First and foremost if your cat’s litter box habits change abruptly take him to the vet. There may be a life threatening problem.
How to promote good litter box habits:
- Place a large litter box in a quiet out of the way place.
- Always keep the litter box clean by scooping litter at least twice a day.*
- Clean the litter box and change the litter at least once a month. If you scoop twice a day the litter should last a month.
- Use litter box liners or replace litter boxes every year. Even if you clean the litter box it is plastic and it will retain urine odor over time.
- Don’t use strong scented cleaners.
- Switch to dust free litter like World’s Best and avoid scented litter.
- More than one cat – give each cat a large litter box plus one extra.
*Scooping your cat’s litter box twice a day not only makes a happier cat (I mean who wants to walk on their own urine and feces) but it also saves you money. As the urine sits there the litter surrounding the initial clump continuously absorbs the urine and creates a larger clump and uses more litter than needed.
*Another reason to use a scoop-able litter and scoop twice a day is that you will know if there are any potty problems. A cat urinates at least twice a day, maybe more if he only eats dry food. He may poop once or twice. Monitoring your cat’s potty habits and knowing what is normal for your cat will prevent any serious problems such as urinary blockage or kidney disease or diabetes or constipation or diarrhea turning into a tragedy. If you find your cat is having potty problems don’t hesitate call your Veterinarian.
