Here’s my routine…I use big boxes….these…
http://reviews.petco.com/3554/108493/petco-petco-mega-rectangular-litter-box-reviews/reviews.htm
The size and smoothness of the sides allow for my routine to work…but other boxes could work.
I use a good clumping litter…40 pounds per box (we have three boxes but had four in Lubbock)
http://t.petco.com/product/112655/Precious-Cat-Dr-Elseys-Ultra-Scoopable-Multi-Cat–Cat-Litter.aspx
Once the boxes are filled, I only need to buy litter for topping off. I occasionally top off with fresh step unscented (which actually has a slight scent but the cats don’t mind) because it is slightly better at odor control. But the dr Elseys works well enough you’d only smell something when your face is in the box scooping….not just walking by.
This is the part that allows for no dumping and cleaning…I scoop twice per day, with unscented baby wipes in hand (Walmart brand is cheapest.) I tilt the box the the end furthest from me then sift through the litter with the scoop, pulling it toward myself. If a clump is sticking to side or bottom, I bang the outside of the box to remove it, then wipe off that spot with a wipe. Any splatters get wiped too. I’m also meticulous about using the corner of the scoop to remove any broken bits of clumps.
In Lubbock, I gradually tested how long I could go between dumplings and cleanings…one month, three months, (at Jackson Galaxy’s advice that he dumps and cleans every 6 months), 6 months. When we moved to FL, I baby wiped the boxes and just bagged up the old litter to use in the hotel rooms, then kept using it in FL. One year into that litter, I decided just to buy three new boxes, since there were scratches at the bottom of the old ones. Now, they were over a year old. So next summer, when its been a year, I’ll decide whether to clean or replace the boxes. But if I replace again, that truly is a no dumping and cleaning routine! (Which saves a lot of money on litter…and saves my back.) I’m quite pleased with our routine, but like I said, hesitate to share it because I don’t want folks to think “gross!” LOL.
I’m so confident the boxes smell fine, that I knew my mom (who said “your house will smell” when we got a third cat) would have no complaints. And when we showed our house I had litter boxes tucked away in closets, where I knew people would smell them if they opened the closet doors (which you know they do). My realtor was pleased that we had NO pet odor at our house and feedback was always how clean and well maintained our house was.
Here’s the video that inspired my scooping technique (learned the banging trick to remove clumps here too…have to scroll down a bit)…
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=litterbox
Also, keeping the box pretty full of litter helps prevent clumps stuck to the bottom of the box. We still get them though and they don’t bang off as easily. Sometimes they break off, which is why I have to remove pieces of clumps sometimes.