LITTERBOX PROBLEMS ARE MUCH EASIER TO PREVENT THAN TO TREAT.
We believe it is very important for every cat owner to pay lots of attention to good litterbox technique in order to help prevent problems.
BOX LOCATION:
We recommend a litterbox on every floor of the home. If you have more than 1 cat,it is best located in an open area where your cat cannot get trapped. If you have a dog, make sure the dog cannot get at the litter boxes. They may frighten your cat there, or [dogs are gross] they may eat the contents.
Locate the boxes in a quiet location i.e. not right beside a toilet, washing machine, dryer or furnace. These household items can come on unexpectedly and make a substantial noise that can really frighten some cats and ‘turn them off’ their litter box.
TYPES OF LITTER:
Most cats prefer clumping litter probably because it most closely resembles soft sandy soil. In ‘taste tests’ most cats preferred the brand ‘Everclean’. It is the most expensive, but most cats think it is the best. Most cats do NOT like litters with scents or deodorants.
CLEANING THE BOX:
If you are using clumping litter, you should scoop out the feces and urine clumps once a day at least. Add an equivalent amount of new clean clumping litter, and stir it in together. You should discard the entire contents and wash the litter box about 1 –2 times a month. Wash the box in hot water and mild detergent. Rinse and dry well, then refill.
If you are using other kinds of litter i.e. clay, you should remove the feces every day, and discard the entire contents twice a week. This makes other types of litter quite expensive and creates lots of garbage. Wash the box as mentioned above 1-2 times a month.
TYPES OF BOXES:
Instead of using a traditional litter box, try a large low sided storage container (one that you would usually store clothes under the bed). Some cats like a lot of space to turn and scratch around in as they were meant to use the outdoors (unlimited space) as their litter box.
NUMBER OF BOXES:
The rule of thumb is to have one box per cat PLUS one more. If you have just one cat, have 2 litter boxes. If you have 5 cats, you should have 6 litter boxes. We know some clients think this is going overboard, but the fact remains:
