How deep should cat litter be, in the cat litter box? We need an amount that is comfortable for the cat but what is that amount?
How Much Litter To Put In The Litter Box?
There should be at least three inches of litter in the pan.
Some cats are deeper scratchers than other cats.
If a cat loves to scratch a deep hole in the litter to bury its waste, four or five inches of litter should be enough.
The quickest and easiest way to eyeball the amount of litter required, is to measure the correct depth in the litter box or boxes you have.
Rule a line or draw a line using a permanent marker to indicate the litter level.
It is then quick and easy to see how much litter should go in the litter box, just stop at the marked line.
It may be necessary to redo these lines after the box has been washed.
Using the line marker in the litter box, takes away any uncertainly and makes it easy for all members of the family to fill the box and also carers. No guesswork or wastage.
If I put too much litter in my cat’s litter pan, the cat throws a good share of litter out of the box onto the surrounding floor when digging a hole.
I then have another mess to sweep up.
No matter how much litter I put into the pan, I always have a certain amount on the floor.
I use a litter mat under the pan, which helps significantly to keep loose litter under control.
You need to find the sweet spot, which is the amount of litter that is just right for your cat without adding so much litter that a lot is wasted by being kicked over the side of the box.
A Unique Litter Box idea For Multiple cats With An Easy Litter Fill Strategy
I spoke to a friend of mine who was a cat parent for many years. She uses a pan that, amongst other things, can be used for mixing cement. Okay, just bear with me here.
Each of those pans (for mixing cement) holds 40 pounds of litter.
I thought she was absolutely crazy until I went to the store and looked at those pans.
These mixing pans are large enough to hold two regular sized cat litter pans.
So, two cement mixing pans were equal to four litter pans.
I had the space available. Once I put in the litter, it was about four inches in each pan.
The sides were not too high for the cats to jump into, but high enough that I had a lot less litter to sweep up.
The cats absolutely loved these larger than life pans.
They had room to move around.
If a litter pan is not large enough and your cat is large, they can easily pee over the side of the pan, and before you know it, you have a stinky urine mess under the litter pan.
Make sure the cat pan is large enough to accommodate the size of your kitty.
This is something to consider. Bear in mind that a larger box will be more cumbersome and bulky to clean, so will not suit all people.
How Much Cat Litter To Use Per Month?
- A small cat needs about six pounds of litter each week or 24 pounds per month.
- A large cat needs at least ten pounds of litter per week or 40 pounds per month.
- Illnesses plays a role in how much litter is required per month.
If your cat has diarrhoea or urinates a lot due to diabetes or irritable bowel syndrome, you need ten to 15 pounds more litter.
All households are different. I have six cats, which means I should (by the vet’s calculations) have nine litter pans.
I have two extra large litter boxes that in total, equal four regular sized litter boxes.
I have an additional two regular sized litter boxes.
This all equals six litter pans.
I have litter pans on all three floors of my home.
I buy a scoopable litter called Fresh Step which is for multiple cat households. The two extra-large pans need 20 pounds of litter each, and the two regular pans require ten pounds of litter each.
I buy forty pounds of litter every two weeks, which seems sufficient. Other cat parents may need to adjust this amount depending on the number of cats in the house.
How Much Cat Litter For a Kitten?
A kitten only needs a small litter box with about two inches of litter.
As the kitten grows, you may need to replace its litter box with a larger one and adjust the litter level accordingly.
Thank you for your comment and lucky you, to have 3 Maine Coons. They are the most beautiful cats. I totally agree with you regarding the litter trapper mats. They do help. Thank you for your suggestions re very fine litter for cats with long hair, pertinent points. Butt skiing – haha – a good description
I have 3 extremely long, tall and big Maine coons. All 3 loved to dig to the bottom of the boxes. I put 35 to 40 lbs a week in each pan (Tidy Cat Fresh and Clean). No odor but my daughter and I were very diligent about scooping. I also got a great mat. It was 2 layers. The bottom was solid , 1 piece. The top was the same size, a little thicker with holes all over it. So the jumping litter pieces fell on the mat. Of course there was still some litter in those giant feet but like before. Just be careful with ultra fine litter if your kitty has long on his bottom and the back of their legs. It sticks to the wet hair, can get very hard and no matter how tidy your long hair is they can’t get it all cleaned off. Within a matter of5 days it obstructs their ability to totally empty their bladder and can cause an infection. But then there is always “butt skiing” to let you know there is a issue.