# What type of kitty litter?? And best place to put litter box



## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

So as I have mentioned in a previous post I am getting 2 British shorthair kittens in about a months time.
They will be spending half their time at my one bedroom apartment and and from Thurs - Sun at our larger home an hour or so away. 

At the larger home they will have access to a well fenced and completely cat proof small garden where they can go to the toilet but they will need a litter box at my apartment.
It is a one bedroom apartment and the options for the litter box are in the laundry cupboard (there is a space next to the washing machine that will fit a large cat box and I can leave the door to the cupboard ajar) or the other option is in the corner of the lounge, tucked behind the couch so not really visible to me but not far from the couch.
Any idea on what the kittens would prefer?
I have seen there are some litter boxes with a lid that the kitten go through a flap into - looks good for privacy but do cats like them? And do they get a bit smelly for the cats inside them due to little or no ventilation?

Then in regards to what type of kitty litter to use - non tracking or as little as possible is one of the main requirements (I have nice new carpet) and then the next requirement would be clean/not too smelly.

I have seen a one that is small wood pellets that absorb the moisture and sell up and there is no tracking. Says it has a nice pine fragrance but I imagine that disappears pretty quick.

What do other indoor cat owners recommend?

Thanks


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi, cats often do not like toiletting in their own garden. It is an instinctive need to protect themselves from being tracked by predators. So many of them go off and use a neighbour's garden which is not very pleasant for the neighbour, particularly one who is not a cat lover.

But do I recall correctly from your other thread(s) you plan to keep your kittens safe within the garden? If so it's likely they will prefer to use indoor litter trays for their toilet. So be prepared to provide them with trays at the house..

It is a rule of good cat care to provide 3 trays for 2 cats (one tray per cat, plus one = 3). This is not really negotiable. In fact when my 2 girls were kittens I provided 4 trays for them and they ALL got used, every day. This is especially likely to be the case with your two if you are out all day.

Bear in mind cats often like to use a different tray for peeing and pooing. Kittens may be prepared to do it all in one tray but it is best to have the correct number of trays right from the start.

You can provide covered trays but if you do, _please remove the door flaps_. Cats do not like to be completely enclosed when they toilet as they need to be able to see out for security reasons and their own peace of mind.

Position the trays in quiet spots where the cats will have privacy. Putting one next to the washing machine doesn't sound ideal. However, if you are short of space for the necessary 3 trays you may have to utilise whatever space you have.

Re: cat litter - please do not use a scented cat litter. Cats have very delicate noses and litter that smells of synthetic pine would be overwhelming for their noses. The litter trays need to smell like a toilet to the kittens so they are reminded where to go and do their business. So you need a litter with no artificial scent, just a natural smell.

The litter needs to be as much like sand as possible, gritty and fine, as that is what cats like best to use. And it needs to be clumping as that is most hygienic for the cats.

Wood pellet litters should only be used with the correct sieve trays, so the liquids can pass through the sieve to the bottom tray and the wet litter which turns to sawdust can be shaken through the sieve.

Wood pellet litter is not a clumping litter, so if you use it without the correct sieve tray the whole tray becomes contaminated and smelly very quickly. This means the trays will need emptying out and washing every day and refilling.

These are the sieve trays: (the size of the holes is important)

https://www.brit-pet.com

If you are not going with the sieve trays please don't use a cheap clumping litter from the supermarket, as they are very dusty therefore bad for your kittens' lungs. And cheap litters don't absorb odours well.

The best litter for your kittens is Cats Best Oko Plus. It is a plant based clumping litter, fine grit, clumps very well and absorbs odours well. And very importantly cats like it! If they like it then they will be happy to use the trays, which is what you want.

Any fine litter will track to a certain extent, it can't be avoided. But litter mats placed in front of trays are excellent at 'grabbing' the bits of litter off the cats' feet as they leave the tray. I have these mats and I never get bits of litter tracked onto my carpets. The mats can be shaken into the trays every day to get rid of the bits.

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/litter-mat


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

You'll want to continue using the litter that the breeder has them on to begin with. She may also tell you where the trays are placed so you can continue something similar . None of my cats or kittens have ever been bothered using trays in the laundry by the washing machine but if your breeders kittens aren't used to that there may be an adjustment period. 

I use wood pellets in sieve trays, there is no tracking or odour, and it is extremely economical. I wouldn't use anything else.


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

chillminx said:


> Hi, cats often do not like toiletting in their own garden. It is an instinctive need to protect themselves from being tracked by predators. So many of them go off and use a neighbour's garden which is not very pleasant for the neighbour, particularly one who is not a cat lover.
> 
> But do I recall correctly from your other thread(s) you plan to keep your kittens safe within the garden? If so it's likely they will prefer to use indoor litter trays for their toilet. So be prepared to provide them with trays at the house..
> 
> ...


Thanks for the great advice chillminx. The wood pellet/sieve tray option was one I was looking at, I thought it had a pine odour but after reading the Link it is just the natural pine which is good. I might give that a try first as I really like the sound of it and have some good quality clumping litter as a back up.
I had no idea you needed that many trays per cat. In my apartment I might struggle to have 3 as really only 2 areas I think suitable, but I suppose I could have 2 in one area and 1 in another if 3 is needed.


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

spotty cats said:


> You'll want to continue using the litter that the breeder has them on to begin with. She may also tell you where the trays are placed so you can continue something similar . None of my cats or kittens have ever been bothered using trays in the laundry by the washing machine but if your breeders kittens aren't used to that there may be an adjustment period.
> 
> I use wood pellets in sieve trays, there is no tracking or odour, and it is extremely economical. I wouldn't use anything else.


