At what age do your kids start cleaning the cat litter box?

[helena]

Just curious?

:lurk5:

 

Also, is it a regular litter box or the electronic self-cleaning kind?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ds14 started when he was 12 - it is not the self cleaning kind. He did not get really good at doing it though until last year.

[Reeciecup]

About 8 or 9. We just have a plain old box.

[KarenNC]

My daughter started it as a regular job at 6 (it was the new job she acquired on her birthday ;)). We have two regular litter boxes with scoopable litter and she cleans them twice a day (morning and night). We have had to have periodic "re-education" on the proper way to do it over the years.

 

ETA: these are indoor-only cats.

[swellmomma]

I had planned to have them start doing it this year BUT my cat has already had 2 cases of worms. (she is an indoor/outdoor cat and a very good hunter), so I will likely never let them start scooping her box just in case. If I had an indoor only kitty, I would likely let them start at around 11-12 yrs, basically when they are old enough to scoop it properly without flinging litter everywhere and knowing how to properly wash their hands afterwards (and I do mean properly, not the way most kids think is washing kwim)

[Starr]

We got our cats when ds was 12. He was quite capable sooner. We scoop and stir every day and change the littler once a week. Give it to the kids!

[DarcyB]

Our started when he was 9 to help, 10 on his own - indoor only cats, once a day to clean the box. Dad changes it out weekly.

[Jennifer3141]

I never thought of this!! Wow. I could dump that chore for myself. Woot!!

[helena]

I never thought of this!! Wow. I could dump that chore for myself. Woot!!

 

Exactly what I was thinking! :001_smile:

[Daisy]

Starting at about age 7, my son did it off and on when his Dad was out-of-town. Now he does it full-time. He's 9. Regular cat box and he knows to wash his hands well afterward.

Edited July 28, 2011 by Daisy

[BarbecueMom]

I was really hoping someone would say 3. Alas, I have a hard enough time bribing the 26-year-old to do it! :D

[KarenNC]

I never thought of this!! Wow. I could dump that chore for myself. Woot!!

 

Bingo ;). That would also be why she has the chores of folding laundry (which she doesn't mind as much as I let her watch a video while she does it) and cleaning out the car. BTW, she's 11 now, so I'm not putting it all on a 6yo. :001_smile: My husband is anxiously awaiting her being tall enough to mow the grass (maybe next summer---at 10 I was mowing my yard and my grandmother's, but I was taller than she is now).

[saja1029]

Mine just started at 10 and 12. We have 3 boxes, in the basement, and it HAS to be done everyday.

 

They hate it and that reflects in their work. They'll get used to it, I'm sure ;)

[mcconnellboys]

My older son cleaned the cat litter box from the time we got her until he went to college. I guess he was about 12 or 13 when he started. My younger son picked up the cleaning this past year (same age). It's just a regular litter box.

[Birdwinglips]

I never thought of this!! Wow. I could dump that chore for myself. Woot!!

 

My sentiments exactly. I've been scooping cat poop for 15yrs (except during pregnancies when DH did it) and never once did it cross my mind to have the kids do it!!

[PiCO]

5. Regular litter box (well, the kind with the hole in the lid for the cat to climbe down into. Lid comes off for cleaning.)

[LidiyaDawn]

Never ~ dh and the kids are all too grossed out by it. :laugh:

 

I really don't mind doing it though…always have, so it's no big deal.

[Maverick_Mom]

Never ~ dh and the kids are all too grossed out by it. :laugh:

 

I really don't mind doing it though…always have, so it's no big deal.

 

I've always done it (we didn't have cats when I was pregnant) because, well, if you want something done right ... ;)

 

But I really need to teach the kids to do it. They're old enough.

 

Facing the litter box in the morning is one of the hardest things I know. I'm convinced that our two cats sneak out at night for beer and burritos, judging from the condition of the litter boxes in the morning. :eek:

[Heather in Neverland]

Regular and he started around age 8

[Murphy101]

Regular - age 10

[Joyofsixreboot]

Kids start in kindy so 6 ish. My 3 yo does the food and water with supervision. Start 'Em young!

