Kitty Litter Blues

This isn't the beginning of a riddle, it's a very important part of your cat's health! Sadly, one of the main reasons cats are surrendered to shelters is litter box problems. That is, eliminating outside of the box. Cat caretakers are understandably frustrated by this behavior, but the good news is that this problem can be corrected in most cases with some simple adaptations.

The first question to ask is how many litter boxes? Cats don't want to share their potty any more than we would, so the next question is, how many cats do I have? Yup you guessed it. One litter box per cat.

So how big should the litter box be? At least one and one-half times the size of the cat. Big cats need big litter boxes. If you have big cats, we recommend trying a big black cement mixing tub (available at any hardware store). Dr. Cuesta's cats each have one of these big tubs, filled with scoopable litter.

Also consider whether your cats may object to the scent of the kitty litter. Cats have a definite aversion for certain strong scents, which are commonly included to mask kitty litter odors. For example, Dr. Cuesta's cats would't go near a clean litter box filled with the new "light weight" litter. It's strong smell was the likely deterrent.

If kitty ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! Eliminating outside of the litter box can also signal urgent medical problems that need immediate attention. Dr. Cuesta and our team of Pet Care Professionals will be glad to offer specific recommendations for your cat.

BIGGER IS BETTER

A big black cement mixing tub makes a very good litter box for big cats. These are available inexpensively at any home improvement store.