Cat faeces 'logs' in litter tray block another cat's toileting routine

This is a cross-post as I think it is an interesting topic for cat caregivers.

As a cat caregiver you must have heard about the need to keep the litter tray clean. This applies particularly in homes where there are several cats. And in those homes if cats are sharing a litter tray or there are less litter trays than cats and one cat has used the litter tray, the next cat will be put off by the sight of faeces logs in the litter substrate but not by the smell of the logs.

This image summarises the study findings. Image: MikeB. Words: the study.

And in being put off by the sight of the faeces they may not use the litter tray and may even defecate outside the litter tray (inappropriate elimination).

The interesting aspect of the study which discovered this (see citation below) is that the problem for cats sharing litter trays is the physical presence of the faeces in the substrate not the odour of the other cat's faeces. 

This surprised me as cats have very effective noses and they scent mark with urine and faeces. Because scent marking is so big in their lives you'd have thought that the odour of another cat's faeces would be the off-putting issue but no.

This is about VISUALLY offending the cat about to embark on a toilet session and not in terms of odour.

The study worked with cats that got along. It might be a different story if they did not. They discovered this phenomenon by depositing false cat faeces in the litter tray that were odourless. The cats were put off by them. 

They also put in 'faux-urine' and they were put off by that as well, even more so.

Citation for the study: Does previous use affect litter box appeal in multi-cat households? Researchers: J.J. Ellis, R.T.S. McGowan, F. Martin. Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2017.02.008

P.S. It is best not to super-clean litter trays and remove all the natural feline scent from it as cats are attracted to the scent of their poop and pee and use the area as a toilet.

P.S. 2 - The best practice in multi-cat homes is to have one tray per cat. This would avoid the above mentioned issue. I suspect that not many owners of several cats do this however. The issue mentioned on this page may be a big factor in trying to control cat toileting in multi-cat homes.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

UK parents don't do toilet training. Cats are better toilet trained than kids!

I have decided that it is possible or probable that the UK's domestic cats are better toilet trained than reception-aged schoolchildren in this country. The shocking headline from The Times is that parents 'don't do toilet training' with the result that 90% of teachers of reception-age children say that nine in ten had a child in their class who wasn't toilet trained.

What do these kids do? Do they poop and pee where they sit at their desks? Or do they put their hand up and asked teacher something like this: "Teacher, I want to have a pee. Can you tell me how to use a toilet?"

It's completely bonkers. A survey by the early years charity Kindred found that of 50% parents believe that they should not have full responsibility for toilet training their children. It would appear that these parents need or want to rely on others, usually teachers to help train their children how to use the toilet. What is going on in the UK?

Equally shocking is the fact that 16% of parents think it is their job to teach their children how to read. Only 16%! Surely it's a fundamental responsibility of parents to do both these chores? That's what being a parent means.

Cats

Domestic cats including kittens hardly need to be trained to use the litter tray. Some might but the majority won't in my view provided the litter tray is positioned in a good place and the substrate (the litter material) is acceptable to the cat which can be assessed through trial and error.

RELATED: 6 tips on cat inappropriate elimination (infographic).

The reason why kittens and cats automatically use a litter tray if it is in an accessible position (quiet and away from the food and water) is because the substrate is the best material in which to go to the toilet. And therefore instinctively they use it. They go in search of something which is like the earth; the soil outside and the cat litter substrate is exactly that.

If they don't find and use the litter tray easily or are reluctant to use it then they can be trained with common sense by placing them in the litter tray and then praising them with a treat when they go to toilet in it.

The tray should be about one and a half times the length of the cat excluding the tail. It's probably safer to provide a cat with an open tray rather than one that is covered because some cats might be reluctant to go into a covered one as going to the toilet places them in a vulnerable position and they want to escape easily.

That's a minor point. If a cat is peeing and or pooping outside of the litter tray it will always be something to do with the caretaking provided by the human companion or a health problem which may itself be caregiver related.

It might be the environment that is too stressful because a cat is bullying and guarding resources or it might be because the cat has cystitis because they are too stressed. It'll be something like that. They might be spraying urine but that is not peeing. That is marking territory.

I have concluded, as mentioned, that it's probable that cats are better toilet trained than young school kids or cats are better at using their toilet than children are at using theirs!

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Deciding what type of cat litter material is the best for you and your cat

In broad terms, there are six types of cat litter substrate (material) and each cat owner has their personal choice. The infographic below covers the pros and cons succinctly. Personally, I have always used sawdust turned into wood pellets because I thought this was the best in terms of the environment, odour retention or odour control and for the health of my cat.

One of the great issues with cat litter material is the dust that is kicked up by the cat when they are rummage around. If the litter material is clumping and that dust gets into their lungs it can clump inside the kitten or cat. This is clearly very bad for health. 

The most notorious cat litter material - allegedly - which does that is lightweight clay-based litter and the manufacturer Tidy Cats comes to mind the most and I have an article on it which ranks highly in Google search results. There is strong evidence that this litter is dangerous to cats although no doubt it is still popular which, personally, I find disturbing.

And that's another factor in deciding which litter to buy. The weight of the litter itself in large bags is a problem or can be a problem for many women and a lot of women live alone with their domestic cat companion. That was the modus operandi of the Tidy Cats manufacturer; to serve those women.

Clumping clay litter is the most common type and it is said to be easier to clear up the litter tray because the urine is in clumps. Although personally, I don't find it any easier than wood-based because although it clumps sometimes it doesn't always absorb all the urine leaving some unabsorbed urine in the tray. To be honest, I find wood-based litter better in terms of absorption.

