Click to Skip Ahead
In general, you should add about 2–3 inches of litter in your litter box. Of course, the exact amount will depend on the size of your litter box. You want to provide enough depth for your cat to dig and cover their waste. You may need to add non-clumping litter slightly deeper—around 3–4 inches.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Keep reading to find out when you may need to add more or less litter.
How Much Litter to Put in a Litter Box
You should maintain an adequate depth in your cat’s litter box. Typically, this means keeping the litter amount within 2–3 inches. However, some cats may prefer more or less. You may need to adjust the amount you add based on your cat’s needs.
Adding more litter does not reduce how often you need to clean your box. It will just lead to cat litter getting kicked out of the box. You’ll still need to scoop the litter daily to keep the box clean. As you scoop, add more litter to keep the necessary amount.
Ensure that the litter is properly distributed along the bottom of the box. The depth should be consistent, and your cat may mess with this consistency as they use the box. You may need to correct it as necessary.
Different types of cat litter have different densities and absorbency. We recommend reading the instructions on the package to figure out exactly how much litter you may need of that particular kind. When the package contradicts the 2–3 inches rule, follow the package instructions. You can always adjust later if it seems too much or too little.
Can You Put Too Much Litter in a Litter Box?
You can put too much litter in a litter box. Your cat won’t want to use a litter box that has too much litter in it, and they may show you by not using the litter box at all. Furthermore, even if your cat does use the box, they may kick a bunch of litter out of the box.
Having too much litter on the floor can also confuse your cat, as they may think that the floor is the litter box. Keep this in mind when determining how much litter to add to your box.
Adding too much litter can also make it harder to remove the soiled parts promptly. You may be unable to remove all of the soiled litter, forcing you to change the whole litter box and waste the excess. If you’re using clumping litter, too much litter can lead to a limit in the litter’s clumping ability.
How to Tell If You’re Using Too Much Litter?
You want the box filled with just enough litter. Figuring this out can be a challenge, though. In some cases, it can be easy to go overboard.
Luckily, there are several ways you can tell if you’re using too much litter in your litter box.
- Your cat slips. If your feline is sliding around inside the litterbox, there is a very good chance that you’re using too much cat litter. The litter may be shifting too much as your cat walks, making it hard for them to keep their balance. This is especially problematic for older cats or those with physical challenges. These cats may actually need less litter than typically recommended.
- You add litter all the time. If you despise the chore of cleaning the litter box, you may add litter slowly to avoid cleaning it. However, this can only make it harder to use, especially if you’re using clay litter. The clay litter can form hard, heavy clumps if used in excess.
- Your cat doesn’t go all the way in. If there is too much litter, your cat may avoid going all the way in due to the slipping issue. They may try to use the litter box with only their front half inside. This kind of behavior can also occur if your litter box is too small. You’ll probably need to do a bit of trial and error to figure out the underlying problem.
- Litter ends up everywhere. If there is too much litter inside the litter box, it will spill easier. Therefore, if you notice a lot of cat litter all over your floor, it may be that you’re using too much cat litter in your box.
If you notice any of these signs, you may want to reduce the amount of cat litter you use.
Should You Measure When Adding Cat Litter?
You don’t have to add exactly 2 inches—your cat isn’t that picky. However, if you’ve never used a particular litter box, you may want to measure it the first time to get an idea of how much litter 2 inches is.
Of course, if it makes it easier for you, you can absolutely measure it every time. You can also measure 2 inches and make a small mark on the inside of the litterbox to use after that.
How Often Should You Scoop a Litter Box for One Cat?
Preferably, you should scoop out the litter box once a day, even if you only have one cat. A cleaner litter box prevents poor bathroom habits, which can make your job quite a bit easier. Furthermore, a dirty litter box can carry plenty of germs, making your cat or even you sick. Keep this in mind when you’re determining your scooping schedule.
If you have more than one cat, you may need to increase how often you scoop the litter box. However, the minimum is still once a day.
On top of scooping, don’t forget that you need to clean the litter box regularly and well. All the litter needs to be removed every other week or so, and you may want to consider scrubbing the actual box, too. The plastic itself can hold onto odors, so it’s important to use a disposable litter box or clean your litter box well.
Combating tough cat litter smells is an ongoing battle for pet parents but luckily, there are products out there designed to help! Two products that significantly reduce odors are the Hepper Litter Additive and the Hepper Enzyme Spray. At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Image
Product
Details
Best For Cleaning
Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray
CHECK PRICE
Best Litter Additive
Advanced Bio-Enzyme Cat Litter Deodorizer
CHECK PRICE
Conclusion
For the vast majority of situations, you’ll need to add 2–3 inches of cat litter to your litter box. For most cats and boxes, this is the perfect amount of litter. However, there may be times when you need to increase or decrease the amount of litter that you use. Older cats may need less litter, for instance.
Feel free to adjust the amount of cat litter you add to figure out exactly how much your feline needs.
Featured Image Credit: Duet PandG, Shutterstock
I need the groups help!! I have two 17 year old sister kitties, who are my babies and buddies, and I want to do the best I can for them. One kitty Lacy (longtail) is 2/3 as large as the other, Macy, (the manx, because she was born a manx). I'm very grateful that they are happy and healthy, but I've run into a room remodeling situation, and I want to make sure that I make the best choice for them.
They have always shared the same litter box. I have been using PrettyLitter Clumping litter for about 9-10 months, and we use the round litter box that company sells, but occasionally I'm finding that one (or both) of them is pooping outside the box, I'm hoping it doesn't also mean that they're urinating outside the box as well, but it's hard to tell. I scoop the litter judiciously twice a day, if not three times, and always make sure to add fresh litter. However, I have still been finding poop lately, despite cleaning the spot with an enzymatic cleaner, but admittedly, maybe I need to fine tune my method.
Here's where I need your help:
I'm remodeling that room, to make it both a cat litter box containment place, but also a workable home office and an extended closet/boudoir. My home is very small so I'm trying to maximize the space. I'd like to purchase a piece of enclosed cat furniture that would blend into that esthetic and would contain the dust better. In the past, the cats have had an enclosed litter box and have been fine but if proceed, so, should I get a furniture piece that has enough space to fit 2 litter boxes, given that the one round box may not be big enough , and maybe that's why I'm having the "accidents". I've read that that the box needed to be 1 1/2 feet larget than the larger cat. The round box is 17" in diameter and Lacy is 27' long from head to fully extended tail, so I think that may be some of the problem.
Any advice would be most appreciated, before I make any major purchases. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this, much less replies.
From one cat lover to the another
Much Love,
Liz K
Pensacola, FL.
Hi Elisabeth, the general recommendation in multi-cat households is one litter box per cat plus an extra one. Here are some posts you might find useful:
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/how-many-litter-boxes-per-cat/
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/litter-box-problems-ask-a-behaviorist/
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/are-cats-territorial-about-their-litter-box/
https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/why-is-my-cat-pooping-outside-the-litter-box/
We hope this helps
I have 4 litter boxes for my 5 cats. I clean them twice a day..tops 3 times a day. Out of the 4 boxes…only 1 box would need a refill of litter. its funny how often that litter box needs a refill! I just wish there was a way to control the litter dust. its all over . lol
Thanks for sharing your experience.