Choosing a cat tray cleaner and its proper disinfection

Pets are not only a joy, but also a great responsibility related to feeding, care and cleaning. Every week, the owner has to wash the cat tray. Otherwise, an unpleasant smell appears in the apartment, and the pet spoils on the floor, carpets or furniture. In this article you will learn how to properly clean a cat’s toilet so that cleanliness and comfort always reign in the house.

How often do I need to wash the tray?

If only one pet lives in your house, then washing the cat tray is enough 1 time per week. When two cats use the toilet at once, the frequency increases up to 2 times.

However, no one canceled the dry cleaning. What else needs to be done?

• remove feces and wet lumps - 1-2 times a day;
• add fresh filler to 1 centimeter - every 2-3 days;
• sweep the floor (vacuum) around the tray - daily.

To clean the cat's toilet, we advise you to purchase a special scoop with a mesh bottom. It captures only feces and wet lumps, and clean filler pours itself back into the tray. You can buy a scoop at a pet store.

Used filler must not be poured into the toilet. In water, it swells and creates a risk of clogging of sewer pipes. Pour the filler into the trash bag and immediately take it out of the apartment.

Washing the cat tray: procedure

To clean your cat's toilet you will need the following things:

• trash bag or regular bag;
• mesh bottom scoop;
• rubber gloves;
• sponge with a hard surface;
• paper napkins or towels;
• detergent.

We also recommend purchasing a respiratory mask at the pharmacy. The fact is that if you inhale dust while cleaning a cat's toilet, there is a risk of infection with toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmas are parasitic protists that live in the intestines of cats. The disease most often proceeds without symptoms. It is especially dangerous for pregnant women: it can lead to miscarriage or the development of oligophrenia in a child. In Russia, about 20% of the population is infected with toxoplasmosis.

And now we start washing the cat's tray. The procedure is as follows:

1. Wear rubber gloves and a face shield.
2. If there is feces in the tray, clean them with a scoop and flush them into the toilet.
3. Empty the used dirty filler into the trash bag and discard. Some owners of cats immediately after cleaning wrap the tray with a bag, and after a week they fold it up and take it out of the house. So the filler does not stick to the walls of the tray, which eliminates a lot of trouble. The problem is that not all cats like their toilet rustling due to a bag.
4. Put the cat tray in the bath. Direct a shower hose at him and turn on the maximum pressure of hot water.
5. When the toilet is full, turn off the shower. Take the scoop and scrape off the remnants of the filler from the walls and bottom. Drain the toilet.
6. Fill the tray again with clean water. Add a disinfectant. Leave on for 5-10 minutes.
7. Use the rough side of the sponge to completely wash the tray. Drain the toilet again.
8. Rinse the cat's toilet in clean water.

The owners of cats often make a mistake: immediately after washing, fill the tray with filler. Because of this, the particles swell and lose their ability to retain unpleasant odors. What to do right? It is necessary to wipe the tray with paper towels and allow to dry completely (wait 2-3 minutes).

How to disinfect a cat's toilet?

If the tray is brand new, it is regularly cleaned, then it practically does not emit unpleasant odors. But over time, micro-scratches form in the plastic bottom, inside which particles of urine, feces and dust become clogged. The question arises: how to wash the tray so that it does not smell?

Modern means

In household and pet stores, special products are sold for cleaning cat trays and eliminating unpleasant odors. Why is it better to use them for disinfection purposes?

• Do not cause allergies in pets, safe in case of licking.
• Eliminate stubborn spots of urinary stone on the bottom and walls.
• They have a neutral or pleasant smell for cats, which means that animals will not refuse to go to the tray after cleaning.
• Do not leave scratches.
• Eliminate odors of urine and feces.

The only drawback of modern tools is the high price (500-800 rubles) compared to ordinary soap or baking soda.

Good brands include Hartz and Joypet sprays, Super Benek powder, plaque and urinary stone cleaner Mr. Fresh The last two remedies are inexpensive.

Ordinary home remedies

How to disinfect a cat tray if the budget is limited or just too lazy to go to the store? You can use ordinary detergents:

• laundry soap or baby soap (grate chips and dissolve in water);
• liquid soap;
• a mild detergent, for example a powder for delicate fabrics;
• dishwashing liquid;
• baking soda - 2 tablespoons per 200 ml of water.

It is important to choose a product without a pungent odor, and at the end thoroughly rinse the cat tray in clean water, preferably several times. Especially cats do not like the aromas of citruses, conifers. If there is a smell on the walls, the pet will go past its toilet and relieve need somewhere in the corner or on the carpet.

What absolutely can not be used for disinfection?

• products containing chlorine - a high likelihood of poisoning when licking and inhaling;
• vinegar - most likely, due to the pungent odor, the cat will prefer another toilet seat to the tray;
• Pemolux type powders - leave scratches on the plastic surface of the bottom.

Remember to clean the area around the tray. After coping with the need, the pet often delves into the filler: lumps fly to the floor, and dust rises into the air. Dirt near the toilet may be one of the reasons why a cat has a desire to shit in the apartment.

Why does a cat walk past a clean tray?

Unfortunately, a clean tray is not a 100% guarantee that the pet will not spoil the apartment. Do not rush to scold, let alone punish the cat. First find out the cause of destructive behavior.

• Repels the smell of the tray. It’s not a fact that a cat likes a product that smells good to you. Next time, try to wash the toilet only with water and look at the reaction of the pet.
• The presence of moisture. The cat may refuse to go to the tray if it sees wet walls. It is also possible that the smell of moist filler is associated with dirt, dampness and mustiness.
• Bad filler. Many cats prefer clumping pebbles made of minerals or clay. Silica gel fillers, although they absorb good odors, but scratch the paws. Not all pets love to go to the tray with a rack. Also, a sharp change in the filler can lead to refusal to visit the cat's toilet.
• Cystitis, urolithiasis, or other health problem. If the cat is not only crap, but also refuses to eat, looks lethargic, makes strange noises, show it to the veterinarian.

Thus, washing a cat's toilet is a responsible event. When cleaning, it’s important to think about the pet. Will it not scare away the remaining dirt on the walls of the tray, a pungent smell of detergent or excessive moisture. If you do everything right, then the cat will remain grateful and stop shitting in the apartment.