Below is an Infographic on the different types of litter material and the pros and cons of that material which may help you decide which kind the purchase. I hope that you find it useful.

How do cats automatically know how to use the litter box?

Well, the answer is obvious so I'll keep it short. Cats instinctively look for a suitable substrate on which to urinate and defecate. There is nothing in the home which anywhere near meets their criteria for an effective substrate except the litter in the cat litter tray which is somewhat like earth or sand from outside the home except better as it is made to be more absorbent. So, they make a beeline for it.

Substrate: an underlying substance or layer.

Cats and kittens use them instinctively as the substrate is ideal. Image: MikeB

They can poop and pee on it and if they feel the need (not all domestic cats do) they can bury it. Most often they bury poop. My male cat did not. Perhaps because he felt confident enough not to hide his scent. Hiding poop is a sort of submissive act to make themselves invisible to more dominant males.

Of course, after they've used the new litter tray for the first time it smells of their poop and pee so they recognise the litter tray as their toilet. They already know it is a nice substrate. Becoming their toilet reinforces its use.

Cat litter trays should not be over cleaned and disinfected as it kills off the cat's scent which they like. It is just possible that a cat might stop using their litter tray if it is bleached and scrubbed to well.

It should be kept clean but not overclean.

Indoor/outdoor cats don't need a litter tray indoors as they'll find a suitable area outdoors in the same way: a nice substrate. Although if you put down a litter tray, they'll probably use it as it might be more comfortable for them.

Jackson Galaxy says that in general cats prefer uncovered litter trays as covered ones might be a bit of a barrier. I disagree. Covered litter boxes are more private and cats like that. And cats feel more protected in covered litter trays during what is a vulnerable action.

Declawed cats are seven times more likely to pee in inappropriate places.

Declawed cats can find litter substrates of any kind uncomfortable to use because of their sore feet. They may pee and poop outside the box. Declawed cats are about 7 times more likely to do this than non-declawed cats. A warning to those who are considering this obnoxious operation (mutilation).

Another warning: don't use litter substrates which are too dusty as kittens will inhale a ton of dust when digging a hole to poop into. The worse cat litter and the most dangerous as far as I am concerned is Tidy Cats Lightweight Cat Litter. Avoid the stuff please. It is no good. Some cats have died using it.

The manufacturers sold out health and safety to make Tidy Cats more convenient for women to use as it is easier to carry. The directors thought it was a good idea as cat litter can be heavy but they overlooked the health implications.

Environmentally Friendly Cat Litter

I asked Bing's AI for advice about the best cat litter substrate. The response it not great:

The best cat litter substrates are made up of natural materials that are safe for your cat and the environment. Here are some of the best cat litter substrates and why:

• Clay: The cheapest and most popular material for cat litter, clay is good at absorbing liquids but it gets dusty and smelly (which your cat will hate), so it needs regular cleaning.
• Wood shavings or sawdust: Wood shavings or sawdust are biodegradable and eco-friendly. They are also good at absorbing liquids and controlling odors.
• Sand: Sand is a natural material that is good at absorbing liquids. It is also easy to clean and does not produce dust2.
• Whole wheat: Whole wheat is a natural material that is biodegradable and eco-friendly. It is also good at absorbing liquids and controlling odors.
• Potting soil: Potting soil is a natural material that is biodegradable and eco-friendly. It is also good at absorbing liquids and controlling odors.
• Chicken feed: Chicken feed is a natural material that is biodegradable and eco-friendly. It is also good at absorbing liquids and controlling odors.
• Walnut litter: Walnut litter is a natural material that is biodegradable and eco-friendly. It is also good at absorbing liquids and controlling odors.

I hope that helps!

Is cat litter hazardous to toddlers?

Some people ask whether it is safe to put a cat litter tray in a child's bedroom? Other people might ask whether it is safe for a child to play around with cat litter. They might do that if they are curious. And sometimes toddlers might put cat litter in their mouth. Would that harm the child?

Image: MikeB

Chemically-speaking, cat litter is pretty inert and therefore I think you will find the general consensus is that cat litter is not toxic for children in general terms.

Tidy Cats

But there may well be problems. Although litter is not poisonous as such, some litter such as Tidy Cats Lightweight is extremely dusty. I have written about it and it is a popular page because a lot of people report catastrophic cat health problems after using this litter.

As it is so dusty it could harm a child if they are rummaging around in it, kicking up the dust. The dust particles would get in the eyes, mouth and ears. My advice then is to keep children away from this particular brand of litter.

All clumping litter is dusty to a certain extent which should be noted. It is big weakness in the efficacy and safety of this product.

Absorbent

And clumping cat litter may be dangerous for a child because it is highly absorbent. That is the reason why the material has been selected to be cat litter. It is sodium bentonite. It is mined from clay mines.

Is bentonite cat litter safe?

If a child wanted to eat a bit of cat litter it might do some damage because it would potentially expand in the throat or stomach having absorbed the liquid in those areas of the child's anatomy, possibly causing a blockage.

Toxoplasmosis

We can't ignore the fact that there is likely to be domestic cat faeces and urine in a cat litter tray. It would be highly unwise for a child to dive into a recently used cat litter tray. Although faeces per se are not particularly toxic, if the domestic cat concerned carried Toxoplasma gondii oocysts they may be in their faeces. If they were ingested by a child, he or she would contract toxoplasmosis.

