How long should I wait before scooping my cat's litter?

[kittehtime]

considering my merlin is still little, this routine is subject to change...

but right now his main box is in the bathroom, so when i see a pee or poo i scoop it. but he usually poos at night when the house is sleeping so i scoop first thing in the morning. and then i always check it/scoop it right before we go to bed

i can't stand knowing there's a poo/pee in his box(es)...i always think about if it were MY box...i wouldn't want to step around poo!

 

[sibohan2005]

I normally scoop once a day unless there is a real stinky poop in there. Somtimes the litter just dosn't clump to all of the pee. I find my cats like to dig to the bottom of the litter and pee on the plastic. I used to use litterbox liners but the cats claws were just tearing though them.

I normally scoop every day and change the litter compleetly once a week dependant on their toilet habbits for that week..

 

[sillysiberians]

Wow.. I hesitate to even post this, as I feel like the smelly kid in class...
I scoop about twice a week. I have two cats and two boxes, and they're in the basement. We've never had accidents anywhere other than in the spilled litter around the box.
Kitties seem fine with it, so am I missing some crucial detail? Am I a terrible parent?

 

[bastetservant]

No, not TERRIBLE but once a day to scoop would be better hygiene for everyone. Your kitties are having to dig around their old clumps and are, therefore, touching them. Then they are touching your floors, furniture, beds, pillows, and, perhaps even countertops. Not very sanitary.

I believe best practice is to scoop at least once a day, and change out all litter, if using clumping litter, and wash the pan with soap, every couple weeks or so. If using non clumping litter, this needs to be done once a week.

Also there needs to be enough pans. Usually at least one per cat, and on all levels of a home.

It should be made aware that using clay clumping litter, even with adult cats, can cause some health problems in some cats. And organic litters can be allergens for some cats.

Robin

 

[gareth]

I scoop twice a day, or more if I happen to be there when one of them goes in their tray. No point leaving it there if I am around.

 

[princessesme]

I'm a once per day scooper. But when we do scoop fresh, we usually wait about. 15-20min. Add litter as needed, but they get a full reload and cleaning every 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[melorix]

I usually scoop once a day, sometimes twice. The litter gets changed and the pan gets sprayed/washed every week. What can I say -- we all appreciate clean litter boxes!

 

[auntie crazy]

Originally Posted by KittehTime

...

very cute/nifty. i also like orange cats

...and i love that chair!

Originally Posted by Minka

...

AC, this is an awesome idea! :O

P.s. i'm a sucker for orange cats

Thanks for the compliments, you two!

(Sorry it took so long to say anything - I missed your responses the first time 'round!)

AC

 

[3catsn1dog]

My general rule of thumb is once a day with once a month complete washings and sanitizings of the litter boxes. If I notice an abundant amount of scratches in the bottom of the litter box I replace them. I have 3 ginormous litter boxes for 5 cats (limited space to put them) and if I wanted I could get away with scooping every other day. Surprisingly all 5 cats are organized, the have one box for poo, one for pee and one that is a mix. They are weirdos but even if I miss a day they arent horrible scooping every other day. But still once a day and once a month big time clean outs.

 

[feralvr]

I scoop at least three to four times a day :lol3: My cat's like a clean box and so do I. I don't mind doing it either. But I would always advise to scoop twice daily.:cat:

 

[feralvr]

AC

This is exactly what I need for my downstairs litter boxes!!!! Thanks, AC, great idea :bigthumb: :heart4:

 

[meuzettesmom]

With eight cats, five litterboxes (I know three shy) I clean litter in my sleep. Clump/unscented (when possible) I have boxes in every room except the kitchen. I live litter

 

[callista]

Two cats, two boxes, and I scoop every day. I use clumping litter, so I don't actually change the litter out at all--it gets scooped out in clumps fast enough that there's no need to replace it entirely. I just add new litter when the level gets low, and occasionally dump the entire contents of one box into the other, clean the first box, and fill it with new litter. They stay clean and smell-free, which is really all I need.

Clumping litter is solid enough to scoop right away; I know because sometimes when I'm scooping the boxes I have to shoo a mischievous cat out of one of them. I swear sometimes they decide they have to pee just because I'm going around with the trash bag...

 

[ollieoxenfree]

 I never thought about the germs on their feet going where they walk!! I'll scoop daily from now on (we just got him Friday and scooped it once so far) . We're also using non-clumping (It was an emergency buy and there was no other option.. Is this okay until I get clumping litter?) What's a good dust free brand? I nearly suffocated on the dust from the bag I bought! As for stink, I bought a permable bag of volcanic rock which has so far been effective with controlling odor in a natural way. 

 

[bastetservant]

If your cat is not very young, say over a year old, you can use clumping clay litter. It is the cheapest and most common litter. Lots of people like Tidy Cat or Arm and Hammer.

I'm of the opinion that I don't want to use clay, because it is mined, non-biodegradable, and can cause health problems - particularly the clumping clay litter. I encourage people to try the organic litters - corn or wheat. They clump naturally. They can be more expensive, though long lasting.

Robin