Alternatives to plastic liners for kitty litter boxes
January 14, 2015 1:08 PM Subscribe
What are some alternatives to plastic liners for litter boxes?
I'd really like to use a liner for my cats' litter boxes, but I cannot use the usual plastic liners. One of my cats eats anything that is plastic and will chow down on a plastic liner. Are there any alternatives to the standard liner?
I'd really like to use a liner for my cats' litter boxes, but I cannot use the usual plastic liners. One of my cats eats anything that is plastic and will chow down on a plastic liner. Are there any alternatives to the standard liner?
We use clumping litter and a Litter Genie to put the clumps in. The Genie makes scooping the box a 30 second, no-mess job, so it's easy to do it a couple times a day. The box doesn't smell at all, and the Genie seems to capture the smell of the dirty litter very effectively. We mostly just top up the box, replacing all the litter once a month or less. My wife is super-sensitive to cat box smells & she is completely happy with this solution.
posted by mr vino at 1:21 PM on January 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mr vino at 1:21 PM on January 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
Change your litter type? My two cats have been cool with clumping pine and wheat based sands, scooped daily, and we haven't felt a need for a liner. (Pine grains. It was made clear to me the pine pellets were completely unacceptable.)
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:22 PM on January 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:22 PM on January 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
We use the Omega Paw litter box for our two cats.
posted by PlutoniumX at 1:57 PM on January 14, 2015
posted by PlutoniumX at 1:57 PM on January 14, 2015
Sorry we're not answering your actual question, but I'm nthing the workaround answer: use better/more scooping/litter.
We use clay clumping litter, several inches deep, and whenever we flush the toilet for ourselves, we also scoop the litterbox for the cats.
posted by feral_goldfish at 2:04 PM on January 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
We use clay clumping litter, several inches deep, and whenever we flush the toilet for ourselves, we also scoop the litterbox for the cats.
posted by feral_goldfish at 2:04 PM on January 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am not sure this is an alternative to the liners - I suppose you want to use liners so you can just lift the litter out of the box?
But if that is not your purpose, use newspaper. I had two cats for many years and I simply placed a layer of at least a finger thick underneath the litter. Not spread out or anything, just folded up in the middle. This would soak up anything that might not be soaked up by litter and so prevent the sort cement like build up in the tray. I used to just slide the whole tray, newspaper and all, in to a garbage bag. I should explain I had several subscripiotns to papers back then, so plenty of supply.
I also read about people uses a piece of cardboard for the same purpose but never tried that.
There are also paper or card boad liners available to buy but prices seem ridiculous.
posted by 15L06 at 2:21 PM on January 14, 2015
But if that is not your purpose, use newspaper. I had two cats for many years and I simply placed a layer of at least a finger thick underneath the litter. Not spread out or anything, just folded up in the middle. This would soak up anything that might not be soaked up by litter and so prevent the sort cement like build up in the tray. I used to just slide the whole tray, newspaper and all, in to a garbage bag. I should explain I had several subscripiotns to papers back then, so plenty of supply.
I also read about people uses a piece of cardboard for the same purpose but never tried that.
There are also paper or card boad liners available to buy but prices seem ridiculous.
posted by 15L06 at 2:21 PM on January 14, 2015
Response by poster: I want the liner so it's easier to clean the entire box and replace the litter, not for daily use. I do not want to change their litter because the cats refuse any other kind of litter. I've tried all the other kinds, and they respond by urinating and defecating elsewhere in the apartment.
posted by Four-Eyed Girl at 2:33 PM on January 14, 2015
posted by Four-Eyed Girl at 2:33 PM on January 14, 2015
Response by poster: I appreciate all of the answers, but I'm really not looking for anything that involves changing to a different litter.
posted by Four-Eyed Girl at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2015
posted by Four-Eyed Girl at 2:45 PM on January 14, 2015
Maybe an absorbent puppy pad or those pads they use in a medical/nursing home setting? They do have some plastic to them but maybe not enough to entice your cat?
posted by stowaway at 4:47 PM on January 14, 2015
posted by stowaway at 4:47 PM on January 14, 2015
If you just want a convenient way to dump all the litter, there are a variety of disposable litter boxes available on Amazon.com. Bonus is you won't ever have to clean the box.
posted by Joleta at 6:08 PM on January 14, 2015
posted by Joleta at 6:08 PM on January 14, 2015
I keep a smaller cardboard box inside a larger plastic litter box. And I keep it really full so it gets wet infrequently. Once it does get wet, new box. One of Amazon's shipping boxes fits nicely and we have Prime.
I have also used those disposable metallish turkey roaster pans. They're a little pricey but they last a longish time.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 6:34 PM on January 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have also used those disposable metallish turkey roaster pans. They're a little pricey but they last a longish time.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 6:34 PM on January 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
I want the liner so it's easier to clean the entire box and replace the litter
OK here's our secret: we do not ever actually clean the entire box and replace the litter.
Seriously. Ever. Unless we move house.
We are devoted to our finicky cats, and I am super-sensitive to cat pee smell, but box-cleaning is totally unnecessary, given our daily routine (even allowing for occasional disruptions in service due to catsitter fails). Apologies again for not answering your actual question -- but here at least is the answer to WHY your question is not being answered.
posted by feral_goldfish at 12:15 PM on February 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
OK here's our secret: we do not ever actually clean the entire box and replace the litter.
Seriously. Ever. Unless we move house.
We are devoted to our finicky cats, and I am super-sensitive to cat pee smell, but box-cleaning is totally unnecessary, given our daily routine (even allowing for occasional disruptions in service due to catsitter fails). Apologies again for not answering your actual question -- but here at least is the answer to WHY your question is not being answered.
posted by feral_goldfish at 12:15 PM on February 8, 2015 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cjorgensen at 1:11 PM on January 14, 2015