How Often Should You Change Cat Litter For A Happy Meowshold?

It’s a known fact that cats are among the most hygienic creatures in the whole world. They’re so clean that, unlike most animals, they’re hard-wired to bury or cover their droppings. It is estimated that an average cat may spend as much as 5 hours a day and around 50 percent of their waking life grooming themselves. So replacing cat litter is definitely vital to their overall well-being. Although it’s best to clean your cats’ litter box once a month, the number might be higher depending on how many kitties you own, their breed, and their health.

Continue reading this guide – curated to help you properly determine the frequency of changing your cat’s litter box.

Importance of a clean litter box for cats

Put yourself in your cat’s shoes (paws?) for a minute. No seriously.

You love staying clean, constantly groom yourself, and have sniffing powers 14 times greater than humans. Would you like to take care of your business in a stinky litter box? I didn’t think so. You’re going to start falling sick and probably have a mental breakdown if you’re forced to live in a place that stinks to the highest heaven. The same equally applies to cats. A creature that spends half of their life grooming themselves surely won’t appreciate stepping on an old deposit.

Cats are even said to hold on to their wastes if they don’t find their poop spot comfortable. Now that’s some serious commitment to hygiene that some of us need to master. This can naturally lead to bladder and even kidney damage. And an inability to maintain hygiene can also have harmful effects on humans. Especially pregnant women. It’s advised that pregnant women do not partake in cleaning cat excrements due to the threat of picking up the infection toxoplasmosis, a disease that can lead to birth defects.

Moreover, letting the litter box get too dirty will push your cats to explore alternate areas in your house to relieve themselves. Although finding feline turds across the household drives most cat owners up the wall, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Everyone hates a stinky bathroom, and our super self-conscious felines are no different.

In case your cat has been ‘taking care of business in places beyond the litter box you’ll need to clear up the area. Baking soda and peroxide are very handy when it comes to cleaning up cat excrements. Enzymatic cleaning products are also a great option.

CLEANING THE CAT LITTER

SCOOPING UP THE LITTER

It’s best to try and scoop the litter box at least twice per day. It’s also important to note that scooping and changing the litter is not the same thing. Scooping is the screening out and removal of clumped feline excrements from the litter box using a sieve while changing the litter involves replacing the contents of the litter box entirely. Scooping is more convenient since you can pick up the smelly lumps effortlessly and helps extends the usability of the litter. This also makes sure your cat space is clean while cutting down expenses. Imagine changing the litter every day… it’s enough to make anybody go broke.

Here’s how you scoop: Firstly, grab hold of a slotted litter scoop. Next up, reach into the litter and lift up a nice full scoop. Now give the scoop a nice gentle wiggle in a side-to-side motion. You’ll see the clusters of faeces and excrements reveal themselves to you as the unsoiled litter drops through the sieve and into the box. Put the clumps in a plastic bag and continue the process till there are no visible clumps stinking up your cat’s litter box. Finally, dump the plastic bag in the trash. Also, make sure you replace the amount of litter you ditch during scooping. This adds a new layer of fresh litter and keeps the litter level the same.

HOW OFTEN TO CHANGE THE CAT’S LITTER

Clumping litter for cats

As long as you are scooping well, you should be able to add a new layer of the litter as needed and completely change/wash the box once a month.

Now if you use clumping litter for your cat, it’s adequate to scoop the box daily and completely change it out at least once a month. The best thing about clumping litter is that it doesn’t require much maintenance since it absorbs cat urine and dropping to form stiff clusters that can be easily scooped. However, it’s advised that you change the litter more frequently, every 2-3 weeks if you own more than one cat. If you’re maintaining more than one litter box, this will relieve you from cleaning each of the boxes frequently. Many even suggest that you stretch it longer than a month, provided the litter works well with clumping, it remains fresh, and the box hasn’t turned into a gooey mess.

Non-clumping litter for cats

Although more common than clumping litter, non-clumping litter cannot be scooped as the cat urine does not get absorbed. The cat pee trickles down and accumulates at the bottom of the box. This demands the litter be changed and the box be cleaned as frequently as possible with minimal delays. If you own only one cat, you’re good with changing up the litter twice per week.

Since non-clumping litter is designed to cancel out odor, the trapped urine at the bottom of the box won’t cause a lot of trouble for a few days. Till then, you can get away with scooping the solid droppings/excrements. However, it’s best if you don’t go a week without removing non-clumping litter.

The general approach to changing non-clumping litter is to dump the old litter into the trash before replacing it with three to four inches of fresh litter.

If you have 3-4 cats who love using the same box, you may have to clean the box 1-2 times a day and completely switch up the litter every 3 or 4 days. It’s recommended you put fresh litter at least once a week.

CAT LITTER LEARNINGS FOR THE HOOMAN

There are no solid numbers or formulas for how often you should change cat litter. There are many factors that come into play when you attempt to answer that question. Such as the types of poo-poo, types of pee-pee, and the number of cats whizzing around your household (pun intended). It all depends on their outpoop!

So, try to observe your cat’s litter habits and adapt accordingly. It’s also recommended you check with your vet if your cat has any underlying health issues or to allocate what works best for your kitty.

Has this blog made you decide to go and clean your cats’ litterboxes? Let us know! You know how much we love hearing from you!

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