Wondering how often to change kitty litter? Cats are sometimes hard to please when it comes to their toilet habits.
If you only have one cat, replacing the kitty litter once a week is acceptable, especially when you regularly scoop the feces out. They appreciate it if their litter box is kept clean and fresh at all times, and as we all know, it is vital to keep the litter box clean according to your cat’s standards.
A litter box also allows your cat to poop inside the house without losing their natural habit of digging and covering their dung. It is a necessity for your cat’s hygiene and the entire household’s peace of mind.
How Often to Change Kitty Litter?
Scooping out the cat’s poop from the litter box should be done at least twice a day. The frequency of replacing the cat litter depends on several factors like the number of cats, how many litter pans you have in different areas of the house, and what kind of cat litter you are using.
If you only have one cat, replacing the kitty litter once a week is acceptable, especially when you regularly scoop the feces out.
For those who have multiple cats, you might need to do it twice a week or every other day. If you notice that the kitty litter is a bit wet and you can smell traces of your cat’s pee or poop, then that is a clear indication that you need to clean and replace the cat litter.
Wash the litter box with every time you change the litter. Cleanse it with mild soap and warm water. Cats have noses that are 14 times more sensitive than humans, and may not like the smell of citrus or ammonia in the detergent.
Some products may be harmful to the cat. If you use plastic litter boxes, change it after a year, especially if there’s a lot of scratches because it can hold odor that may prevent the cat from using it.
Litter Choice
The type of litter you use also plays a vital role in making sure that your cat uses the box every time it feels like peeing or pooping.
There are different types of cat litter to choose from, including scooping or clumping litter, plant-derived and biodegradable litter, the traditional clay type, and the crystal-based or silica gel litter.
Cats favor sand-like litters because of its softer feel. Some of these fine-grained litters are easy to scoop and holds the odor down.
The premium and dust-free clay litter are also small-grained, which may appeal to your cat as well.
If you have an outdoorsy type of cat, you can add some soil to the litter or use sand for their litter box. You will eventually find sand that will appeal to your cat. If you do, then stick to it for you and your cat’s convenience and satisfaction.
Cats also prefer unscented litters so don’t try using scented litters or use any air fresheners to cover the smell. Add a small amount of baking soda at the bottom of the pan together with the cat litter to help absorb the odor.
Traditional Non-Clumping Clay Litter
This type of litter is the most affordable and is available in supermarkets. It does not clump, so your cat’s urine quickly seeps through to the bottom of the pan. Although it stains easily and does not hold the odor down. With this, cleaning the litter box is a bit harder and requires you to clean it more often.
Scooping or Clumping Litter
This type of litter is a much better option but may cost higher than the first one. It binds the cat’s waste, making it easier to scoop out from the box. Daily cleaning is also required for this type of litter as it does not eliminate odor.
Crystal-like or Silica Gel Litter
This litter is more expensive than the other two. It stains less, absorbs more, and can compress the cat’s stool and urine better.
Since this litter is white-colored, you can easily see if the cat litter needs changing as it changes color when it comes in contact with the cat’s wastes.
What’s more, it can also get rid of the odor and does not require frequent cleaning as the previous choices. The only downside to this kind of litter is that it’s not that appealing to most cats.
Plant-based or Biodegradable Litter
This litter type is the most expensive from among our choices. Its properties are usually plant-based, which makes it more lightweight than the other litters.
It also has a stronger binding reaction, so you can scoop the waste efficiently. The only problem with this kind is its smell that most cats dislike.
Other Tips and Suggestions
Is it okay to use a box liner? Lining the bottom of your cat’s litter box is for the fur parent’s advantage and not the cat’s.
It makes cleaning more manageable because you will only need to gather the liner like a garbage bag for easy disposal. However, some cats may scratch it into tiny pieces, which will ruin its purpose.
Determine your cat’s preference on how deep should the litter be inside its box. Some cats don’t like it if it’s too deep, while others would love to practice their digging and needs a deeper cat litter.
Whatever the amount of cat litter you put into the box, the amount of time and effort for you to clean the pan does not change.
Conclusion
Do you have an idea now about how often to change kitty litter? The answer depends on your cat and your choices as its fur parent.
The best tip we can give you is to use the clumping litter type. Most cats prefer this more than the other litter types.
Next is scooping wastes regularly. This means to scoop it right after your cat urinates or poops. Regular scooping is also an easy way for you to determine if your cat is healthy and is eliminating wastes as often as it should.
As you scoop out the cat’s feces and urine, you can add a small amount of litter back into the pan to replace the ones you’ve scooped out. In this way, the change in the depth of the litter will not be too noticeable by your cat.
