If i dont put litter in the box - will it smell?

cihanthepanda

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 23, 2017
Messages
81
Purraise
19
i was just thinking.
last night i ran out of cat litter, so just had an empty box which the cat did its biz in.

and this morning was as simple as scooping and then deep cleaning the tray

i was thinking, this is easy and a lot cheaper.....

however, (im hard to say as im sort of immune to it and i dont notice the smell as much as other people)
but would it smell if not covered by litter?

or if its being removed the next day, would it not matter

one part of me is thinking this is a terrible idea no litter
and another part is thinking great save about 6 pounds a fortnight on litter
 

Paris Pluto

Cat Daddy
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 8, 2018
Messages
265
Purraise
446
Location
Melbourne, Australia
My opinion is that you definitely need to have litter in the box. Cats instinctively like to bury their sh*t and litter is needed for urine.

Hope that helps :)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

cihanthepanda

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 23, 2017
Messages
81
Purraise
19
P paris do you reckon it will smell without litter even if i scoop every several hours?
 

Paris Pluto

Cat Daddy
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 8, 2018
Messages
265
Purraise
446
Location
Melbourne, Australia
P paris do you reckon it will smell without litter even if i scoop every several hours?
I'd be more concerned about the pee. The smell of ammonia would be pretty strong without litter. Then, if you're cleaning the pee with strong chemicals, it might deter them from using the box.

It would be much simpler to have litter in the box to soak up the pee and poop personally.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

cihanthepanda

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 23, 2017
Messages
81
Purraise
19
yeh im wanting to go back to catsan..........
is that still supposed to be good?
and finally........ as long as i scoop daily
how often would you say i would need to deep clean and fresh litter inside?
thanks
 

Paris Pluto

Cat Daddy
Adult Cat
Joined
Feb 8, 2018
Messages
265
Purraise
446
Location
Melbourne, Australia
yeh im wanting to go back to catsan..........
is that still supposed to be good?
and finally........ as long as i scoop daily
how often would you say i would need to deep clean and fresh litter inside?
thanks
Is it the clumping one? If, If you clean the litter box daily, you might only need to change clumping litter every two to three weeks.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
Well, y'know, if your cat likes going in a bare box, and you clean it up right away, I guess it could work. There will be odor as long as the waste is there but once you clean it up there shouldn't be an odor (except in your garbage can!).

Most cats have the instinct to dig to cover waste, plus litter is meant to cover the odor until you can scoop it, but whatever works for you and your cat is fine really.

You'd have to be willing to go back to using litter if your cat later decides they don't like using a bare box though.
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,642
Purraise
25,128
You should most definitely use litter. The pee will soak into the plastic litter box and that will permanently smell. When that smell gets bad enough, your cat will refuse to use it and pick some other place in your home to do her business. Once that happens, it’s very difficult to convince your cat not to use that spot again. As for cleaning the box, I buy extras of each litter box I have out. Once a month I put fresh litter in an extra and swap it in for the dirty box that needs cleaning. She gets a clean box instantly and I don’t have to close her bathroom for cleaning. Then I can dump the dirty litter in a trash bag and clean the dirty box in the shower on my own time.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

cihanthepanda

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 23, 2017
Messages
81
Purraise
19
you are right
ive bought hygiene catsan i do not think it is the clumping one though
this is more a white chalk kind
how often should i change it - once a month sounds totally wrong lol
ive also bought a new litter box because the smell of using it without litter for a few days has probably gone into the plastic of the box
 

bikeman

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
341
Purraise
110
Location
Chicago suburbs
You could very gradually replace the empty box with something resembling a toilet, and eventually a real toilet, and then...

They need the real litter in the box. Cats need to bury their poop and pee. Its instinctive behaivior rooted in millions of years of doing so to keep predators from discovering their whereabouts. And they really just like burying the stuff and feel cleaner for doing so. One of mine (Lolli) actually pushes the extra litter bits that land outside the box back towards the box afterwards. He's a clean freak. Love him more for doing that.
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,642
Purraise
25,128
I’m not familiar with that litter. If one month seems too long, try two or three weeks.

I use World’s Best Cat Litter because it clumps fast and well. It never smells. And it lasts forever. I can get usually get more than a month if I forget to swap in a clean box.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
If you're using non-clumping litter, change it once a week for one cat. If 2 cats are sharing the box, change it twice a week.
They need the real litter in the box.
Some cats are weird. I've had several who would only use puppy pads. If a cat prefers a bare box, it's hard to argue with them, lol. But, yeah, normally most cats prefer having litter.
 

British Girls

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 2, 2018
Messages
249
Purraise
249
Location
KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT
i was just thinking.
last night i ran out of cat litter, so just had an empty box which the cat did its biz in.

and this morning was as simple as scooping and then deep cleaning the tray

i was thinking, this is easy and a lot cheaper.....

however, (im hard to say as im sort of immune to it and i dont notice the smell as much as other people)
but would it smell if not covered by litter?

or if its being removed the next day, would it not matter

one part of me is thinking this is a terrible idea no litter
and another part is thinking great save about 6 pounds a fortnight on litter
Yes, that is going to smell REALLY bad. I wouldn't advise removing litter...it may also make your kitty go somewhere else such as in plants, on the floor, etc.
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,364
Location
Los Angeles
I agree cats should use litter, but oddly enough I am in the same situation right now with a recent adoptee. Elise was TNRed but due to circumstances lived outside for almost two years with her sister...both are now indoor only and she is very bonded to my husband. Sweet cat. However, I found that when she lived outside that she found a section of cement in an alley where she did all her business. When I brought her in, she flatly refused to use litter...not to use a box....but to get near litter. Still won't despite cat attract litters, etc. She uses a litter box with a dog pee pad in it and it has worked remarkably well. Pad is changed two or three times a day and she is happy.

We want her to use litter eventually, so I am not proposing this as a solution, but it has worked for her. When she first realized that all boxes had litter in them, she immediately chose a corner for herself which is what prompted the current arrangement. Her sister has used litter from day one. Go figure.
 

goingpostal

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 11, 2011
Messages
852
Purraise
1,218
Location
MN
My Bengal hybrid is not a fan of litter and prefers to go in an empty box. The setup that I have is a plastic bin with a puppy pad in it and holes drilled all around the bottom, it's then positioned on top of a box filled with litter. That way if she has used the pad or overflows before I can change it, the box isn't wet and any pee goes into litter. I have to change the puppy pad 2-3 times a day, it's extremely wasteful and inefficient compared to litter but if it keeps her going in a box and not wherever, I'll do it.
 
Top