Litter Box and Cat: 12 Quick Answers (For Beginners)

Are you planning to get a cat? You might be worried about taking care of a cat as a beginner. Actually, every expert was a beginner at first. After having experience, they get used to it. A litter box is mandatory for indoor cats.

On these busy days, people are looking for quick answers about cat litter boxes. You came to the right place. Here the answers are one click away.   

How Does the Litter Box Work?

Well-trained cats need privacy to do their business. They feel discomfort at the time of their urination and solid waste passing. Sometimes they use it a couple of times a day. In nature, they used to do that in bushes or beside large trees.

For domestic cats things are different. They want privacy near something that they find secure. It could be your furniture or elsewhere they find comfort. To save your household stuff and get rid of odor you need to think about something else.

People found a cat litter box as the best solution to this issue. It consists of a box that can hold cat litter in it. The sides of the box should be at such a height that a cat can get into it easily. The box should be deep enough to hold the litter so that cats can’t scatter them everywhere.

To give the cat a natural look, litter should be like real soil so that they can do their business comfortably. Litter boxes are so designed that the smell won’t come out of the box.

For controlling odor some chemicals are mixed with litter or the box is so designed that the odor can’t come out easily. It is always a good thing to clean litter regularly.

How Many Litter Boxes Does a Cat Need?

A minimum of one cat litter box is required for a cat to use. Some cats use the box several times a day. Some of them are not. It depends on what type of breed this is.

Observe your cat carefully how many times they are using the cat litter box in a day. In this way, you will learn about your pet’s behavior.

Cats are fond of staying clean. They lick their fur often to clean any kind of dirt. In that case, they don’t like dirty cat litter boxes to use.

Sometimes they dig liters to hide waste. However, it won’t work for many times. They should be changed from time to time.

Busy people can’t change litter boxes often. In that case, you may need more than one box. Place those boxes where your cat likes to stay often.

Each cat could have some favorite places to hang out. You can also place them together. Cats will use the fresh one each time they find it.

In case of multiple litter boxes, always choose eco-friendly cat litter boxes to save the World. Some people might think of a larger cat litter box instead of a couple of boxes. But having multiple litter boxes is good instead of a larger one.

A large cat litter box means having a lot of litter. Cats will mess up litter in big amounts with one urination and this way you might need cat litter.

How Many Litter Boxes Are Needed for 2 Cats?

In general, it takes two cat litter boxes for two cats. But this is not the best solution for most cases. Cats need to use litter boxes several times a day. They like to stay clean.

You also want to give love to a neat and clean cat. In that case, using multiple boxes would be good for this purpose.

Some people think of a large cat litter box for multiple cats. But this is not convenient. Larger boxes need much more cat litter. Cats can make it all messed up with one single use. You need to change the whole of it just after one use.

This is a waste of money. A large cat litter box with cat litter could be heavy to lift up for some older people or patients with arthritis and back pain.  

Buy them multiple boxes so that they can use anyone that is cleaned any time they need. Besides, you can place multiple boxes in several places where they are fond of staying. Multiple cats get their privacies by using individual ones.

In that case, they can feel comfortable while doing their business. In addition, you can have a discount by buying multiple boxes at a time.  

How to Keep the Litter Box from Smelling up the House?

The source of the smell of a cat litter box is urine, feces, and cat skin. Microorganisms live on those organic compounds and as a result, odor occurs.

To get rid of odor we need to kill those little germs and neutralize organic substances. A couple of precautions we can take to keep the house odor free.

There are a couple of companies that mix some special chemicals that reduce odor from cat litter boxes. But those are quite expensive. Some spray neutralizes the odor. But you need to be careful about the safety of using those chemicals.

There are some closed-type litter boxes that hold the odor in. It would be best if cats get their comfort in there. Because some cats don’t like closed type cat litter boxes.

You can also use an air purifier to purify the air in your house. They suck the odor up into the filter.

After mixing with some chemicals they extract odor and leave the fresh air into the house. But you need to change the refill from time to time to get the best out of it.

