Editing Litter box (section)

{{Short description|Indoor pet feces and urine collection box}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
[[Image:Japanese litter box.jpg|thumb|A basic litter box and scoop]]
A '''litter box''', also known as a '''sandbox''', '''cat box''', '''litter tray''', '''cat pan''', '''potty''', '''pot,''' or '''litter pan''', is an indoor [[feces]] and [[urine]] collection box for [[cat]]s, as well as [[Domestic rabbit|rabbits]], [[ferret]]s, [[miniature pig]]s, small [[dog]]s, and other [[pet]]s that instinctively or through [[Housebreaking|training]] will make use of such a repository. They are provided for pets that are permitted free roam of a home but who cannot or do not always go outside to [[excretion|excrete]] their [[metabolic waste]].<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.vetwest.com.au/pet-library/how-long-do-cats-live-ageing-and-your-feline |title=How long do cats live? Ageing and your feline |date=8 May 2013 |work=VetWest.com.au}}</ref>

Cats are [[:wikt:fastidious|fastidious]] by nature.{{sfn|Beaver|2003|p=248}} Free-roaming domestic cats will attempt to cover their urine and especially their faeces within their [[home range]], in proximity of their food area.{{sfn|Feldman|1994|p=1096}}{{sfn|Panaman|1981|p=65–66, 71}}{{sfn|Beaver|2003|p=252}}{{efn|In Feldman's study, only 25% of faeces and 36% of urine deposits were made within 10 m of the food area. Most faeces and less than a half of urine deposits made within the total study area of 1,600 m<sup>2</sup>{{sfn|Feldman|1994|p=1094}} were partially buried. In Panaman's study, faeces were distributed evenly between inside and outside of each cat's core area, and half of them were left unburied, with "a significant tendency to leave more faeces exposed outside the core area". Only one in 33 observed urine deposits was scratched over. However, in this study the outer limit of the core area could lie as far as 80 or 400 m from the feeding place, and the [[intersection]] between cat core areas alone extended over 2,000 m<sup>2</sup>.{{sfn|Panaman|1981|p=63–64}}}} To achieve this, they rake the surface in a backward sweeping motion with their front paws to draw loose material over the waste. The efficiency of these attempts is limited by [[soil texture]], as cats have to break the surface with their toes due to their [[Claw#Mammals|claws being protractile]].{{sfn|Beaver|2003|p=288}} Still, on rare occasions outdoor cats have been observed trying to dig holes to deposit their excrements in.{{sfn|Panaman|1981|p=65}} The raking behaviour is associated with [[Sniffing (behavior)|sniffing]] the waste and will often follow from it.{{sfn|Feldman|1994|p=1096}}{{sfn|Panaman|1981|p=65–66}}{{efn|Feldman reports that 98% of faeces were sniffed and for most an attempt to bury them was made. Beaver makes the [[Causality|causal]] link stronger by writing, "The earth raking associated with burying feces is initiated by the odor of fecal matter", while citing Panaman,{{sfn|Beaver|2003|p=252}} but the claim is not present in the source.}} Raking is said to occur rarely when the motivation behind elimination is to engage in [[scent marking]].{{sfn|Beaver|2003|p=251}}{{efn|Feldman notes that the only two faeces in her study left completely exposed were by adult male cats.{{sfn|Feldman|1994|p=1096}} Wendland wrongly attributes an unevidenced claim that "domestic cats bury their excrements because they view their owner as dominant" to Molteno et al.{{sfn|Wendland|2011|p=1}} These researchers, who studied wild felids, note the possible communicatory role of feces deposited in prominent locations, left exposed, and even emphasised by scraping the soil, which they write "needs further investigation".{{sfn|Molteno|Sliwa|Richardson|1998|p=40}}}} At thirty days of age, domestic kittens start to exhibit the innate behaviour of raking loose sand or soft dirt. This initially occurs in advance of elimination and can be combined with ingesting particles.{{sfn|Beaver|2003|p=247}}

Cat litter boxes are designed to stimulate feline instincts around waste elimination and provide a cat with loose material that is easy to rake over the waste. A litter box's bottom is typically filled with {{convert|2|in|cm|0}} or less of cat litter.<ref name="humanesociety1">{{cite web |url= https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/preventing-litter-box-problems |title=Preventing litter box problems &#124; The Humane Society of the United States |publisher=Humanesociety.org |access-date=4 April 2020}}</ref> Litter box filler is a loose, granular material that absorbs moisture and odors such as [[ammonia]]. Some litter brands contain baking soda to absorb such odors, or owners may sprinkle a thin layer in the bottom of the box, under the cat litter.<ref name="humanesociety1"/> The litter material also satisfies a cat's instinctive desire to hide their scent by allowing them to bury their waste. The most common material is clay, although recycled paper "pellets" and silica-based "crystal" variants are also used. Sometimes, when an owner wishes to stimulate the cat's natural instincts, natural dirt is used.

The litter can give off a strong odor, and must be disposed of periodically. It is recommended that the litter box be kept in low traffic areas of the home to avoid litter box aversion.<ref name="aspca1">{{Cite web|url= https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/litter-box-problems|title = Litter Box Problems}}</ref> There are commercially available special types of litter to help cover or lessen the odor produced. They contain baking soda, plant extracts and/or odorized crystals.<ref name="aspca1"/> If kept in a room with an intake vent, an air freshener may be added on the furnace filter to isolate the odor from the rest of the house.