your litter scoop.
Also, I’ve tried plant-based garbage bags, but they didn’t work. The urine clumps burn holes through them.
So you will have to use plastic bags. But the litter genie uses plastic bags anyway.
Make sure you buy unscented because that’s what cats prefer.
This DIY litter genie hack is much more sanitary than the real thing.
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7. Use naturally clumping unscented cat litter
Cats are extremely sensitive to scents. Their noses are about 14x stronger than ours.
So cats prefer unscented litter. Cats also prefer naturally clumping litter.
Naturally clumping litter doesn’t contain harsh ingredients. And it allows you to remove clumps from the box.
Again, cats don’t want to step on and dig around pee and poop.
I’ve tested 11 different types of clumping cat litter. I’m still on the hunt for the best.
Right now, I’m using walnut cat litter. You can buy it on Amazon, Chewy, Only Natural Pet, and Pets Warehouse.
Unscented, naturally clumping cat litter is what your cat prefers and deserves.
8. Feed your cat a species-appropriate diet
A BARF diet is a species-appropriate diet for cats. Cats are not supposed to eat dry food only.
Dry food is very high in carbohydrates aka nutrition that cats cannot use. This leads to a lot of (stinky) waste in the litter box.
However, a proper raw diet provides fresh, easy-to-digest nutrients that cats can use. So the waste is less bulk and less often.
This diet is healthy for cats but also makes litter cleanup easy for you!
The smell of dry/wet food fed cat waste is enough to knock you on the floor. I remember walking into my client’s home saying, “Whew someone just used the box.”
But Jericho eats a raw diet. And his poops are small, hard, and well-formed. There is also no horrendous stench!
My best friend was sitting on the couch next to his box one day. Jericho pooped so I told her I was going to take a second to clean it. She said, “Oh wow. I didn’t even know he pooped!”
Ready to switch your cat to a species-appropriate raw diet? Get my proven plan that has helped 200+ picky cats thrive on raw!
9. Scoop the litter box daily
We should scoop the litter box daily, at a minimum.
Ideally, we would scoop the litter box after the cat uses it. Every time he uses it.
For example, Jericho pees twice and poops once daily. So I scoop the box three times a day.
Did you know that cats don’t like stepping on and digging around pee and poop?
Scooping the box daily will also make cleanup easier for you.
Keeping the litter box clean can also prevent health and behavior issues.
This is the best litter box hack because it makes cleanup faster and easier for you.
10. Clean the litter box completely weekly
If you didn’t know by now, cats prefer (and deserve) a clean litter box.
Clean the litter box out completely every week.
Wash the stainless steel box with hot water and unscented soap.
Remember, cats are sensitive to scents.
Cleaning out the litter box will only take you about 5 minutes since you scooped all the waste daily.
I’ve scooped hundreds of boxes working as a cat sitter for 3 years.
Unfortunately, many people overlook the importance of keeping the box clean.
Don’t be one of those people.
A clean litter box will keep your cat happy and healthy.
11. Don’t fill the litter box all the way
You might be thinking, but if I clean the box every week I’ll waste so much litter.
Don’t fill the box all the way to the top.
- Fill 3-4 inches in a pyramid shape in the middle of the box
- Leave the front and back of the litter box litter-free
- Reshape the mound after you scoop
- Refill as necessary
Create a pile of litter in the center of the box instead of using the entire bag to fill the box.
Most cats don’t like the feel of cat litter on their paws anyway.
No more using the entire bag and then dumping it once a month.
Use about 1/4 of the bag and dump it once a week. The same bag will still last you a month.
Except now, your cat has fresh litter every week. Instead of the same pee-pee and poopy litter all month.
This litter box hack will keep the litter box cleaner.
12. Don’t use a litter box liner
Other litter box hack posts will say to use a litter box liner.
But remember, cats dig when they use the litter box.
That means, your cat’s claws will catch on the litter box liner and rip it.
Now the litter is going to dump out into the box anyway. And you’ll have shreds of the liner throughout the box.
Litter box liners actually make more of a mess and make cleanup much more difficult.
13. Remove the litter box cover
Cats prefer no cover on the litter box for a few reasons.
- Covers traps smells
- Too confining
- No clear view of surroundings
Cats have a much stronger sense of smell than us. So they prefer a wide-open space around their litter box.
They also prefer a wide-open space to turn around while they dig and bury their business.
And they like to know what’s going on around them.
An open space around the litter box won’t trap smells and will keep your cat happy.
Final thoughts on litter box hacks
Unfortunately, many people overlook the importance of a clean litter box.
A lot of people wonder why their cats refuse the box. Sometimes this issue can be fixed simply by keeping the litter box clean.
Use more sanitary supplies, scoop daily, and clean out completely weekly.
And remember that cats are territorial. The more cats you have, the more boxes you need.
It’s important to keep a clean litter box. But we should also have some fun with our cats!
Need help having some fun time with your cat? Check out how to get your cat to play next!
