As a devoted cat lover, I'm certain that you clean your cat's litter box every day, right? I thought so. Because your cat's sense of smell is 14 times stronger than yours. You can imagine what it must smell like in your cat's bathroom (aka litter box). Whatever aromas you smell coming from the litter box is 14 times less than what you cat has to put up with.
So, yes. A Clean and inviting litter box is a basic essential to getting your cat to use it.
A second complaint of cats worldwide is that their humans change the brand of litter and that makes the box unappealing. I used to buy whatever brand of litter was on sale that week until I realized that my saving a few pennies on litter was costing me much more in urine cleaning products! Why wouldn't cats want the brand of their litter changed? Here are three reasons:
1. Cats don't like change
Cats are territorial beings who like their territories to be predictable and free from threat of any source. You might ask, "Changing litter is a threat to my cat's territory?" And the answer is yes. Cats have no idea that you pay the mortgage or rent on your home. As far as our cats are concerned, our houses are theirs. Would you like it if someone came in and changed the furniture in your home? Well, cats don't care for that either.
2. Cats don't like changes in aromas
Most litters have a fragrance added to them. Even if a litter claims to be "scent-free" it still has some kind of smell. Keeping in mind that cats don't like change of any kind, an abrupt altering of the aroma in their bathrooms can disrupt their usual habits. They may simply not like the new fragrance and pee elsewhere. They could also get angry about the new fragrance, and pee on an item they know is important to you.
3. Cat's don't like changes in the feel of their litter
Every brand of litter has a different texture and feel. Some are comprised of large crystals while others are of a clay material. Your cat has a distinct preference regarding the texture of litter, and some experimenting may be in order. Try out a few different brands and observe if you cat actually digs to cover its fecal and urinary deposits. If not, your cat may not like the feel of the litter. Remember, cats are clean animals by nature and will naturally bury their messes than have to smell them.
Once you find a litter than meets your cat's criteria for smell and feel, I highly recommend that you stock up and not change brands in the future. After all, if a cat can't depend on the predictability of your litter, what can a cat depend on? Sticking to one brand is an easy fix to the problem of peeing outside the box.
