Cleaning the litter box is a nasty task, but is just part of being a cat owner. It would be amazing if cats could naturally use the toilet and flush. Instead of instinctively scratching at gravel before eliminating, wouldn't it be wonderful if cats scratched at porcelain? Yes, I know some cats can be toilet trained, but most of us have neither the patience or a cooperative cat needed to accomplish that.
The litter box should be cleaned once or twice a day. Cats do not tolerate a dirty box well and unless you want Fluffy to find someplace else to "go," you had better keep the cleanliness under control.
For daily cleaning, simply pick up the waste with your scoop and place it into a plastic bag. Throw the bag out with the regular garbage. It's not a good idea to throw the waste down the toilet. The litter could eventually clog your drains.
The whole litter box should be dumped and cleaned about once a week if regular (non-clumping) litter is used. If you use clumping litter, you can get away with dumping the box every 3 weeks.
Being careful not to inhale dust, dump the contents of the litter box into a garbage bag. With your scoop, scrape any remaining litter from the bottom of the box. Now, wash the box out with a sudsy mix of dish liquid and water. Use old rags set aside for litter box cleaning. Allow the box to air dry or dry with a towel. When the box is completely dry, fill with 2-3 inches of kitty litter. If you use liners, of course put these in the box before adding litter.
What if you never had to think of cleaning the litter box? What if you could throw away your litter scoop for good? What if you only had to think about your cat's litter box once a week? All of these "what ifs" are possible. Seriously. Find out what I mean at Cleaning the Litter Box
