Should I Change The Entire Litter...

[timosmom]

....or put the new on top of the old? It's getting shallow and stinky, so it's time and I'm wondering whether to replace the whole thing. My kitten's ok with this litter and I'm assuming if there's enough scent left behind on the litter box walls it won't be too big of a change for him. Advice?

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I usually add a bit after scooping; then when it starts getting old like that i let it get low before dumping and washing the whole pan out. If your concerned about your cat not going back you could try not washing it this time. I just wouldn't let it get too low where urine is going to be reaching the bottom of the pan. I need to change ours a lot less often when I keep the litter deep enough that it never reaches the bottom (about 3"). I use scoopable clay. Other litters might be a bit different.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I would probably dump and change the whole thing

 

[Azazel]

I add litter about once or twice a week depending on how much use it gets and dump, scrub, and change the whole thing once a month.

 

[tabbytom]

....

My boy's litter is slightly more than 3ins in depth and his is a jumbo open box. He uses clumping litter.

I scoop his pee clumps everyday with a normal scoop, about 3 clumps per day. I then use a smaller scoop with smaller holes to scoop out those dropped through the scoop with the bigger holes. I carefully scoop as much small broken up clumps as I can. Pee and poo clumps goes into a dump bag and disposed off immediately. I have an ice cream tub and a disposable bag in it.
He poops around 4 times a week, occasionally 5 times and that is in the middle of the litter box and I have no problem scooping out his poo.

My boy is a digger, he digs his way to China and he only pees at the four corners of the litter box meaning that his pee will get stuck to the sides and the bottom of the litter box. So I'll also scrape the sides and the bottom of the litter tray and after that I use wet disposable wipes the area clean and also wipe the top and inner sides of the box.
When all is done I wipe the scoops and scrapper with a wet disposable wipes and spray Isopropyl Alcohol 70% on the scoops

I top up his litter box with fresh litter to above the 3in mark every one and a half weeks. With all the careful scooping and topping up, his litter usually last around 2 1/2 to 3 months which I'll dump all the litter away and use a new box with new litter. he has 4 litter boxes, 1 use and 3 stand by

So with careful scooping and cleaning, you can get away with smell and litter last a little longer than usual. But as with clumping litter, with all the digging and scooping, lots of fine dust are below from maybe an inch down to the bottom of the tray. When the litter dust are wet or damp, they stick to the bottom. So have to scrape them out else pee will not be absorbed.

If you can, and box is big and deep enough and your cat has no problem getting in and out, 3-5 inches of litter will be good.

I can't go more than 3 inches as the current box he's using is quire shallow but his other 2 standby boxes is deeper so I can go deeper with the litter. The other box is the same as the current one.

My boy is neutered and so his pee is not stinky and even when I'm not home to clear his poo when he does his business, there's no poo smell as he covers his poo pretty well.

This is his litter box arsenal

 

[maggiedemi]

Yeah, if it's stinky I would dump and scrub. If you keep it deep enough next time, at least 3 inches, clumping litter shouldn't get stinky. I add back about a cup of litter once a day after scooping to keep it deep enough. I dump and scrub with dish detergent once a month.

 

[timosmom]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I just have one scoop and one litter box, a deep closed one with a carbon filter and it's been a month and a half may be time I scrubbed and replaced the litter. He seems okay with it, when we first got it he spent all his time in there like it was his house and we had to get him out every once in a while.

My boy's litter is slightly more than 3ins in depth and his is a jumbo open box. He uses clumping litter.
View attachment 247194
View attachment 247191

 

[silkenpaw]

tabbytom That’s the cleanest litter supply area I’ve ever seen! You are a terrific housekeeper!

 

[tabbytom]

tabbytom That’s the cleanest litter supply area I’ve ever seen! You are a terrific housekeeper!

Thank you. Yep, it’s a regimented routine. Keeping all things clean for everyone

 

[Willowy]

If you think he wants some of his odor left behind, you can put some of the used litter in a baggie or other disposable container and add that to the fresh litter after you've scrubbed and changed the litter.

But most cats don't mind if you scrub and change the box without keeping back some old litter. They like adding their scent to the new stuff .

 

[Royalty]

I'm about to change cat litter brand from catsan the white version yo pettex pampuss wood litter as the reviews are really good. Has any one used this cat litter it seems incredibly reasonable price compared to catsan.

 

[tuffsmom]

Since your litter box is getting stinky, I advise you to dump the entire box, clean it good and start all over. Use clay clumping litter (I use Fresh Step). Fill to 3 inches at least. Scoop thoroughly once a day. Keep a box of litter near the litter box and add new litter after scooping. I add 1/2 cup of fresh litter for each clump of pee I scooped out. This really works for me and Tuff and the great thing is that if you keep the litter deep enough, you will not have to dump and clean very often. It is about 2 and a half months since I emptied and cleaned Tuff's entire box and it still smells real clean.

 

[war&wisdom]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I just have one scoop and one litter box, a deep closed one with a carbon filter and it's been a month and a half may be time I scrubbed and replaced the litter. He seems okay with it, when we first got it he spent all his time in there like it was his house and we had to get him out every once in a while.

You should change the litter at this point, especially since you're using a closed box, which can build up more smells, moisture, and potential bacteria. I have one closed box and one open, and the closed one definitely needs more frequent changing.

As others have said, most cats don't mind getting fresh litter! But if you're worried about accidents because of the change, throw a little of the old litter in with the new.

Side note: my boy loves to dig, especially in fresh litter, which tends to get dumped in a big pile on the floor...but at least it's clean!

 

[JackAndDandy]

Definitely time for a scrub and fresh litter when it gets stinky! Both of my boxes are closed since dandy had the odd habit of playing with litter by scooping it out of the box...

The kitten really shouldn't have a problem recognizing the fresh litter. I dunno what they put in it but cats seem to immediately understand this is where the bathroom is.

 

[war&wisdom]

dandy had the odd habit of playing with litter by scooping it out of the box

That's exactly what Ares does! I'm sure the covered box helps a bit, but he still does it...I was hoping he'd grow out of it.