Wednesday 23 March 2011

Relocating worms

I spent the morning making a cat food pouch bag, rushing it a bit because I said I would take one in tomorrow, and it all went wrong. I made a right pigs ear out of it and lost interest. Why should I be stuck inside on a nice sunny day like this.

So I went to the churchyard with me wheelbarra and loaded it up with compost. Basically it's rotting leaves and grass cuttings, with some tree clippings and hoss muck. I didn't touch the pile last year because it was too fresh, but now one year later it is humming. I didn't like the look of the soil, too many stones in it, and a bit like lumps of clay, so I had the compost instead. Lots of luverly worms to relocate.


I trundled up and down the street four times, and spread it on two raised beds, then dug it in. I need to go and get some more tomorrow. I had some three years ago when I first built the beds, now they need topping up. Not bad for free :o)


After I finished washing the pots this afternoon, I thought of another use for the dirty water. Instead of putting it down the sink, why not use it once more for a really filthy job, washing the cat litter box. Look at the state of it, looks like kitty was rather loose while I was away and didn't aim very well.

So, out on the back yard, remove the soiled litter and transfer the cleanish litter to another container. Then have a good swish round with an old washing up brush that I keep outside just for this purpose. Chuck the filthy water straight into the outside drain.

Dry the box and refill with litter. Ooopsadaisy, ten minutes later we have a widdle. Bugsy always does that. Every time I clean it he has to be the first one to use it.

I use the cheapest clumping litter, you may remember I bought a load from Tesco when it was on offer. Theirs doesn't clump as well as Morrisons, so I mix it, that's why there are two colours in there.

This is what I do to remove the contaminated litter without throwing too much of the clean stuff away. Digging around just breaks up the clump and you end up throwing away too much as it all gets mixed up. Instead I tilt the box gently trying not to disturb the clump.

Then I carefully scoop it out with my little plastic spade.

Next shake the box so the surface is level, then you will be able to spot any disturbances when kitty uses it again. Cats don't like dirty litter boxes so it's best to remove whoopsies and widdles as soon as you spot them, and top up if any more litter is needed. All clean again.


I went to see if the pile rubbish and dog poo was still on the path where I left it. I'm pleased to say someone has been tidying up, and it is all gone apart from the broken TV set. I'm pleased I haven't got to pick it up.

4 comments:

  1. You cant beat freebie compost, what a result, your raised beds look good x

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  2. That's exactly how we manage our cats' litter trays. Years ago when we got our female cat, she was a bit gung-ho in the litter tray and our old boy cat hated it. He was the zen gardening master of the litter tray - he liked raked gravel - and one day, I saw him ushering her downstairs and he sat her opposite the litter tray. I crept down and surreptitiously watched while he did what a cat had to do right dead centre and raked it over, all the while glancing up and down to check she was watching. It was the funniest thing! She made a huge effort to be dead centre after that but it lasted only about a week and she was back to gung-ho!

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  3. I will have to start removing compost from the bottom of my bin as I keep filling it up and soon will have no room left.

    Merlin doesn't use litter tray often, only if it's really bad outside and he wants to make a statement, like another cat's been in the house. I had to remove a cat poo from the garden that my lovely next door cat Millie did - my God, what a stink! I feel I'm lucky with the odd ones I find, what a subject. I got some paper cat litter but I don't like it, will go back to the heavy, cheap stuff. Couldn't carry it last time, that's why I bought the paper stuff.

    Ilona, what is a cat food pouch bag? Have you posted a picture of one on here?

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  4. Hi campfire. You will have to scroll back to the post on 2nd march, my tutorial on how to make a cat food pouch bag. Yes the clumping cat litter is heavy, you need a car to bring even one bag home. My kitties have started to toilet outside now the weather is better. I still like to have a tray or two down though, because I like to see that their poo is normal.

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