For starters – placement is one of the most important things when it comes to owning a litter box. I don’t want it too close to the kitchen because face it, that’s just gross. In fact, I want to keep it as far away from food as possible. Luckily, I have a closet in our office upstairs making this the perfect place to keep it hidden.

Second – brand of litter is KEY. I’ve tried them all folks. Tidy Cat recently came out with a Small Spaces formula that works well in compact places — like my closet for instance. It clumps up nicely and traps odors. I won’t use anything else.

Third – you need to keep the cat box filled with at least 4 to 5 inches of litter. This is very important because there needs to be an abundance of litter in order to clump properly, thus trapping any liquids for easy disposal.

**Note** Don’t bother with automatic litter boxes. They simply aren’t worth the hassle and can’t take the place of consistent maintenance. I prefer the litter boxes that have a built in sifter since this acts a barrier between my cats’ claws and the pan liner. I still just use a traditional scoop for cleaning.

Fourth – consistent maintenance is key! Scoop it everyday or every other day at most. Be sure to refill the box with at least 4 to 5 inches of litter.

- You can use some sort of deodorizing powder spread over the litter for extra protection against odors.Arm and Hammer makes a Lavender Scented powder that smells wonderful.

This really works and I’ve become much happier because of it.