Can you tell me about litter box care?

[britfish]

We just got a new kitten and I wanted some litter box advice. I got some Arm & Hammer scoopable litter for the box and I have been scooping it every day. How often do you scoop? How often do you add litter? How often do you empty the box and refill it with new litter? I also wondered if anyone could recommend what type of litter or if we should use a deodorizer.
Thanks for any input (even if its to use regular litter and not scoopable, I'm open to suggestions!)

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

My family has two cats, and we tend to scoop every other day, and empty it every three days. It will honestly depend on how often your kitty uses the litter box. When we just had one cat, it was emptied maybe once a week and scooped every three days or so.

We use FreshStep scoopable litter and really like it. They also have a rewards system so you can add points up to get prizes for your kitty

 

[cglaura]

I scoop once per day. I keep an extra litter box in storage, so once per month I dump the litter into the clean one, wash the used one and have it ready to alternate. You could do this with one box, and just put the litter in a bag while washing, I just find it easier to rotate boxes...that way I can soak the dirty box for awhile before scrubbing out and not have to worry about the cats not having a place to go. It depends on how messy your cat is (if they miss the litter and get it on the sides...). Since I keep it 2/3 full I don't really have to dump anything out b/c the clumps keep the rest of the litter clean, if that makes sense.

I have been using Tidy Cats 24/7 Scoopable (the one w/ the yellow and blue label). I found it has much less dust than alot of other brands.

I keep the box about 2/3 full, so just add litter when it gets a little low...as long as they can dig they'll be happy. My one cat doesn't dig at all, the other digs to china!

 

[kittychatalot]

i cannot speak highly enough for the tidy cat breeze system. The box used pellets and it has a drawer that a huge maxi pad type thing goes in to collect the urine. we have the box in our master bedroom bathroom and we never smell it. If you go to the website you can print a coupon. We actually have two cats and they both use the same box and never have a problem!

 

[marie1203]

We have 2 cats and 2 litter boxes. For our one cat we use arm and hammer and we clean it every night. For our cat she is very picky so we have to mix litter and have to make sure it is not scented or she won't use it. It also get cleans once a day. I take all the litter out once a week and wash their litter boxes.

 

[Kae]

i cannot speak highly enough for the tidy cat breeze system. The box used pellets and it has a drawer that a huge maxi pad type thing goes in to collect the urine. we have the box in our master bedroom bathroom and we never smell it. If you go to the website you can print a coupon. We actually have two cats and they both use the same box and never have a problem!

We love it too. My Cat Drinks alot & so pees alot so we do change the pad about every 5 days.

Kae

 

[akcire]

Our routine has changed a bit, since our cat is allergic to regular litter, but I volunteer a the shelter and frequently get these types of questions.

Here is my best recommendation:

1. Start with 1-2 inches of scoop-able litter in the box. (You can adjust based on the kitties usage, and level of litter throwing).
2. Scoop daily and add litter if needed
3. Every 7-10 days (depending on kitties water consumption and waste) change out all the litter and clean the box. Typically I use a non-toxic spray, wipe out the box with paper towel, then rinse the box with clear water in my laundry tub, and finally dry and refill.

**If at any time your kitty is sick, when you clean the box before you refill it you will want to spray the box with a solution of water and diluted bleach--similar to how daycare centers sterilize.

 

[Swmr359]

I have two cats. I scoop every day, sometimes everyother day if I'm being lazy... I used to use to use FreshStep, but now I use the litter from Unleashed by Petco becuase it's cheaper and you reuse the box. I haven't had a smell problem at all, I have a covered box, with a filter in the top and I keep an air freshener in the room.

 

[shortbun]

One cat, Arm and Hammer regular/not clumping. Scoop every day, add every two and replenish once a week. You will want to take the box outside or to a utility tub and rinse it completely to totally control odor if you're picky. I am. I am also one of those horrible cat owners who lets their cat out when the weather is good. She's old so she stays in our yard mostly and just lays in the swing or sits under the bird feeder-another chuckle here. Point being, she goes outside sometimes.

 

[DINKDisneyAddict]

We were adopted by a stray cat last year, and boy does she have us wrapped around her little paw!

