How Often Should You Change the Cat Litter? If you use a clumping litter, it's best to scoop the box daily and change it out completely at least monthly. If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks.
If you clean the litter box daily, you might only need to change clumping litter every two to three weeks. If you notice an odor or if much of the litter is wet or clumped, it's time for a change. Scrub the box every time you change the litter.
Changing the litter tray is an essential task if you have a kitty at home, but by choosing a high-quality clumping cat litter, you can make it much easier - and need to do it less often! Most of the best cat litter brands last around two to three weeks if you're cleaning the tray each day.
Dr. Elsey's recommends completely changing the litter in your box every 4 weeks if you are using a clumping clay litter. Be sure to remove the clumps daily and top off with fresh litter to maintain a three-inch level. For non-clumping litter, we recommend changing the litter box every 7-10 days.
As your kitten reaches the four month mark, you can start to gradually switch them over to clumping litter. You can start by mixing a small amount of the clumping litter in with the non-clumping litter and slowly increase the amount over the next several weeks.
Curious kittens often eat their feces (an unsavory truth), play in the litter box and lick litter off their paws. Clumping litter absorbs and expands when it comes into contact with liquids, and if a kitten ingests the litter, it can create an intestinal blockage.
With a clumping litter, the clumps that form after you cat has used their litter are far less likely to scatter. Not only does that mean less cleaning for you, but it also means less worry!
Clumping litter forms a hard, insoluble mass when it gets wet. It also produces a fine dust. When cats use the litter box, they lick themselves clean and ingest the dust. The ingested dust expands, forms a mass, and coats their internal organs, causing dehydration and preventing nutrient absorption.
In addition to daily scooping, it is important to regularly change the litter box (twice weekly for non-clumping litter, monthly for clumping litter) and to wash it with soap and water.
Less Scooping
You only need to scoop solid waste when using a non-clumping litter. Liquid waste is absorbed by the litter and should be stirred around to be fully absorbed and allowed to evaporate. This prevents urine from pooling and causing a stink.
No. Clay-based and other types of clumping litter contain chemicals and fragrances to help with masking odors and “scooping” agents for forming clumps. These types of litters are not safe to dispose of outside. Look for an all-natural, 100% organic cat litter if you wish to dispose of the litter outside when finished.
How often should you scoop a litter box? For best odor control, you should scoop the box twice a day. If you're busy or you just forget, you can probably go with a daily single scoop. You don't want clumps and lumps to sit undisturbed for longer than a day though.
Many cat owners who haven't used a tight clumping litter before might be used to complete tray changes every week. With Natusan, however, one 10l bag of litter is usually enough to last one average indoor cat for a whole month!
Though many cats appear to prefer clumping litter because it is easier for them to push aside, some cats prefer non-clumping clay. Both clumping and non-clumping cat litters do produce some dust, although there are formulations of both types that are designed to decrease the amount of dust in the litter.
Cats can develop various health problems from using a dirty litter box, such as painful kidney infections, bladder infections, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections. Going too long without cleaning the litter box also causes stress for your cat, which only exacerbates these issues.
According to some cat owners, humidity can have an impact on your litter's ability to clump. This might affect cat owners who keep their cat's litter boxes in the bathroom. Each time you shower, the litter absorbs moisture from the air. As a result, it can become less able to clump when your cat uses the toilet.
Put it in the Trash
Use a litter scoop to sift out urine clumps and stool and place in a small trash bag. Once all the boxes in your house are scooped, tie off the garbage bag in a knot.
Basements and laundry rooms are popular choices but not actually recommended. Instead, Geller suggests the bedroom. "Your bedroom is a good location for a cat litter box since it's usually a quiet place," she says.
Add baking soda to the litter: Surprisingly, baking soda is a great all-natural deodorizer that is both safe for cats and can help manage the litter box smell. By mixing a little bit of baking soda with the litter, you can help absorb any urine odors also.
Less Contamination. Non-clumping litters don't clump around your cats “solids”, so they can get spread around and contaminate the rest of the litter, which isn't only unsanitary but can also be dangerous as cat poo may carry Toxoplasmosis or other harmful bacteria.
If you use a clumping litter, it's best to scoop the box daily and change it out completely at least monthly. If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks.
Vets often say that unscented clumping litter is best: “I always recommend unscented, clumping cat litter,” says Jim D. Carlson. “Scented litter is designed for humans, not cats. Felines have a strong sense of smell with 67 million scent receptors.
Silica litter prevents bacteria with crystals that absorb urine and help dehydrate feces, making your cat's litter box too dry to sustain any growth. This helps prevent kidney problems and UTIs in cats. Environmentally, silica litters will biodegrade and are non-toxic, making them a better choice than clay.
Even clay litters touted as "dust-free" create some degree of dust. Most veterinarians advise owners of asthmatic cats or those with any other respiratory problems avoid clay cat litters entirely and elect for an alternative. Finally, clay litter can have negative environmental consequences.
Cat litter with silica crystal beads are typically dust-free, which helps keep the area around your pet's litter box clean. Crystal-based litter is also effective when it comes to odour neutralizing and lasts much longer compared to other cat litter.