Greetings everyone! We learned that tomorrow, November 19, is World Toilet Day. The United Nations is highlighting the sanitation crisis in much of the world. We really don’t know (or care) about humans and toilets, but it did getting us thinking about kitty waste.
In the wild, cats usually try to find soft or sandy soil for their toilet. It allows for easy burial. Outdoor kitties use their paws in a backwards, sweeping motion to bury their leavings. A litter box tries to replicate this experience. Humans usually refer to litter boxes as a cat things, but other animals use them too. Rabbits, ferrets, miniature pigs, and small dogs have all been litter-trained. The difference is is that we cats generally do it instinctively. (The humans won’t say it, but we’re smarter.)
Humans like litter boxes because they contain our waste. We like litter boxes because we are generally clean animals and like to be able to cover up our waste. A clean litter box helps us be happy, healthy members of the family.
There are a wide variety of litters. Generally speaking, we kitties prefer unscented, low-dust varieties. We have sensitive noses that are easily offended by strong smells (unless it’s mackerel). We need two to three inches to allow for proper burial. And it should be scooped daily. The most common type of litter is clay-based. They also make silica-based litter. Silica is dangerous if you eat it. (Although we do not recommend eating any type of litter.) Other alternatives are wood chips, wheat, sawdust, grains, corncobs, and newspapers. Some of it clumps for easier removal. We recommend you work with your human to find what’s best for you.
There are LOTS of litter boxes to choose from. Around here, you can spend anywhere from five dollars to several hundred dollars, depending on how fancy it is. The simplest ones are just a tray that your human fills with litter. It should be big enough so you can comfortably get in it to do your business. You don’t want your tail hanging out the end. You also need to make sure the sides aren’t too high to enter and exit comfortably. Here are your choices:
Designer Litter Box – These are made for the discerning cat. They look like high-end furniture and match the rest of your human’s decor. Needless to say, they may be a little pricey. But you’re worth it.
We will leave you with a couple of jokes:
A cat gives birth in a public park and is fined $50 for littering.
Why did the mother cat pick up her kittens? She didn’t want to litter
What do you call books written for cats? Kitty litter-ature
What do you call a cat that can’t use the litter box? Ill-litter-ate
Pictures courtesy of Google Images.
Adventures in Cheeseland 
Sending to someone who just got a cat and is unknowledgeable.
Hope it helps
Good column ! Thanks !
Thank you!
No jokin; yore funny jokess are heelareeus Snoopss an Kommando an Sgt Stripess!!!! Ill-litter-ate, mew mew mew …..
Wee are usin Tidy cat 24/7 Lite weight littur as BellaSita can not lift regular jugss of litter. All THE other Tiidy catss are so dusty wee both sneeze alot.
24/7 iss lowest of dust an not too stinky like THE litter with Glade inn it! UCKY!
Wee Love yore blog post titel…..that cott our attention~~~
***nose rubss*** BellaDharma an (((hugss))) BellaSita Mum
Containers of litter are really heavy! Luckily our human brother handles them for Mom. We use Fresh Step. It’s not dusty like the stuff we had before. It really does make a difference!
Mee will ask BellaSita Mum to L00K for Fresh Step littler! Thanx fore THE tip!!! 😉
I use the Walmart clay stuff for my kitties. They all seem happy with it. I don’t even like the smell of scented ones. I can’t imagine how icky it would be to lick off their paws. XO
I know. And kitty noses are a lot more sensitive than ours
I had no idea there was a toilet day! And the jokes were hilarious!
Thank you! We just learned about it this year
Excellent and informative post! My cat thanks you! 😽
Thank you! Glad she enjoyed it.
😽
guyz….round heer litter “art” iz happenin all de time 😉
we haza korner box with hi sidez !! N hay, joke two iz grate 🙂
happee week a head two all ♥♥
We have a lot of litter art too. 🙂
I’ve always rejected many litterboxes out there (and litter too) because they are designed for humans, not cats. I have three very large boxes with no covers and use unscented litter in them.
That’s an interesting point. I’m sure that you’re right about the design. Some litters are so fragrant, I imagine they hurt cats’ delicate noses.