A lot of people in many parts of the world have contracted toxoplasmosis and it is usually asymptomatic. But the domestic cat is often vilified for being the primary vector of this normally benign disease which can rarely be quite serious and cause blindness.

The important thing to note by the way about toxoplasmosis and its transmission from cats with an active toxoplasmosis infection is that they are only capable of passing it on for 7 to 10 days of their entire life when they are suffering from an acute infection. So please don't become overly nervous about it.

There's lots of talk about pregnant mothers getting rid of the domestic cat for this reason. My advice is don't get rid of the cat but take sensible precautions such as using gloves when cleaning the litter or ask somebody else to do it for you.

Cat owners can help themselves with respect to this disease by keeping their cat from roaming and hunting. That's because they get the disease from the prey animals that they kill. Faeces from the litter box should be disposed of carefully to avoid other people coming into contact with it. Litter boxes should be cleaned and disinfected often using boiling water and diluted bleach solution. 

Although it is unwise to overdo this because the litter box then loses its natural feline fragrance which is an attractant to a domestic cat. It makes them want to use that litter box again and again.

Please note that the biggest risk by a wide margin for contracting toxoplasmosis is not domestic cat faeces but eating raw and/or undercooked meat particularly lamb or pork.

Conclusion

The bottom line about kids being around cat litter trays is that it is unwise not because cat litter is chemically toxic because there may be some physical negative consequences as described and a single disease, toxoplasmosis, which is well-discussed on the internet.

Use cat litter in tights to help prevent car windows fogging up!

Yep, this makes sense. First thing is that, in the UK, if you are driving with fogged up windows it is illegal. The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 regulations 23 and 27 and the Highway Code state that 'windscreens and windows must be kept clean and free from obstructions to vision'.

Cat litter in tights can help reduce condensation on car windows. Image: MikeB.

That does not mean that you'll be nicked for this minor crime, but it is possible. And if it happens you could be up for a £2,500 fine plus 3 penalty points. If the fogging causes an accident, you could commit a much more serious crime. It is dangerous to drive with a partly fogged up windscreen. 

Secondly windows fog up in cars because of condensation. Evaporated water in the air from damp clothes and objects such as wet umbrellas and the breath of the passengers and driver condenses on the cold windows. This converts the moisture in the air to liquid water on the window.

Wet dogs come to mind. There are a lot of wet dogs jumping into the back of estate cars at the moment. I am sure they are the cause of a lot of fogging.

Thirdly, you can help prevent this annoying condensation by filling some women's tights with clay cat litter and placing it in the car ✔️👍. Clay based litter is sodium bentonite, a highly absorbent material which is why it can be dangerous to cats if it is very fine and the cat breaths in the dust particles. The particles become a ball of clay inside the cat's lungs. Highly dangerous.

Watch out for clay-based litter with is too fine. It is light but I say it is dangerous.

As cat litter is designed to absorb liquid (urine) it will absorb some of the moisture in the air that is trapped inside the car. It may help in reducing the fogging.

You can buy commercial products that are better looking which contain absorbent materials which do the same thing only you need more money I suspect.

Here is an example available in the UK:

Car dehumidifier. Image: Amazon.

Perhaps some cars have dehumidifiers!

In the era of the so-called cost-of-living crisis in the UK, cat litter will be cheaper only make sure it is the unused variety!

Another possibility would be to leave the doors and windows open after you return for a while to allow the moist air inside the car to be removed by drafts. This could work if you have a garage.

How often should cat litter boxes be cleaned?

Well, they should be cleaned every day at the end of the day. That's my common sense suggestion. There is no absolute rule on this. You could clean them twice a day or immediately after your cat has gone to the toilet in the litter box. I would have thought that at least it should be once-a-day.

Cat in cat litter box or tray. Picture: Pixabay.

An important point though is that a litter box should not be scrubbed and cleaned to the nth degree and disinfected or perfumed. In other words it should not be over-cleaned because it is a very good idea that the litter box retains some of the smell of the faeces and urine and the cat. This is because the cat will then recognise the litter box as their toilet. They will be familiar with it. They will be comfortable using it. They will be attracted to it. It will help protect against inappropriate elimination.

You want your cat to use the litter box routinely without any doubts. If you introduce foreign smells into it it can help to lose its attraction for your cat. Don't forget that cats have a completely different attitude towards smells than humans. Humans tend to dislike these natural smells. 

They want the place to be sterilised normally and to hide away cat litter trays and pretend that their cat never goes to the toilet. Humans do have a kind of toilet or the smell of shit complex.

But for a cat it's a perfectly normal and good smell. It actually has some use because faeces and urine as you know are scent markers. They tell the world that the cat is here. They are calling cards. Sometimes cats bury their faeces because they want to be submissive but sometimes they don't. 

And in a very warm, welcoming home they might not because they're not fearful of anybody or anything else in the home and therefore there is no need to be submissive.

I would simply remove the faeces and urine from the litter tray every day and then perhaps once a week clean it properly with soap and water. I'm not sure you should use disinfectant and it should be air dried ideally. I wouldn't use any perfume to make it smell better. I don't believe in clay-based litters because of the dust they can produce which can harm cats. 

I know they are clumping but I prefer wood-based litters which are very good at suppressing odour but they don't clump. I don't think clumping is important. In fact clumping can be unpleasant because you get this wet, urine, grungy mass all balled together.

