Abstract: An animal litter scoop retaining system is described for creating a litter box area, protected from the digging and other motions of a cat or similar animal, for storing animal litter scoops "stabbed" into the litter. A preferred bar member extends diagonally across a corner of, and within, a typical rectangular litter box and is detachably attached to the litter box, thus separating a small corner litter area for "stabbing" the scoop into the litter and a large area for normal litter use. The bar member blocks off the small corner litter area at least at the height from the litter box bottom of about half the overall height of the litter box. And the bar member, for efficiency, is preferably raised off the bottom and not extending substantially above a height of about half the overall height of the litter box above the bottom.