The most common litter box is the traditional litter pan. You have the option of an enclosed litter pan with a lid or without a lid. Some felines hate enclosed litter boxes, while others prefer their privacy. For cats that prefer privacy, an enclosed cat box is the way to go.
Covered litter pans help contain litter “scatter”, and they can also confine odors. Unfortunately, while these attributes make covered boxes a preferred choice for cat owners, they are not preferred by our feline friends. While urinating or defecating, cats are in a vulnerable position.
Your cat may feel similarly about placing their paws in a dirty litter box. Your cat's hesitance to use their dirty litter tray may be leading them to hedge their bets, sticking to the edge, where the litter is less soaked, and kicking litter all over the floor. The solution: Clean the tray regularly.
Keep the litter box in a spot that feels “safe” to your cat but is also convenient. If the box is too hard to get to, especially for a kitten or an elderly cat, they may just not use it. Avoid placing litter boxes next to noisy or heat-radiating appliances, like the furnace or the washing machine.
Cats want a litter box that's filled with just enough litter—not too much, and not too little. You need enough litter for your cat to cover his or her waste, but it's easy to go overboard.
Most cats will adapt to a covered tray but there are some who feel vulnerable confined in a small space with only one exit point. In multi-cat households open trays tend to be preferable as any cat using one cannot be ambushed by another that has been hiding out of sight.
“Cats will sometimes jump into the litter boxes and often use them while, and right after, their people have scooped them,” says Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant. “Cats love clean litter boxes, ones that are freshly scooped and don't smell of excrement.
Just like cats love enclosed, small spaces that provide a sense of security as cats feel safe from perceived threats, litter boxes are familiar places where some cats feel like they can finally relax and “let go.”
You may have even heard that your cat can smell their dirty litter a mile away. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that a cat can smell their litter box from that far away. More realistically, they might be able to smell it up to a few hundred feet away (depending on wind and weather conditions) and often a lot less.
Will cats use a top-entry litter box? The idea of sliding down a firepole to get to the toilet might not excite most of us human beings, but many cats actually prefer a top-entry litter box. So do their people. A topside opening often proves to be a litter box's best feature.
If she's not covering her poop, it could be because of nervousness, competition with other cats, health issues, or other reasons. You can encourage your cat to cover her poop by trying different litter and litter boxes, calming products, and decreasing the stress in her life.
Underlying medical issues can be a cause of your cat urinating outside the litter box. A likely culprit is a urinary tract infection, but it can also be kidney disease, diabetes, or anything that causes your cat to feel uncomfortable, such as arthritis.
Your cat may have litter box trouble for any number of reasons, including medical problems, an aversion to the litter box, or a preference for urinating or defecating in places outside the box. Any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal urination or defecation behavior can cause litter box problems.
Most cats prefer an open litter box. Most cat owners prefer a covered litter box. Covered litter boxes may trap odors and make the human environment smell better but for those reasons they may not be as desirable for the cat. If boxes are not cleaned regularly, the odor may be aversive to them.
3. No smelly business: With an enclosed bathroom for your cat, you don't need to worry about any unpleasant odors that might (will) come wafting out of the box. Enclosed spaces work wonders for containing the smell — better than any scent, candle, powder, or other witch's brew you can buy.
Hooded litter boxes keep the smell contained inside better, however, which makes it easier to clean around. But they're not as easy to use, and if you don't do a good job of cleaning them, your cat might not want to use them.
How Often Should You Change the Cat Litter? 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.
One study found that domestic cats could find their way back home from a distance of 1.5 to 4 miles, so it's safe to assume they can at least pick up scents from that distance.
Indeed, a healthy cat can even judge within three inches the location of a sound being made three feet away, which assists in the locating of prey. They can also “hear sounds at great distances – four or five times farther away than humans.”
Kitty Could Be Feeling Unsafe, Territorial, or Pregnant
The first is that they're feeling threatened and the litter box feels safe and familiar. This behavior can also be triggered by guests in the house, loud noises such as nearby fireworks, or an unfamiliar environment.
It's one of the main ways they communicate. Your cat may rub her face on you to deposit pheromones and oils, showing comfort and marking ownership. And because your smell is familiar, it's comforting and secure. By sleeping on you, she might be marking you as belonging to her.
Think food puzzles to engage minds and bodies, vertical space for climbing and surveying their domain, scratching posts, safe outdoor access (like a catio), window perches and interactive play. “Play is an important part of relieving stress,” Delgado says. “It helps cats release those feel-good hormones.”
Your cat could be just trying to maintain her scent in the box, even though you're cleaning it. Animals usually go to the bathroom to give us a message. If it's outside the litter box, they could be stressed or in need of a clean place to go.
Cats may be easily trained to use a kitty litter box or tray, as this is natural behavior. Many cats and kittens will instinctively use a litter box without needing to be taught, because of their instincts to expel bodily waste in dirt or sand.
If your cat gets in the box and scratches around before eliminating, he likes his litter. If he scratches around before he gets in, but not when he is actually in the box, or perches on the side of the box trying not to touch the litter, try another type of litter. Many cats prefer soft, sand-like litters.