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Unit 5

Essential Cat and Kitten Care

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Module 5: Litter Box Matters

Correct use of the litter box is essential to a happy, harmonious household. In this module we explore the gritty world of litter boxes, how to make them entice, and what to do when things go wrong.

5.1 Nature Calls

5.2 Litter Box Success

5.3 Litter Training Troubles

5.1 Nature Calls

To you and me a cat’s bodily functions are an inconvenience to get rid of. But, to the cat they are a valuable means of communication. Knowledge about your feline friend’s normal behavior helps you avoid litter box bloopers so the cat is happy with toileting arrangements and uses them.

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5.1.1 Normal Toilet Habits

In the wild a cat’s preference when emptying her bladder is to dig a small hole in loosely compacted dirt. She then toilets in the scrape and when she’s done, fills the hole back in. However, it often suits the cat to be more brazen about her presence, in which case she will spray and send out a message.

Spraying is subtly different to a ‘comfort’ emptying of the bladder. For starters, spraying is usually done against vertical surfaces, while urinating is done on the ground.

TOP TIP: If you have an ‘issue’ at home but aren’t sure why, use a

black light to hunt down the urine. If it’s on a horizontal surface the

cat was emptying her bladder, on a vertical surface she’s spraying

and making a statement.

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Spraying is about advertising presence and claiming ownership. The scent of the urine sends out messages, much like when we send a text, to tell other cats who owns this patch and when they were last here. This gives them the option to keep a low profile and avoid conflict. Indeed, it’s common amongst feral cats for several animals to share the same hunting territory, but, reading the urine ‘text’ messages enable them to stay out of each other’s way.

Entire male cats are the most likely to spray, and they urine scent mark up to 22 times an hour when there are females in heat. That’s quite an incentive to get your cat desexed! This is in contrast to an entire female, who might scent mark 3 -4 times an hour.

When it comes to feces, cats like to use a different location from where they passed urine. Indeed, they use scattered locations and sometimes bury their output or sometimes leave it on display. The latter is called ‘middening’ and is another way of claiming ownership.

Now we know what cats like to do, let’s see how we can set up the litter box to make it a pleasing place for the cat to visit.

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5.2 Litter Box Success Few things are guaranteed to cause the cat guardian more stress than a fur-friend who eliminates outside the box. Before pointing an accusing finger at kitty, be sure you’ve given her the right sort of bathroom in a good location. In this section we look at the ins and outs of litter boxes.

5.2.1 Kittens

Kittens are very clean creatures and learn early in life not to soil the nest. This strong natural instinct makes toilet training a cinch. Keep the kitten in a small room or a playpen, with a bed, food and water, and a litter box. The kitten will want to avoid soiling where she eats and sleeps and opt to use the tray instead.

The litter box should be as large as possible but with low sides. If necessary, use a book or two to provide steps to help the kittens climb up and into the tray. Beware of using high sided boxes as the kitten may find it too much like hard work and decide to eliminate beside the box instead.

Most kittens watch Mom and copy her, so it really helps if the tray is inviting to her as well. However, if she eliminates in a different box, try scooping some of her poop and popping it in the kitten box, to act as a scent marker to draw them.

As to types of cat litter in a kitten tray, avoid clumping cat litter. Like most young creatures, kittens go through a phase of putting everything into their mouth – including cat litter. If they swallow the clumping variety it could form a blockage in their bowel, with serious consequences.

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5.2.2 Litter Tray Types

It might seem anal to have a section devoted to tray types, but get this wrong and problems will follow, get it right and the cat is happy. Too many times when selecting a litter box, the cat guardian thinks like a person (a nice, discrete, corner fitting box) rather than from a cat’s perspective (that corner box is far too small). Think “cat” and put her needs first.

There are three main types of tray:

Open

Covered

Self-cleaning

Open Trays

From Kitty’s eyes, a roomy open tray is her number one choice. Her ideal facility is 1.5 times as long as her body, with low sides. She pre-furs the good ventilation an open box provides (so she’s not trapped in a small space with nasty smells) and can see all around for approaching threats.

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Closed Trays

These are a favorite with cat guardians because they limit the spread of cat litter and keep bad smells in. However, the latter is one reason cats aren’t so fond of them. If you opt for a covered tray then be sure to keep it clean, so there’s no ammonia to make her eyes smart.

While you’d think the cover provides privacy, many cats feel trapped and vulnerable, because they can’t see danger approaching. At the very least, while getting a cat used to a closed box, remove the cat flap part so kitty can stick her head out and be watchful.

Self-Cleaning Trays

This is another convenient idea for cat guardians, but they can scare the cat. Self-cleaning trays contain a motor, which switches on from time to time to sift through the litter. If Kitty happens to be approaching when the motor grinds into action, she’s likely to be frightened and steer clear.

Tray Liners

On the plus side, tray liners help to keep the tray hygienically clean, but on the downside, cats don’t like them. The plastic shifts beneath their paws and they don’t like the feel, plus scented liners smell overpowering to the feline nose and can put the cat off.

How many trays:

There is a golden rule when it comes to how many litter trays you have in the house. It is:

Thus, for five cats you need six trays.

Cats don’t like sharing. Indeed, there is an argument that since in the wild cats urinate and defecate in different locations, they prefer different boxes for each bodily function. However, while providing three boxes for a single cat (One pee, one poop, and one spare) isn’t too outrageous, providing 11 trays for 5 cats is hardly practical.

5.2.3 The Type of Cat Litter

There are many different types of cat litter including clumping, non-clumping, recycled paper, pine, and wheat litter. Cats become used to the feel of a particular litter under their paws and become reluctant to use anything else. When taking on a new cat, ask the previous owner which litter their cat uses and continue using it. You can then slowly transition the cat by adding your chosen litter a bit at a time.

GOLDEN RULE:One tray for each cat plus one extra tray.

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Most cats prefer the feel of clumping, fine-grained litters under the paw. However, try and choose a litter that isn’t dusty (as the fine particles can irritate the cat’s lungs) and unscented (their sensitive sense of smell is overwhelmed.) If you aren’t certain which litter your cat prefers you can offer several trays with different types and see which one is her favorite!

LITTER TRIVIA: The optimum depth of cat litter in the tray is three

centimeters (just over an inch).

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5.2.4 Disinfecting Litter Trays

Litter trays should be kept clean, because no one likes using a dirty toilet. Spot clean once or twice daily to remove clumps and solids. Empty the entire tray once or twice a week and disinfect it.

Avoid disinfectants that contain phenol as this is toxic to cats. This is the sort of disinfectant that goes cloudy when you add water, of which Dettol is the most well- known.

5.2.5 Litter Tray Location

You could provide the ideal tray with the perfect litter, and yet, if you put it in the wrong location, the cat won’t use it.

The ideal spot is a quiet, location where the cat won’t be disturbed.

A classic mistake is to put the litter tray in the laundry room, next to a spin dryer. Imagine the scenario where the cat is using the tray and the dryer suddenly goes into spin cycle, making an unholy racket. The terrified cat then links passing urine in that location to a terrifying noise. Guess what? She chooses her own spot, somewhere quiet and safe….such as your bedroom.

Another tip is not to put the tray besides a full length glass door or a cat flap. This is because the cat may feel vulnerable on the tray, and open to other cats peering in at her or her arch rival suddenly popping through the flap.

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Also, remember how we said five cats need six trays? Well it’s no good lining up six trays in a row. Each tray must be in its own separate and private location if you want the cats to use them.

So there we have it. Your litter tray 101 is to provide a large open tray with low sides, a 3 cm depth of clumping litter, and place the tray in a quiet, private location. Simple! What could possibly go wrong? Let’s find out…

5.3 Litter Training Troubles

You’re doing everything right and put everything into practice and yet still your kitty toilets outside the box. What to do?

In this next section we look at the signs which could indicate your cat’s toilet troubles are down to a medical issue and consider strategies to help behavioral problems.

5.3.1 Medical vs Behavioral Problems

A cat with cystitis has a pressing need to empty her bladder and may not make

it to the tray. (Medical reason) A cat being bullied by another may be too frightened to go to the tray.

(Behavioral reason)

From a cat guardian’s point of view, both examples leave you with a wet patch on the carpet. But, for the cat the remedy is very different. While the first cat needs pain relief and antibiotics, the second cat needs an alternative toilet.

When faced with soggy carpets, you need to be sure your cat doesn’t have a medical problem that is causing a breakdown in good litter tray habits.

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The cat with a faultless track record that suddenly starts soiling should see the vet; because it could well be that she needs treatment.

