How often should you clean the litter box?
That is a question I often get asked and have to remind client about on occassion. We all have busy lives and scooping litter boxes sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Unfortunately, cats can develop litter box behavior issues rather quickly if their “bathroom” is not scooped daily, or even twice daily.
Once a cat starts avoiding the litter box, correcting that behavior is often a battle for both the pet owner and the cat. The easiest way to avoid this problem is to keep the litter box clean! Aside from daily scooping, remember to put enough litter in the box so that the cat can adequately cover it’s deposits. As a general guideline, 2-3 inches of cat litter is ideal.
And make sure the litter is completely dumped on a regular basis, too. Bacteria can grow in a dirty litter box, so adding more litter or baking soda to control the odor won’t always do the trick. When you completely change out the litter, make sure to take soap and water to clean out the box as well. Plastic litter boxes get scratches in them from your cat’s claws and is an ideal place for bacteria and old urine to collect. Simply changing the litter won’t get it completely clean!
For more information on this subject, try these links:
http://www.petfinder.com/cats/bringing-a-cat-home/cat-litter-box-cleaning/
http://www.catchannel.com/magazines/catfancy/august-2008/top-10-litterbox-tips.aspx
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/preventing_litter_box_problems.html
