Zen and The Art of Cat Litter
The idea for the art work and the Zen koan came to me the other day while cleaning the litter. Cleaning cat litter is a daily chore every cat parent is familiar with, and I don’t know anyone who relishes the job. I began thinking what if we thought about the act of cleaning our cat’s toilet differently? What if we thought out of the box? What if the scooping and sifting could be a meditation? Or an act of love? Is there anything more humbling than cleaning a loved one’s urine and excrement?
Lately, with my old boy Merlin doing his business more frequently out of the box, I began being thrilled when he crouched and aimed perfectly for a cat litter bulls eye. He shoots, he scores! Go Merlin! Then, the aha moment: If he makes the litter, it’s okay and if he misses the litter, it’s okay. It’s all okay. It just is.
Can sifting litter be a meditation? Sure it can be if using the innovative Looop
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12 Comments
Oui Oui
We have 3 kitties that have impeccable potty box habits (all girls), then there is Carl. Although he does use newspapers, so that not too bad. Just don’t leave any important papers or paper products on the floor.
Kathy Thompson
Life’s a journey not a destination…..why not make it all as wonderful as we can? Purrs to all the mellowed out felines and their staff out there. Luvs Skeeter and Izzy Zen to the core!
>^zz^<
Long Life Cats and Dogs
You just need to get into a quiet state of mind, handle the process in steady, fluid movements and meditation time it is. Either that our buy a very expensive self cleaning one.
Abby
Abby has stopped using the interior of the box. So I found she will use the puppy pads. So at least it isn’t all over everywhere.
purrs
>^,,^<
♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥
meowmeowmans
Ooooh, the zen of litter box cleaning! You’ve opened our minds to a brand new way of thinking. 🙂
stephanie
Gorgeous pic of you!
Cheysuli
The Woman ought to try the NVR Litter box. She’s not sure some of the issue isn’t that or if it’s just behavioral. Gemini is going to the vet because of the diarrhea as much as going outside the box. We also want to check a few other things out to rule our the litter box avoidance only for bowel movements (not urine), which is a little different.
Bernadette
Love the artwork, and how well I remember the joy of a successful litterbox usage with an older or ill kitty…
Working with my hands is always a contemplative thing, even if it’s scooping the litterbox. I also remember the little contemplative desk accessory that was a teeny tiny sandbox with a rake to move the sand around and make patterns. Looked just like a little litterbox to me.
Texas, a cat in New York
MOL
Thinking outside the box is okay as long as you concentrate on what’s inside the box! Will have to remind this to my human!
Mollie and Alfie
Hi, you popped over to see us 🙂 It’s always nice to meet new Furbuddies. My Humom’s lucky, we don’t ave to clean up “FURBALLS” Alfies poo, he goes in next door’s garden BOL !! 🙂
Sparkle
MOL! My human needs to get more into the zen of litter box cleaning!
Kathryn
Great insights! There was a French philosopher, whose name I cannot remember in this heat, 20th century…who said something similar. That it is how we think about cleaning… Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space.
I buy a clumping, scented with crystals litter and use Tidy Cat baking soda. I do scoop every day. I only have two boys, but they really use it a lot, since they are indoor boys.
I bought a huge box and I use a cardboard (it isn’t cardboard) box insert and a plastic liner. The cardboard insert lifts out easily.
And I use the catmouse ionizer.
Everybody is purringly happy.
Ched was whining for me tonight. I was in the AC and he wanted me. He kept lifting up his chin and maoing for me to invite him to the table where I am sitting.
Voted!