Statistics: That’s how often cats go to the litter box on average How often do cats go to the litter box? Here we have two values that you can use as a guide:
A healthy, adult cat needs an average of Drain urine 2 to 4 times. Cats usually only have to defecate once a day. Of course, these values are not set in stone, and depend on several factors. For example, if a cat is fed wet food, its body gets more liquid. Because wet food is too round 80% of moisture, with dry food it is only around 16%. With wet feeding, a cat will have to urinate more frequently.
In this case, however, this has a positive effect on its health: Your urinary system is flushed out more, and the urine also has a less concentration. This protects against urinary tract and kidney diseases, as well as against urinary crystals.
So the biggest factor is fluid intake. Because: The more liquid gets into the cat’s body, the more has to get out again. Basically, it would be good if your cat drinks a lot of liquid, unfortunately cats are naturally lazy about drinking. A cat fountain and other little tricks are recommended to encourage the cat to drink more.
There are also differences in the frequency with which cats have to make big deals. Basically it can be said: The higher the quality of the cat food, the less often cats have to “big”. In addition, the droppings are firmer with food that can be digested well, and the piles in the litter box are smaller and less smelly.
Do you want your cat to stay healthy for a long time?
Bad cat food makes cats sick – give your cat something better – our test winner:
Species-appropriate cat food from ANIfit – 99% Meat in Swedish food quality, without harmful additives. Try the feed change package now!
Exclusive 10% discount voucher for new customers:
cat stuff Code copied!
Cat owners should keep a close eye on their cat’s toilet habits Many illnesses in cats also manifest themselves in the fact that they visit the litter box either less frequently or more frequently. For this reason, it is worthwhile for cat owners to keep an eye on how often the cat uses the litter box.
Note: This is of course not easy, especially if you have more than one house cat in the household. Even in the case of outdoor cats, who simply do some business in the garden, you don’t notice every visit to the toilet. However, even under such circumstances, major abnormalities do not escape a watchful eye.
Several cat diseases can be considered as causes for a changed frequency of defecation and urination:
The cat urinates particularly frequently Experience has shown that this is the most common deviation seen in cats. There are several diseases to consider here:
Bladder infection Urinary crystals or urinary stones Other urinary tract or kidney diseases Diabetes Hyperthyroidism Oversupply of calcium Stress Depending on the cause, other symptoms can also be seen. For example, with a bladder infection and urinary crystals, the cat will experience pain when urinating in the litter box. There could also be blood in the urine and the cat will only shed small amounts, but will go to the litter box particularly often.
It would also be typical of an illness as well as of stress if if the cat suddenly becomes unclean, i.e. also urinates outside the litter box in the apartment.
Increased thirst and a large appetite would result in diabetes mellitus (sugar disease). However, the animals still do not gain weight.
If the cat rarely urinates If the cat only pees once or twice a day, the reason is usually insufficient fluid intake, including through food. But it can also be that the cat is staying as long as possible because it is not satisfied with its litter box:
Too dirty, annoying smell Not enough litter boxes (rule of thumb: number of cats + 1!) The wrong cat litter The cat bothers the lid The litter boxes are in a too noisy place in the apartment – rather choose a corner in a quiet, little-used room (basement, bathroom, storage room) Cats are generally quite sensitive when it comes to the “quiet room”, changes in Cat toilet, cat litter, parking space and Co. should only be used with care. You can find more tips on the topic of litter boxes in our guide.
Even cats that suffer from stress generally hold back from going to the toilet as long as they can. This is the case, for example, with bullying by other cats, or with a major change, for example a move.
Frequent defecation and diarrhea in cats You shouldn’t just keep track of how often your cat goes to the litter box during the day, you should also look at the legacies. Picture : New Africa / Shutterstock.com16617955337208149046 With inferior food, it is quite possible that a cat has to make a big deal several times a day. The size of the heaps also increases the more difficult it is for the animal to digest the feed.
Mushy and smelly faeces could also indicate an intolerance to certain ingredients in the feed.
If the diarrhea is real, an infection may be present. Here it is advisable to give the cat up to 24 hours no food to give her digestive system a chance to recover. Then you can temporarily feed them bland food.
Constipation in Cats – When the Cat Doesn’t Make a Big Deal If a cat only defecates very hard stools every few days, it is constipated. In the worst case, a cat is unable to defecate at all, which is a life-threatening condition.
Constipation is a symptom and not a disease in its own right. Chronic constipation is difficult to recognize, especially in people who are outdoors. Here it is important to look out for signs such as vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and an enlarged abdomen.
One Constipation can have a variety of triggers in cats:
Lack of exercise Overweight Incorrect diet Insufficient dietary fiber intake Insufficient fluid intake Swallowed foreign bodies (e.g. hairballs, cat litter) Intestinal diseases Pain when defecation Stress When should you go to the vet? Basically : If the cat suddenly changes its habits, then at least attention is required. Of course, this also applies if she goes to the litter box more or less often.
In any case, a visit to the veterinarian is advisable if:
she has pain when urinating or defecation (e.g. recognizable by meowing) Blood can be seen in the urine or the residue the cat has other symptoms such as great thirst, strong appetite, loss of appetite , vomiting, fever, pain, exhaustion or nervousness Diarrhea lasts longer than a day the cat suddenly becomes unclean Finally, on the subject of the veterinarian: It is better to go to the vet once too often than once too little. You should also take small abnormalities in your velvet paw seriously, because the following applies to many diseases: the earlier they are detected, the better they can be treated.
Prevention of diseases A high-quality wet food, as you can find in our test, and good litter box hygiene are, in our experience, a good way to prevent urinary tract diseases. So you should shovel out the toilet at least every day and ideally clean it thoroughly every two weeks and replace all the cat litter.
Featured image (top): Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com
