How to Keep a Cat Litter Box Area Clean

Having friends visiting your house ask, "How many cats do you have?" when your cat is not even in the room can be embarrassing. This can be an indication that you are not keeping their litter box clean. There are many different ways and products that can be used to help owners keep their cats' litter box area clean and odor free.

Things You'll Need

  • Dish soap
  • Cat litter
  • Vacuum or broom
  • Litter scoop
  • Bags
  • Dome-shaped litter box
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Instructions

    • 1

      Dump out the used litter into a garbage can. Wash and rinse off the litter pan with water. You can use a mild dish soap to clean the litter box. Make sure to completely rinse and dry it before you fill it with new litter.

    • 2

      Vacuum or sweep the area around and near the box itself. When cats use the litter box they have a tendency to kick up their litter, causing it to fall outside the box after using it, which makes the area around the box susceptible to being dirty. Sweep or vacuum at least once a week if you own one cat and three times a week if you have multiple cats.

    • 3

      Use a high-quality litter. If you have more than one cat, look for a brand designed for multiple cats. Make sure at least half the litter box is filled with litter. Most cats like a clean box and if the box is full, they will look for another place to go.

    • 4

      Consider using a pet door if the litter box is located in another room. This will decrease the potential for any odors to leak throughout the entire house.

    • 5

      Scoop the litter box often. Make this easier by having a large scoop close to the box and some large grocery-type bags available for the used litter to be scooped into.

    • 6

      Deodorize the area or room where the box is located. This action is accomplished by using an air freshener, candles or even incense. If you can, allow your cats to go outdoors when the weather is nice as an alternative to their litter box.

    • 7

      Use a dome-shaped litter box with lipped sides and a top that snaps closed. This prevents a good deal of the litter in the box from being kicked outside the litter box and will keep the area cleaner.