Overall, the best solution is to change the used litter as soon as possible. But it could be a difficult job for busy cat owners. Do the thing that is convenient for you. 

RELATED: How to Control Litter Box Odor

How Do Keep the Litter Box Away from Dogs?

Multiple pet owners enjoy their pets more than those who have one pet. But multiple pets also bring some unwanted multiple troubles too.

Among them, one of the very annoying behaviors is using one pet’s stuff by another one of a different category. 

The lifestyle of cats and dogs is different on many levels. Cats are softer animals than dogs. The cat litter box is specially designed for cats and not for dogs.

The litter in it is also suitable for cats. Dogs should not use those cat litter. The smell of dogs might make the cat uncomfortable and it might not use it anymore.

Cat owners should do something to keep their dogs away from the cat litter box. First of all, you need to teach the dog earlier not to use the cat’s litter box.

Forbade the dog gently not to go near the box. Use such a litter box that a dog can’t enter it. A closed litter box can help in that case.

It is also good to give a dog a different box for itself. Use such spray that cats like but dogs don’t. It could be a tricky job. You need to try some of the products for that purpose.    

How to Keep Fruit Flies Away from the Litter Box?

Fruit flies fly all around and sit on food and waste materials. Fruit flies often spread germs all over the place as they sit anywhere they like. They sit on cat litter after the cat uses it.

The fly catches germs from cat litter and spreads them. This is not hygienic. A couple of precautions we can take to get rid of this situation.

Use a cat litter box with a lid on it. In this way, we can keep the fruit flies away from the used cat litter box.

In that case, you need to change the cat litter from time to time so that the litter doesn’t come in contact with fruit flies.

The smell of the cat’s urine, feces, and fur attracts the fruit flies. Make sure that the waste doesn’t stay in the cat litter box for a long time. Always keep the box neat and clean so that no odor stays there for a long time.

Use an air purifier to purify the air of the house. In this way, the smell will be eliminated. If everything fails then use bug-killer sprays over fruit flies. There are some electrical bats that can kill fruit flies. Use those if needed.  

What Attracts Cats to the Litter Box?

It needs some time for a cat to make a new habit in the first place. A newly bought cat litter box might be questionable stuff for a cat. They want it to be safe for them.

Making cats like the litter box is a tricky job to do. Some procedures could be reasonable for some cats but some of them might not.

Buy such a cat litter box that is attractive. There are a couple of different shaped boxes available in the market that we can buy. Brighter colors attract animals from far away.

Couples of herbs can help in this case to attract cats to their litter boxes. Dry some herbs and grind them. Then mix with cornstarch to absorb odor. Mix them with cat litter.

This might attract them. Lavender, Calendula, Sage, Spearmint, Echinacea, Lemon-balm, etc come into this category.

Cats want a quiet place to do their business. Choose a place that is airy and not noisy. Use special types of cat litter that your cat likes.

You can try to use a cat litter box without a lid. Soft and smooth boxes can be a good attraction for a cat. Try a couple of different processes from your own thinking.

Why Do Cats Refuse to Use Litter Boxes?

Cats are curious animals. They find something in front of them, they play with that. If they find no harm to that, then they get used to it.

In the case of a new litter box, they must learn about it. If they think that this box is not suitable to use then they might refuse it.

Have a colorful cat litter box that attracts more. The litter in it should be comfortable to sit on. Granular litter is good for them. Try to use the dust-free litter. Dust may go into the cat’s eyes to make them uncomfortable.

Some smell of artificial scent might repel them from the cat litter box. The height of the sides of the litter box is also important. The side walls should not be too high for the cats to get in all the time.

As cats are very neat and clean animals, try to clean the cat litter box on a regular basis. Litters should be cleared nicely as the smell might bother them. We may not smell the odor but cats do.

Like humans, cats also like their privacies in the case of doing their business. Keep the cat litter box where they have sufficient privacy. Noises from TV, and traffic are also some reasons for cats not to deal with their litter boxes.

