Your cat wants a clean place to do the necessary business of a great supper. The litter box should be big enough to allow your cat to fit in without hanging over the edge. I use big boxes and now that the cats are one year old and older I use boxes with tall sides to prevent spreading of the cat litter. We have been using the Purina Tidy Cats product as pictured above with good results. It is relatively dust free and easy to scoop. I used wood chips for a while but the chips all over the house turned into a cleaning problem. Wood chips are a nice healthy choice for your cat and it prevents odor well, however the cleanup was extensive. People don’t like the dust of some cat litters so chose wisely. Its just not good to breathe in clay dust from some products. Once a week we empty the boxes and wash them out with hot water and then spread baking soda in the bottom. We reuse the sifted litter and add product so the cats have lots to cover with. I have thought about a self cleaning box however that is going to need cleaning to so I think an open box and a scoop is just as easy. We scoop out the litter boxes two to three times a day or when ever we see something.
What is Going On In The Litter Box ?
When you scoop your litter box out it is a great time to check on the health of your cat. Diarrhea happens to every one, so an isolated incident is not an issue but if there is a continuing problem it might be time to go to the vet. Other things to watch for is blood in the stool or watching if there is some discomfort in the bowl movement. Yes I mean you should watch your cat use the box occasionally. Crying while peeing may mean a urinary infection. Blood on the stool might mean a change of cat food might be necessary. Any of these things should discussed with your vet. Since I have upgraded our dry cat food we are currently throwing out two less litres a day of cat litter from seven cats.
In Closing
What goes on in the litter box is important. Have a look and question anything that looks unusual. If kitty is not using the box maybe its not clean enough. A clean litter box is a comfort to everyone involved.
Have a great day and hug a kitty.
Trevor
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Glad to have found this site.
I have cats and they always act different when the litter box is full. It almost like they are not happy at all when they have to get into the box. So, not only is it unbearable for the cats that use it, a dirty litter box is also not fun for the rest of us. Thanks for the great information.
Hello Bobby. I am glad you enjoyed the article. The cat litter I reviewed is not available everywhere. There are some examples of Pine Cat Litter available at Amazon.com. Please check my Products Page. Happy new year. Write me at catinthecradles@gmail.com if you have any questions. .
Thanks for this great article on the importance of a cat’s litter box. I’ve tried several different kinds of litter, but always come back to a dust-free high quality clay. My cat has sensitive paws to a lot of those “chunky” litters like newspaper pellets or crystals don’t appear to him at all.
You’re so right that, while cleaning your cat’s litter box, one should check what’s going on. I’ve actually seen in one of the pet supply stores a litter that will tell you if your cat is having any health issues. It turns different colors depending on the ailment. Have you ever heard of this litter before or used it?
Hello Barb, Thanks for reading this article. I have not heard of the diagnostic cat litter before. I will check into it. One thought on that, does that litter leave a toxic residue on the cat that they ingest while they are grooming themselves? I have found that Amazon.com has a similar product to the pine cat litter I have been using. We really like the pine litter and I hope the Amazon stuff is as good. I would like some feed back on that if someone buys it. I have two examples on my Products Page. Happy New year to you.
Trevor