With wood-based litter you get high absorbency but it is not a solid messy mass. It just looks cleaner to me. There's also the issue of the environment. Clay-based litter is mined from the ground whereas ideally wood-based litter should be the waste from timber industries. That said, I have a total hatred of cutting down trees in any shape or form. 

I don't think we should be doing it any more. It's time to find alternatives to chopping down trees. And I mean sustainable alternatives not plastic. Something which is biodegradable which can be made by people which can be moulded and cut in the same way that wood can. Anyway I digress.

The answer to the question is to clean your litter box regularly, at least once a day do it well but don't kill completely your cat's scent or the scent of their faeces and urine. And one tray per cat in multicat homes plus one extra according to Jackson Galaxy.

Wheat Litter Produces the Least Amount of Dust

16th June 2014 -- You will have to check it out for yourself. There is, though, anecdotal evidence which suggests that wheat litter produces the least amount of dust.  This is a timely post because I have recently written an article about a cat litter product that could be described as the cat litter which produces the greatest amount of dust.

Dust from cat litter is a genuine hazard to both the cat and the cat's caretaker (especially if the person is susceptible to asthma). Cats sniff their litter. They are prone to inhaling dust and the dust is a chemical (silica dust or sodium bentonite) which absorbs moisture. Imagine what that does in the moist cavities of a cat's lung. As I said, this is a genuine health hazard.

Wheat litter,  specifically SWheat Scoop,  gets a good write-up from a person who appears to be very sensible writing on the Yahoo website. It's quite expensive but as she states you can't spend your money more wisely than in the furtherance of the health of both yourself and your cat. In addition to being virtually dust free it appears to be highly effective in suppressing odour.

There will be negatives. One user says her dogs liked to eat it. What about clumping? Appears to be poor according to some - it clumps but in a bad way. It may be good but how does it react if left for a day? Odour control? Less good than some it seems These are things that a buyer will have to check out themselves in use. There are pros and cons for all cat litters. The key is to decide the most important features and prioritise. Clearly the health of your cat comes first.

This is an American product which is only available apparently at PetSmart but I would check that out. Only a few supermarkets sell it. If perchance you have used this product it would be very nice of you if you could leave a comment reviewing it.

Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter: Reports It Is Dangerous

There are reports that Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter is dangerous to cats.  It just needs to be flagged up at this stage. There are countless other alternatives so if there is even a small chance that it is dangerous, I believe that people should stop using it until we have conclusive evidence one way or the other.

On Facebook, there is a page about this cat litter.  Kelly Sanford, says she tried this litter recently. She says it is extremely dusty and is so light it clings to her cat's fur because of static electricity on the fur attracting the tiny particles of cat litter.  Then of course it can be licked off and ingested. She says that at the moment there has been no response to these allegations about the litter from the manufacturers.

Nina Minster states quite categorically that people should not use this cat litter. She says people should stop using it immediately and throw it away. Nina belongs to a group of cat lovers with 450 members and she has learned through her connections that two cats have died within a couple of days from using the same litter brand.  That's what she says.  Your need to check it out yourselves (An Amazon commentator states "7 deaths among cats").

She goes on to say that both cats that passed away developed lung issues after only one sack of the litter had been used. In other words it happened very quickly. One of the cats was 14 years of age and the other one year of age.  They lived in different households.  Nina states that a veterinarian, in both cases, blamed the litter.  Nina has contacted the manufacturers who said that they are trying to get in touch with the owners of these 2 cats. She stresses that it is only this specific formula that is under review at this time.

Apparently, this litter is claimed to be 99% dust free!  I'm not sure about that but clearly it is not.

Erin Christy states that it is the worst cat litter she has used because it does not mask smell and it is so dusty that she has to scrub down her entire basement and it gets tracked everywhere.  She likens the use of this cat litter to "a complete dust storm".

Lynn Colson states that the problem with this litter is the dust.  She is very disappointed because her home is now covered with white dust.  I'll quote her: “both containers were a shower of dust when poured. It spread through my home and is leaving me with a lot of extra work."

In addition to the health problems alleged, the price has gone up and now it appears to be overly expensive.

Cindy Shepard on this site states that “I tried it for about 10 days and quit using it because of the dust."

Yasmine Lambrecht states on FB that one of her FB cat friends and a dear lady has recently lost her cat to severe breathing difficulties. She is not sure whether it is due to Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter, but she does state that it is probably due to it.

Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter Contains Crystalline Silica

It seems that the manufacturers wanted to make cat litter lighter because in large bags it can be heavy, and it is often the lady of the house who has to deal with it.  So, it was a clever marketing method to make it lighter.  In order to make it lighter they made the particles smaller. The science behind it is probably that smaller particles result in more air being between the particles so in the tray there is more air. This may be why it is less effective.  I don't know and I am just making a supposition.

I don't think I need to go on. This as you may have gathered is a USA product and all the comments come from Americans living in America.

In defence of the product, you will see quite a number of websites stating that this cat litter is good and highly functional so I must make clear that on this page I have quoted criticisms of the product in the interest of cat welfare but at this stage they are what we call anecdotal evidence, and more work needs to be done on this.  That said, where there are reports and where there are alternatives it makes sense to not use the product until the situation has been clarified. Source: FB Page.

Note 1: As this page has become more noticed I am a little concerned that some comments might have been "planted" by paid reviewers to counteract the negative ones. I don't know but these things do happen. Please read comments with caution and decide for yourself where the truth lies. However, many thanks for the comments. They help provide information to visitors and are useful, therefore.

