Translated by Nick R
Cats are extremely tidy and clean animals by nature, and therefore a very important item, when you have a feline at home, is the litter box.
The litter box is very practical for both the pet and the owner. However, unlike what some people believe, not any litter is suitable for it, as it will also depend on your cat’s tastes and comfort level.
Here I’ll cover everything you need to consider when choosing the type of litter, the size of the box, and the perfect spot to make your feline happy.
Table of Contents
The importance of the litter box for cats
The litter box, first of all, is one of the basic care for your feline. It will facilitate the coexistence between both of you because your cat won’t relieve itself in inappropriate places at home.
On the other hand, the litter box will allow you to keep an eye on your cat’s health conditions, many diseases can be evidenced in the animal’s feces or urine. You can check if there is anything strange when cleaning the litter box.
What does a cat litter box look like?
There are different types of litter trays or litter boxes, and they are usually made of plastic. Some examples are:
- Standard trays: these are the simplest, and also the cheapest you will find. Usually square-shaped, not too big (enough for the cat to walk around inside). However, as they are not covered, the odor can easily spread in the house (especially if you don’t use an odor-retaining litter). Besides, as the cat digs, the litter can spill outside and contaminate the floor of your house.
- Boxes with roofs or covers: these boxes are enclosed like a kind of plastic house. They take up much more space and can be more complicated to clean. Also, not all cats will like them so you need to always test if your feline is comfortable.
- Tray with filter: a deep, oval-shaped tray (no cover) with 3 levels (3 trays one on top of the other). The first level has grids, so when you clean the sand you only have to lift this layer and shake it; the clean litter will fall into the second level below and the dirty litter will remain trapped in the slits of the first one. It is recommended to use clumping sand so that the clumps of dirty sand get trapped easily.
- Automatic box: this one will save you a lot of work. After your feline does his business, a stainless steel rake will carry the waste to a hidden compartment in the box. It is also more expensive than the previous ones.
Types of cat litter
There are different types of litter and you will have to choose it according to your needs. But, above all, choose a litter your cat is comfortable with, it will probably reject some brands either because of the texture or the smell.
Here I’ll outline the pros and cons of each type of litter:
Absorbent mineral cat litter.
These litters are the most commonly found and the cheapest. They are made of a type of clay called “sipiolite”.
It’s perfect if you have several cats as you will be able to save. However, it doesn’t control bad odors and needs to be changed more often than the other types of litter because urine doesn’t clump together.
Pros
- Very economical.
- Very easy to obtain since it is the most conventional.
Cons
- It generates a lot of dust that might cause respiratory problems.
- It needs to be changed very frequently, as urine leaks to the bottom of the box.
- Does not neutralize odor.
Mineral clumping cat litter
It is made of a type of clay called “bentonite”. This clay makes the litter to “clump” when the cat does its business, creating a ball of litter that is much easier to remove.
Also, so you don’t have to change it often, you can fill the box with a generous layer of litter of at least 2 inches. Also, unlike absorbent litter, it retains odors and raises less dust.
Pros
- You can scoop out the urine balls with a shovel and avoid contaminating all the litter.
- Produces very little dust.
- Retains odors so your house won’t smell bad.
- You don’t have to change it as often.
Cons
- It’s more expensive than absorbent sand.
Silica litter
Silica litter is made of silicon dioxide, also known as crystal sand because of the shape of its granules. This litter is also the most absorbent you will find. The crystals or granules become yellow as they soak up the urine, making it easier to clean the litter box because you’ll know which places are dirty.
It also lasts longer than the absorbing one, raises less dust, and is pretty effective in retaining odors. However, to keep it for a long time, you must remove the dirt at least 2 times a day. On the other hand, your cat may not like it precisely because of the shape of the granules.
Pros
- Of all the types of litter, this one produces the least dust.
- Neutralizes odors.
Cons
- It is not clumping, so cleaning it is not as easy as with clumping litter.
- It is not economical.
- Some cats don’t like it because the granules can be unpleasant for them.
Ecological cat litter
Made from recycled or natural materials such as wood, newspaper or vegetable fibers, corn kernels, or rice husks, which makes it biodegradable. Some are clumping and others are only absorbent. For example, corn kernels are 100% natural and biodegradable, besides being agglomerating. You can ask at the place where you buy it if it is only absorbent or if it is also agglomerating.
You can discard the waste directly in the toilet of your bathroom, unlike other litter. Another alternative if you want to reduce and take advantage of your organic waste is to compost or make digester bales with this ecological litter.
Pros
- Biodegradable.
- You can dispose of the waste easily.
- It produces no dust.
- Some of them have clumping properties so it is easy to collect.
Cons
- Not so economical.
- Can stink a bit.
- It’s very light and can get caught on your cat and then spread around the house. For this, you can put a mat outside the litter box to reduce the mess.
Cat litter with urinary disease indicator
I mentioned how you can take advantage of having a cat litter box to keep an eye on your cat’s health. This type of litter is made with a special liquid that changes color if your cat has a urinary tract infection.
Orange and yellow colors signify an acidic pH, normal values for a cat; the green color is a neutral pH; the blue an alkaline pH, which means that there may be a risk of struvite crystals (which are crystals in the cat’s urine that can cause bladder stones); the red color is for blood in the cat’s urine, which can cause bladder stones; and brown or maroon is due to bile salts.
Pros
- You can be alert easily to urinary diseases that your feline may present.
- It’s clumping.
Cons
- Not as economical as the absorbent.
Adequate size of the cat litter box
To know the right size of the litter box you need to keep in mind that your cat should be able to turn and move around comfortably in it.
It also has to be deep so that your cat can dig in it quietly, and so that you can fill the box with a good amount of litter to prevent urine from reaching the bottom too quickly because you would have to change it more often.
It is also recommended that it be uncovered. As I said before, your cat needs to be able to move around as much as he needs to, and closed boxes may prevent him from doing so.
Note: if you have more than one cat, it is recommended to have a separate
Where to place the litter box at home?
First of all, the litter box has to be far away from household appliances because the feline can get stressed or frightened by the noise. It must be a place with privacy, preferably a quiet place to place our pet’s toilet.
On the other hand, it should not be close to their sleeping or feeding place, since this will make the cat uncomfortable, taking into account how neat they are.
Note: It is advisable to find a place with ventilation so that bad odors are not retained. A terrace can be the ideal place, or even if your bathroom has good space, you can place your feline’s “toilet” there.
Cleaning the litter box
You should pick up the feces and urine with a special scoop 1 or 2 times a day. The scoop has slits through which the clean litter is filtered.
Changing all the litter in the box will depend on the type of litter used. Absorbent litter, for example, should be changed more frequently, it will last a maximum of 1 week. The others, which last longer, can be changed after 4 weeks (if you are responsible for the daily removal of the litter so as not to spoil all the litter).
If the sand is ecological, as I said before, you can throw the waste in the toilet of your house. For the others, you should take out the waste in a bag and throw it in the trash.
Some recommend changing the box at least once a year. Therefore, be sure to give it good disposal, if it can be recycled or reused for another purpose.
