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.

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

This is an older, spare litterbox, much smaller than the ones I originally did this project for.

Add up to 24 inches to the inside bottom dimensions to allow for the sides. This extra will fold down to make 6-inch sides.

Cut the mesh. YOU WILL GET CUT HERE! Those little prongs are very sharp and you will invariably get scraped or cut. Be very careful!

Turn the box over and shape the mesh to the bottom (length and width). This helps guide cutting out the corners in the next step.

These can be discarded.

With the corners cut out, you can see where the extra 24 inches was added to form what will be the sides. 12 inches on each side.

I used the edge of my workbench to keep a relatively straight edge. Again, be very careful here! You still have a lot of exposed sticking points.

It's still a little big here, which is better than too small.

You only need to snip a couple squares at the bottom if needed.

Bend back all the sharp edges. You only need an inch or so. You can see the previous extra corner snips I'd just made.

I used a wooden yardstick because it tends not to slip.

Place inside the litter box again to check the fit. All edges should be relatively rounded now. I suppose you could make the sides even higher, but you would be limited by the size of the original mesh roll. It just needs to be high enough to be higher than the litter so you can grab it.

Put as much litter as you can into it. There should be enough space at the top for you to grab the mesh without touching the litter. If your cat is a bottom-scratcher, with more litter it is less likely that they would get to the mesh.

After many years, I've found that Scoop Away is the best for my purposes.

Eventually your little darling(s) will find and use the box.

Eventually you will be left with a gift. For Instructable purposes, I sifted after only two uses. With a larger litter box you can leave it quite a long time.

Dump the waste into your waste bin. I find that old Scoop Away canisters work great.

With the three cats and the much larger litter box that I use, I only need to do this every few days.