It’s no secret that cats can be finicky creatures. They often seem to take one look at their litter box and turn up their noses in disgust. But why is this?
There are actually a few reasons why your cat might not be happy with his litter box. One reason could be that the package is delicate, but they dislike the litter. The average cat is most comfortable with fine, unscented, clumping cat litter. Cats are typically not big fans of the scented varieties that many people tend to prefer. They also dislike the crystal-type litters — most sizzle when they get wet, so you can imagine why that would be unpleasant for a cat! The average cat also hates the plastic litter liners, so it’s probably best to stay away from them. Having said all this, each cat is an individual, and what one doesn’t like, another might love.
The best way to determine your cat’s litter preference is to set up a “litter cafeteria.” This allows the cat to make his selection from several different choices. To do this, you need at least a few uncovered litter boxes that are the same other than the type of litter that they contain.
Cats will preferentially eliminate in the most pleasing box to them, allowing you to select the most appropriate liter for your cat. You may need to change litters one or two at a time in a kind of challenge style where the winning liter goes up against challenging liter until you’ve been through all the options.