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Litter Box and Your Cat

Choosing the Right Box & What to do if

he stops using it!

Whether you call it finicky or particular, cats can be very stubborn about where and how they will use the litter box you provide them.  As a very strong proponent of “indoor only” cats, a the particulars of the litter box is a very important to the well-being of not only your cat(s) but your household.

The typical response to bringing home a cat is it to purchase a plastic tray and some “kitty litter,”  put the tray in the bathroom or back porch, pour a few inches of litter into the tray and things are good to go.  At least until the cat uses the box for the first time – cat urine really smells, and the “litter” gets tracked all over the house.

There are things that you can do that will make having a litter box in you home a better experience for you and your cat(s)

 

The Box, the Litter

The Boxes

There are many different types of litter boxes on the market, from the above mentioned plastic tray to automatic boxes that clean themselves.  The key to this is to choose a box that you will fit with your lifestyle.  It is imperative that the box be kept clean.  Most cats will not use a box that has soil in it and this will lead to your furry friend using other places, bathmats, clothing left on the floor, planter boxes.  So, here is a selection

Plastic Tray

If you don’t mind scooping several times a day, then the standard plastic tray may work just fine.  You can use this by just pouring the litter (see below for types of litter) into the tray or you can add a disposable liner that will make cleaning much easier.  You can also add a cover that will give your cat some privacy.* The cost here is anywhere from $10 to $25 depending on how elaborate you get (what accessories you add.)
 

Automatic Cleaning

		If you are gone during the day, this litter box may be a good choice.  This type of litter box has an electric or battery operated rack that will automatically scoop the soil into a closed box.  It is activated by the pressure of the cat, a few minutes after the cat has left the box it will start to work.  It gives the cat ample time to leave the box so even the most skittish cat will be fine.  It also comes with a variety of accessories that will add to the cost.  This type of box will cost between $100 to $200
LittermaidTM					Litter RoundupTM

I recently saw another automatic litter box that take thing even one step further.  It not only will scoop the soil, it adds water to the soil in an enclosed chamber, then empties it into the toilet bowl and cleans the litter granules.  It is completely self contained, you never have to touch anything.  Of course it must be set up in a bathroom but most cat boxes are placed there anyway.   The cost for this type of box is $200+
	Cat GenieTM

I have owned several of these for years and I think automatic cat boxes are as essential to my life as my dishwasher!

Covers

All of these boxes can have a cover added to them.  These can be a plastic cover that fastens onto the plastic litter tray, to canvas or wicker “tents” that sit over the litter box.  The benefit of a cover is that it affords the cat some privacy – believe it or not, some cats are shy and do better with cover.  There are also cats who are fearful having a cover so you will have to experiment to see how your cat may react.  (Whether your cat likes to crawl into things like boxes and bags may give you some idea)

Another benefit of a cover is that it is much more aesthetically pleasing to have the litter box covered, particularly if you are placing somewhere other than in the bathroom.  It also helps some with odor.  Although, a down side of a cover is that it is “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” so you forget to clean it as often as necessary. 


 

The Litter

There are as many types of litter to choose from, and it your choice will mostly be personal preference of you and your cat.

Standard clay litter granules
The upside is that this litter is inexpensive and now come with deodorants and additives that help it last longer.  The downside is that it has to be replaced frequently, depending on how much your cat(s) use it, it may need to be replaced every 2 or 3 days.  It also gets stuck to the paws of the cat and tracks everywhere (there are grates that can be placed in front of the box to help avoid this.  Also this type of litter doesn’t “clump” so the urine tends to go to the bottom of the box.  This litter requires complete replacement when cleaning.

Clumping
This litter is a finer sand-like material that “clumps” around the liquid waste allowing you to scoop it out, helping the litter to last longer and by removing the liquid and solid waste it helps keep the odor to a minimum.  You don’t change out this litter, you merely add more when the level goes down.   This litter is more expensive and it also gets on the cat’s paws and tracks on the floors etc. 

There are some brands of clumping litter that are biodegradable and “flushable” so that you can scoop the clumps directly into your toilet for disposal. 

Alternative materials
There is also a few other types of litter, including pellets made from pine that look something like the alfalfa pellets you feed rabbits, that are said to help with odor.  There are litters that look like tapioca beads, made from silica gel, that absorbs the liquid waste and fights odor. One of the benefits of these two types of litter is that they are considered “dust-free.”  Where other litters have a fine dust that gets into the air during changing and during the “digging” from the cat,  this can be a problem for some people.

If you have a cat(s) that has urinary problems there is even a litter (Scientific Professional Brand) that will change color if the cat's urine ph is too high, alerting you to a problem.


