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Seriously, I've been on the channel for three years and now I think I should make a video about first time litter box care. Well, yes, but I'm doing it because you asked me to, and I owe it to my audience. So go ahead, ask me for whatever you want. Well, not everything. Hi, I'm Carlos, a clinical veterinarian at Small Animals. Welcome to the Happy Pets and Families channel. Cats Litter. Litter box. Okay, I thought I had covered everything with the videos we'd made on the channel, but no, I had forgotten to make the video about litter box care. This video is for those people who are just starting to live with a cat and don't really know how to handle it. But also for all those people who have been living with a cat for a long time because you may be doing things that are wrong and that drive your cat crazy. I say this because of the 800,000 questions I receive every day about litter box related topics, which is why we're making this video, which I think was necessary. I want to dedicate this video especially to Sakhra, who is probably watching us with her Chinese cat on her lap. A little bird told me that she really likes watching us and that we make her smile every now and then. Let's start with the easiest thing. Where should you put your cat's litter box? I'll skip over this a bit because I've already mentioned it in other videos, but it had to be in this one too. The litter box has to be in a quiet place. You can't put it in a high traffic area or where there's a lot of noise or commotion because then your cat won't be able to concentrate. Don't leave it in a place where it's too hot because that will make its things smell more and the cat won't want to use it.

Hello, cat. The N1 rule is very important if you have more than one cat living in the house, number of cats you have at home, plus an extra litter box. Especially if one of them is a bit of a bully, like a bit of a stalker, and chases the other one. But now, I haven't mentioned this in any video before and you may not know. What size should your cat's litter box be? Well, if you have that question, I'll answer it quickly. The largest one you can. If you're in the store buying a litter box and you don't know whether to go for a larger or smaller one, always go for the larger one because your cat will thank you for it. There are people who Buy their cats tiny dwarf litter boxes where the cat can't even turn around. And that's a mistake because it makes the cat uncomfortable in the litter box and may look for other alternative places to do their business. And I also have a tip for you. There are people who are a bit handy and decide to make them with these transparent boxes to store things that are used, for example, in garages or under beds. The ones from Ikea, right?

