Litter and litter boxes

I think they are all in there, somewhere...

Ok, so I thought I'd write an entry on litter and litter boxes. Here, we use a silica litter, and I would advise you to buy a bag of this just to start off. I buy whatever is on special, it's just plain silica, so all brands are the same thing, basically. So I've used Bob Martins's, Percato Rocks, Tigerino... it doesn't matter. I don't buy the scented versions though... they don't smell nice at all and set my asthma off something chronic!

With at least four cats in the house at any one time (and ten, at the moment!) I have certain needs from my litter and the big one for me is smell control, which silica is very good at. But it's dusty, and tracks badly, and it's very expensive so you might prefer to use another kind. Lots available- clay based ones that form a lump when peed on that you then scoop out, or wheat/corn/paper based ones that are the most eco friendly and all manner of other types, so have a look and see what's out there.

Your kitten should cope with changing litters quite well. You might want to mix the old and the new litters at first. Occasionally, kitty will not like the litter at all... if you find a puddle next to the box the morning after you swapped litters, he's giving you a message loud and clear. Some cats are fussy about their litter, some are easy going and you don't know which your kitten is going to be until you try it!

As with anything, don't expect your older cat to share the litter box with the new kitten, or you might find older kitty refusing to use the box!!! A good general rule is one box per cat, plus one extra. I have six boxes for my four cats, and at one point several weeks back I had ten- three kitten trays, one covered tray and the six boxes. Two trays are a good idea even for just the one kitty. In the wild, cats pee and poop in different places, and many cats still prefer this... I know mine do.

Dogs! Some dogs think cat poop is a delicious treat! If your dog is so inclined, try putting the litter tray higher up- easily accessible by the cat, but off limits to the dog!

You can get many kinds of litter box. Mine are all used to using both deep trays and a covered box, but they will happily use a plain shallow tray as well.Take care where you put the box though, cats feel very vulnerable using the box and if it is in a busy or exposed place that they don't feel is safe they may decide to go elsewhere. Even if your cat will eventually go outside, you will still need a litter box. the RSPCA recommends a kitten is not allowed out unsupervised until 6 months, so a box is a must. Some cats will not go outside in the winter anyway.

One more thing... when taking a kitten home, I will happily provide a small bag of used litter of you would like one. I know that sounds a little gross, but if you then sprinkle it on the litter in your kitty's new box to make it 'smell right' and your kitten should start using that box with no issue at all. It really works!