LITTERBOX MANAGEMENT FOR HAPPY CATS

LITTER BOX LOGISTICS: TAKE IT ONE BOX AT A TIME

If your cat’s elimination area (aka litter box) is poorly maintained or doesn’t meet your kitty’s needs, the risk of house soiling goes up considerably. That’s especially true if you have more than one cat in the house. As your cat’s human companion, it’s your responsibility to make sure their living area (and yours) stays clean and sanitary. Proper litterbox management is an important part of the equation.

There are several things to consider when creating cat-friendly elimination areas:

• The quantity, type, and size of their litter boxes
• Location, location, location
• Litter box hygiene
• Type of substrate (litter material)

These are the basic criteria in any good litterbox management strategy. Each of them deserves your attention to prevent litter box problems.

TEACHING YOUR CAT TO USE THE LITTER BOX:
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

FIND THE RIGHT LITTER

Contrary to popular belief, using a litter box doesn’t come naturally to cats. Their only innate behaviour is digging to cover their waste. Kittens learn to use the litter box from their mothers or when provided with a box at a young age. That’s when they develop a preference for certain substrates (litter material).

To figure out what type of litter to use when you get a new kitten or cat:

• Set out 3 litter boxes, each containing a different substrate
• Note which one they use most
• Start using that substrate in all your boxes
• Use a good amount of litter—enough for your cat to bury their waste, or about 3 to 4 inches

Tip: Cats generally prefer very fine, clumping, unscented litter.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT BOX

To feel comfortable enough to relieve themselves, your cat needs something a little roomy. Choose a box that’s the right size:

• Length: 2 x the length of your cat
• Width: 1.5 x the length of your cat

If your cat scratches the rim or the outside of the litter box after they go, the box is probably too small. In fact, did you know that most commercial litter boxes are too small?

Our advice? Use large storage bins instead. They’re wide and long enough and are also deeper than a regular box. You can use:

• An underbed storage bin with high sides
• A big storage bin that you cut a door in so your cat can come and go without having to jump or overexert themselves

MAKE SURE YOU USE ENOUGH BOXES

How many litter boxes do you need? A general rule of thumb is that you should have one litter box for every cat in your house +1.

Why? Because that way your cat(s) can:

• Use one box for poop and one for pee, if that’s what they prefer (which is often the case with cats)
• Get to an elimination area quickly when it’s urgent so they don’t:
  • Have an accident on the living room rug
  • Develop a preference for a new substrate (e.g., that same living room rug!)
• Have stress-free access to a litter box in a multi-cat household
  • Some cats show passive aggressive behaviour toward their fellow felines and keep them from accessing certain areas of the house

CHOOSE THE RIGHT LOCATION

Litter boxes should be placed in low-traffic areas. Cats prefer peace and quiet when they do their business.

Don’t place multiple boxes in the same room: They should be in different areas of the house and on different floors. And, no matter how many cats you have in your home, you should have at least one litter box on every floor.

KEEP IT CLEAN

A clean litter box is important to your cat: They may have an aversion to doing their business in a soiled substrate and decide to go outside the box. That’s why it’s so important to clean the litter box on a regular basis:

• Once or twice a day, scoop out any clumps
• Every 2 to 3 weeks:
  • Throw away all the litter
  • Clean the boxes with warm water and mild soap
  • Spray them with an enzymatic odour eliminator like KOE®
  • Add fresh litter
• At least once a year, throw away and replace all litter boxes