Yes, the ones from Ikea are the ones from the Chinese store. I don't care. I mean, whatever they are, those boxes are very large and allow you to make a litter box that is somewhat adapted to your cat's needs. Okay. And also, wait, if in addition to being long and large, they are also deep, you can have your own homemade litter box with a lid. And speaking of lids, next question. With or without a lid? Well, I tell you that when in doubt, always with a lid. Because you can remove the top part of the litter boxes that have a lid and they are still functional. They are still a normal tray where your cat can do their business. I say this because not all cats like to be covered while they are eliminating, but there are many cats that do because they are a bit more shy or because they feel more protected. You can put a temporary uncovered tray in it and the one you bought with a lid, well, it's perfectly assembled. Then you'll see if your cat decides to do it in the one without a lid or in the one with a lid. If it uses the one without a lid more, then you can remove the lid from the one you bought and that's it. And those super cool space age automatic litter boxes that are self cleaning, are they a good idea or not? Well, let's see. Maybe to keep the litter box clean or to keep you comfortable, they're a great idea. But maybe they're not the best for the cat because your cat could be using the litter box and for whatever reason at that moment it activates, your cat could get scared and decide never to use that litter box again and start doing its business in other places. I don't recommend that you spend a lot of money on these types of trays because after all, cleaning the litter box isn't a herculean effort and well, a traditional litter box will do the trick perfectly. And another very important thing, you have to adapt the litter box to your cat's needs. Sometimes very small kittens can't use an adult litter box. You would have to put a small step or something like that so they can get in. But then you could also have the problem that they don't know how to get out. Well, for those cases, there are litter boxes adapted for small kittens. Or you could use a box during the months that they are small and that's it. What I can tell you is that there are some cats that are older or that have mobility problems, that have trouble getting into adult litter boxes. In those cases, there are specific litter boxes for them that have a very low edge so that the cat can enter without any problem and also get out and do their business in a very hygienic place. But at the moment you are only talking to me about types of litter boxes. When does the care come? The care comes now. This was the last one about litter boxes. Okay, now you have the perfect tray for your cat. The ideal place for them to do their business. How much litter do you have to put in the litter box? This is one of the questions I've received the most on the channel. The amount of litter should be neither too much nor too little. It should be enough for the cat to dig in and bury its things. And it shouldn't be 2 meters of litter because then the cat won't use it. In fact, some studies show that cats don't use litter boxes with a layer of litter that is more than 5 cm deep. Ideally, it should be between 3 and 5 cm deep. Depending on how big your litter box is, you'll need to add more or less litter from the bag. But don't worry, with the advice we're going to see now, you won't waste a single litter. How often should you clean your cat's litter box? Well, every day you'll need to remove the solid parts and the part of the litter that has gotten wet. To do this, you'll need to use a regular shovel to sift through the dry litter and leave it inside, move it a little to re aerate it, and so on, and replace the part of the sand that you removed. If you do this regularly, you will make the sand inside the litter box last much longer. How long? Well, it will also depend on the type of sand you are giving your cat. There are many types of sand that will last more or less time, depending on their properties. Some are clumping, some are absorbent, and I already talked about those in a video here on the channel that I recommend you watch as a complement to this one. Please watch it after this one. There are sands that can last three or four weeks perfectly. But does that mean that you only have to clean the litter box, which is the tray once a month? Well, no. You have to clean the tray every three or four days. Since your cat can still use the sand. You take it out, put it in a bucket, in a bag, clean the tray and put it back in. Then always use neutral soaps without perfume or aromas, as I always tell you, and also ones that are not harmful to the cat. Always read the labels. A good tip is to let the litter box air dry and place it in direct sunlight when you clean it, because that will make the litter box smell less later when your cat uses it. Of course, after three to four weeks, throw away all the litter that remains in the litter box. Regardless of how it is, if you decide to add some type of substance to remove the odor from the litter, I recommend that you always put it in a thin layer under the entire amount of litter. Why the people ask me that in the activated charcoal video? Because that way the cat will distribute it more or less evenly when digging. If you put that layer of activated carbon or odor removing substance on the surface when the cat enters the first time, apart from taking everything stuck to its paws, it is possible that when you eliminate the poop and the things it has done during that day, it will not eliminate anything. And there are some things that are a little controversial, but which are these things? These bags that are placed inside the litter box, they contain the litter and so when you have to remove it, when you have to throw it away, you just have to close the bag and take out the trash. It is controversial because they are very comfortable for you. But there are some cats that do not like the texture of that plastic. So they have a bad time and may decide not to use that litter box. Hello, I am Carlos from the future. I am here to tell you that we have tried the bags with my look and the truth is that they have been a disaster. I did not like them at all. Not because Milou didn't use the litter box, which he has continued to use, but because the first time he went in, he went like a bulldozer and scratched the entire bag, ending up breaking it. And, well, it's dangerous because in the end he could end up swallowing some pieces of plastic and so on. In addition, we also discovered that the litter box started to smell a little worse those days. And it was because when he left his things on top of the plastic, he forgot to cover them and that's why the litter box smelled awful. I don't recommend them because they're quite expensive and they haven't solved any problems. In fact, they've created new ones. And now let's get to a delicate subject. Imagine that you're using one type of litter and for whatever reason you decide to change it. How do you have to go about changing the litter? Well, I'm of the opinion that what works with a cat is better left alone because they are a bit finicky and have a hard time adapting to the changes we make in their home. But if, for example, you are still using absorbent litter and you want to start using clumping litter, and you are afraid that your cat will not adapt very well, there is a trick that you can use so that he does not notice the change as much. When you remove the litter that he has been using, you can save part of it. A part that is dry, that is more or less clean. You are going to put that part of the litter on top of the new substrate that you put in the cat's tray. That litter already has his pheromones. It is already marked by him. It will be much easier for him to recognize that litter and know that this is where he has to eliminate. And later you will not need to keep mixing it because he will already understand that this is the new substrate and he will adapt perfectly. And that's it for today's video. If you liked it, give it a like and share it with everyone. Remember to subscribe to our channel if you haven't already. And also remember that we have a secondary channel here on YouTube called Questions and Answers from a Veterinarian. Check it out and subscribe too. Also, hit the bell. So YouTube will notify you every time we upload new content. And today we meet this little guy named Rhys, who lives with Luz Vasquez and Nada, Mari Farrow's canine companion. We say goodbye with a panther named Karma posing in her new bed. She lives with Miguel Angel Penado. Thank you very much for following the channel. Pets and Happy Families. And we'll see you in the next video. He looks cuter on camera. Is that you? Because he's not going to break.

It's you.

But you ask for it, and I owe it to you. I'll do whatever you ask me to do. Look, I'll take it out of my mouth. Okay, well, I'll stop blah, blah, blah, because then you can put it in the comments because I get carried away. So let's get to the point. Well, although I think this is also part of the blah, blah, blah, but. Oh, well. But now I haven't mentioned this in any video until now. And maybe you're always looking suspicious, right? Yes.

But one very important thing. One very important thing, right? But one very important thing is that.

But you take it out and then you put it back in. You take it out in a garbage bag and then you put it back in. No, it's okay. Be careful. Because if you're thinking that it's something that has less impact on the environment, putting plastic in is kind of weird, right? Cat litter, litter boxes.