âDarlinâ, itâs time to clean Pooky-catâs potty-box.â
Right⊠she got the cat; I got the litter box.
Ever cleaned a litter box? Well, itâs an experience, I could do without. Simple, right? Wrong. Required tools and equipment list is long. There are two ways to clean a litter box. You can get the little, slotted shovel and fish those hard brown marbles out of the sandy litter, trying not to gag. Required are a gas mask, slotted shovel, dainty little rake, plastic bag, plastic gloves and a strong stomach. Donât forget the April-fresh-always-clean-little-lady-air-freshener spray.
This first method is called âthe fish ânâ dropâ method⊠no relation to a wonderful day on the lake with beer and sandwiches. Keeping your nose and eyes as far away from the litter as possible, pretend youâre a kid at the beach fishing for coins in the sand. Sift the sand through the slots in the shovel and drop the marbles into the plastic bag, try to avoid barfing. This is where the dainty, little rake comes in handy. Comb the litter bringing marbles to the top⊠then fish them out. Continue until no more marbles are found. Spray the April-fresh-always-clean-little-lady-air-freshener around and youâre done⊠except for disposing of the bag of brown marbles you have collected. So, itâs into the garbage pail with this dainty, little package. This method can be done several times before you have to actually bring in the heavy-duty equipment and change the litter.
When should the litter box be cleaned?⊠when the pungent scent of âEau De Ammoniaâ assails your nostrils and takes your breath away or when Pooky-cat sticks her head into the potty box, coughs, gags, backs up and crosses her legs tightly enough to make her eyes water. Let me tell you, the job of the âofficial potty-box cleanerâ is a thankless one. If youâre stuck with it youâll soon learn, itâs better to clean often⊠thus you donât chuck your cookies each time.
Completely emptying and cleaning the litter box is really a covert, under-cover-of-darkness job. After lunch, while the neighbours are having their afternoon siestas, go to the garden and, under the pretense of digging out some weeds, make a hole. It must be deep enough to hold the entire foul smelling and disgusting contents of the litter box. Later, by the light of the moon, without the aid of a flashlight, sneak out to the garden and empty the litter into the hole. Rake the pile of loose soil on top of the litter and escape. If done correctly, you wonât gag, your eyes wonât water and the neighboursâll be none-the-wiser. Everything in the holeâll decay and plants growing on this spot later will thrive. Youâll be the envy of the neighbourhood⊠tomatoes the size of softballs, zucchini that would make a football blush, and squash, big enough to feed the hockey team. Your neighboursâll be hounding you for your secret⊠you can modestly say, âThe catâs got my tongue.â
William S. Peckham is a Âé¶čAV author and freelance columnist. If you have a comment or question about his stories or his novels you are invited to contact Bill at peck102mch@yahoo.ca
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