The Straight Poop on Cat Litter

So you want a cat, or have a cat.  You know that you need litter boxes, but what kind?  How many?  And what's the best cat litter to use?  From my 25 + years of having cats, I've tried them all.

Let's start with the litter box itself.  Should you get a covered or uncovered box?  It seems that a covered box will help with odor control, right?  Maybe, but it also traps odors inside the box, which makes it less likely that your picky feline will want to use it.  A cat's sense of smell is about 14 times as strong as a humans, so if you can smell the litter, imagine how your cat feels.  The rule of thumb for how many litter boxes you need is one for each cat, plus one extra. Some cats are finicky enough that they want their own box, or some will use one box for urine and another for poop. Of course, those with space constraints might not be able to have multiple boxes, so if you can't, just make sure that the box is kept really clean to avoid your kitties from finding other spots in your house to do their business.

 

Along the same lines, it seems counterintuitive to use unscented litter if you want to control odor, but unscented is the way to go.  Scented litter tends to waft throughout the house, and everyone will know you have a litter box.  Cat litter manufacturers want you to buy the scented stuff; sometimes it's hard to find the unscented in the store, but from personal experience, it's worth it.  As long as you keep the litter scooped at least once a day, no one needs to know that you have cats as soon as soon as they walk in the door.

And for goodness sake, spend a little more and get the clumping litter.  Yes, I know that the clay litter is cheaper, but in my opinion it's not worth it.  It's what most people donate to The Marshmallow Foundation and it's dusty, smelly, and a mess to work with.  And we end up adding baking soda to it anyway to try to control the odor.  Plus, with clay litter, you'll end up having to do a complete clean out of the box much more often than with clumping litter.

So for a happy, healthy cat, do make sure that you provide the best possible environment for them; you'll be rewarded with head bumps and kitty kisses for years to come!