Dirty litter boxes can cause kidney, bladder, and urinary tract diseases in cats. When a kitty squats over a pile of feces, bacteria can travel up the urethra, wreaking havoc all along the way. And since UTIs are often asymptomatic in cats, your kitty could be sick a long time before you know to get treatment for her.
Cats can develop various health problems from using a dirty litter box, such as painful kidney infections, bladder infections, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections.
Cats and parasites in dirty litter boxes
Aside from bacteria, cat waste is also home to parasites, which can cause hookworms, roundworms, and ring worms in your cat. When you have a dirty litter box, it's even easier for a parasite to enter your cat's body and land in its gastrointestinal tract.
However, what happens is when cat urine comes in contact with bacteria in the litter box, it produces toxic ammonia fumes. The smell that most people think of as cat urine is actually urine that has come into contact with ammonia and in a few days turns into toxic ammonia fumes.
Unclean litter boxes can make cats more susceptible to developing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Certain types of litter like the clay litters and litter with fine dust can also contribute to respiratory disease, and make cats with asthma have more frequent flare-ups.
Typical signs include mucus-laden, watery, or bile-streaked diarrhea (with or without blood) that lasts 5 to 15 days; reduced appetite; abdominal pain; and occasional vomiting. Fever may also be present. Intermittent diarrhea may persist for more than 2 weeks; in some, it may last for months.
If you use a clumping litter, it's best to scoop the box daily and change it out completely at least monthly. If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks.
Twice a week is a general guideline for replacing clay litter, but depending on your circumstances, you may need to replace it every other day or only once a week. If you clean the litter box daily, you might only need to change clumping litter every two to three weeks.
Most people who become infected with Toxoplasma gondii are not aware of it because they have no symptoms at all. Some people who have toxoplasmosis may feel as if they have the “flu” with swollen lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that may last for a month or more.
One of two things will happen: they'll go somewhere else, or they'll hold it in until the box is clean. If they do the latter, that can lead to some serious issues, like a UTI, bladder infection, or kidney problems. For humans, bladder issues are obnoxious, but not too serious. For cats, they're a big deal.
The same goes for a litter box you don't change often enough. If the box is full of poop and smells bad, they won't use it. Yes, it's a form of animal abuse—technically, neglect—to not clean the litterbox.
In Conclusion
Keeping your cat's litter box in the bedroom isn't ideal so if you can, move it to a more appropriate part of the house. Although the risks are small, you could become ill if you contract Toxoplasmosis, worms or you're exposed to too much ammonia.
Cats (including indoor cats) can also easily get worms by sharing a litter box with another infected cat, hunting and eating infected mice and other prey, and ingesting infected fleas.
You guessed it: sodium bentonite, a compound that is known to be a health hazard to people and kitties. Without this clumping agent, paper litter wouldn't clump!
As the cat feces dry, the oocysts may become aerosolized. They can thus be inhaled by a person changing cat litter or just walking in an area where cats have defecated. An outbreak of toxoplasmosis among patrons of a riding stable was thought to have occurred in this manner.
On one hand, too much litter in your cat's litter box can cause overflow and spillage problems all over your bathroom floor. On the other hand, too little litter in the box can create smelly and messy poo problems when your cat isn't able to dig enough litter to hide their solid waste.
Scrape off all residue with a litter scoop or abrasive cloth, then wipe out the remaining dust with a wet paper towel. Pour some hot water and a few pumps of a mild, unscented detergent into the litter box. Scrub clean with a cloth, sponge, or paper towel. Rinse clean and completely dry the litter box.
Virtually all cats like clean litter boxes, so scoop and change your cat's litter at least once a day. Rinse the litter box out completely with baking soda or unscented soap once a week.
Dirty litter boxes can cause kidney, bladder, and urinary tract diseases in cats. When a kitty squats over a pile of feces, bacteria can travel up the urethra, wreaking havoc all along the way. And since UTIs are often asymptomatic in cats, your kitty could be sick a long time before you know to get treatment for her.
Justine A. Lee, a long-time veterinarian, believes the box should be scooped daily but admits it's OK if you do it every other day. “We neurotic types clean litter boxes daily. If that's too much for you, litter boxes should be scooped out at least every other day,” she said in this post on Pet Health Network.
If you have the time, it's good to give a typical litter box a quick scrub-down every time you replace the litter, so once or twice a week for clumping clay litter boxes.
Howling, crying, hiding, and otherwise acting in a way that is out of character for your pet should alert you that something may be seriously wrong. Changes in litter box habits, particularly in male cats, can indicate a serious health problem.