As I’ve identified, I have a cat who makes the litter box situation a tough one, and we’ve had to battle over numerous issues. Again, here’s what I’ve learned from my own experience as well as having some great friends who are also cat guardians.
First of all, if your cat is experiencing prolonged litter issues such as frequent urination, delayed urination, struggling or crying while urinating, take her to the vet as there may be an urgent underlying problem.
If that is ruled out, and you’ve been told that it is “behavioural”, don’t get mad. Yelling at your cat or “scolding” her or throwing her into her box after an accident is only going to perpetuate the problem. We have made the “scolding” mistake until much reading and trials proved this was not a good way to combat the problem, and it made us feel really terrible too.
There is a numbers rule. One box per cat plus one. If you have one cat, it’s up to you whether you keep one or two but if you chose to only have one, you better make sure you are emptying that thing often enough to avoid any issues! When you have multiple cats, this rule applies. I have two cats, we have three litter boxes. Yes, it takes up a lot of space, but it’s the only way to ensure good use of the boxes. (We only recently added the third box, and it certainly helped our previously mentioned problem).
Make sure these boxes are being kept in an ideal location. Keep them away from high-traffic or noisy areas, away from their food, and preferably not on carpet. Cats can mistake the texture of carpet for litter and that is not fun! Keep the area free of clutter and things that will frequently change or move.
Scoop regularly; the more often, the better. When you clean out the litter box, be sure not to use any cleaners that are citrus scented. Citrus is a natural cat deterrent. Stick with a mild soap (a natural one preferably) and rinse well.
I used to scoop the litter into old plastic grocery bags, but as I decreased the amount of plastic bags I was collecting by shopping with reusable bags, I came across some inexpensive biodegradable pet waste bags that were a perfect size for scooping cat clumps into. They are inexpensive, and you can find them pretty much in any pet store or some natural markets.
There are many types of boxes and litter. So besides what fits in the budget, and what is natural (there are wheat litter, cedar litters, pine litters, newspaper litters etc), stick with what your cat(s) respond to the best. I use this litter. If they aren’t satisfied with the litter situation, you will know. Once you find a style of box and a type of litter your cat likes, stick with it. No switching allowed!
I recently found out that when your cat does her business quickly and then jumps out right away without burying, it may mean that she doesn’t like her litter. If she buries her business, steps out of the box and continues to bury, she may think the box is too small for her natural behaviour. Sterling does this. Our boxes are the largest boxes you can get your hands on. I’m quite certain that if her litter box was the size of a sandbox she would still get out and bury, but the key here is that she is using it.
Sterling’s box was once filled with cedar litter which smelled amazing, but she would randomly “miss” the box and when I didn’t catch the clue, she started wandering further and further away from it each time, until she was rarely using her box. Once her litter was switched, the problem was solved. It’s sometimes not that obvious, so you really have to be aware of your cat’s normal and abnormal behaviour.
Funny Story: When my family moved out of the house I grew up in, we heard a few months later from our old neighbour that the upstairs bathroom ceiling had collapsed. The new owners had been emptying the cats litter into the toilet.
I know that there are “flushable” litters, and the cedar litter Sterling had before was one of them, but ever since I heard about that, I refuse to flush any litter! Use your discretion! To me, flushing clumping litter seems silly. If you’ve ever emptied a litter box full of soiled clumping clay, you can imagine how that might affect your plumbing.
