a new idea for containers (for me anyway)

I finally realized that the tall, tanslucent plastic kitty litter containers would be perfect if I can manage to cut them. They are deep (big problem last year) and very strong. They are as deep as I want them to be. I hope I can successfully cut them. This makes me excited about the lst of the year sowing!

gloria, translucent plastic kitty litter containers? I've never seen these, are they a brand name or store brand? Sounds like a good idea. And I have 3 cats.
Alice

My cats like the Cystal Blends and a few months ago, Cub stopped carrying it. I"ve tried 2 other products and the cats hate them. I did find Crystal Blends at Rainbow recently and the kitties are happy again. The only one that I know has a clear container is another crystal product (it's blue I think) and the cats really disliked that one.

Be careful if you try to change your kitty litter brand. If your cats are as picky as mine, they will LET you know, in a most unpleasant manner, if they don't like it.

I will stay with the tried and true. My cats like things the way they are.

I use my stove to heat up a old butter knife (this will wreck them) soon as its hot it is very easy to "cut" thick plastic you may have to reheat a few times though to finish the job - you will actually be melting the plastic & yes this process does stink......

Oh please. oh please, if you are cutting plastic using heat in the house make sure that you wear a resperator or have lot's of windows open. Burning plastic is toxic. One bit of information I learned as an art teacher.

gloriag: if you have a dremel multispeed craft tool with a cut-off bit you can cut through the plastic. This tool is also good for drilling drainage holes in plastic containers that don't have any. A person could get very sick inhaling burning plastic. I wouldn't do it that way. It takes a very long time to recover from plastic poisoning. At least it did not me. Also, there are some heavy duty snips that might work if its the type of container I think it is.

Thanks, Gloria, I DO have a dremmel, but alas I don't know what I have in it. I am afraid of it and have never used it. New electric power tools imtimidate me (except the weed eater and my two drills) I will buy the piece you mentioned. It sounds like the perfect solution.

gloriag: I am gloriag, also. I will not tell you what the second g is for! Anyhow. Yes. I know about being intimidated by power tools. I was so afraid of them I signed up for a cabinet making course and stayed 4 years. Just take your time. Get out the instructions. They are not too explicit for the Dremel anyway. Plan to spend 15 minutes or so practicing on some scrap material. The cut off drill I have looks like a watch gear about 1/2 in long. some of them are wheels with diamond dust on them. The drill I have sort of wants to take off by its self, so you have to practice. You probably have what you need in the tool set that came with your Dremel. Just be sure to insert the drill in the holder completely. A few weeks ago, the Walmart here had a 50% off sale on Dremel accessories. My local ACE hardware has a whole rack of bits for not too much money, but you probably have a cutting tool already.
Several people mentioned burning plastic. Oh. That is very bad. I was required to work in a room ( a lab) that had plastic fumes vented into it from an adjacent room where mentally disabled kids were working with plastic. Now I know how they got mentally disabled. It took a long long time learning detox before I recovered from that exposure. If all else fails, there are some heavy duty snips that will cut the plastic those cartons and containers are made of.

I was preparing some plastic "clam-shell" containers (like the take out containers on a salad bar) not two minutes ago, using a metal skewer heated on the stove to pop holes through a whole stack of them. It works like a charm, *BUT* I always work at the stovetop, with our good-quality exhaust hood going full tilt.