Well, we all know how important the litter box is. It must be maintained in a flawlessly clean state with proper scratchy "Gritty Kitty" kitty litter.

However, maybe I don't quite make those standards. I tend to clean it out once a day at 6:00PM, after the 5:30PM feeding, the 5:20PM "Where is my dinner!" Stare of Death, and the 4:40PM greeting.

So I finally decided to do a "Major Overhaul" last weekend, which left a clean litter pan, and lumps of cat litter in my bathtub that seem to propagate, along with the lingering odour of vintage cat pee.

You see, logic dictates you should clean the box out completely at least once a month. I let it go a little longer...

Two Years.

Cleo and Velvet were amused to see me cleaning the box, full force, in the bathroom, swearing away. I had to hurry, because they now had nowhere to "go". Suspension of such an important public service in the territory must be short-lived; it is like cutting off air to a deep sea diver.

Got it done! Clean! I will not go into the gruesome details of what it took to accomplish this task here. Let's just say litter lumps adhered to the bottom of the pan for two years are like a fine wine... They do "age"...

I put the pan back in the time-honored spot, and started to refill it with litter. I got it half full, and went for the second container to top it up. Just a few seconds elapsed. When I returned, Velvet was in the box checking it out. "OK out Velvet! I'm not done yet!" Just try and displace a stubborn 18 pound cat from her property. So I just added the rest of the litter around her, burying her paws. I was told where to go! She promptly did the squat and christened the clean new box. I averted my eyes out of deference to the lady.

She certainly took her time. I backed off.

Just proves when you gotta go, you gotta go!

Copyright © Bill Mason
December 14, 2001