Former Employee at Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter Plant Blows the Whistle on the Abrasive Nature of this Product

Note 2: One of the comments is by a person who worked at a factory where they made this litter - see link above to a post by him. It is very interesting and provides insider information. The comment is towards the bottom of the page. Load all the comments to see it. If the comments fail to load you can read this article based on his comment.

Note 3: Please read this page about Tonkinese kittens being allegedly killed by this litter.

P.S. Cat caretakers should not assume all is well because they can't see any health problems. Dust ingestion can cause a gradual build up. The health problem may become apparent later when it is too late to do anything about it. Just a word of warning. Cats sniff litter and they are much closer to it than humans. Plus, they kick it up. Just because you can't see it does not mean it is not there. P.P.S. 02-04-2021: I am of the firm opinion that this cat litter substrate is dangerous. I would advise cat owners to avoid it. You may harm your kitten and cats. There is nothing worse than causing injury or death to a family member who you love because of carelessness.

Update 12 June 2022: just a quick update to say that Purina deny that there is anything wrong with their product. They blame social media for spreading lies and that the people who complain about it are always anonymous. I'm afraid it seems to me that they are the ones who are lying because on this page there are named people who have first-hand experience of this product harming their cats. There is also talk online about Purina compensating people for harm caused to their cats by their product. Although apparently there is no firm evidence to support this perhaps because if anybody has been compensated, they do so under a gagging clause. I am speculating because I don't know.

Further update: Going back as far as September 2012, Scientific American recommended not using cat litters made of silica because of the dust which has been linked to upper respiratory issues and the chemical fragrances in some litters can be toxic to cats. Buy fragrance-free.

And sodium bentonite clay as you know is in non-clumping litters and if a cat ingests it can cause serious harm for obvious reasons.

Therefore, they tend to recommend wood-based litter and paper-based litter as both are safer in their view. Paper-based litter is made from recycled newspaper and is reportedly 3 times more absorbent than clay. It is non-toxic and contains no scented fragrances. It is claimed to be 99.7% dust free but I will leave people to make up their own mind.

RELATED: How do you make cat litter environmentally friendly?

Plain old sawdust if you can get your hands on it is a good litter substrate. I would certainly do your research and avoid silica and avoid lightweight dusty litters. Personally, I always favoured wood-based litter and I also believe that it is more environmentally friendly although all cat litter has an environmental impact which is regrettable. And as more people are keeping their cats indoors full-time nowadays more cat litter is being used and therefore there is a greater environmental impact.

Why does my cat bury his faeces?

When a cat buries her faeces it is not because the cat is being tidy and clean etc. but because she wishes to make sure that the smell of her faeces is not recognised. Cats nearly always use urine as a way to mark territory but sometimes cats use feces to do the same job.

A cat lives in the human world: it is a world of giants and although we look after our cats we are very large compared to them and we should recognise that. Although we can be very gentle towards our cats, from their perspective we are dominant and they are subservient and when cat is subservient he or she will display subservient behaviour, an example of which is to bury her feces.

You will find that dominant males in feral cat colonies do not bury their faeces because they want to send out a signal that they are the boss and that this is their territory.

Accordingly, when a cat buries her faeces she is doing it because she feels subservient and is playing out a subservient role to us, the caretaker.

Sometimes when a cat uses a litter tray in the home she may not bury her faeces. I would take this as an indication that she does not feel subservient to you and is relaxed, which I would take as a compliment. It would indicate that the person who looks after her cat is a 1st class cat caretaker because one of the 1st objectives of a cat caretaker is to make the cat's environment stress free, friendly, and rich in stimulants. Another less praiseworthy reason for not burying feces in the litter tray is because of practical difficulties. Perhaps the tray is too small, for example.

Cat Urinating and Defecating in the Wrong Place

Dealing with a cat who poops and pees in the wrong place is largely a matter of common sense. There is, however, a difference between the reasons behind defecating and urinating in the wrong place.

If a cat is urinating in the wrong place there are two equally important reasons that this. The first thing to do is to check whether your cat has a health problem. Typically a health problem that results in a cat urinating in the wrong place is an infection of the urinary tract. Cystitis is a typical feline infection that causes him or her to urinate in inappropriate places. Cystitis is a bacterial infection of the bladder. You should, therefore, see your veterinary surgeon first before taking steps to try and stop your cat from your urinating in inappropriate places. You need to make sure that your cat is healthy before moving on to the next phase.

On the basis that your cat is healthy, you should then make sure that her litter tray is always clean. That invariably means cleaning it daily at least. Then you should check that the material used is acceptable to your cat. That will mean changing it to see whether it makes any difference. Then you should check that the tray is in the right place. The tray should not be in a busy location. Choose somewhere quiet and out of the way. Change its position and see what happens.

On the assumption that you have the right material in the tray, the right position of the tray and the tray is clean, if your cat still refuses to use the tray you should ask yourself whether declawing your cat is a factor. We know that declawed cats, because of tenderness in their claws, can have difficulty in using conventional material. This problem probably goes away after a while but it is a point worth checking.

Urinating in the wrong place is not the same thing as spraying which is marking territory. I'm sure you are aware of what that means. Normally male or female domestic cats do not spray vertically against objects in the home. Cats that have not been neutered are more likely to mark territory by spraying horizontally. A cat owner should accept it as normal. If they cannot accept it they should get their cats neutered. Therefore, owners should be aware of the difference between marking territory through spraying and urinating in inappropriate places.

