Litter Sifter

I have three cats so keeping the litter box(es) clean can be a real chore. I bought one of those expensive self-cleaning litter machines but for the price I thought it could have been done simpler.

I have already made this for the two very large litter boxes I use. I recreated this in a smaller version for this instructable.

Step 1 Items Needed:

Wire mesh fencing -- I'm not sure exactly what this kind is called (rabbit fencing, perhaps) because it's been so long since I bought it. It is very stiff and has about 1/2 inch squares. Be very careful when opening the bundle as it is under pressure and kind of explodes open! I wouldn't recommend chicken wire as it is too flexible and the holes are too big to sift properly.

Litter box -- for this type of project you'd probably want to use something much bigger like an under-bed plastic storage case. The one I have is 2x3 feet. (not the one pictured)

Tape measure

Tin Snips

Yardstick

Comments

[mcallahan6]

the wire is called hardware cloth and it comes in 3 sizes. 1/2" 1/4" 1/8"

[lemonie]

Looks good, do you have any advise on cat-vomit?

[bobcash]

Get a vomit eating dog!

[urbanmari]

This looks like a handy device, but wanted to share the info with you that clay cat litter is strip mined. 

Since moving away from clay several years ago, I have purchased the wheat, the recycled newspaper, and now am very satisfied with a compressed pine shaving pellet litter. 

With compressed pine litter,
-The smells are all much less off-putting than it was with clay
-It's absorbent
-My cats seem to like it and don't get exposed to the dust that can hurt them
-The price is right for what my conscience demands

[Verdann]

Be careful that your cat isn't just using the pine cause it's the only thing available. I have a cat that gave herself a UTI from only using the box once a day because of the pine smell. Pine is actually poisonous to cats. The pine pellets are no longer poisonous due to the manufacturing method used gets rid of all the oils and whatnot that are poisonous. But the pine smell is still there, and can be off putting to cats who think that since they can smell the pine, they are in a poisonous environment.

[greenacreslabs]

Well the concept is good but not realistic for my cats who are stand up pee'ers. I always have to wipe down the wall that they peed on. Cleaning the wire would be a real problem in the winter. For me this would be too much work to keep clean. I have worked with this kind of wire you are right it will cut you.

[uberdum05]

You could build some kind of small, wall mounted cat toilet that either drains into a soilstack or a kitchen sink drain

[indomitable]

this is a well made instructable, i would definitly try this if i wasnt gonna do the toilet thing again. i did my instructable on kitty toilet training. this would work for a first litter box though.... hmmmmm.... *contemplates hunting down the old litter box* thanks for the fabulous idea. :)

[urbanmari]

We did the same thing in our house until learning this.  You gotta' hear this about flushing cat poop:

From the National Resources Defense Council & verifiable with other sources too

"EPA brochures and a variety of other publications say you can flush it down the toilet, minus the litter. However, research suggests that the eggs of Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite found in cat poop, may survive the wastewater treatment process and contaminate waterways. [Especially if there is a heavy rain that causes sewage drains to back up, -my addition]

While Toxoplasma rarely affects healthy people, it can cause defects and brain damage in babies whose mothers were exposed when pregnant. Brain disease can also develop in people with compromised immune systems.

In addition, Toxoplasma has been shown to harm sea otters and may affect other wildlife as well. As the eggs can last for up to a year in soil, burying cat poop is also problematic. For this reason, researchers working in the field recommend keeping cats indoors and disposing of waste and litter in the trash in sealed plastic bags. "

[SurferGeek]

Some cats will balk at digging through the litter an hitting that metal mesh. A friend has the commercial version of this, essentially two large plastic colanders and the cats used it for a week and then started crapping on the carpet...

[urbanmari]

Hilarious! 
      informative, too.

[spinach_dip]

so get two litter boxes, and... 1) dump the litter, clumps and all, into the second box, lined with the sifter 2) pull out the sifter and dispose of the clumps 3) put the sifter into the now empty litterbox and store it under the now full second litter box 4) repeat as needed.

[ARVash]

I think the main problem is the cat didn't like the mesh , not the fact that it wasn't clean. whatever though :P

[spinach_dip]

nope, you misunderstand. The cleaned box has (from top to bottom) litter, litter pan with smooth bottom, shifter, second pan with smooth bottom. The cats never find the mesh in the litter pan.

[JanxAngel]

This is a great idea. I had a sifting pan long ago, and I got rid of it after a couple of months because the litter would get wet in between the slats and stick there. I'd have to take it outside and hose it off to get the bits out so it would sift properly again. If I had known about this method I would have kept it I'm sure since by the time I dumped it into the pan with the sifter, the wet litter would have hardened.

[katerlyn]

thanks so much, i'm using pea gravel and the plastic screens with pans like this are starting to break. it really works to put under a gutter spout and now i have rain barrels so i hope to work out something with that!

I also will try putting holes in some of the many litter boxes...even though i did purchase 100 feet of hardware cloth at some company to make cat tunnels but never got it done..... thanks for this idea, we were going to take wood and frame such, but this is much much better, wood would get stained...

an idea i hope to post sometime...we use restore habitat for humanity store, 2.50 bifold doors to make cat doors in the patio door...they look great! have never posted but i'd like Homero to get some credit for doing this for me.

also i realize i can make a cat door that goes one way just by putting obstacle on one side, it took purchasing an expensive cat door to figure this out. smile.

[stienman]

Wire mesh fencing -- I'm not sure exactly what this kind is called

Generally it's called "Hardware Cloth" and is sold with openings of various size - most common is 1/4", but 1/2" as mentioned here is also readily available.

-Adam

---

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[xenobiologista]

Chicken wire? That's what I'd call it.

[RFilyaw]

Nah, chicken wire is a very specific hexagonal type fencing, usually too large and lightweight to be used for this purpose.

[RFilyaw]

My cat keeps pooping USB flash drives. What do I do?

[junniver]

can't you just push the mesh back? we have the same brand of litter anyway.

[jessyratfink]

I would do this if I wasn't so lazy, heh. We just have a system worked out in our apartment so that when my boyfriend or I go to the restroom, we have to clean the litter box while we're in there. That way the "gifts" don't add up. :P

[a-sam]

This is way too useful thanks a billion

[xrobevansx]

I bet another littlerbox (same kind/size/etc) would be great as the second container. Lift screen, dump nuggets, place screen into empty litterbox, pour clean litter from full litterbox, place empty box under newly-filled one. Repeat daily.