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Q: What kind of litter should I use?
A: There are so many types of litter available in pet stores today that it can be overwhelming when trying to decide what to pick off of the shelf!
Clumping litter is almost always the best choice (save for certain medical situations such as a paw laceration) because it allows for daily removal of urine from the box. Non-clumping litter means that either there is excessive waste of litter when the entire contents are emptied every day, or alternatively, it means that the smell of ammonia and urine strengthens throughout the week until it is finally emptied. The only non-clumping litter that prevents ammonia odor buildup is silica crystal litter, but silica litter is not recommended since the the crystals are hard and sharp, creating an unpleasant surface for to walk on.
Clumping litter also allows you to monitor the volume and frequency of your cat's urination, and as a cat owner this very important to note since particular urine habit changes can be indicative of serious health issues. Non-clumping litter disguises cats' urine habits and makes it far more difficult to notice problems when they arise.
Two types of non-clumping litter that do deserve kudos for being (relatively) dust-free and non-tracking are pine litter (multiple brands available) and Yesterday's News made by Purina, made with recycled newspapers. These non-clumping litters play an important role for kitties that have healing wounds on their extremities since they are generally too large for pieces of litter to get stuck in and contaminate open wounds.
Eliminate scented litters from the types you are choosing amongst, and this further narrows your selection. Scented litter means more chemicals, and while it might mean a more pleasant odor for us as owners, it is almost sure to be unpleasant to our cats, and they end up ingesting the chemicals when grooming themselves later, licking the litter dust particles that settled onto their coats while in the litter box. Additionally, scented litters are not necessary; when litter boxes are properly maintained, there should not be any significant odors present that require masking.
Q: How often do I need to empty the litter box?
A: Clumping litter is the most hygienic and practical litter type that exists. Maintenance is minimal if you are diligent about daily scooping. The litter substrate remains nice and fresh, and the litter can simply be topped up once weekly to maintain an appropriate volume inside the box. Litter should be kept at least several inches deep to allow cats a satisfactory substrate in which they can dig and bury their movements. Maintaining a good depth in the box at all times also means that the bottom and sides of the container will remain relatively clean since they will have little to no contact with urine and feces. Once per month the entire litter box can be emptied and cleaned with an unscented, gentle soap and warm water. Once the box is completely dry it can be refilled with fresh litter.
Boxes filled with non-clumping litter need to be emptied daily in order to avoid the unpleasant buildup of ammonia odor and feces.
Q: How many litter boxes do I need?
A: The "Golden Rule" is that the number of litter boxes needed is 'n + 1.' The 'n' stands for the number of cats who live in the home, so the number of litter boxes needed is the number of cats you have plus one extra.
Cats are not always willing to share their amenities, even if they have lived in the same home with multiple kitties their entire lives! Just because two cats use the same litter box does not necessarily mean that they are 'comfortable' doing so; it is simply the best option that they have available to them and so they make do with what they have.
Additionally, some cats who are forced to share their bathrooms experience real distress, not just mild discomfort from the suboptimal situation. It's not uncommon for dominant cats within multi-cat households to guard litter boxes and ambush kitties who are lower in the social hierarchy as they exit their litter boxes. Cats who experience frightening, stressful, or painful situations correlated with litter box use are prone to start eliminating outside of their litter boxes as they attempt to avoid the same adverse situations from reoccurring. Having an extra box present means that there will always be at least one bathroom freely available that will not be guarded.
It's also important to remember that by requiring our cats to repeatedly use the same space for elimination (let alone requiring them to share that space with other cats!), we are already requesting a significant sacrifice from our felines. They would not naturally eliminate in the same place so repeatedly if they were outdoor or feral cats.
Along similar lines, the reason for having more than one litter box for single cats allows them to enjoy having their options; many cats prefer to have one box for urinating, and another one entirely for passing bowel movements. They don't want to use the same space for both which is why 'n + 1' holds true even for single cat households.
Q: What kind of litter box should I get? Covered? Uncovered? Deep sided? Small, large, extra-large?
A: The best litter box is the roomiest one that you can find and fit within your household!
Most commercial options that are available, even the extra-large sized models, are still too small! The average litter box allows one cat to fit inside it and turn around within its confines, similar to human porta potties. And if you stop to think about it, comparing litter boxes to porta potties is a rather accurate analogy, and should provide the right kind of motivation needed to improve on our cats' "elimination situations!"
Imagine being a cat who has to run into the same washroom where another cat just went -- there are old urine clumps and bowel movements present that create an odiferous environment and our noses are nowhere near as sensitive as our cats' noses are! It's no wonder that (non-medical) inappropriate elimination is such a common problem - how many people prefer to find their own clean location in the woods somewhere rather than using porta potties? Sometimes cats end up resorting to the same behavior when they use laundry piles as surrogate litter boxes!
Litter boxes should allow your cat to be comfortable while they are doing their cat business: generous in size, shallow side-wall depth, and easy to enter and exit.
While covered boxes do prevent some scatter, most cats prefer non-covered versions because they instinctively wish to be able to look around and ensure their safety before adapting a vulnerable position as they must in order to complete their task(s) at hand. Covered litter boxes are more cramped and obstruct cats' views: cats in covered boxes are unable to see their surroundings and check for people or other pets walking by, and they also impair their ability to hear others coming as well. Covered litter boxes are particularly uncomfortable for older, arthritic cats, overweight cats, and large cats. They tend to have very deep sides, so the entrance is more difficult to step in and out of. Some covered litter boxes also come with door flaps, and these should absolutely not be used. Cats should not have to work in order to access their bathrooms, and they definitely don't like being smacked by the door flap in the rump as they push their way through the entryway. Door flaps can cause cats to quickly develop aversions to using the corresponding litter boxes.
