Any suggestions on how to make a Littler Locker?

January 2, 2009 9:47 AM

DIY Litter Locker?

I'd love to use a litter locker when cleaning my cats litter boxes, but I can't justify spending that much on the refills, especially when I have two cats.

I can get small scented garbage bags x 100 for about a dollar a piece at our local dollar store. I'm looking for a air tight container, that would make a good diy litter locker. Just curious if anyone has done something similar to this before?

posted by pghjezebel to Pets & Animals (10 answers total)

Best answer: Diaper Genies are airtight, too. Personally I just use a trashcan with a lid. Inside is a big trash bag which stays untied but twirled to reduce the smell, and I put smaller scented bags with the used litter inside the big bag. Not environmentally friendly, mind you, but it allows me to reduce weekly trips out to the dumpster.
posted by big open mouth at 9:57 AM on January 2, 2009

Have you searched for "airtight container" on Shop Google, or checked out local home stores? I have an airtight container for my compost stuff, and that alone is magnificent, no scented baggies needed (though the bags would make for easier cat poop disposal). Previous to my airtight container, I had a little bin with a lid, and things got smelly quickly. The key features are the rubber ring around the edge, and snaps on the four sides which ensure a tight fit.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:57 AM on January 2, 2009

Cat litter (and cat poop) isn't too environmentally friendly. And anything going to a landfill is probably going to stay there for a long time, so paper or plastic may not really be a critical question when bagging cat poop.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:03 AM on January 2, 2009

I use my dog's poop bags. I scoop the clumps into the bags, tie a knot in the top of the bag, and toss the bags into a waste bin. The bin gets emptied once a week, and the bags don't stink. I haven't felt the need for an air-tight container for the kitty's presents. The dog's pee pads go into a genie, though.
posted by dogmom at 11:05 AM on January 2, 2009

I use a very small step-type can next to our box that keeps the smell in pretty well when the lid is closed.
posted by krix at 12:19 PM on January 2, 2009

Best answer: I use the Diaper Champ. It takes regular tall kitchen bags or even plastic grocery/shopping bags. It's not completely airtight, but it does a decent job of keeping the smell in.
posted by weebil at 12:44 PM on January 2, 2009

This isn't what you asked, but I would like to suggest using flushable cat litter. It is environmentally friendly and eliminates trips to the garbage can. I use pine pellet type (example here) It is smell free and tracks less than any other litter I've used. The brand I get is also cheaper than clay because you use less.
posted by Gor-ella at 1:03 PM on January 2, 2009

i occasionally buy the 28-lb. buckets of litter. when those are empty, i use them as my litter locker. i found febreze closet inserts on clearance at target, & i put those in the bottom of the pail to counteract odor. i generally line the pail with a plastic grocery bag, but i also reuse the 3-5 lb bags from dry cat food. some of those have a resealable close feature, although i've found that they don't really reseal very well.

and thanks, jamaro, for the link to the gamma seal lid! i've got a couple 5-gallon buckets left over from my never-ending (but currently on hold) renovation that these will be perfect for!
posted by msconduct at 3:05 PM on January 2, 2009

We use an old fashioned plastic 2 piece diaper pail (plastic kitchen or grocery bag inside) and keep diaper pail discs inside its air-freshener lid. It works quite well. For the lesser used downstairs box, I use a plastic lidded bucket that litter came in once, with a heavy weight on the lid.
posted by fish tick at 4:09 PM on January 2, 2009

Response by poster: I never even thought of using a diaper genie! I know someone in my family must have one I can recycle for this new purpose! :)

Oh, and thanks for the tip on the flushable cat litter, but flushing cat waste is one of the reasons the sea otter population is declining, and is also contributing to dolphin decline. So please don't flush cat litter. I know putting it in a landfill isn't much better, but...
posted by pghjezebel at 7:44 PM on January 2, 2009