Tips for the correct use of cat litter

Once again, we have come to an important and sensitive topic. Let’s see the correct use of cat litter as I experienced it through the example of Tirus and Théni.

You can read a lot of information and tips on the Internet and in cat specialist books about using cat litter in the right way, especially in problematic cases. The target of my current blog post is not to describe them, but to show you a more human or cat-closer point of view, i.e. through Tirus’s example, how he likes to use cat litter.

Since fortunately, in our case there hasn’t been happened an „outside cat litter box” accident, I dare to write our experiences for you.

Ideal number and type of cat litter boxes

Many cat experts recommend that you should have as many cat litter boxes +1 as many cats you have. There was no need for that in our case, Tirus and Théni only have 2 cat litter boxes. Since Tirus is a male Maine Coon, I bought the largest cat litter boxes available in the market. These were also recommended by our breeder.

At our breeder, the kittens are used to covered litter boxes, so I also bought them at her suggestion. I don’t use the door of the litter box, so I don’t even have to use its filter. This makes it easier to remove the dirty litter. Furthermore, Tirus isn’t forced to do his „work” in the dark either.

Moreover, as it turned out, if Tirus has to go into the litter box, he likes to be in there with his head outside the door. He is observing his surroundings, so no one could attack him. I’ve read it in several places, that cats are the most vulnerable at this time and that is why he makes this.

Placement of cat litter box

In our case (according to the advice of cat experts) the litter boxes aren’t located in a remote, hidden place of our flat, but in a quiet, protected cover of the base place. Tirus used the cat litter here from the beginning. Its place wasn’t changed contrary to previous plans.

Many people are surprised by this fact, that the cat litter box takes place in our bedroom. However, many cat experts recommend it. This doesn’t disturb me, because we use high-quality cat litter, which has excellent odur-binding properties. So there is not a bad smell is in the bedroom.

The ideal cat litter

We have tried several cat litters over the years. I will write about the experiences of them in my test about the clumping cat litter in the future.  Tirus used them all enthusiastically, but I eliminated some of them from the repertoire because they were too dusty, not as good at absorbing odors or were too expensive. This is how we have found the ideal litter, but in this blog post I don’t want to show you the final result of the large clumping cat litter test.

I’m not a fan of scented cat litter. We used them in a couple of times, but I tried to air them out first, because Tirus, like other cats, has a much more sensitive noise than ours.

As I mentioned above, we only use clumping cat litter. The reason for this is that Tirus was used to this from an early age, so I didn’t want to change that.

We also tried special litter made for large cats with long hair. This differs from the currently used litter mainly in its particle size. I think the main thing here is that the cat litter shouldn’t be dusty, because then it also makes the flat dusty. And now think about how much dust your cat inhales while he/she is in the litter box.

Some people prefer the smallest possible grain size, which makes the litter the most similar to the sand used by your mini tiger’s big relatives. However, I didn’t notice any ”I don’t like” use of litter on Tirus, due to the grain size.  

The place of the feeding and drinking bowls

Don’t place feeding and drinking bowls near the litter box. Over the years, the drinking bowl was moved even a little further. There is also an alternative solution for a feeding and drinking place in the living room.

Cleaning the litter box

A common question on the forums on Internet is how often it is necessary to clean the litter box on a daily basis and completely. In the beginning, I took out the clumped pieces of litter both in the mornings and in the evenings. Meanwhile, I also read a lot of books from cat experts and in these books the authors thought very differently about the theme. Nowadays, I take the clumped balls only in the mornings. I also take out the „big thing” during the day.

Complete litter cleaning takes place every 3-4 weeks. It depends on the type of cat litter. I always wash the litter box, litter shovel and its holder with vinegar water. I prefer vinegar to chemical disinfectants because it’s natural and less irritating to cats’ sensitive noses, so its smell dissipates quickly.

The LitterLocker cat litter disposal

Finally, I’d like to bring to your attention a great invention. This is the LitterLocker, which saves you from running to the trash can every day and keeps odors inside perfectly.

As a litter shovel, the LitterLocker shovel is the best for me. But I store it in the holder of another litter shovel.

I also would like to mention another great invention, that is the mat in front of our litter box. It catches most of the litter pieces that fall from the paws.

I don’t put foil on the bottom of the litter box, as Tirus’ claws would tear it apart.

Are there any other solutions instead of the cat litter box?

Toilet training is a divisive question on Internet forums. Well, I don’t support it at all. The top of the toilet is always closed in our house.

As another solution, self-acting cat litter boxes tend to appear. I also do not recommend this to you, as you can see whether everything is fine with your cat from the amount of urine and the quality of the excrement.

I hope that I could help you with this blog post and I could answer some of the beginner cat owners’ questions. If I missed something, please feel free to write your questions on our social media pages.