Happy Valentine’s Day Kitty, Here’s Your New Litterbox!

 Litterbox maintenance is an important chore in cat guardianship. Some of you might be surprised to know that feline experts with the American Association of Feline Practitioners, recommend 1 box per kitty PLUS 1 extra box in the household. For instance, if you have 2 cats you should have 3 litter boxes. Cats are very particular about having a clean litterbox. Perfumes, a strong urine smell, or very dusty litter is unhealthy for our feline friends respiratory systems. Soft, low-dust, unscented clumping litter works best. We recommend scooping the litterbox once to multiple times daily for multiple cat households and adding fresh clumping litter as needed. When using the non-clumping litter, the box should be scooped or stirred daily and completely dumped out every week. All litterboxes should be washed out every 1-4 weeks using soap and hot water. Do not use strong chemicals or ammonia-based products. If you washed the litterbox and it still has a urine smell to it, it’s time to buy a new litterbox!
In general, we do not recommend using a hood on the litterbox because they have a tendency to trap odors and that can be off putting to our feline friend. Cats prefer a quiet, easy to get to place for their litterbox. They also have to feel they can flee at a moment’s notice and not feel trapped. Some cats might experience urgency when they have to go and this way a timid cat can get to the litterbox without passing by a more dominant feline. If you live in a multi-level home, place a litterbox on each level. Consider using a storage tote or cement mixing tray. We recommend the storage totes because they come in different sizes and the entrance can be cut low enough for those cats that have arthritis. If kitty all the sudden stops using the litterbox, there could be a medical reason why. When litterbox problems arise it’s always better to address these problems sooner than later. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call The Cat Doctor & Friends at 661-259-5288.