Thursday, May 28, 2015

Litter Box

Yesterday, bored and half out of commission due to back injury, from helping with that move, I finished a long put off project.

 I made a litter box from an old outdoor sink.  All I had to do was  cut a cat entry hole, which I did with a hand saw.  The plastic, however, was brittle from age, and broke unevenly.  Oh well.

I then made a frame out of boards gotten in the remnant bin at Home Depot.  I so love that bin!  They paint a spot of purple on the bad boards, of all size, and then discount it 70%.

So I made the frame from discounted 2x4 painted with paint from the Habitat Store.

The bottom of the tub is 8 inches off the ground, to accommodate the plastic oil collection tank beneath.  I enclosed all but one side underneath, where the tank is and put hinges on the board over that side, so I can pull it up to remove the tank to empty.   I put a drain filter into the tub drain hole and filled the tub to a couple inches with rubber mulch.

This is my non absorbent litter box idea, for savings in trash and litter purchase. I collect the urine in a tank and pour it down the toilet when full.  Otherwise I pick out the poo, with a litter scoop with carefulness to minimize rubber loss and clean the "litter" simply with soap and water.   They are already using it!  It's an interesting experiment at the least.

Oil collection tank underneath will be collecting urine!

The old outdoor sink, with cat hole cut in front and rubber mulch inside for litter.  The tub is ugly, for sure and I will clean it up eventually and even paint it.  It was something to do yesterday, at least.
You want something with a drain hole and slight slope to the drain hole, to make it easy, and the sink was perfect, except for its age and some cracks.

So I made that yesterday and did stretching exercises trying to make the twinge in my back feel better and in the end, took a nap and hoped today might be better, with useful things to do and maybe interaction with others.  

I have an active mind that likes to think up such things as the non absorbent litter litter box.  I am sure there will be more "inventions" forthcoming.  In fact, you can bet on it.  Next projects, a counter weight cat descender and a cat teeter totter.

19 comments:

  1. You have been busy putting your ideas into practice. Hope that back of yours is soon improved...

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    1. This one didn't take long. I've had that tub around a year, intending to make a litter box of it, and yesterday I finally did so. But it didn't take much time once at it.

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    2. This one didn't take long. I've had that tub around a year, intending to make a litter box of it, and yesterday I finally did so. But it didn't take much time once at it.

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  2. Anonymous5:37 PM

    Very inventive. Take care when carrying the urine tank to the toilet. I can't wait for the counter weight cat descender.

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    1. You would think of that, Andrew, the trip with the tank to the toilet and dangers of spillage. The counter weight descender has been in the works (in my brain) for a long time, without implementation. All the hard work is done though and I just need to build it.

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    2. You would think of that, Andrew, the trip with the tank to the toilet and dangers of spillage. The counter weight descender has been in the works (in my brain) for a long time, without implementation. All the hard work is done though and I just need to build it.

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  3. I will be interested to hear how it goes. Well done.
    And I hope that back of yours settles soon.

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    1. I hope my back settles down too. It's a different spot than usually causes trouble, but its more muscle problems, like spasms, also the left side of my face, neck. Sometimes takes two weeks to settle down again.

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  4. Very clever. And I hope you feel better soon.

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    1. Thanks Darla. If it saves me money in the long run, from buying litter, or paying for garbage haul off, that would be a very good thing. I hope my back stops "quavering" soon too.

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  5. I really miss having a kitty in my life (or, as our friend Jim would say... I miss being the servant of a cat), but one thing I don't miss is having a litter box to deal with. Looks like you've got a plan.....

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    1. Yes, being a servant, how I know how that feels. If only the litter box issues could be done away with. I have all kinds of ideas to do just that, but need a little more expertise and $$$, for prototypes!

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    2. Yes, being a servant, how I know how that feels. If only the litter box issues could be done away with. I have all kinds of ideas to do just that, but need a little more expertise and $$$, for prototypes!

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  6. Interesting design. I will be curious to see how well it works. The cats don't mind stepping up that high?
    Looking forward to your other inventions when you back feels better.

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    1. You are right, they need a step. I'll make them one!

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  7. So where is the woman you helped move? It would rest easier on my mind if SHE helped YOU in this project. But if you're anything like I am, I never ask, or expect, help. And if I got it, I wouldn't be able to use it. My ideas only seem to work in MY mind and sound cockeyed if I had to explain them to another person. Of course you already know that.

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    1. Where is that person I helped move? Well, last night she was engaged in interrogating me on why I have 8 spay neuter reservations for next week, when their group needs those. I was shocked. Guess I know where I really stand there.

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    2. We are very backward, where I live, without low cost spay neuter options at all. So the handful of available mid cost reservations, at a shelter, are fought over, tooth and nail. We have no chance in hell of addressing the overpopulation problem here effectively.

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  8. Very inventive! The world needs more people like you to help cats and other animals. There were feral cats behind a small shopping center nearby. I know someone was getting them neutered/spayed. Now that developers will be taking down 10 acres of trees there to put in a larger shopping area I feel sorry for all the displaced wild animals. We are in a small neighborhood and now have fox and coyotes living in yards. Keep up your great work.

    I have nominated you for the Liebster Award! If you have a minute, check out my blog for the information on what to do. Here's the link http://www.somersethouse.me/?p=1425. Have fun! Joan

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