Are Top Entry Litter Boxes Good for Cats?

In the case of learning stuff, cats are good at that. After learning where to do their business, they go for that. Top-entry litter boxes are new for some cats. The top cat litter box is a box for cats that have an entrance on top.

They don’t have large entrance or exit paths like traditional ones. They differ in size, shape, and color.  After learning that they are safe, they used to like it a lot.

Traditional cat litter boxes are the most common ones. Sometimes you can find a lid on them to get rid of the odor. Some cats like open-type litter boxes but some want their privacies. An alternative of them is a top-entry litter box.

The reason for having a top-entry cat litter box is to minimize the transfer of cat litter from the litter box to the floor. They scatter litter and play with them. So, it is a good solution to keep the house clean.

Bear in mind that if your cat is used to a traditional one, then it might refuse the new technique. Don’t throw the older one away.

Watch the cat and how it reacts to a new cat litter box. Then you make a decision whether you are going to keep it or not.  

How Often Should You Scoop a Cat Litter Box?

Cleanliness is good for both humans and cats. A dirty litter box will repel your cat from using it. As their smelling power is strong, they can smell the odor from far away. 

It is always a good habit to clean the cat litter box regularly and that means once a day.

For one cat with clumping litter, it is good to change the litter once every two to three weeks. In the case of non-clumping clay litter, change it twice a week. But if you have multiple cats in the house, then the calculation is different.

For clumping litter for multiple cats change the litter once a week. But in the case of multiple cats with non-clumping clay litter, then change it three times a week. It would be better to scoop on a daily basis for multiple cats.

There are some varieties of litter nowadays. Read the instruction manuals that come with the pack. In the case of natural cat litter, consult with a vet for the best solution.

These are some guidelines. Change your habit if you find a bad smell from the cat litter box. If the cat is sick, then it might use the litter box often. In that situation, you need to change the cat litter often.

Can I Use Bleach to Clean the Cat Litter Box?

Yes, bleach can be used to clean a cat litter box. The concentration of the bleach is important. Dilute it before using it. The mixture should be in a ratio of 1:9 with water. Bleaching is good for this purpose as it can kill fungi, germs, and other microorganisms. 

For this reason, get some non-scented soap. Use soap to clean off the dirt from the outer layer.

Then continue with the dilute bleach for cleaning. After that. Clean the whole thing with water. Leave it to dry up.

Some people want to use it for cat urine. But using bleach directly on cat urine will increase the odor. This will produce harmful gases. The ammonia in the urine reacts with the bleach to produce chlorine gas.

Chlorine gas is not only toxic but also explosive. The situation could get worse. There are some sprays that can help in this situation.  

Some cats Might not like the smell of bleach. The smell of bleach can stay there even after washing thoroughly. Discontinue using it if the cat hates it. Don’t let bleach touch your hand. Always use hand gloves while using the bleach.

It is wise not to let the gas of bleach let into your eyes. It may be irritating in that case.

Where to Put the Litter Box in a Small Apartment?

As a gentle pet, cats need their privacies to do their business. In that case, it is a matter of thinking about where to put the cat litter box in the first place.

You may need not to worry about a larger hall or multiple apartment rooms. Bur consideration is a must in the case of small apartments.

You can’t keep them beside your bed for hygienic issues. The sound of the TV or stereo might annoy the pet. The place should be quiet. Both excessive light and dark are not recommended. Sufficient is needed for its benefits.

Keep it where air passes thoroughly. The noise of traffic is also should be considered. Don’t keep the box near a busy road.

There are some differences in cat litter boxes. Some owners consider the decoration of indoor furniture. They want the cat litter box to match the furniture.

Actually, rooms are available in various shapes and facilities. It will be up to your convenience where to put the cat litter box.

Some people like to keep a box where they can scoop the cat litter easily. Some use air purifiers that need electric outlets to turn them on. In that case, the litter box should be placed near an electric socket.