The concept of a litter box seems pretty straightforward, only it tin can actually raise many questions, especially for new cat owners. Trying to figure out how long cat litter lasts and how frequently to change it out tin go confusing. It tin be difficult to establish an effective routine considering many factors bear upon the country of your cat's litter box.
There'due south no elementary answer, but there are several key questions that you can answer to find the right frequency for irresolute cat litter. Keep reading and inquire yourself the post-obit questions to figure out a routine that works best for you lot and your cats.
How Many Cats Do You Have?
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There should be one litter box per cat plus one more than. So, if y'all have ii cats, you should have at least iii litter boxes in your domicile. The reason for this arrangement is to preclude overcrowded apply. At that place are too some situations where some cats may non like to employ the same litter box every bit some other cat.
You might think that having more boxes means that y'all have to spend more time cleaning. However, this isn't always the case. It doesn't take equally much time to simply scoop up clumps and soiled spots or quickly dispose of the cat litter and refill it. On the other hand, it takes longer to clean a completely soiled litter box thoroughly, especially if it collected urine on the lesser.
How Frequently Does Your Cat Use the Litter Box?
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Cats salve themselves about 2 to 4 times a twenty-four hours. Some cats may relieve themselves in large amounts, while others barely go. This frequency and quantity will impact how frequently you must modify out the litter.
What Type of Cat Litter Do Yous Apply?
Some types of cat litter are more than absorbent than others. Some are adept at masking odors. There are too clumping and non-clumping varieties.
In general, if a type of litter clumps well, you don't accept to change it equally often as non-clumping kinds. This is considering urine can reach the bottom of a litter box more chop-chop with non-clumping cat litter.
There are eight common types of cat litter, and each one affects how ofttimes you accept to change your litter box. Here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of each one.
Clumping Clay
Pros
Practiced at odor control
Clumps quickly
Cons
Not environmentally friendly
Tin can be expensive
Not-Clumping Clay
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Pros
Very absorptive
Upkeep-friendly
Cons
Not environmentally friendly
Hard to scoop without changing the whole litter box
Corn
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Pros
Clumps very well
Traps ammonia smell very well
Environmentally friendly
Cons
Can be expensive
Not good at trapping feces odor
Wheat
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Pros
Blocks odors well
Biodegradable
Grit-costless
Cons
May not clump every bit well as clay
Pets develop aflatoxin on rare occasions
Pine
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Pros
Natural smell and deodorizer
Compostable
Cons
Difficult to scoop without changing the whole litter box
Pino smell may be also strong
Walnut Beat out
Pros
Very absorbent
Blocks odors well
Biodegradable
Cons
Difficult to scoop without changing the whole litter box
Sticks to cat'south paws
Recycled Paper
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Pros
Budget-friendly
Absorbent
Dust-free
Cons
Difficult to scoop without irresolute the whole litter box
May non mask odors well
Silica
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Pros
Very absorbent
Long-lasting
Grit-free
Cons
Tin be expensive
Cats may not similar its texture
How Long Can You Keep Cat Litter?
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You can develop a expert routine after considering the number of cats, how often they save themselves, and the type of cat litter you lot utilize.
At present, it's fourth dimension to test out and experiment to observe a customized system for you. It's expert practise to scoop urine and feces every day and thoroughly wash out and disinfect your litter box every ii to iv weeks.
In betwixt washing out your litter box, you should change out the true cat litter. It'southward mutual to change it in one case or twice a calendar week. Still, this can vary depending on your circumstances.
The goal is to change the cat litter at the appropriate time before you lot kickoff to experience certain warning signs. These signs indicate that it'south past time to change the cat litter:
Strong odor
Most or all the litter is clammy or soaked
Cats are relieving themselves exterior of the litter box
Cats aren't using the litter box at all
Ultimately, you'll know the best schedule for changing out the cat litter. It may take some fourth dimension, but once yous effigy it out, it tin can end up saving you lot a lot of time and money.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Now that yous have a better idea of how often you should change cat litter, hither's boosted information to assistance you develop a litter box schedule that works all-time for you and your cat.
How Can I Make My Cat's Litter Last Longer?
Cat litter can get expensive, so it'southward worthwhile to figure out how to use information technology as efficiently every bit possible. Here are some things you tin try:
Scoop clumps and soiled spots daily
Use a slotted scoop for clumps
Sweep unused litter back into the litter box
Fill litter box with ii to 3 inches of true cat litter
Use a dehumidifier to keep cat litter dry
What Happens When You Don't Change Cat Litter?
A muddied litter box tin end up causing health concerns for your true cat:
UTI
Bladder infection
Kidney problems
Fungal infections
These health concerns can starting time to occur when cats don't desire to employ dirty litter boxes and choose to hold off on relieving themselves. They can also become ill by catching diseases and parasites in unclean litter.
Your cats can likewise start to feel stress and develop unwanted behaviors. They can finish up disregarding the litter box altogether and start peeing anywhere in the house.
A dirty litter box tin likewise touch on human health. Information technology can transfer bacteria and parasites and overexpose you to ammonia. Therefore, both cats and humans benefit from a clean litter box.
Is Information technology Bad to Alter Your Cat's Litter?
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Almost cats are creatures of habit, and then once they like a particular type of litter, they may resist using a different kind. Therefore, it's best to find a cat litter that works and stick with information technology.
If you must change your cat litter, you tin try past making a gradual switch. Start by putting a small amount of the new cat litter on the lesser of the litter box. And then, cover information technology up with the one-time cat litter. Go on calculation small increments of the new cat litter until you've entirely switched over.
The goal is to make the alter unnoticeable to your cats. Yous can wait the switch to take upwards to several days to a calendar week.
Conclusion
A clean litter box profoundly benefits both humans and cats. Therefore, it's of import to develop an adequate and efficient routine. A good litter box cleaning routine includes scooping daily, regularly changing out the cat litter, and deep cleaning the litter box.
Have some time to experiment with the frequency of changing out true cat litter. This process can help you lot save time and money in the long run and create a happy and harmonious home for y'all and your cats.
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