I clean the litter box(es, actually) every day...sometimes multiple times a day. My thought is that I wouldn't want to have to dig around in my previous "business" the next time I used the bathroom, so why should she! Honestly, it takes less than a minute, why not?

We don't have to dump and wash the litter box as often this way either. I do that every month when I give her her Revolution (heartworm, flea, tick, etc.) medication.

We use the Arm & Hammer Multicat formula (available in scented and unscented) even though we only have one cat. We have no problems with odors, and we live in a one bedroom apartment, so it is close quarters.

Also, most cat care websites and veterinarians recommend having one litter box for each cat, plus one. For example, if you have two cats, you would have three litter boxes.

I cat-sit for a neighbor occasionally. She has three cats and one litter box. Scooping twice a day isn't even enough at her house! P-U!!!

Better safe than sorry! Plus, with a kitten, you don't want to have them too far from a litter box when they realize they have to go! Cat pee stinks, and you can never get the smell completely out unless you can thoroughly soak the item in a disinfectant and put it in the washing machine.

Just my two cents. Every cat is different. Hope you enjoy your new little one!

 

[abcboys]

We have 2 cats. One that goes in and out and one that stays in. We use fresh step cat litter and usually clean everyday or every other day. I add more if getting low and completely clean out once a month.

 

[allison443]

We have two cats, and two litter boxes. We scoop both boxes twice a day and change the litter/wash the boxes once a week.

 

[ah1126]

We have one cat and one litter box. We use regular Tidy Cat that you don't scoop. We use a box liner and one 10lb bag of litter at a time. We pull the bag and litter once a week. We don't have a problem with smell and he seems to be happy with this routine.

 

[charming23]

We have two cats and one litter box. I scoop everyday and add a little fresh litter to the top each time. I do a full change once a week. I wipe it down with clorox wipes and let it air dry a few minutes before putting a new bag and litter in.

 

[pixiewings71]

We have 3 cats and 3 litter boxes....2 cats are mostly outside, their boxes are in the garage, the kitten is in and out but mostly in, his box is inside. They are scooped every 1 or 2 days, topped off when they are scooped and every 2-3 months cleaned out completely and refilled with new litter. We use scoopable litter, our cats aren't picky so I can buy whatever is on sale, which is good with 3 cats and 3 boxes. LOL

 

[ChisJo]

Same as most people...we have 2 cats, 2 litter boxes. They use one for #1 and the other for #2 (their prerogative...they came up with this on their own!). I scoop their litter about every other day. If I have time, I will do it every day. I empty it out only about once a month as I use a liner for the box.

 

[Cruise]

i cannot speak highly enough for the tidy cat breeze system. The box used pellets and it has a drawer that a huge maxi pad type thing goes in to collect the urine. we have the box in our master bedroom bathroom and we never smell it. If you go to the website you can print a coupon. We actually have two cats and they both use the same box and never have a problem!

Same... I love our Tidy Cats Breeze system. So easy, and never any odor.

 

[SookieStackhouse]

1 cat, I use the Tidy Cats stuff with the blue cap, clumping stuff. I scoop every couple days, and change it out once a week. I try to use about half a container per change. The stuff is like 7.99 a jug, so that's about $4 a week I spend on litter.

I do line the litter box with a garbage bag (one of the big black ones), makes changing very easy.

 

[Mic]

We have 2 cats that share a litter box. The 1-year-old cat spends half of her time outside, the younger one is strictly inside. The older one is pretty clean, but the younger one is so messy I end up scooping several times a day. I sanitize the box on Saturday morning using diluted bleach, and add a little baking soda to the fresh litter. I sure miss my previous cat, who just went to the door and meowed when she needed to potty!

 

[dfchelbay]

We have two cats and two litter boxes too. It's funny that they tend to both use one of the litter boxes and not the other. So, I just switch the boxes...the old switcheroo and they use the other one one...lol. I guess they like to use whatever litter box is to the left.

What I do want to add is how expensive my cats are to maintain. One 17 lb bag of food is nearly $20, and they go through it so quickly. Same with the bags of litter. They go through those quickly too. Makes me want to learn how to train them to use a toilet...lol.