Rimmed litter boxes are uncovered litter boxes that have separate plastic rims which snap onto their tops, securing pet litter liners in place, and helping to minimize litter scatter. Rimmed litter boxes are far from ideal because while they may help prevent a small percentage of litter scatter, they also decrease the amount of room available to cats in which they can maneuver, and they also detract from litter box accessibility since cats must step over much wider rims when entering the boxes compared with regular models.
The less comfortable a cat is with their litter box situation, and the more difficulty they encounter when using their bathroom, the more time they actually spend inside of them. Cats with cramped litter boxes spend extra time digging to make satisfactory holes for their elimination and, similarly, they try just as hard to find ways to cover their movements properly. So, ironically, many litter box systems developed to try and decrease litter scatter actually increase the overall amounts of scatter created! Comfortable litter boxes result in much less litter box activity altogether... which translates into less scatter!
The product that I have found that works best and keeps both cats and owners happiest is actually the 'under-the-bed-storage-bin' which can function as an extra-long, shallow, regular width (relative to commercial options), roomy "litter box." Under the bed storage bins are made by Sterilite and Rubbermaid and can be found at most Walmarts, Zellers, Canadian Tires, and many other stores, for approximately the same prices as regular litter boxes.
Q: Where should my litter box(es) be placed?
A: Below is a list of criteria detailing where you should avoid placing litter boxes. Do NOT locate litter boxes by:
Noisy machines like laundry washers, dryers, garborators and dish-washers
Food and water bowls (cats do not want to eat and drink where they urinate and defecate, just like humans!)
High-traffic areas like doorways and landings (cats prefer a bit of peace and quiet when using the loo, and if they are ever scared or startled by passers-by, they can develop aversions to the litter box and its location)
Cramped corners (although we may want to hide the unsightly litter box, cats prefer to have good visibility when doing their business)
Children's play areas (keeping kitty waste and children's toys away from each other keeps everyone happy!)
The kitchen area (even the best litter box set up will have some slight smells in the immediate post-use phase, and you don't want to be wondering why your cuisine always tastes better than it smells)
If you have multiple levels in your home, do not isolate the litter box(es) to the basement - there should be an easily accessible box on each level of the home, especially if there is a geriatric cat, or if there are more than one cat in the household (if litter boxes are located together, then one cat can guard access to them, or ambush another cat using them)
When the unsightliness of litter is an issue that is preventing one from being located on a particular level, although covered options are not considered ideal, there are litter box-containing constructs that still allow for large, shallow litter boxes to be placed inside and also function as esthetically pleasing furniture pieces.
Q: How do I prevent litter from tracking everywhere?
A: There is no magical method here unfortunately, but the following are some very useful tips:
PetMate The Litter Catcher Mat (46"x32") - this mat covers a large surface area, is extremely efficient at trapping litter, is soft and flexible on cats' paws and is easily shaken out for cleaning - avoid hard plastic, ridged litter mats that are unpleasant on cats' paws to walk over.
Keep a hand broom and dust pan or a small handheld vacuum nearby for escapee particles!
Keep the litter level a couple inches below edge of the litter box
Purchase low-tracking litter substrate
Q: What about litter liners?
A: Cats do not like litter liners, so it is best not to use them. Simply keep the depth of litter adequate and scoop frequently enough that the bottom and sides of the litter box stay clean.
Q: My litter is advertised as 'biodegradable' - can I compost the cat litter?
A: Yes, you can compost your cat litter. However, it's not recommended that you use the compost of carnivores to fertilize vegetable gardens, because of the variety of pathogenic microbes that their excrement can contain. Cat litter should be composted separately from your kitchen compost. PC Green cat litter is a popular eco-friendly, clumping, absorbent product that works well for composting owners.
Q: My cat litter is advertised as 'flushable' - should I flush it?
A: It's best if your litter can be composted rather than using 6 to 18 litres of water to send the litter somewhere else for composting. However, if you cannot compost the litter, then simply throwing it away is the next best option, since it will biodegrade in landfills as well.
Q: I've heard that cats can be toilet trained, and that using a litter box isn't even necessary. Is toilet training my cat a good idea?
A: While it sounds like a very appealing idea to not have to take care of the litter box, toilet training cats is not a good idea. Healthy, happy cats are those that are permitted expression of as many of their natural behaviors on a daily basis as possible. Eliminating a cat's ability to dig comfortably in a substrate in which they can urinate or defecate would substantially reduce their quality of life. Requiring a cat to balance on a slippery toilet rim multiple times per day would be a significant stressor to them, and this task would become more and more difficult and uncomfortable with age and the onset of arthritis and muscle wasting.
While training cats to do other tricks is a good idea and can enhance their quality of life by providing mental stimulation, when it comes to kitties' bathroom habits, it's best to provide them with a great litter box setup, and reserve the toilet for human use only!
To read more of Dr. Ko's articles, please visit www.catdoctorko.com
The information provided in this article is for educational reference purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice and care of your veterinarian, nor medical diagnoses or treatments. All questions regarding your cat's health should be discussed with your veterinarian.
Dr. Ko is a passionate believer in the importance of preventative medicine and educating cat owners about its benefits for their cats. It was this ideal which was the motivation for the creation of the Dr. Ko website.
catdoctorko.com is a brand new site dedicated to providing cat owners with information to help them provide effective and preventative health care for their cats. Within the site, Dr. Ko, a licensed veterinarian, has created Know-How Videos, Cat Health Articles, Ask Dr. Ko tips (in which she answers your cat health questions), information on toxic substances, product recalls, dangerous household items and much more! In addition, the website houses a store filled with products specifically selected for their benefits to optimizing your cat's quality of life!
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