Cats also mark territory by defecating at a certain place. This happens less often than urinating against a vertical object. Incidentally, cats also mark territory by rubbing their bodies against objects including very typically the sides of their face where there are glands that secrete a liquid that is then deposited on the object.

However, a cat may defecate on places such as your bed. This is a form of marking territory and an expression of stress because marking territory is a reassuring process. Accordingly, if your cat is defecating in inappropriate places you should ask yourself whether there are reasons why your cat is stressed. This may be because you are absent a lot. Incidentally, stress is also behind urinating in the wrong place due to cystitis.

There are also health reasons why your cat may defecate in inappropriate places. For example, your cat may be incontinent. You will clearly need to take your cat to your veterinary surgeon for a health check before asking yourself whether things that you do, your behaviour, is causing the problem.

These then are, in basic terms, the underlying reasons why a cat may defecate and urinate in the wrong place. There are many articles on this website which deal with this subject, which is one of the most typical so-called behavioural problems that people complain about in relation to their cat companion.

The key to resolving these problems is to check health first then your behaviour and patterns of behaviour second, particularly in relation to whether it causes your cat to be stressed.

It is important to do one's best to avoid resorting to drugs such as Valium and Prozac, mood enhancers that can help cats, before dealing with simple a more healthy issues first. Using mood enhancing drugs is a last resort for both people and cats.

Cats naturally look to a litter tray to defecate and urinate before using any other area in the home. Therefore, you could argue that if a cat defecates or urinates on household furnishings it is because he or she is being forced to do so. It will be a natural consequence of the circumstances under which he finds himself and therefore we could logically say that it is not inappropriate from the cat's perspective.

Cats Are Not Territorial Animals

The title of this post is a verbatim transcript from an excellent book on The Welfare of Cats edited by Irene Rochlitz. The author who makes this statement in the section of the book on olfactory communication, S.L.Crowell-Davis, does not differentiate between wild, feral or domestic cats although the book is mainly about the domestic cat. I think you will find the statement controversial especially amongst the wild cat experts.

Crowell-Davies goes on to say that urine spraying as a form of olfactory communication is not to mark territory - i.e. to make the statement that the cat 'owns' this plot of land and to stay out. The author says that spraying urine horizontally onto objects in small quantities has multiple meanings that depend on the circumstances at the time and on what is in the urine. The implication is that a cat can control what scent the urine has at any given time.

The purpose of spraying urine is to leave a message ("identifying information") about:

• reproductive status
• which cat was where at any given time. I presume this is designed to ensure that cats don't bump into each other which might result in a fight.
• the emotional state of the cat - e.g. aroused.

The author says that cats sometimes leave feces unburied on the "periphery of the home range" and in "core areas". To me this signifies a form or territorial marking, but apparently not.

We hear of inappropriate elimination of domestic cats. One aspect of reducing the occurrence of inappropriate elimination is to move the litter box to a different area, one that the cat might find more acceptable (a quieter place for example). Research by Sung in 2001 indicated that there was no connection between the location of the litter box and elimination behaviour problems. This is another interesting piece of information that appears to contradict mainstream advice.

Arm & Hammer Cat Litter

In the Arm & Hammer® advert in Cat Fancy magazine (Vol 53 August 2010 - issued June 2010!), it says that cats and people prefer cat litter that destroys the worst odors. Well, it doesn't actually say that but there is a cat next to the litter and a line of text below it that strongly implies that a cat prefers litter that does not smell as cats and a person raise their hands. I can't quote it as it would be a breach of copyright.

Is this true? I think the opposite is true. We (people) don't like litter box odors because we like a sanitised life so the advert is right to that point. But a cat's life revolves around scent and smell and as the litter box will smell of the cat that uses it (each cat should have their own litter box) a cat cannot dislike a litter that smells.

In fact a cat will feel comforted by its own smell. Therefore I think this advert very strange indeed. It seems to be saying this...

"We hate litter box smells. Because of that our cat doesn't like them. Because of that a cat might not use the littter. As a result if you want a cat to more reliably use the cat litter use Arm & Hammer® cat litter as things will get better..."

Wrong obviously. It might be nice clumping litter but please don't bend the truth to sell a product. If the product is genuinely good at neutralising litter odor then just say it. This is probably not perfumed cat litter but if it was a cat might object to it. Cats seem to prefer neutral and natural cat litter and as mentioned it should smell of them not perfume!



 From Arm & Hammer Cat Litter to Home Page

Litter Box Aversion

Litter box aversion is a favorite topic on the internet. Piles of words have been written on it. Here are some more!

Litter box aversion is not spraying for territorial marking. It is when the cat simply stops using the litter box for urination and defecation. The cat will do it elsewhere on horizontal surfaces as opposed to vertical surfaces for spraying.

For example, the cat might try to use the litter box, half in and half out, without touching the litter itself and dig outside the box.

Two common reasons for litter box aversion are:

1. a dislike of the litter (technical term: "substrate") - heavily scented litter although marketed as beneficial for the human might not work out that way if the cat dislikes it and pees on the carpet! Apparently finer clumping litters are preferred by cats over the coarse clay litters.
2. less commonly - a dislike of the location of the litter box

A dislike of the substrate could be because of its feel and smell. A change in the litter might provoke an aversion and the cure is therefore obvious.

Another reason why a cat might not like the litter is because it is not clean. Some cats are fussy or more fussy than others.

Another entirely separate cause of litter aversion is because another cat is using it. Or the use by another cat might exacerbate the problem. The presence of another cat would also alter the status of the existing cat, which might also exacerbate an aversion.

