Again, I come back with a very basic question, so sorry! So, I had NO idea how much cat litter it took just to fill a cat box! I have three floors and read to have a box per floor, so that's what I've gotten. I had one from when we thought we were just boarding the little kitty and already went through a 4 lb bag of litter just on filling the first box and topping off, so today I bought two more boxes and a 25 lb bag of litter and filling the two boxes killed probably two thirds of it. Well, it's just one small cat, I check the boxes frequently throughout the day and scoop every time, should I do the full change and scrub to all of them once a week? How many pounds of litter do you usually go through? I've been using swheat scoop if that makes a difference.
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Litter change frequency
- Thread starter golightly
- Start Date
There was a thread regarding this not too long ago. There are a lot of variables, and opinions, but no strong consensus. Most washed the pans and put in new litter every 2-6 weeks. It depends on so many things.
I have 4 large, open pans, for 5 cats, and that works for us. I scoop once a day. I wash the pans and change the litter every 3 weeks, usually. I add litter every few days as needed. I keep it about 2" deep.
But a lot of people do different things.
Robin
I have 4 large, open pans, for 5 cats, and that works for us. I scoop once a day. I wash the pans and change the litter every 3 weeks, usually. I add litter every few days as needed. I keep it about 2" deep.
But a lot of people do different things.
Robin
I have only one cat so I find I only have to change the litter every 3-4 weeks. Since you have only one cat and three litter boxes, I'd assume less often than that.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
I have 2 larger litterboxes (Which are actually flat under the bed storage boxes turned into litterboxes!), and then 2 covered, and 3 small ones for kitten use. I change them every single day! Costs a lot to buy litter, and litterbox liners..But it keeps the house smelling fresh (Well..>With the help of febreze room spray and febreze fabric spray! lol)
I use Swheat Scoop multicat, and I change it every 2-3 months, but only as a precaution as it doesn't smell even then.
I top it off as needed, and I think this cycles through new litter on its own well enough.
Rather than changing litter frequently, I would recommend setting up "litter stations" where you have multiple litterboxes together, and keep a can of Oust (or a similar product with a good quantity of triethylene glycol) and an air-purifier that preferably has a pre, HEPA, and carbon filters (ION and TiO2 are also great technologies, but make sure it doesn't emit ozone, which is easily checked by seeing if its california certified as they are crazy strict on ozone emission).
As an example, I have two closets where I cut a notch in the door and put a decorative plate over, and inside have two litterboxes with a can of Oust and a HEPA + Carbon air-filter in one room, and a HEPA + carbon + ION + TiO2 in the other. That closet could fit four litterboxes if needed, if I only had one to spare.
The below has a particle and odor sensor to automatically adjust fan speed, and a washable pre-filter; only downside is low CADR so can't clean the air of a large room w/o a high fan speed setting, but the ION technology should ensure that airborne dust falls to the floor for easy vacuuming and to keep your central home air-filter clean:
http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/prod...?sku=HVWH10600
($150 shipped is the cheapest I have found online)
If you want real area air-filtering, you can invest in a larger unit such as the Rabbit BioGS w/ does 600sqft (I have two of these and they are very quiet and along with frequent vacuuming and Black Filterete home air-filters (cheapest here in packs of six) has resolved pet allergy symptoms without drugs and there is no cat smell at all):
http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Air-Bio...6928419&sr=1-2
IMO, this is superior to spending money on changing litter overly frequently, both in air-quality and cost, and a lot more environmentally friendly.
I top it off as needed, and I think this cycles through new litter on its own well enough.
Rather than changing litter frequently, I would recommend setting up "litter stations" where you have multiple litterboxes together, and keep a can of Oust (or a similar product with a good quantity of triethylene glycol) and an air-purifier that preferably has a pre, HEPA, and carbon filters (ION and TiO2 are also great technologies, but make sure it doesn't emit ozone, which is easily checked by seeing if its california certified as they are crazy strict on ozone emission).
As an example, I have two closets where I cut a notch in the door and put a decorative plate over, and inside have two litterboxes with a can of Oust and a HEPA + Carbon air-filter in one room, and a HEPA + carbon + ION + TiO2 in the other. That closet could fit four litterboxes if needed, if I only had one to spare.
The below has a particle and odor sensor to automatically adjust fan speed, and a washable pre-filter; only downside is low CADR so can't clean the air of a large room w/o a high fan speed setting, but the ION technology should ensure that airborne dust falls to the floor for easy vacuuming and to keep your central home air-filter clean:
http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/prod...?sku=HVWH10600
($150 shipped is the cheapest I have found online)
If you want real area air-filtering, you can invest in a larger unit such as the Rabbit BioGS w/ does 600sqft (I have two of these and they are very quiet and along with frequent vacuuming and Black Filterete home air-filters (cheapest here in packs of six) has resolved pet allergy symptoms without drugs and there is no cat smell at all):
http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Air-Bio...6928419&sr=1-2
IMO, this is superior to spending money on changing litter overly frequently, both in air-quality and cost, and a lot more environmentally friendly.
Basically, change it when you can still smell it after you've scooped. How long that is will depend on a lot of variables, like humidity and how often that particular box is used. Just get a good whiff in after scooping and you should be able to tell if it needs changing!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #8
I have 2 cats in a 2 bedroom apartment and 3 litterboxes. I scoop everyday, and change the two open pan ones every 2 weeks ( they are in a corner of my bedroom closet so gotta keep extra fresh) The covered one is in a corner of my kitchen and only my male uses it so I totally change that one every 4 weeks. I add litter as needed in between changings.
I have 2 cats and 3 litter boxes. I change out the litter every 3-4 weeks. I also use the flat under the bed storage boxes for 2 of the litter boxes and then I have one regular litter pan all without lids.
Some boxes get used more often than others, but my general rule is about once a month. I dump the litter, wash with hot soapy water and refill with clean litter.
Some boxes get used more often than others, but my general rule is about once a month. I dump the litter, wash with hot soapy water and refill with clean litter.
