|
 If you haven’t examined your cat’s litter
box since the day you bought it when he was
a kitten, it might be time for an
inspection.
A box that fit when he was a growing kitten
may now be too small if he’s a large or
overweight adult. Make sure he has adequate
room to move around in the box and make a
few trips in there for elimination
throughout the day. There should be enough
room for him to always find plenty of dry,
clean litter.
If the box has a cover, make sure your cat
is comfortable going inside. While you may
think he prefers the privacy of a covered
box, in reality he may have to cram himself
in there when it’s time to take care of
business. If you notice that he’s hanging
his head out of the box opening during
elimination. It might be that he would have
to duck his head down too much inside.
In an effort to reduce litter scatter, some
owners buy litter boxes with a curved lip
around the edge for when the cat kicks up
the litter. Unfortunately, this makes the
actual usable size of the box even smaller
for the cat.
If you have a large cat or one who
enthusiastically kicks litter, there are
several high-sided litter boxes on the
market. If you can’t find one large enough,
consider using a plastic storage container.
If the sides are too high, cut out an
entrance on one end for your cat to provide
easy access.
On the flip side, if you have an older cat
who isn’t as mobile, possibly due to
arthritis, you may need to purchase a
low-sided box to make it easier for him to
enter and exit.
For step-by-step help with litter box
issues, refer to the book
Think Like a
Cat.
© 2009 Cat Behavior Associates, LLC |
