Author Topic: Litter box liner experiment  (Read 7624 times)

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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2013, 07:38:47 AM »
All the plastic litter boxes smell after a week.  Doesn't matter if they are the totes or the ones "special treated to resist bacteria and odor".  They all smell.  The pre-formed paper boxes do not smell.  I have two right now that have been in use for a month, and there is no odor from them. I love those paper liners.  I wish someone would make them a bit larger, and a lot larger.

My home made molded to fit cardboard liner was not a success, but it didn't smell either, even after two weeks, but it was so torn up I had to throw it away.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #16 on: March 01, 2013, 07:49:17 AM »
I have arrived at my final solution to the litter box liners.  I LOVE the formed paper liners and have found a brand that makes a "jumbo" size for the high sided tote litter box.

I now use the Wonder Box size medium for the regular litter boxes and the Nature's Miracle size jumbo for the high sided box. I also tried the medium size Nature's Miracle box but was not happy with it for a couple of reasons. It is even smaller than the WonderBox for one reason, and isn't as durable.

Though the Nature's Miracle product is not as long lasting as the WonderBox I have been unable to find the WonderBox in their jumbo size though their website does say they have one. Anyway, the description says it has a "fresh herbal scent" and I am not too keen on scented products, so it's just as well.

The medium WonderBox is a bit small but the cats seem to manage okay with it, and of course they have the high sided box for when they want to stand up and pee (SK and TC)

I place the liners in the litter boxes.  Since the liners are a bit small, it actually works okay because the litter box catches overflow litter, then I can just lift out the liner and pour the litter back into it.

These paper litter box liners last a month or longer with no odor. I let one WonderBox go 7 weeks, just to test and it was only in the last week or so that I started to notice any odor and the paper started to tear up from the bottom a bit.

I keep track of what liner was started when.  When a fresh liner is started, the litter from the old liner gets poured into the box with the next oldest liner and fresh litter is put in the new liner. (a method I copied from our own Lola) So I am not dumping out a ton of litter every week any more either. I have gone from one jug of clumping litter a week to one a month or less, a savings which more than pays for the liners!

I am very happy with the new litter box regimen.  That dumping and scrubbing, and the smell of the plastic boxes was just getting to be too much for me. No more dumping and scrubbing, and no more smelly plastic, for me, ever!

bananamiddlechild bananamiddlechild bananamiddlechild
« Last Edit: March 02, 2013, 09:50:00 PM by Lola, Reason: Fixed your links. »

Offline Lola

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #17 on: March 02, 2013, 09:44:05 PM »
All the plastic litter boxes smell after a week.  Doesn't matter if they are the totes or the ones "special treated to resist bacteria and odor".  They all smell. 

We will have to agree to disagree.   HeadButt
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Offline Lola

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #18 on: March 02, 2013, 09:54:05 PM »
Sounds like you found a great plan, with the use of liner boxes.   ;D  Glad you posted the links... I was thinking liners... like the kind that are plastic... like garbage bags kinda. 
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #19 on: March 02, 2013, 10:49:26 PM »
We will have to agree to disagree.   HeadButt

I don't know why my boxes always smelled after a week when no one esle ever seemed to have that problem.  I'm wondering now if it was my habit of using bleach.  Bleach is so corrosive, perhaps it just broke down the plastic so much the smells would just..stick.


Sounds like you found a great plan, with the use of liner boxes.   ;D  Glad you posted the links... I was thinking liners... like the kind that are plastic... like garbage bags kinda. 

Thanks for fixing my links.  I am THRILLED with these paper liners. Just THRILLED!

I never saw any point to the plastic ones and never considered even trying them.

Offline Lola

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #20 on: March 02, 2013, 11:00:10 PM »
I don't know why my boxes always smelled after a week when no one esle ever seemed to have that problem.  I'm wondering now if it was my habit of using bleach.  Bleach is so corrosive, perhaps it just broke down the plastic so much the smells would just..stick.


Thanks for fixing my links.  I am THRILLED with these paper liners. Just THRILLED!

I never saw any point to the plastic ones and never considered even trying them.

Do your cats scratch the litterbox bottom and/or sides?  Maybe the bleach and the scratching..  ??  
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #21 on: March 03, 2013, 06:50:37 AM »
They do scratch.  But don't all cats?  ;D

Anyway, I have to work hard at not feeling guilty for using these liners and making more trash for the landfills. But they ARE made from recycled paper and they ARE biodegradable. And they have improved MY quality of life immeasurably.

Offline Lola

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #22 on: March 03, 2013, 07:03:41 PM »
They do scratch.  But don't all cats?  ;D

Anyway, I have to work hard at not feeling guilty for using these liners and making more trash for the landfills. But they ARE made from recycled paper and they ARE biodegradable. And they have improved MY quality of life immeasurably.

Ours scratch, but they don't reach the bottom of the litter boxes...the majority of the time.  Only one "washes" her paws (for 20 minutes, its seems) on the inside of the boxes.  The rest just pretty much "wipe" their paws in the door way ... and move on. 

I think the liners, you are using, are as green as you can get! Personally, I would be guilt free.  I have a question... is it possible that potty could get directly on the liner?  If so... then what do you do? 
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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #23 on: March 03, 2013, 07:56:44 PM »
Quote
is it possible that potty could get directly on the liner?  If so... then what do you do? 

You mean for instance when pee soaks through the litter, or when they dig a pile of litter, then pee next to it, straight on the box? The paper liner is not really absorbent. It's no different than if the pee was on plastic, except...the paper doesn't smell.

One time even Mazy puked in the litter box and it hit the side of the box.  I wiped it off, and it wiped clean. Only a couple of times has poop been up against the side of a paper liner, that also wiped clean.

I definitely prefer the quality of the WonderBox over the Nature's Miracle. The WonderBox liners last for weeks, I had one in use for 7 weeks.  The Nature's Miracle brand is starting to shred a little already after only 3 weeks. No odor yet at least.  Unfortunately, the Nature's Miracle is the only brand I can find in the Jumbo size, for the tall sided tote box litter box.

Offline Lola

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #24 on: March 03, 2013, 09:49:51 PM »
Quote
You mean for instance when pee soaks through the litter, or when they dig a pile of litter, then pee next to it, straight on the box? The paper liner is not really absorbent. It's no different than if the pee was on plastic, except...the paper doesn't smell.

Yes, that is what I meant.  Didn't realize you would be able to wash/wipe the paper liner, like you can a plastic litter box.  Interesting. 
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #25 on: March 03, 2013, 09:51:50 PM »
Well I don't wash it, exactly.  Just wipe it really well with a bounty paper towel. If something has dried on it might not come off so easy, but I am a bit ocd about litter boxes, not much gets a chance to dry before I am there removing it.  :D

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #26 on: February 27, 2015, 08:19:55 AM »
I was wondering how long I had been using these litter liners, so I looked up this thread.  Still using them, still really really REALLY happy with them.

I change them out on average, every 6 weeks.

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Re: Litter box liner experiment
« Reply #27 on: March 08, 2015, 05:46:56 PM »
If you and your cats are happy.... we are happy FOR you!  :) 
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