Litter box cleaning – with clumping litter

A clean litter box is imperative for the well-being of your feline companion. Cats are particularly averse to unclean toilets. If they think the cat toilet isn’t clean enough, they may bypass it and do their business elsewhere in the home. To avoid this happening, you need to clean the litter box properly.

Since clumping litter is widely popular with cat owners, this article focuses exclusively on how to deal with this type of litter. Below you’ll find some answers to frequently asked questions.

1. How often should I clean the litter box?

Solid waste needs to be removed from the tray on a daily basis. To do this, sieve the litter with a scoop and remove any faeces and urine clumps. We recommend that you scoop out the waste at least twice a day. If the toilet is used by more than one cat, more frequent cleaning is advisable.

When the level of the litter layer falls, top it up with fresh new clumping litter. For COSYCAT, we recommend a litter layer of at least 7 cm. This level is necessary for efficient clumping.

Tip: Litter scoops come with different slot sizes. If you use a coarse litter, you should use a large-slotted scoop – it will help to sift the litter more quickly.

2. Where to dispose of faeces and urine clumps?

In general, you should dispose of cat droppings with household waste. To avoid unpleasant odours, we recommend putting the cat’s waste in a separate, sealable bag.

With a biodegradable cat litter such as COSYCAT, however, you can flush the urine clumps down the domestic toilet, because our organic litter is eco-friendly. And in contrast to mineral clumping litter, it won’t block the pipework!

Tip: Put urine clumps down the toilet one at a time and wait until they start to dissolve before flushing.

3. How often should I deep-clean the litter box?

The litter used, the size of your cat and the number of visits to the toilet determine the cleaning frequency. If you use COSYCAT, deep-cleaning the toilet approximately every 6 to 8 weeks will suffice. Leaving it longer than this, however, may cause the litter box to become a source of unpleasant odours.

First remove all waste and dispose of the remaining litter in the tray. Then clean the tray and dry it thoroughly before filling it with new litter.

Tip: Make sure the tray is completely dry before refilling it, otherwise the litter will be rendered unusable by contact with any residual water. Either let the tray dry in the air or wipe it dry using a cloth.

4. What should I use to clean the litter box?

A sponge, hot water and a mild detergent are adequate to clean the cat toilet. Do not use aggressive cleaning agents, as they often have a pungent smell and may damage the plastic tray. Once the surface is damaged, odours may take hold more quickly.

Tip: Avoid strong-smelling detergents, as they can leave an odour. Cats have a very delicate sense of smell and they don’t like it when the toilet smells of detergent.

5. How can I prevent offensive odours?

If you notice that your cat’s litter box smells unpleasant, reduce the intervals between cleaning. Try different cleaning intervals to find out what works best. Alternatively, you can switch cat litter and use one with good odour-binding properties. Just a few COSYCAT granules are sufficient to absorb the moisture and firmly trap the odour.

Offensive odours can also indicate that your cat is ill. If the odours appear suddenly while using the same litter consistently, you should consult a vet.

Tip: Be careful when switching cat litter. Many cats don’t like it when the litter is changed abruptly. Mix old and new litter for some time so that your feline friend can slowly readjust.

6. Where to dispose of the remaining litter in the tray?

Clumping litter is only changed every 6-8 weeks. The precise period is dictated by the tray size, the number of visits to the toilet and the number of cats using the litter box. Therefore, we suggest a timespan after which thorough cleaning is due, as otherwise the plastic of the tray may absorb the smell of urine – something that cats don’t like at all! We therefore recommend cleaning the cat toilet in good time.

To deep-clean the litter box, you first need to dispose of the remaining litter in the tray. Mineral-based litter, for example, must be disposed of with household waste. In contrast, our eco clumping litter COSYCAT can also be placed in the organic waste bin or even added to the compost heap. It can be composted without any problem provided that you have first removed the waste from the litter. Only clean litter may be placed in the organic waste bin or on the compost heap.

Please note that in some regions, disposal of the litter with organic waste is not permitted. To obtain information on this, contact your local authority.

Tip: If you compost our COSYCAT litter, ensure that the material rots sufficiently. In principle, you should only use mature, well rotted compost.

7. How do I fill the litter box properly?

Be careful not to tip the litter into the cat toilet from a great height. Many litters generate dust, which can trigger allergies and adversely affect the airways of both humans and animals. A litter layer at least 7 cm deep is necessary to allow for good clump formation.

Tip: Use dust-free litter such as COSYCAT, our eco-friendly clumping litter. The less dust the litter contains, the better it is for cat owners and their furry friends.

8. What characterizes a good cat litter?

A good cat litter should fulfil its purpose, protect the health of humans and animals and be environmentally compatible. COSYCAT ticks all these boxes. Our organic clumping litter is characterized by the following properties:

• Extremely absorbent
• Odour-neutralising and antibacterial
• Very low in dust
• Highly economical
• Simple, eco-friendly disposal
• Low weight

For further information on cat hygiene and litter, take a look at our Advice section.