It’s important to change out the litter every week, regardless of how often the tray is cleaned. Ideally, both conditions would be met.
The consequences of not cleaning the litter box regularly.
Urinary tract infections, prostate issues, and epididymitis are just some of the complications that can arise if a cat’s urine sits in the bladder for too long (a twelve-rank urinary infection caused by a spherical bacterium). It’s annoying, but in human terms it’s not life-threatening. However, this is a major event for felines.
The issue here is that there are insufficient litter boxes for the number of cats. At a minimum, you should have one more litter box than you have cats. The best way to keep a cat’s litter box clean is to scoop it once or twice daily, and you should also clean it as soon as possible after your cat uses it.
It’s important for cats to leave a scent mark in their territory so that no one else can move in. Regularly scooping out your cat’s litter box and stirring around the dust will disperse the resulting litter dust and eliminate most of the odours.
The best care for a litter box with clumping litter is daily scooping and at least once-weekly replacement. Alternating between cats is recommended at least every two weeks if you have more than one.
As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t have to repot your houseplants more often than every other day, but this will vary depending on the specifics of your situation. If you frequently repot houseplants, the commercial potting mix may need to be replaced every two to three weeks.
The consequences of not cleaning the litter box regularly.
Either the kittens will learn their lesson or they will abandon the litter box, which will then be clean. Kidney problems in cats are distressing but not as serious as a urinary tract infection in humans.
People frequently believe that since their cats naturally prefer to urinate and faeces in their litter boxes, they must be consistently cleaning up after them.
Stress. Cats who use the litter box regularly seem to be happy. Cats’ highly developed olfactory systems enable them to notice any change in the cleanliness of their litter box right away. Unsatisfactorily kept and frequently cleaned litter boxes might release an offensive odour and give cats the same feeling they receive when they have to relieve themselves in a filthy public restroom.
Clean your cat’s litter box and replace the litter at least once a week, or your cat may become afraid of the litter box and start using the floor instead.
It may come as a shock to learn that parasites can survive in dirty cat litter and that even small cats can contract intestinal parasites from eating contaminated litter. In addition, gastrointestinal parasites can take up residence in the intestine, leading to the development of large cysts in the GI tract that in turn severely contaminate both food and faeces.