Placement
The best place for the cat box is where ever it is easiest and comfortable for your cat, if you want the cat to use it that is.  You cat will just as easily refuse to use the box and find other places if they are unhappy about where you have placed it.  It needs to be where the cat can access it at all times, afford them some privacy and be easy to reach (not down a long flight of stairs into the basement for example) It should also be somewhere there aren’t sudden noises, like the washing machine or furnace turning on suddenly.  For the humans in the family, it should be where it is easy to keep clean, but still in a place that is discrete, somewhere that if the cat come out to scratch it won’t do damage to floors and walls ( yes, I have a goofy cat that scratches the wall after using the litter box)  


There are also so many products available to make having a cat box as pleasant an experience as it can be.  From the types of boxes and scoops to products that minimize odor and keep the litter where it belongs, someone is always coming up with something else to make having a cat in your family less work. 

The good thing about all of this is there are so many types of litter boxes, etc. to choose from you are sure to find the box that works best for you and your cat. 

If Your Cat Won’t Use the Litter Box

There are a variety of reasons why you may have a cat that won’t use the litter box, here are few ideas of what to do about it.  If a few of the simple things don’t work right away, you should contact your veterinarian, because there may be something medical that is the problem.  Cats in general are clean animals and prefer to use a clean, dry spot, so that if you provide this for them they most often use it with few problems.  More often than not, all that it takes to “potty train” a cat is to show them where the litter box is a couple of times and they are good to go.  If you are having problems then lets look at a few things that might be wrong,.

Medical Condition
As I just mentioned, a medical condition may be the problem and should be eliminated.  Your veterinarian should examine your cat and run some laboratory tests to see if there is a problem.  Possible problems could be diabetes mellitus, colitis, kidney or liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hyperthyroidism, or a urinary tract infection.  Sometimes a medical condition that causes painful elimination such as arthritis, anal sac disease and some forms of colitis can be the reason for refusing to use the cat box.    Don’t go to the worst case scenario first, there could be many reasons why your cat is refusing to use the cat box, but it never hurts to eliminate a medical condition first.  (My elderly cat suddenly started liking my habit of dropping worn clothing on the floor to use as her cat box, the problem was a urinary tract infection.  A couple of weeks on an antibiotic set her right and she now happily uses her cat box)

Stress
Some cats seem to be sensitive to change in their household, causing stress which manifests in the refusal to use the litter box.  The same thngs that can stress you, can stress your cat,.  Moving, changes in who is living in the house, a introduction of a new human or pet, stress in you, anything that impacts others in the household can effect your cat who shows you the stress by inappropriate elimination.  If you can figure out what the stressor is and try to eliminate it, you will probably eliminate your litter box problem.

Box Location
Cats can be finicky creatures and if they don’t like where their box is placed, too near noise, too close to their food and water, in a high traffic area, a change in the type of litter being used.  Or a very common culprit, the box not being kept clean enough.  Many cats could not care how clean their box is, but some expect that it will be cleaned after each use.  If you have one of these guys, you may want to invest in a self cleaning box so you don’t have to be standing at the box ready with scoop in hand each time your cat uses the box.  If you have eliminated a medical condition, you should experiment with different combinations of placement, type of box, litter etc. to find a solution that will make your cat happy. 

Litter Choice
There is a some thought that cats prefer a fine-grained litter because it is softer to their paws, but whether the research is true or not (cats seemed to be ok with the classic grained litter and dirt long before the clumping finer grained litter came around) it can’t hurt to try a different texture to get your cat back to using the litter box.  Another thought is that the litter with deodorizing scents can put cats off, or even a deodorizer placed near the litter box.  If you have a cat who has been an outdoor cat and seems to prefer your houseplants to his litter box, you may want to try the classic grained litter and maybe adding a little potting soil for a while may help.   You may need to find a brand or type of litter and stick to it, changing the litter to even the same kind but a different brand (because it was on sale) may defeat the purpose and cause your cat to look elsewhere to eliminate. 

Litter Box and Pregnancy

Cat waste can carry a parasite that causes a condition called “toxoplasmosis.”   This is an infection that is only serious for the developing baby.    Cat waste isn’t the only place this parasite can be found, some birds and other animals also can carry it and also some raw, cured or undercooked meats can carry it. 

The most severe damage to the fetus is during the first trimester.  The good thing about all this is that the chance of contracting toxoplasmosis is fairly low and if you have had it once, you can’t catch twice.  Most experts believe that it isn’t likely that a woman would catch it for the first time during pregnancy and that she would more likely catch it from raw or undercooked meat than cat feces.    If you have been living with cats, you may have already had the disease and developed an immunity. 

But, why take a chance.  Experts suggest that a pregnant woman should not empty a litter box, and that someone else should be more vigilant in keeping it clean.  If you are pregnant and must clean the box, wear gloves and wash your hands and the gloves thoroughly afterwards.   You should also wear gloves when gardening and handling soil or sand as cats may have eliminated in the soil you are handling and be very careful when preparing food. 

There is a blood test that can show whether you have already had toxoplasmosis.  But if you are concerned about this condition please contact your obstetrician for their advice.