Thanks for your advice spotty cats. I will definitely try the wood pellets in sieve tray, they look great


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

I personally don't know anyone who follows the 1 tray per cat plus 1 "rule", they'll be used to sharing from the breeders and you're in a small apartment so they'll never be far from a tray.
In the bigger house you may need more depending on space and layout of the home.


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

spotty cats said:


> I personally don't know anyone who follows the 1 tray per cat plus 1 "rule", they'll be used to sharing from the breeders and you're in a small apartment so they'll never be far from a tray.
> In the bigger house you may need more depending on space and layout of the home.


That's good to know spotty cats - Do you think I could get away with 2 or even 1 tray for the 2 kittens? I will be cleaning it out morning and night


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

A lot of my kitten owners have 1 tray for 2 cats, I would start with 2 and see if they use both, often people end up downsizing tray numbers.
Also see what your breeder thinks works for her kittens/cats.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@clairell - it is natural behaviour for cats to prefer to poo and pee in separate places, so IMO it would be unfair not to provide at least 2 trays for 2 cats.

OK, there are domestic cats (whether pedigree or moggie) who are prepared to forego their natural inclinations and put up with just one tray, but restricting them to use of just one tray is really not accommodating their instincts.

The fact that domestic cats are willing to oblige us by toiletting in litter trays at all is remarkable / admirable and my view is we should recognise this adaptation and at least meet them half-way by providing enough trays. Establishing compassionate rules of husbandry from the start can mean we are less likely to experience problems in the future with our cats avoiding the litter tray. You sound like a kind and caring person and I think you may understand what I mean.


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

chillminx said:


> @clairell - it is natural behaviour for cats to prefer to poo and pee in separate places, so IMO it would be unfair not to provide at least 2 trays for 2 cats.
> 
> OK, there are domestic cats (whether pedigree or moggie) who are prepared to forego their natural inclinations and put up with just one tray, but restricting them to use of just one tray is really not accommodating their instincts.
> 
> The fact that domestic cats are willing to oblige us by toiletting in litter trays at all is remarkable / admirable and my view is we should recognise this adaptation and at least meet them half-way by providing enough trays. Establishing compassionate rules of husbandry from the start can mean we are less likely to experience problems in the future with our cats avoiding the litter tray. You sound like a kind and caring person and I think you may understand what I mean.


Thanks for all the great advice - I have come up with a great solution. I have a good sized lounge (well for an apartment anyway) but didn't want the litters boxes in the lounge where I could see them and was struggling to find another option but have read a few forums and am going to get a nice white wood 3 panel screen that I can partition off a corner of the room. Privacy for the kittens and keeping a nice aesthetic for me.
Will create a big enough partitioned off area for 2 litter boxes and see how we go


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## clairell (Nov 14, 2016)

Have got a screen in the corner of the lounge, can easily fit 2 litter boxes behind it with room to move around and "wipe" their paws on the mat I have put down. Hope this works for them


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@clairell - in a similar vein as your screen, a friend of mine has a small apartment and wanted a way of disguising the litter trays so she bought two wooden litter tray cupboards from Zooplus.

One cupboard she painted black and put in her hallway, and tbh if she hadn't pointed it out to me I'd never have noticed it was for the cats to use.  The other one she has left white and put in her bathroom, and again it seems barely noticeable.

The cupboards are a great idea if one wants to be discreet with the litter trays.

If you did get the cupboards you may need to start off without the flaps on them, as my friend did . Also, I do know that she has drilled holes in the backs of the cupboards, so there is air flow through, and also some light comes in, cats not being over keen on entering dark enclosed spaces.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/...er_boxes_nofilter/cat_litter_cupboards/214086


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

I agree that it is a miracle that rescue cats and those who have grown up never using a tray can usually be persuaded to use one. However these kittens should have been *trained* from the beginning to use trays and, in my experience, they usually prefer the one that has been used rather than the one that has just been cleaned. Some cats will wait while you clean a tray just so they can hop in immediately and make it smell of cat again.

I echo the advice that you should use the litter they have had at their breeders' house and I used to send some with my kittens together with a small bag of used litter to prime the new tray. If your breeder does not do this, it might be an idea to ask for some. Kittens really do not need confusion about litter trays when they first come to their new home. Everything else is completely strange.


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## ZoeM (Jul 16, 2015)

At the moment, I have three litter trays for three cats. One cat is a foster, and she poos next to the litter tray if she doesnt have access to two. My old boy is less fussy, fortunately, so he appears content to use the one - clumps removed twice a day. My mostly outdoors cat prefers outside, to my neighbours annoyance, but will use the other tray if desperate.

My trays are in the bathroom and the kitchen.

I use oko plus - once you use this, there is no going back - its just brill!

Would love to see pics when kitties arrive 

Edit: Just wanted to add - previous advice about priming the litter trays is great advice - I do that when fostering to ensure there are no accidents!


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## minari (Jun 30, 2016)

Having 2 trays is important if you want to introduce a different type of litter than what they were used to, as a lot of cats are cautious to complete litter change in one day and may well refuse to use the tray and do their business elsewhere.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

clairell said:


> Have got a screen in the corner of the lounge, can easily fit 2 litter boxes behind it with room to move around and "wipe" their paws on the mat I have put down. Hope this works for them


I haven't had kittens but I wouldn't like this screen option, I would suggest that the screen isn't used initially as the kittens may be confused and not know where their tray is. I would also have trays in different places not together.

Your initial post makes it sound like the litter trays are a bit of an inconvenience, litter trays and kittens go together, as well as indoor cats and trays. Our primary tray is in the kitchen, it's used 90% of the time. Good luck with teaching them to wipe their paws


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