{"id":190,"date":"2013-03-22T08:47:00","date_gmt":"2013-03-22T15:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/74e38129ed.nxcli.io\/the-process-and-importance-of-proper-litter-box-cleaning\/"},"modified":"2025-01-15T11:56:04","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T16:56:04","slug":"the-process-and-importance-of-proper-litter-box-cleaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fetchpetcare.com\/blog\/the-process-and-importance-of-proper-litter-box-cleaning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Process And Importance Of Proper Litter Box Cleaning"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u2019ve owned cats all your life, or are bringing a kitty into your home for the first time, you\u2019re likely aware of an interesting cat quirk; they prefer to be clean.<\/p>\n<p>Cats and their penchant for cleanliness isn\u2019t a phenomenon associated with domestication. It\u2019s an instinctual trait, something that has been passed down through the millennia. Cats keep themselves clean, not to look adorable while trying to get to those \u201chard to reach\u201d spots, but to remove unwanted scents associated with food, companions, and surroundings. It\u2019s an instinct associated with keeping a low profile where potential predators are involved.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately for cat owners, this instinct means that cats prefer to leave waste in an environment where it can be covered and hidden. Enter the litter box. Yes, I know what you may be thinking: cleaning the litter box can be a real pain. But when you consider kitty\u2019s desire to be clean and their sense of security, you can begin to appreciate the importance of cleaning the litter box often and cleaning it well.<\/p>\n<p>Litter boxes should be cleaned at least twice daily if you own 1-2 cats, preferably immediately after use, as far as kitty is concerned. More cats means cleaning the box more often, or having multiple boxes and cleaning all of those just as often. With cleaning frequency in mind, it\u2019s important that you make arrangements while you\u2019re away, such as hiring a pet <a href=\"https:\/\/fetchpetcare.com\/services\/pet-sitting\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"100\" title=\"Sitting\">sitter<\/a> to visit kitty on a regular basis and ensure the litter box is cleaned properly and with regularity.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of proper cleaning, here are some essential tips that you should always practice, and also share with anyone providing pet sitting and cat care while you are away:<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Cats will dig a space in which to leave their waste and then cover that space with surrounding litter, so scraping the surface won\u2019t do. Digging out the poop and clumps and sifting is essential.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Tilting the litter box from side to side is a great way to move un-clumped litter and can make finding missed clumps a whole lot easier<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Cleaning frequently, especially immediately after kitty uses the litter box, reduces the smell, waste of litter, and greatly reduces the risk of the kitty looking elsewhere for a clean spot to go.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Waste retrieved from the litter box should immediately be disposed of, preferably outside of the home.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Depending on the number of cats using any one litter box, frequent dumping of unused litter and disinfection of the box itself should be common practice. Removing the waste is a daily job, keeping the box smelling clean and free of bacteria should be done on a weekly basis when 1-2 cats use the box, more frequently if you have more cats than that.<\/p>\n<p>\u00b7 Keep the litter box in an inconspicuous space. This is just a courtesy for kitty, as they like their privacy just as much as we do.<\/p>\n<p><i>For a list of recommended products, read this guide to the best litter boxes from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mypetneedsthat.com\/best-self-cleaning-litter-boxes\/\">My Pet Needs That<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u2019ve owned cats all your life, or are bringing a kitty into your home for the first time, you\u2019re likely aware of an interesting cat quirk; they prefer to be clean. Cats and their penchant for cleanliness isn\u2019t a phenomenon associated with domestication. It\u2019s an instinctual trait, something that has been passed down through&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,24,26,6,7,8,9,28,12,13,14,17,18],"tags":[22,23,25,27],"class_list":["post-190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cat-care","category-cats","category-cleanliness","category-dog-boarding","category-dog-walker","category-dog-walking","category-dog-walking-business","category-litterbox","category-pet-care","category-pet-franchise-opportunities","category-pet-franchises","category-pet-sitting","category-pet-sitting-business","tag-cat-care","tag-cat-litter","tag-cats","tag-litter-box"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Process And Importance Of Proper Litter Box Cleaning - Fetch! 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