The initial diagnosis is to assess whether there is a medical condition such as cystitis that drives the cat to urinate frequently and outside the litter box. This is one example. Once medical issues have been successful dealt with or eliminated the other reasons can be ticked off.

Moving the box and employing more than one box in a multiple cat household might do the trick. Then the litter type can be changed and the litter kept spotlessly clean - twice a day should be OK.

Punishment is a definite no no as it does not work and makes the cat fearful. It will damage the human caretakers relationship.

Confining the cat to a small area with the litter without carrying out tests on the preferred litter type and without ensuring the litter box is clean may work within the confined space but not when the old routines are recommenced.

Cats who stop using the litter box for whatever reason may develop a certain area in the house as a substitute and as this area then smells like a cat toilet is will be reused. The area must be thoroughly cleaned with an enzyme odour eater that are available on the internet to remove all traces of the smell. Conventional cleaning won't work.

The cat should then be prevented from returning to the area while being retrained to use the litter box. The key to solving litter box aversion is to discover the underlying cause and remove it, whilst remaining patient and constructive in re-habituating the cat to use the litter.



From to Litter Box Aversion Home Page

Photo by Wunderkrafts (Flickr)

Litter Box Habits

When I say litter box habits, I mean for us and our cats and mainly for us because what we do mostly dictates what out cats does. And when I hear that the most common complaint about cats is "inappropriate elimination" (a ghastly phrase) or "house soiling" or requests on "how to train your cat [to use the litter]" I get a little uneasy because this puts the emphasis on the cat when, in fact, in my experience the emphasis should be firmly placed on us. We manage the situation. We need to create and maintain a suitable substitute for what would have been soil in the wild.

If our cat does go to the toilet in the wrong place or we think that she has bad litter box habits the following checks should be made before any consideration is given to "training":

1. Is our cat in good health? Peeing on the carpet could be due to a urinary tract infection (also see kidney disease), for example. If our cat is in good health, for sure, then the following should be checked:-
2. Is our cat calm and comfortable? Are we doing something to stress our cat (e.g. out too much) such as create too much noise or shout at our cat (a definite no, no as the opposite, a quiet calm voice is so important).
3. Is our home clean and if our cat has used the carpet then has that area been cleaned properly (if not our cat will associate the area as a litter tray)? The only way to clean urine is by using a special enzyme based cleaner such as Zero Odor. There are others.
   
4. Is the litter in a quiet out of the way position?
5. Is the tray large enough? The larger the better and a lid on it makes it quieter for the cat and keeps the litter in better. It also filters out some of the odor.
6. Is the litter cleaned at least daily, perhaps even twice daily? Wood chipped litter keeps the tray cleaner, much cleaner.
   
7. In a multiple cat household several litter trays are necessary. Is this the case?

If all these check off perfectly then it will be unusual, but training may be the answer. One way to train good litter box habits (a way that is known to work) is cat clicker training (positive reinforcement). That is pretty much it. Living with a cat is not complicated. We need to accept our cat, love our cat unconditionally and keep a clean house and all will normally be well.

OK enough serious stuff. Come on. Chill out Michael...:





Litter Box Habits to Home Page

Why people abandon cats

I find this extremely sad - photo by Animals Abused & Abandoned

One big reason why people abandon cats is because their cat is not going to the toilet in the cat litter. Yet cats will almost automatically use a cat litter if it is in decent condition. This is because it will be the best thing in the home in which to go to the toilet and cats look for appropriate spots to urinate.

So, if our cat is not using the litter provided, either she is ill (e.g. cystitis which makes you want to go very urgently - this is a human disease as well - this is a Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) or the litter is unattractive and unsuitable.

If the litter is clean (cleaned at least once a day), large enough (make it large) and well sited (quiet and perhaps covered) all should be well. It also depends on the home. If the home is not clean and our cat has already gone to the toilet outside the litter this encourages our cat to think that the litter is the home or the home is a suitable area.

I prefer wood chip litter. It is not clumping but has excellent odor absorption and it is easy to scoop out as it is relatively dry after use. Clumping litter can be wet after use and it stains the litter tray. Wood chip litter leaves the tray much cleaner so there is less cleaning of the tray to do. A clean tray will encourage use of the litter.

I have never had a problem with my cat using the litter tray except once as mentioned when she had cystitis. This was brought on by eating too much dry food and stress. She urinated in the shower and bath (she is so sweet) and sometimes in the corner of the room during this short phase of illness.

A change of diet and my lifestyle rectified the problem and she has been fine since. So the reason why people abandon cats is the behavior of the people not the cat - sorry for that. The people who are considering abandoning a cat should look at what they are doing very objectively and try to rectify. It may not be the people but cats are reactive so if a cat is exceptionally nervous causing urinating outside the litter we should, I think, adapt our lifestyle to accommodate that to make the home as calm as possible. Persians can be nervous and have litter problems for example.

Some more:

• History of cat litter
• Odor Control Cat Litter
• Eliminate Cat Urine Odor
• Healthy Green Cat Litter
• Clicker training a cat

Why people abandon cats - photo of abandoned cat: published under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs creative commons License

Odor Control Cat Litter

From personal experience over decades the best odor control cat litter is wood based. For me there are essential 2 types of cat litter:

• clay or earth based (Fullers Earth - see history of cat litter)
  
• wood based

I presume the wood based litter is made from wood chippings. I hope so as I'd be upset to think they chopped down trees to make it. It is a soft wood, probably pine. Very fine particles of it are compressed into miniature "logs". When the cat urinates on it, it expands and absorbs it. It is the best, no doubt, for absorbing urine. There is absolutely no smell and no mess. Although as it doesn't clump it takes a bit of technique to take out the used and leave the unused.

