Taking care of a cat’s litter box can be an unpleasant task for most pet parents. Many things can make this difficult, including not knowing what kind of litter to buy or how much cat litter to use.
However, figuring out the right amount of litter doesn’t have to be difficult. Many times, your cat will point you in the right direction to help you understand what works best for them!
Issues that occur from improper litter usage
From behavioral to economical, issues affecting both you and your cat can arise if you’re not using cat litter properly. Let’s review what can happen if you are using either too little or too much litter.
Too little litter
- Your cat will do their business elsewhere. Using too little litter can cause your cat to be uncomfortable. Many cats will use the surrounding litter to cover their messes, and if there is not enough litter in the cat box, your cat may be unwilling to use their litter box.
- Health issues. A dirty litter box can lead to your cat holding their urine, increasing the risk for Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) and Feline Urethral Obstructions (FUO).
- Strong cat urine odors in the house. It’s also possible that using less litter than necessary will cause stronger litter box odors to permeate throughout your house.
Too much litter
Using too much litter can also cause issues.
- Unstable footing for your cat. Too much litter can make it difficult for your cat to have a stable enough foundation to feel comfortable using the box.
- Litter kicking. When there is too much litter, cats are likely to kick some of it out of the litter box, resulting in a big mess you will need to clean up.
- Additional costs. Even when scooping daily, you should empty out the litter box every 2-4 weeks, which can be very wasteful if you use too much litter. It then leads to additional costs because of the need to purchase litter more frequently.
How much cat litter to use in a traditional scooping litter box
Typically, cats prefer 2-3 inches of litter when using a standard litter box. If you know that your cat likes to dig around for a while to find the right spot, you may want to add 3-4 inches of cat litter in the box instead.
Having multiple cats shouldn’t change how much litter to put in the litter box. But the more cats you have, the more cat litter you’ll go through—so get ready to refill the litter boxes often with more than one cat in the house.
How much cat litter to use in Litter-Robot
An automatic, self-cleaning litter box like Litter-Robot is an effective solution to cat litter spending. After your cat uses it, Litter-Robot sifts out only the dirty clumps, leaving behind the clean bed of litter for the next use. This cleaning process is so efficient that customers report saving up to 50% on cat litter!
With Litter-Robot, you’ll fill the globe with standard-weight cat litter until it is at or just below the raised fill line. This equates to approximately 8-10 pounds of litter. Do not overfill the globe, as this can affect the weight sensors that detect your cat’s presence in the globe.
How often should I add litter?
Knowing how often to change your cat's litter is an important detail to consider. A good rule of thumb is to scoop your cat litter every day and empty out your cat’s litter box roughly every 2 to 4 weeks. Of course, this will all depend on your cat. It’s good to know your cat’s bathroom habits because this will help you better understand how often you should change out their litter. It’s also going to depend on the number of cats you have in your household, as well as the type of litter you are using.
You may need to top off the litter box with fresh litter every 3-4 days to maintain a consistent litter level, especially if you have multiple cats. This will also prevent urine from reaching the bottom of the litter box, where it may stick and cause odors.
For self-cleaning litter boxes like Litter-Robot, just keep an eye on the litter levels weekly and add as needed. With one cat, you typically need to add more litter to Litter-Robot about once a week.
Automatic litter refills with LitterHopper™
With Litter-Robot, you only need to add litter when you notice the litter level has dropped below the raised fill line. Empty the old litter completely every month or two.
You can also add the LitterHopper accessory, which handles the task of refilling cat litter so you don’t have to. The LitterHopper automatically dispenses fresh cat litter into your Litter-Robot 4, ensuring litter is at the optimal level for your cat’s use.
Furthermore, the Whisker app will notify you when your LitterHopper is likely empty. The app closely monitors your litter bed level. If it detects a decreasing litter bed level trend over several cleaning cycles, the app will notify you that litter levels are getting low, indicating that the LitterHopper is likely empty.
Will adding more litter reduce odors?
It’s easy to think that simply adding more litter will help control any odors coming from the litter box. However, this is not the case. Adding more litter can just end up being wasteful without solving the odor problems. The best thing you can do to control odor is to change out your cat’s litter when it starts to smell.
So, what is the best kind of litter box to use? Litter-Robot 4 is a great alternative to controlling the odor from your cat’s litter. That’s because this self-cleaning litter box automatically sifts your cat’s waste into a tightly sealed, carbon-filtered drawer below the unit. Optional OdorTrap® Packs further neutralize litter box smells.
How do you maintain the litter box?
So, what can you do as a cat parent to maintain your cat’s litter box properly? Besides checking out our full litter box guide, there are several steps you can take to make sure your cat continues to use their litter box appropriately. Let’s review some of these steps below.
Clean regularly
One of the easiest ways to maintain your cat’s litter box is to make sure you are cleaning it regularly. Be sure to scoop daily if you have a regular litter box. As mentioned above, you may want to change your cat’s litter every 2 to 4 weeks. When you change your cat’s litter, make sure you are cleaning out the litter box before replacing the litter. Try adding pet-safe cleaner spray or cleaner wipes to your routine to help keep the litter box clean with enzymes that fight organic stains and odors!
For more tips, follow our pet cleaning tips.
Monitor waste behavior
Knowing your cat’s waste behavior can be a huge help in maintaining their litter box. Using Litter-Robot along with the Whisker app can make this easier for you. The app will allow you to monitor your cat’s waste-related behaviors and let you know when you need to empty the waste drawer or add more litter to the globe.
Use liners
Another option you can try is litter box liners, such as the Litter-Robot waste drawer liners. These waste drawer liners are customized to fit the Litter-Robot waste drawer, making cleaning even easier for you.
Eliminate odors
OdorTrap® Packs pair perfectly with Litter-Robot to eliminate litter box odors altogether. If you’re tired of living in a house that smells like a litter box (and who wouldn’t be?) an effective odor control solution will contribute to both your cat’s well-being and overall household health. OdorTrap® Packs are easy to remove and replace. For best results, change the packs every month. Of course, the effectiveness of these packs will depend on your cat's waste patterns.
Use a high-quality litter
Using a high-quality litter can also make it easier to maintain your cat’s litter box. A non-toxic litter that doesn’t cause excess dust or litter tracking throughout your house can improve the litter box situation for both you and your cat. There are many quality options that you can try until you find the right fit for you and your cat.
Why is clumping litter the ideal choice?
According to some studies, Clumping litter tends to be the ideal choice when choosing the right litter for your cat. It forms easy-to-scoop, solidified clumps, making the clean-up process quick. Whisker offers GreatLitter®, clumping cat litter that is all-natural and made of sun-dried clay. This unscented litter is a great choice due to its low-dust, low-tracking material, as well as its ability to lock in odors. It also happens to be the best litter for Litter-Robot.
FAQ
How does the LitterHopper™ work?
The Litter-Robot 4 LitterHopper is designed to automatically maintain the optimal Litter-Robot 4 litter level within the globe. The default optimal litter bed level inside Litter-Robot 4 is at or just below the MAX fill line inside the globe. Litter-Robot 4 uses OmniSense® Detection to measure the height of the litter bed level at the end of each clean cycle. If the sensors determine that the litter bed level is below optimal, then the LitterHopper will dispense litter into the globe during the NEXT clean cycle.
