Everything you have to know about cat litter boxes

Cat Litter Box

Everything you have to know about cat litter boxes

If you've recently got a new cat or kitten who isn't litter trained, you might be wondering how to prepare them to use a cat litter box. Or perhaps you're debating whether to bother and if it's not a better and easier idea to go ahead and install a cat flap. After all, why do people use cat litter boxes for their cats? If you're looking for more information on cat litter boxes, you won't find a better place.

Why do people use cat litter boxes?

There are more cats in the UK now than ever before, and so even cats who can access the outside world, be that through a cat flap or otherwise, may not feel safe to do their business outside.

They may fear the threat of other strange cats and being territorial animals, and they often wait until they are in the safety of their own surroundings before doing their business. Even those cats who do feel safe going to the bathroom outside may need to go indoors occasionally; if the cat flap is shut, you're out, or if it's really miserable weather outside! Cats are generally quite fussy little creatures.

Do cats like litter boxes?

Cats have a range of instincts leftover from their days in the wild, and we can see these instincts in big cats too. One such instinct is a desire to bury and cover their waste in order to hide themselves and their scent from any other animals in the area.

This instinct has been spotted in cats of all sizes, from domestic kittens to more giant lions, and it usually stems from watching their mother. By watching her cover and bury her waste, kittens quickly pick up the habit and do it automatically.

Litter boxes provide the opportunity for kittens and cats to bury and cover their waste at home, and it satisfies that instinct for them. Kittens and cats can recognize this and so often instinctively go to the bathroom in litter boxes without any need for training. Providing your cat or kitten with a litter box will help to make them feel safer at home and ensure that they have somewhere that they feel safe to go to the bathroom.

What actually is cat litter?

Cat litter is a soil replacement, as many cats spend their time indoors, and providing a bed of soil for cats to dig in is not ideal for owners or the state of their homes. It is often clay-based since clay is absorbent and has natural odour control, but cat litter is sometimes also made of silica. This litter is lighter and less dusty than clay, but silica litter is toxic to cats if ingested.

There are also newer, biodegradable cat litter variants, including sawdust, woodchips, grains, wood, and even newspapers. These all absorb just like silica and clay and also have varying levels of natural odour control.

Regardless of the material you use for cat litter, you should find it relatively easy to clean up once your cat has used the litter box, as you simply scoop out the affected areas and then replenish the litter - it's as simple as that.

Will cat litter smell?

Naturally, one of the biggest concerns new cat owners have about getting a cat litter box is whether or not the cat litter will smell. It is, after all, an open toilet. To some extent, they're right to worry. Unfortunately, cat pee does smell very strongly, and that smell is capable of spreading around your entire house. However, there's several measures you can take to minimize the smell of your cat's litter box.

The simplest thing to do to keep your house from smelling like cat pee is to make sure you're checking, emptying, and cleaning your cat's litter tray on a regular basis. Clean out their box at least twice a day (in the morning before you go out and after you return to your homes, this tends to work best!).

Not only does this help to reduce the smell of your cat's litter box, but if they're not always using it, keeping it clean will encourage them to.

It's also essential to make sure you replace the litter within the tray at least twice a week. Of course, each time you clean it, you take out the affected areas, but it is crucial to empty and refill the whole tray regularly. Sometimes when you tend to it, you'll miss bits, or the scent might have permeated through the litter, so emptying it can help to reduce the smell even further.

If you've noticed that even after regular cleaning, your cat's litter box still smells - get a new one. Your cat's claws can damage the box and cause minor grooves where odour-causing bacteria can then grow. So swap out your current litter tray and purchase a new one.

You might want to side with one with a lid or a deluxe litter box that disguises itself as a plant or a coffee table. These often are more protected, keeping the smell within the box.

Sometimes, your cat's pee or poop might smell particularly pungent or strange - if that is the case, it might be worth booking them into a veterinarian. These changes in scent can be signs of illness or health concerns, so it's important to notice them!

What do I need to buy to set up a litter box?

As well as the litter box, you might be surprised to know that you'll need a few other things, too. You will need the litter tray or litter box, litter, a metal scoop, trash bags, and some type of deodorizer (like bicarbonate of soda).

To make your life easier (and if your litter box style allows for it), line your litter box with a trash bag. You can do this by simply inserting the tray in the bag and tying it or by just wrapping the opening of a trash bag around the rim of the tray. That way, when it comes to the time to empty it, you can simply take the bag out with all the litter inside!