Having to deal with litterboxes is practically the biggest con with living with a cat. However, it’s absolutely important if you want to keep your furry roommate happy and healthy. Ideally, it shouldn’t be in the room you’re sleeping in because it’s unhealthy for you and your cat.
Table of Contents
Who is at risk?
For most adult humans, being around dirty cat litter is okay. Simply washing your hands after and changing your clothes is enough to limit the risks. For people with weakened immune systems like pregnant women and children, however, it’s a much different story. Kids can be afflicted with Toxoplasmosis.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the single cell parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It infects warm-blooded animals. While it can be devastating for humans especially young children and pregnant women, infected cats normally won’t show signs. Pregnant women exposed to soiled litter could have an increased chance of miscarriage or even birth defect.
No matter how clean your cat may seem, their poop is far from that. Cats can pass parasites like roundworms which is actually infectious to humans.
Other than parasites, cat pee has a high level of ammonia. Being overexposed to the toxic gas ammonia could at the very least cause a bit of queasiness, and at worst, pneumonia.
Where is your litter box?
If you are able, put your cat’s personal toilet as far away from your sleeping area. In a separate quiet room, if possible. Put it in an area that’s both easy to access and to clean. A popular pace is a bathroom or even a basement. Just make sure it’s placed a fair distance away the washing machine. Cats can be skittish and loud noises could deter them from using their litter boxes altogether.
If you have babies and toddlers in your home, keep the litter box somewhere they cannot access at all. Kids will definitely see your cat’s toilet as a miniature sandbox and will try to play with it – which should be avoided at all costs.
Cleanliness is key
Make it a habit to clean your cat’s litter box frequently. If you clean it at least once every 24 hours, it could negate the risk of toxoplasmosis. Do this even if you don’t have immunocompromised members in your household. Your cats will thank you for this. After all, the most common reason why cats stop using their litter box is simply because it’s not as clean as they want it to be.
Changing your litter and doing a deep clean of your cat’s litter boxes depend on what substrate you are using. Clay litter can last up to two weeks, but paper based litter will have to be replaced much sooner. Dump your litter into a plastic bag outside, and clean out the box with soap and water before you refill it with fresh litter.
Use a cat litter mat especially if you notice that your cat always seems to have litter stuck between their paws. Be sure to clean the mat frequently too.
[crp]
Common Questions about your cat’s litter box
How many litterboxes should I have?
While it’s totally possible to just have one litterbox per cat, the rule of thumb is to have one litter box per cat, and an extra litterbox for safety. Think of it as 1.5 litterboxes per 1 cat. If you have two cats, you have three litterboxes.
The reason why you should have enough toilet choices for your cat (especially if you have multiple cats) is that you definitely won’t want them to discharge somewhere else – like your carpet.
How big should my litterbox be?
The most common style for litterboxes in the market are the covered ones. People like it because it traps the smell inside the box. However, if your cat is on the bigger side, fitting inside a tiny litterbox is difficult. If they get too uncomfortable using it they’ll eventually opt to not using it.
Generally, your litterbox should be at least one and a half the length of your cat. If you’re unsure, go bigger. Some cats will also much prefer an uncovered litter box instead.
What’s the best kind of cat litter?
There are currently four different types of cat litter available in the market: clumping clay, non-clumping clay, crystals, and recycled corn, wheat or pine. Among these four, you can either go for either scented or unscented – although you cat will definitel like the unscented one more.
Truly the best one is the one your cat likes the most. To see which one they prefer, you can do a little test: provide your cat the four different kinds for a short time. From here it will be easy to tell which one your cats prefer. Remember to clean the litter box regularly to make sure your cat is going to continue using their litterbox.
Conclusion
It is best to not sleep in the same room where the litter box is. This is especially true if you or the other person sleeping in your room is pregnant, or is a child. This is because a dirty litterbox is home to many bacteria and parasites that could infect immunocompromised people.
