Cat Litter Boxes – Part Two – Super Duper Pooper Scooper

Searching for alternatives to “pick up” cat litter boxes turned out to be relatively unsuccessful. But I was determined to improve this process, since manually collecting 10 or so extra-large litter boxes is a daunting task. The first thing I did was buy all the different scoops available. There is one that stood out from the others for being of metal construction and larger than most. I’m not going to back it up by providing the name (unless they want to throw some cash), but with that said, I still HATE handpicking.

What other pick-up method should I ask for? I did not invent this method, however after research I can certainly say that I improved on it. The method I am referring to is what I call “sieving”. I have seen several articles where inventors have made screens to put over a plastic bag and dump the contents of the dirty box onto the screen. The solids are then trapped in the mesh and emptied into the waste container. I even found where you could buy them pre-assembled. I chose to pass that method because it seemed too messy and cumbersome, but I thought they were on the right track, so I came up with a variation.

I was shopping for grill accessories at a local hardware store when I found the solution I had been looking for. This information that I am about to impart to you, gentle reader, is worth the price of this information guide alone. OK, I know it was free, but here it is.

GRILL BASKET made of stainless steel. You can also get a non-stick. This beautiful piece of jewelry fits perfectly over a plastic bag and is a cat litter sifting machine. Here’s my setup: I take two large empty plastic bags and place the basket on top of one of them lengthwise. Each one I’ve seen (grill basket) has a lip at the front and a handle long enough to rest inside without worrying about it slipping or falling out in the bag. Then I take a garbage bag and line the other bag.

Next, I take one of my containers full of nuggets and its contents into the grill basket. With the corn crumble sand I use, I’ve found that it doesn’t sift as quickly as chipboard, but the beauty of having a grill basket is that you grab the handle and give it a little shake. After your box is empty, your basket has been shaken and sifted, and you’re left with delicious fresh delicacies from Martha Stewart’s kitchen, then you pour them into the lined bag. The following is obvious; only for the sieved garbage to return to its original container. Rinse and repeat for additional boxes.

Scooping out manually, even with the oversized metal scoop, would take me over an hour and a half. This method takes less than 10 minutes, including cleanup.