[KarenNC]

Facing the litter box in the morning is one of the hardest things I know. I'm convinced that our two cats sneak out at night for beer and burritos, judging from the condition of the litter boxes in the morning. :eek:

 

Ahh, so that's who our cats have been meeting up with at night!;)

[Maverick_Mom]

Ahh, so that's who our cats have been meeting up with at night!;)

 

:lol:

[Tree House Academy]

Never ~ dh and the kids are all too grossed out by it. :laugh:

 

I really don't mind doing it though…always have, so it's no big deal.

 

:iagree: They are my cats and we have 5 of them (3 inside, 2 outside). The kids like to pet them, but I am the cat lover so I do it.

[Tree House Academy]

Ahh, so that's who our cats have been meeting up with at night!;)

 

:lol::lol::lol: Mine are right there with them. THey say cats can travel long distances pretty quickly and all. :auto:

[Dobela]

5. Regular litter box (well, the kind with the hole in the lid for the cat to climbe down into. Lid comes off for cleaning.)

:iagree: My son brought home his first cat home when he was 5 (thanks to granpa). He began right then with supervision. When he added 2 more cats 2 years later, he got even more responsibility. He is now 11 and handles all cat chores by himself. If he doesn't, he know that cats will find new homes. I am a cat lover but I didn't want cats again when this started. We do still oversee, and if he is lazy or doesn't do a good job, he is in trouble.

[Lizzie in Ma]

If the cat is yours, you clean up after it. Age 5 and up at our house.

[helena]

Well, I read the ages you guys posted to my husband. He's the one who was resistant to the idea. :glare:

I've announced to everyone that today is the day they learn how to clean the litter box. YAY for me!!

 

I loved it when these girls were little, but I have to admit I really enjoy the perks of having real noticeable help around here. This year has been life changing for me. I'm starting to feel like I'm not a slave to cleaning this house. :party:

[Maverick_Mom]

:lol::lol::lol: Mine are right there with them. THey say cats can travel long distances pretty quickly and all. :auto:

 

Well, at least they're getting that all-important socialization. :lol:

[elegantlion]

I clean it, but my cat has irritable bowel issues. :ack2: Somehow because I used to work for a vet, the pet chores fall on me. I don't really care as ds does lots of other chores I loathe.

[Garga]

It might depend on the kid. My kid is hyperactive and tends to try to do jobs without bothering to look at what he's doing. For instance, I'll say, "Put that towel on the towel rack," and he'll pick it up, while looking at a toy in his hand, or something interesting across the room, wave the towel around until it bumps into the towel rack, and then let it go...and the towel falls back on the floor.

 

It's an ongoing effort for him to actually LOOK at the job he's doing.

 

The idea of giving him a little shovel and a box full of cat pee balls that have stuck to the bottom of the box...and having him try to scrape them off the bottom with the shovel....all I can picture is the shovel acting as a catapult with cat pee balls hurtling across the room with a trail of dirty kitty litter in their wake.

 

Or he'd get the ball onto the shovel, but then forget to actually look to make sure it goes into the bag, and end up with a little pile of cat pee balls piled up next to the box and an empty bag in his hands.

 

No....he's not ready yet.

[catz]

My kids started at 6 and 10. We have 2 boxes that you flip over and pull out the drawer.

[journeytolily]

My oldest DD is now 9.5, and I started training her to do it at age 8. Within a few months, she was cleaning the litter boxes (2, regular) on her own. I still check up every now and then, and remind her of the proper procedure. But it's nice not to have to do this anymore (at least not as often).

 

DS is now in charge of feeding and water bowls. I do have to remind him, but he does it willingly.

[NanceXToo]

Well, we didn't get our cat until recently. My daughter is 10 (almost 11) and she cleans the litterbox every morning.

[Julie in CA]

I didn't see anyone mention this, but my boys change the litter box by about age 13, and in our house, girls don't change the litter box at all.

 

No, it's not cause we've got some bias regarding the skills of males vs. females, it's because of this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002336/

 

We know a young man who was born with severe disabilities as a result of his mom's (unknown) infection. Apparently it's possible to contract the parasite early and carry it without symptoms, then only find out when a future baby is born. I have this knee-jerk reaction that has made me institute the rule that boys change the cat box.

Edited July 29, 2011 by Julie in CA

[WiseOwlKnits]

DD started at 6.5 with a regular litter box. She was begging for a cat and that was one of the conditions to getting a cat. She also has to feed and water it; I was NOT taking on the responsibility for another creature in my house (and I'm NOT a cat person).