Earth based litter clumps, yes, so it is easier to remove from the litter tray but the absorption is less good and the clump is wet as is the surrounding area sometimes. This translates into a more difficult cleaning up job as the litter tray itself becomes stained. With wood based litter the tray does not become stained and there is therefore much less ongoing maintenance of the tray itself. This offsets the slightly greater amount of work needed to separate out the used and unused wood based litter after use.

The main point is that the extra absorption qualities means it is a better Odor Control Cat Litter. One other thing. I use a covered litter tray to stop the wood litter being pushed out onto the floor and I put the litter tray and cover in another low level tray that is considerably larger to collect any litter that is walked out by my cat. The cover also helps to keep any residual odor in and they are not that expensive to be honest.

No.2s will smell in any cat litter unless it is covered by the cat. Sometimes mine doesn't cover it so I do it for her until the litter is removed, which should be at least once a day. Some people recommend more often but daily seems about right to me.

Odor Control Cat Litter to Home page

Photo: Clay based cat litter - clumping cat litter but not as good as an Odor Control Cat Litter - wood based. Photo by BrittneyBush under a creative commons license Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License

Healthy Green Cat Litter

The more Healthy Green Cat Litter is compacted sawdust. My experiences tell me that compacted sawdust is much better despite not clumping. It is also healthier for the cat, which is something that I hadn't considered until I read an article at WRAL.com.

Clumping clay litter produces dust when moved. This dust can settle on the cat, which can then be licked off when she grooms. Also during use the dust can be inhaled. Even humans inhale it when cleaning out the litter tray. The dust apparently contains silica which may be carcinogenic. The dust may also clump inside your cat after being ingested.

Compacted sawdust also produces dust but I guess it's less dangerous. Compacted sawdust litter is relatively Healthy Green Cat Litter as it can be composted after use or burnt. It is also more absorbent in my experience and reduces odor more effectively. The litter tray requires far less cleaning as it stays naturally cleaner for far longer (almost indefinitely in fact).

If you combine compacted sawdust litter with a box type litter tray (a tray with a lid) you keep nearly all the litter in the tray during use (no spillage). Some granules are carried out by the cat between their toes, however!

Instead of commercial litter you can use newspaper as it is absorbent but I am not sure about this as I don't see it as that effective. If you live in a house or on the ground floor in a flat I'd let your cat out under controlled conditions or into an enclosure. She can then go to the toilet outside on earth, the most natural way of all to go to the toilet.

Healthy Green Cat Litter to Home page

History of Cat Litter

History of Cat Litter - what has this picture got to do with cat litter? Read on. These are Fullers cleaning woolen cloth with a mixture of what we now call Fullers Earth and water. The picture is copyright free as it was made in 1770. These ladies are making what was probably a boring job as interesting as possible by chatting while working (look at their open mouths).

The History of Cat Litter is in fact much like the history of the creation and growth of many businesses but it was a damn good idea. Mind you it was an idea that was destined to be formulated at some time or other.

Apparently the story starts in 1948 just after the second world war, a time of opportunity and growth. Mrs Draper used sand as litter for her cat(s) in those days. Sand was the material most used for litter boxes at that time. So litter was being used but in an informal manner, it seems. She wanted something better if she could find it and spoke with Mr. Lowe a neighbor who was in the industrial absorbent business with his father having recently returned from a tour of duty in the US Navy during the war.

We must at this juncture thank Mrs Draper for having the foresight to see Mr. Lowe. Mrs Draper must have thought that he might have something that could do the trick. In other words she probably had the idea that what he sold might work well. It did.

One of the industrial absorbents Mr Lowe sold was Fullers earth, a clay product. Fullers earth is a mined substance. There are two types but the term is used for similar materials. The term "Fullers" originates in the term "fulling". Fulling is a step in the process of woolen cloth making, in which the cloth is cleansed to remove oils and dirt etc. It was originally cleansed by people who pounded the cloth with their feet. In doing this they kneaded this clay product mixed with water into the woolen cloth. These people were called "Fullers". By far the biggest production of Fullers Earth is in the USA.

Back to cat litter. Mr Lowe provided Mrs Draper with some of his Fullers earth. It worked better than sand as it was absorbent. Mr. Lowe saw an opportunity and offered it to the local pet shop. Initially it was offered free of charge but it seems soon caught on and people were prepared to pay. The rest is history as they say.

Mr. Lowe through his efforts over many years sold and refined the product and turned what he called "Kitty Litter" ® (now a ubiquitous name in the USA but not in the UK - we don't use the word "kitty" here) into big business. His business is called Edward Lowe Industries, Inc. which he sold in 1990 for $210m.

These days the business has moved on and although Mr Lowe's product (i.e. the clay based litter) is probably the most popular, sawdust compacted into absorbent capsules are in my opinion superior although they are not clumping. The failure to clump is far outweighed by the cleanliness of the wood product and its superior odor killing properties. The litter tray stays clean with the wood product but becomes quite dirty with the clay product.

There is just one glitch. How environmentally friendly is the wood product? Is the sawdust a by product of another manufacturing process or are trees cut down for it? The latter would be unacceptable in the modern world.

Source:

• essortment.com
• About.com

From History of Cat Litter to Cat Facts