| Litter-Box Tips |
From "Pet Care"
episode PCW-103 |
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Amanda Luke, an editor for Cat Fancy Magazine, offers several tips for coping with one of the less pleasant realities of life with a cat: the litter box. The simplest litter box you can use is a basic plastic pan with high sides. Many people prefer to use a plastic liner in the litter box, but the cat's scratching can leave holes in the plastic. To solve this problem, Luke suggests placing two folded sections of newspaper between the plastic liner and the litter. Litter boxes with hoods are also available; they provide privacy for the cat (and also keep the family dog out). Most have some sort of charcoal filter in the lid, which helps cut down on odor. Besides the old standby, clay litter, these are the major classifications: - Clumping (figure A)
- Pine pellets (figure B)
- Recycled-newspaper pellets (figure C)
- Silica (figure D)
Luke shares her secret recipe for a litter that will also fight odor: a mixture of clay litter and pine shavings. Begin with just a little pine, gradually adding more as your cat gets used to it, until you are using a 50-50 mixture. Here are a few suggestions for making sure your cat uses her litter box: - Don't put the box in a high-traffic area. Cats like privacy.
- Don't put it in a noisy area. A cat who is startled by a loud noise while she's in the litter box may associate the box with being frightened.
- The bathroom is not the best place for a littler box because of the possibility of excess moisture.
- Don't move the litter box around. It's confusing for the cat, and she may stop using it altogether.
Guest: Amanda Luke
Editor, Cat Fancy Magazine
Web site: www.animalnetwork.com Books: How to Toilet Train Your Cat: 21 Days to a Litter-Free Home
By Paul Kunkel
ISBN: 0894808281
Workman Publishing Company Inc. (1991)
Available at bookstores nationwide and online.
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