How To Look After A Litter Box To Function At Its Best

This article explains how to look after a litter box properly.

In addition to good hygiene for your cat, having a clean litter box will prevent odors in your home and also encourage the cat to use the litter box.

How Big Should The Litter Box Be?

When it comes to choosing a litter box for your cat, size matters.

A litter box that is too small for the cat will be uncomfortable for your cat and may even lead to accidents outside the box.

The size of the litter box does impact on how easy it is to keep the box and the surrounding area clean. The correct size will mean that less litter will be scattered outside the box.

So what is the ideal size for a cat litter box?

Ideally the size of the litter box should be approximately one and a half times longer than your cat.

That measurement is taken from the nose to the base of the tail. It is an approximate measurement and a useful guide when purchasing a new litter box.

That may seem like a long measurement but if you have the space definitely consider this when purchasing a litter box. Bigger is better in this case. It also means that less cat litter will be flung onto the floor, if you have a digger and flinger kitty cat.

A litter box on the larger size, will give the cat plenty of room to move around and do their business without feeling cramped.

Bear in mind also that if you have a kitten now, you may need to get a bigger box as kitty grows.

How Often Should The Litter Box Be Scooped?

Keep the cat litter box box clean by scooping at least once a day.

This is why you should scoop daily. It’s much less work for you in the long run. When you don’t scoop daily, the urine and faeces build up in the litter and start to smell.

This can attract bugs, not ideal. Not scooping frequently means you’ll have to change the litter more often, which is a waste of money.

Scooping once a day keeps the litter box clean and helps your home smell fresh.

It’s also better for your cat’s health, as they can develop infections from living in dirty conditions.

So make sure to scoop daily – the benefits are worth it!

Some people scoop the litter box more often than once a day. This may be necessary if more than one cat is using the box or if you have multiple cats and boxes.

The weather also plays a part here, on hot humid days the smell may be more acute. You will be reminded by the odor, that you need to scoop.

Scoop the clumped faeces and urine once a day and then dispose of the matter, preferably using a biodegradable cat litter bag.

More about cat litter bags here. Use a good quality scoop.

You want to make this job as easy as possible so you need the best equipment.

Once cats stop using the litter box it can be very difficult to coax them back to the box. This is a very good reason to keep the box clean.

Can Cat Litter Be Flushed Down The Toilet?

This can be a somewhat controversial topic. There are some litters that are marketed as flushable. Be cautious!

Clay litters are definitely not suitable for flushing as they contain bentonite clay which will go rock hard in water, so definitely not good for the plumbing system.

Don’t leave the litter box in the shower stall while you are at work. Although some apartment owners do this, it is ultimately also not a good idea.

Many a plumber has picked up extra work from unblocking drains clogged with litter debris.

It should be noted that even products marketed as flushable can clog the plumbing, if more than 1 or 2 clumps are flushed at a time.

It is just better not to flush litter.

If there was a fail safe method it would be excellent but for now using cat litter bags and then disposing of them in an outside garbage bin is the best option. This will then go to landfill which is designed to safely handle these products.

Dirty diapers fall into the same category.

Also, check the regulations where you live. The State of California does not allow cat litter to be flushed.

Can I Compost Cat Waste?

Cat waste cannot be composted safely and this applies to all pet waste. Home composting systems rarely reach temperatures high enough needed to get rid of dangerous pathogens.

It is not worth risking the health of others by adding cat feces to the compost pile.

The bacteria can live on in the soil for a number of years even if the waste appeared composted before using in the garden.

Composting experts may have another view on composting pet waste and may well be able to do it safely.

For safety sake, for the non experts, we stick to saying no to composting cat waste unless some new systems come onto the market.

What Is The Danger In Cleaning The Cat Litter Box To Pregnant Women?

There is a small risk of exposure to Toxoplasmosis from the cat litter.

This article explains the precautions to take if you are pregnant and have a cat.

It is mainly common sense but there’s some good points to note. Avoid cleaning the litter box whilst pregnant.

How To Dispose Of Cat Litter?

Cat Litter Bags

Some cat litter bags are biodegradable and do break down over time.

Here is more info about biodegradable cat litter bags.

Check the information from the manufacturer as this will vary from product to product.

The bags are usually in boxes which look similar to a box of tissues, which makes it very easy to pick up a bag before scooping the litter.

Cat litter bags come in a variety of sizes.

You may just have a scoop or two of waste from the litter box and need a small bag or if you are emptying all of or most of the litter, a larger bag is required.

Cat Litter Box Liners

Cat litter box liners are different to cat litter box bags.

It’s a bit of a fine distinction.

Cat litter box liners actually line the litter box. It’s a time saving clean up strategy.

You may already be using cat litter liners in the litter box. They are useful when it is time to dispose of all the cat litter and start afresh.

If you are not using cat litter liners in the litter box, pour the soiled litter into a cat litter bag, tie at the top and dispose of in the trash.

Some litter is very heavy and two plastic bags may be needed.

I hesitate to write the word plastic these days. Plastic is a dirty word!

Biodegradable bags are the best choice if you have that option.

Should I Use A Litter Box Liner?

Liners make it easy to dispose of the litter when the box is being washed. Some liners have elastic at the top to keep the litter bag in place. Sometimes kitty scratching about in the litter can pull the bag back into the box.

If there is not enough litter in the box and the cat is scratching at plastic – this is not good.

Cat feces can get stuck to the plastic and make scooping difficult. If you do use a liner and many people do just make sure the litter is topped up to avoid the cat scratching the plastic problem.

In fact, after scooping it will almost always be necessary to top up the litter.

Do I Need A Cat Litter Scoop?

Yes, you will definitely need a cat litter scoop to scoop the litter box. All cat litter scoops do the same job, however the design features and sizes vary. Cat litter scoops are usually plastic or stainless steel.

Stainless steel will be longer lasting but may cost more initially, so the choice of materials may affect the cost of the scoop.

This article reviews different types of cat litter scoops including cat litter scoops with short handles and long handles.

A long handled litter scoop will be useful for people with mobility problems. The litter box can still be scooped without having to bend to over to reach the box.

Buy a decent scoop. You don’t want to be buying new litter scoops all the time.

You may try several before you find one that works for your purposes.

They are relatively inexpensive items so don’t put up with one that isn’t doing the job properly.

What Do You Use To Clean The Litter Box?

Use an unscented soap product to clean the cat litter box.

If the soap/cleaner you use to clean the box is perfumed make sure the box is rinsed thoroughly so that there is no residual smell for the cat.

Rinse the litter box more than you think you need to.

A cat’s sense of smell is far more acute than ours. You may think the perfume is nice but quite likely the cat won’t agree

If possible, leave the box outdoors to air and dry.

Make sure the box is absolutely dry before adding the new litter.

You can also buy a cat litter deodorizer, however be wary or any fragrances that may end up annoying you and the cat.

A masking odor can become cloying. Ugh! Cloying odors can be sickening!

How To Clean A Litter Box