I have 10 cat litter boxes for our 'always full' cat shelter. Over the years we have learned several things to keep the litter costs down, keep things clean and we make our own litter boxes for some of our big cats.
First, we use large, high sided, plastic totes as litter boxes. We cut a hole in either the front or the side of the tote with a box cutter. (be careful when using the cutter please) These litter boxes fit our Maine Coon mixes (20 lbs. of big cat). The high sides of the boxes allow for any spraying incidents to stay within the box and keeps the litter inside the box as some cats love to really dig.
Second, we have a roll of paper towels and a cleaned, reused dishwashing soap bottle (with a hand-written label on it) filled with a mixture of bleach and water in every room of the house. The mixture is 1/8 part bleach and the rest water. The paper towels and bleach mixture take care of any accidents right away. Having these cleaning supplies within easy reach helps us keep on top of things and is very cost effective.
Third, we use cedar shavings as litter. This is the same type of litter used in small animal cages but we buy it at Wal-mart in very large, compressed bags. Cedar shavings smell wonderful, are very absorbent, have little to no dust, do not track all over the place as bad as most litter and it is bio-degradable. (A word to the wise, do not change your cats litter from one type to another all at once or you are doomed to failure. Go slow. It can take weeks or months, slowly mixing in some of the new litter to the old.) Cedar shavings are inexpensive and you'll feel how light weight the box is when compared to higher priced litter. But, you must change the box out completely about every 3-4 days. Unlike scoopable litters, shavings do not clump. On the plus side, cleaning and refilling the box is fairly easy. A trash can on wheels helps. Empty the litter box, use your handy bottle of bleach mix to clean it, wipe out with a paper towel and refill the box. Soon, you'll have this chore down to a science.
I have been experimenting with a variety of eco-friendly cat litters and by far my favorite is "World's Best Cat Litter" for its pleasant smell, clumpability, and natural ingredients (corn). "Swheat Scoop" didn't clump that well and the ammonia smell was really strong when I'd go to scoop out the frequently-falling-apart clumps. It's not very absorbent either (I wonder if they need to make the granules finer for more surface area...); unless I had about six inches of it in the pan the urine would find its way to the bottom and create a caked on mess. "Healthy Pet P-Pod Clumping Cat Litter" clumps better than "Swheat Scoop" (not as well as "World's Best") but it's very dusty; it gets tracked all over by the cats and when I'm cleaning it I have to cover my mouth and nose. The cats (three of them) don't like this litter either. We have two boxes and (we're at the tail-end of experimenting) their preference is for the one with "World's Best" in it.
FOr odor control, I switched to a cheaper litter and use an activated carbon odor absorber called INNOFRESH pet odor absorber. It is unscented and really does an outstanding job on my two litter boxes. I'm sure would be great for you too. Another shelter actually recommended it to me. You can easily just get them on line at www.innofresh.com
I have 16 cats and use the plastic underbed boxes. They are big and roomy but I would like the sides to be higher. I will definitely give the larger bins a try. I have never seen cedar shavings in walmart. Where are they located and how big are the bags. I get 40 lbs of scooping litter for 7.99 and it lasts for awhile but I have to use baking soda which I get at Sams Club to keep the smell under control. I will definitely look into the cedar shavings and the high sided bin.
Thansk for the idea of using a large tote. We've been having such a problem with our male cat spraying over the side. We did wise up and put a large tote lid underneath so I could just dump the liquid into our utility sink and do a quick wipe but this is becoming a daily thing. So I think I will try the large tote and put it near his current litter box and see if he starts using it. Great idea!
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