More cats are surrendered to shelters every year for litterbox issues than for any other reason. Here are some tips to help your kitty maintain good litter habits:
- Most cats prefer a fine-grained, unscented litter substrate (e.g. clumping litter); a recent study showed that litter with activated carbon was preferred. Some cats will do well with other types of litter, but if they begin urinating or defecating outside of the box at some point and heath issues have been ruled out, changing them to clumping litter can sometimes solve the issue.
- Boxes should be scooped one or two times daily–some cats will only use a box if it is clean, so this is important. Also, some cats like to urinate only in one box and defecate only in another, so there should always be more than one litterbox option available.
- Clumping litter should be completely changed at least weekly and more often if more than one cat uses it. Clay litter should be changed a minimum of every other day (more frequently if multiple cats are using it). Wash your litter box with warm, soapy water and dry well before adding new litter.
The two of us would prefer three litterboxes, please!
- The ideal number of litter boxes is one per cat, plus one. Litter boxes should be placed in at least two different locations, and preferably more if there are multiple cats in the household. Locations should be private and have easy access. Boxes should not be placed next to noisy appliances. Cats prefer litterboxes to be in areas near where they like to spend time.
- Prevent blocking litter box exit or entry or one cat by another. Have at least two ways for cats to enter and exit the box. (Don’t put the box in an area where the cat can be cornered in the box–this makes it an easy area for bullying, which can then make the cat have a negative association with his/her litterpan.)
- Never trap or corner a cat in its litter box to give it medication or perform other procedures that the cat might dislike. You want to make sure your cat’s litterbox experiences are as pleasant as possible to avoid negative associations being formed.
- Many cats prefer a litter depth of approximately 1.5 inches; however, preferences may vary.
- Cats prefer litter boxes that are at least 1.5 times the length of their bodies. Many commercial litter boxes are too small for larger cats. Sweater storage boxes, cement mixing tubs, and small dog litter pans (for dogs up to 35 lbs) all make excellent cat litter boxes.
Helpful facts regarding urination and defecation:
- The average cat urinates twice daily (+/- two times) and defecates about once daily. (Outdoor cats do so more frequently for marking purposes.)
- Some cats sniff and cover their eliminations, others don’t. Both are considered normal behavior.
- Eliminating outside the box often signals an underlying medical condition. The earlier the problem is corrected, the better chance for the cat to return to the litter box.
For our geriatric feline family members:
- Many of our geriatric feline friends experience a little bit of memory loss. Taking these kitties to the litter box regularly might be beneficial as the stimuli of the litter box might trigger elimination behavior.
- Because older cats often have decreased vision, adding a nightlight beside the litter box can be a helpful guide for your geriatric kitty.
- Adding a litter box on each floor of the house can be helpful for older cats.
- Adding a litter box near where your geriatric kitty likes to spend most of his/her time sleeping can be helpful. With this approach, kitty wakes up from his or her nap and a bathroom is immediately available—no searching the house is necessary.
