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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

How often do you completely change your litter trays

109 replies

NewYearNewMinty · 19/01/2022 18:35

2 indoor cats, 2 trays, cheap litter as I'm currently a f/t carer on a tight budget but a recent sub for wood chip is making me reconsider.

I scoop as soon as anything solid lands and change 2-3 times a week atm.

OP posts:
bellinisurge · 19/01/2022 22:09

Non-clumping. Scoop poop whenever it appears (usually every other day). Full change once a week. One indoor cat.

swapsicles · 19/01/2022 22:15

I use wood chip but use a sifting tray every couple of days so the used stuff that is powdery gets sifted through and chucked and the dry unused pellets go back into a clean tray. I waste so much less litter this way and a bag lasts a lot longer.
Also you only need one sifting tray as you can use it for multiple trays.

swapsicles · 19/01/2022 22:15

Oh and I remove poop as and when needed, that doesn't get left for days!

FelicityBeedle · 19/01/2022 22:22

I buy the bags of silica from B&M, it’s £3 a bag and that does a large ish tray for the ten days or so. Definitely the best for odours imo

boolabingbo · 19/01/2022 23:12

Ah man this is making picking up
2-3 poos a day on my dog walks seem easy.

Allergictoironing · 20/01/2022 08:55

2 indoor cats, 2 trays though one has never been used in 5.5 years so really just one in use. Wood pellet litter (non clumping) from Pets at Home, that was what they were on when they came home and if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Scoop once or twice a day, taking out poo and any wet patches. Occasionally top up if I've taken a lot out but the remainder is decent & not smelly. Complete change every 7-10 days, including decent cleaning of the tray itself.

Girlcat tell me if she think it needs scooping or changing more often by going over to it, looking pointedly at it, coming over to me then reluctantly back to the tray taking ages to choose the right spot & digging down to Australia in the process.

NewYearNewMinty · 20/01/2022 09:10

It definitely wee that's more of an issue with ours.

Wood pellets seem to absorb the smell better initially but don't clump.

OP posts:
MsSquiz · 20/01/2022 09:21

We have 2 trays for 2 house cats. Solids scooped out daily (or multiple times a day) with an empty, full wash & refill once a week.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 20/01/2022 09:25

I can't stand the clumping litter. I prefer to just tip it away if they've used it. I suppose it's different if you have house only cats though

Bakewelltart987 · 20/01/2022 09:26

I use cheap litter (aldis big bag) never had a problem with it lasts about a week before needs changing completely. I scoop daily.

RuthTopp · 20/01/2022 09:27

We buy Pets at Home platinum wood pellets . A sack lasts us about 2 weeks or just over . We scoop a few times a day for wee and soon as for poo. Top ups during the week . Complete clean and disinfect weekly.

Justkeepon · 20/01/2022 09:32

2 indoor cats here. They both share a large tray. We use Catsan & scoop daily and do a full change/clean every 3 or 4 days

ZeroFuchsGiven · 20/01/2022 09:36

This thread is making me queasy.

a month?
6 WEEKS?

Your houses must stink to high heaven.

NewYearNewMinty · 20/01/2022 10:10

@ZeroFuchsGiven

This thread is making me queasy.

a month?
6 WEEKS?

Your houses must stink to high heaven.

I mist admit I thought people would be horrified at my twice a week!

I guess it depends on lots of factors though, cats, type of litter, house...I've got a through lounge/diner with a smallish kitchen off it. If they were separated by a hallway and I had a utility to keep the trays in it would probably be less noticeable.

OP posts:
purpleme12 · 20/01/2022 10:17

Mmm surely the only reason you'd need to change them every month or 6 weeks would be cos they're hardly ever used (cats go outside)

Trinacham · 20/01/2022 10:40

I don't keep track but I think I must do a complete clean twice a week on average. I have 2 cats, 3 litter trays. Same as you, solids are picked up as soon as they land.

BlibBlabBlob · 20/01/2022 10:59

I think this depends SO much on the type of tray, type of litter, how often the cat(s) use it.

If I was using the wood pellet stuff and the tiny open trays they have up at our local rescue centre, I'd be doing a full clean every day or two I reckon.

But I use World's Best in very large trays with hoods/lids on them. And almost never do a full clean out. Like, once a year... and when I fully empty is the bottom is honestly totally clean. Feels like such a waste with such expensive litter.

We scoop morning and night, and during the day if we notice that somebody has pooped (two cats, two trays, both using them exclusively as they haven't figured out they can excrete outdoors). When a poo first lands there is a definite smell, but all of the wetness is instantly sucked out of it by the litter and that makes the smell pretty much disappear too.

We also have a special reed diffuser near the tray that is most preferred by both cats, just in case.

And neither tray lives in a room that we are regularly using: one under the stairs behind a curtain, one in the 'cat room' where they are fed but otherwise it's basically a bit of dumping ground/corridor. We haven't got cats shitting in the same room as we cook/eat/relax.

My top tip, other than buying super-clumping litter e.g. World's Best, is to get a much bigger/deeper tray than you think you need and put several inches of litter in. The cats love it and any waste never reaches the bottom so - while I wouldn't want to eat my dinner off it - the tray itself really doesn't require regular cleaning.

World's Best is expensive but we only get through a bag a month with two (mostly indoor) cats.

NewYearNewMinty · 20/01/2022 11:13

Put several inches of litter in. The cats love it and any waste never reaches the bottom

Thats a really good point. I have got fairly large/deep trays so will give that a try

OP posts:
IsThisAkissingBook · 20/01/2022 11:16

Use catsan (I've tried everything else) three indoor pedigree cats I remove solids soon as I notice. Then full change every other day.

Toddlerteaplease · 20/01/2022 11:17

Monthly. Intersand classic litter. Scooped daily, or more if needed. 2 indoor cats who happily share a tray.

Chanel05 · 20/01/2022 11:18

I'm at home most of the week and I scoop the tray multiple times per day and she gets a fresh tray once a week.

etulosba · 20/01/2022 11:26

Never. He had a tray outside and but never used it.

Yarnivore · 20/01/2022 11:35

@Toddlerteaplease

Monthly. Intersand classic litter. Scooped daily, or more if needed. 2 indoor cats who happily share a tray.
Aah, good, another Intersand user 👋🏼

I don't think people believe us that it can go so long without smelling!

KaiKanWhenever · 20/01/2022 11:45

Our local pet chain (Pets Corner in the south) recently gave us some really good advice, as our 7 month old kept peeing on the floor next to the tray after just one week, even though we were removing solids straight away.

They said you must fill the tray deep enough with litter so that the urine clumps before it reaches the bottom of the tray, so you can remove solids as and when and all urine clumps daily. Otherwise you end up with the bottom inch of litter as one solid urine soaked clump.

They said to top up with litter as needed and just do a full clean and change when the litter runs out.

MaybeHeIsMyCat · 20/01/2022 11:48

@ZeroFuchsGiven

This thread is making me queasy.

a month?
6 WEEKS?

Your houses must stink to high heaven.

Why would it stink? I remove all dirty litter, I just don't do a full change and bin clean stuff! This is a tray that has probably had a full change about 4 months ago, it's immaculate The dirty stuff clumps and I scoop it out, half the tray he doesn't even wee in If I dig to the bottom it's perfectly clean and dry. So I won't do a full change to bin what, all that clean litter?
How often do you completely change your litter trays
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