5.3.2 Medical Problems

Medical problems which can trigger house soiling include:

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD):This includes cystitis,

infections, crystals in the urine, and bladder stones. All of these can give a

feeling of urgency. Arthritis: A stiff sore cat may not want to go downstairs to the tray or

struggles to get into a high sided box

Dementia: Elderly cats can ‘forget’ their house training

Thirsty Cats: Diabetes, kidney disease, or overactive thyroid glands all make

a cat thirsty, which means a full bladder more often and an increased risk of

accidents. Tell-Tale Signs of a Medical Problem

Watch out for needing to fill the water bowl more often and for larger clumps in the litter tray. Be sure to scoop regularly because a thirsty cat in need of the toilet may turn her nose up at an already soiled tray.

Other clues include pain or a sense of urgency. This is the cat who squats, shuffles along, then squats again. She is more likely to adopt a semi-standing position to toilet, and may even have a flattened back. If it hurts to pass water she may cry or run away as if in pain.

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5.3.4 Indoor Soiling

Cats that don’t know how to use a tray or don’t like its location and are making a dirty protest are likely to soil indoors. To work out if this is the case, turn detective and look for:

Large Puddles: This cat holds on and then empties a full bladder (contrast

with a scent-marking cat who squirts out small volumes) Quiet Locations: Her favorite spots will be quiet, secluded locations

(contrasted with a sense of urgency when the cat may squat in the middle of the room)

Crouched Posture: The cat adopts the classic crouch with a slightly arched

back and tail held to one side These cats have often taken a dislike to their facilities for some reason. Things to consider include incorrect tray type, substrate, or location – or it could just be the tray is too dirty. Another common reason in multi-cat households is bullying from another cat. To get around this provide multiple trays in different locations so no one cat can control access to all of them.

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5.3.5 Marking Behavior

This is the cat that sprays or scent marks, usually because of insecurity or a need to signal this is their territory. Your clues that this is the explanation are:

Reverse Gear: If you catch the cat in the act, you’ll see her reverse in, bottom

first, to the spot she’s going to spray on (and yes, female cats do spray, just

not as much as males.) Vertical Surfaces: The majority of cats mark walls and vertical surfaces

Small Squirts: This isn’t about emptying the bladder but marking,so the urine

deposits are small Paddling Feet: In the act of scent marking the cat paddles the back feet and

the tail does a twitchy dance

Highly Public: Scent marking is about advertising her presence, so the cat

chooses highly visible public places to mark. You may also find she marks bags

and shoes, because they have outdoor smells on them.

To sort this unpleasant problem you need to work out why the cat feels the need to scent mark. Classic triggers are stray cats in the yard or a stressful event such as the arrival of a new pet.

5.3.6 Erasing the Evidence

No matter what your cat’s motivation, she will be drawn back to the same spot if you don’t thoroughly get rid of the smell.

But, be wary of household cleaners. These often contain dilute bleach, with an ammonia component and, the latter is also found in urine. Thus, the patch may appear clean to us, but still has a urine scent to draw the cat back.

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Instead, try this highly effective method of deodorization. [Note: Always test the surface first, to make sure it is color fast and won’t be damaged by cleaning.]

Step Product

1 Disposable kitchen paper

2 A solution of biological washing powder or liquid. Mix 1 part to 10 parts of water

3 Bicarbonate of soda – A teaspoon to a pint of water

4 Surgical spirit or Rubbing alcohol

Putting the cat’s food bowls on the same spot can deter future toileting there, as they don’t like to foul their eating area.

5.3.7 Reducing Stress

For many cats soiling is all about stress and spreading their scent around because they find it reassuring.

Decreasing stress and removing perceived threats goes a long way to happy litter box moments.

Here are our Holly & Hugo top tips for reducing stress in cats.

STRESS REDUCTION

Provide plenty of resources for each cat around the home. This includes food,

water, and hiding places, plus litter boxes. This makes it difficult for a ‘bully’ cat

to monopolize everything at once.

Never punish a cat for spraying or inappropriate toileting as this increases

stress.

Use synthetic feline pheromone (Feliway) diffusers around the home.

Take off outdoor shoes before entering the home (It reduces the smell of strange

cats).

Squirt bags brought in from outside with Feliway.

Regularly clean paths and walls where stray cats spray.

If you have cats that don’t get along, swap their scents so as to develop a ‘group’

smell and decrease stress.

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When using a cat flap install a microchip activated one so that stray cats

cannot enter.

Use glass etch on windows to block the view of areas that stray cats visit.

Provide plenty of scratch posts so your cat can place their scent around the

home in an acceptable way.

De sex male cats!