The Way of Cats

Imagine how we would feel if our bathroom was down a hallway lined with sharp poky objects. There are posters on the walls featuring our least favorite monster from when we were a kid. Every so often there is a bloodcurdling scream from the sink.

Might it be difficult to take care of certain business?

Yet this can be the scenario our cat encounters when we make any number of litter box mistakes. Most of them stem from the human seeing the litter box as a problem they want out of sight and out of mind as much as possible.

This is perfectly understandable, but when handled the wrong way, it leads to Litter Box Problems. Which are worse.

When the cat doesn’t use the litter box, it’s an extremely stressful problem for the humans. But what most people don’t realize is that:

It started with an extremely stressful problem for the cat.

The first step is to make sure the cat is not sick. There’s any number of illnesses that first manifest themselves this way, and not all of them are connected to the cat’s elimination system. This should always be considered when a cat stops using their litter. Once medical problems are checked and cleared, it’s time to figure out what we might be doing wrong.

In all things regarding the litter box, it’s easier on everyone to not stray too far from a cat’s instinctive repertoire. All litter box behaviors stem from the elimination strategies cats developed over their position as lone predators who were small enough to become prey themselves. Litter works in the first place because it duplicates loose earth, which cats use in the wild.

They like privacy, but they also like the ability to see what’s around them. They want a quiet place where they can feel secure, without sudden interruptions that will trigger them to flee. They don’t want the box near their food, water, or play areas. The reason cats bury is to hide their presence from their predators or their own prey. Just like people, they don’t want this evidence in places where they are going to relax, eat, or hunt.

The cat’s instinctive set of behaviors can work with the humans, or against them. But it can’t be ignored.

So keep this in mind when we set up the litter box. The litter should be as soft and sandlike as possible, or we have created the equivalent of walking on a gravel road on our bare feet. It shouldn’t be noisy or busy. It might seem good for you to put the box in the basement, but the furnace starting up can discourage the cat from visiting it again.

Try to visit the box from the cat’s point of view, and see what kind of a hike it might be. Does the dog lie across that doorway? Is that room in between in constant use? When they are in the box, is something in the room looming over them? Are there lots of hiding places where other cats might lie in ambush?

If we inadvertently startle the cat in the midst of their business, apologize. Cats do recognize mistakes when they are explained to them. Retreat, leave the door open so the cat’s not trapped, and make a point of praising the cat when they visit the box so they can see there isn’t anything wrong with what they are doing there. It’s fine to put the box in a room you often visit, as long as we don’t barge in there and upset the cat.

A lot of people try the hooded boxes. I’ve found a better solution can be a screen that has openings on both sides. It’s more roomy, it’s more decorative, and cats adapt to this situation a little better. If the box seems to be moved around or had its hood knocked askew, this means the cat is exploding from the hooded box when they are done using it. It’s too claustrophobic for them.

If we are getting a lot of scatter, or find evidence the cat is missing the box, it is probably too small. An inexpensive alternative is to get one of those plastic storage boxes used for clothes. The bigger the box, the better the cat can cover and they’re less likely to dump litter over the side.

A larger box may seem to have a more intrusive presence, but I think that’s misleading. Which makes a more appealing sight; the box that is troublesome to clean up and is surrounded by dunes of litter, or a larger, but cleaner, more self-contained box?

Our goal of an invisible litter box must start with a box the cat likes to use.

Devote some care to the materials and site for the litter box, create pathways that make it easy to use, and the cat will gladly cooperate.

Remember, they want to use their litter. Using other places is a cry for help.

After all, invisibility can be unseen, or it can be something that is there, but not noticed. That is our goal; to have the litter box be something that is not constantly intruding on our sensibilities.

The box the cat happily uses will be much less trouble, and much more invisible, than one the cat avoids.

The real objection anyone has to a litter box is not seeing it, but smelling it. That’s what can make the litter box intrude anywhere, no matter how not visible it might be. A dirty box will always make its presence known.

We humans often make the problem worse by trying to pretend the box is clean. Heavy perfume, whether from a deodorizer, scented litter, or cleaning the box with strong chemicals, will drive away the cat.

Don’t cover up smells. Get rid of them.

The human’s desire to clean it with something more pleasant smelling is understandable, but to the cat’s far more sensitive nose, the litter box now reeks with all kinds of confusing smells, from pine to ammonia, that signals that perhaps the box has changed its function or is far more dirty than it appears. This leads to the human’s frustration in regarding the box as clean, while the cat now regards it as a stench laden puzzle.

It’s also the wrong approach. Trying to cover it up will not work if the offending objects are still there, effusing into the air.

Having a great litter box in an appealing location means nothing if the litter is not clean.

Clean regularly, clean often. It’s that simple.

Now that we have stopped rolling on the carpet, moaning and groaning, it’s time to face up to this essential cat care task. After all, it’s something that can be done in the comfort of our own home.

Scooping litter is an extraordinary technological innovation that can make this task a quick and efficient process. Don’t choose wimpy little scoops. Manufacturers are starting to offer large, deep scoops that work well, though I’ve been known to employ long, slotted spoons especially for this task.

Let the scooping litter do its thing by using a box deep enough to lay in the litter.

Six inches is not excessive; the cat will enjoy digging without scraping their paws on the bottom, and we get the benefit of clumps isolating themselves and not sticking to the bottom of the litter box. (This is a professional tip; the people who clean a lot of litter boxes are the most efficient at the task.) High sides won’t deter the cat as long as they can get into the box. We might need to add a ramp for the smaller or older cat.

If we find our cat watches us clean the litter and then rushes to the box, this is a great sign. We have a cat who is fond of their box and will be glad to use it if we keep it in shape. Having a line at the litter box, in the case of multiple cats, means we might need to add a box somewhere so everyone can have a crack at the clean litter. More litter boxes is actually less work, since one box is going to be the most popular and we can keep tabs on it more often. This gives the maximum number of cats their maximum amount of satisfaction.

As with most cat care, a simple, quick task done often works far better than long intervals between chore-like ordeals.

Anything you have to go and get will slow you down and make you put the task off to another time. Get a shelf system or cabinet to hold the tools, or screen it. We can make the whole setup as unobtrusive as possible, but it must be a whole setup.

This is how we can make cleaning the litter a task that can be undertaken like a commando raid: get in and get out.

There are flushable litters now that make it as simple as flushing away the clumps. If our septic system is not up to that, keep a small lidded can nearby, ideally a step-on with a rubber seal, and something to store a stockpile of those throwaway plastic bags groceries come in. Now it takes about a minute to scoop, seal, and toss.

They make litter trash cans that are supposed to seal away any smell, but I’ve found a sealed bag in in a lidded can that is itself lined with a bag works well, especially if we keep a box of baking soda handy to sprinkle in the small bag before we tie the free end in a knot, twice. Twice will seal in problems.

This kind of system removes odors before they spread, makes the box easier to contemplate at any time, and encourages us to clean the litter often. This makes tidying up before guests come one more simple step instead of a big additional task. With both a system and a schedule, neither we nor the cat ever has to face a daunting mess.

A lot of people try to make the litter box small and hidden, and then store away the utensils and supplies needed to maintain the box, all as a strategy to keep the litter box out of sight and out of mind. This backfires because it makes it more difficult to clean the litter.

Because of the smell, no amount of hiding works for a dirty litter box.

So go ahead and come up with a setup maximized for our personal goal of easily cleaning the litter as often as possible.

That’s how a litter box fades into the background. Believe it.

For the ultimate in easy litter box maintenance, consider getting an Automatic Litter Box.