Litter box liners are great for humans, but what do our cats think of them?
When I had my cat Rascal, the question of whether or not to use litter box liners never occurred to me. I had learned from an early age that we should always use litter box liners for our cats. I’m 28 years old now, and looking back, I realize how much my parents and I didn’t know.
The Litter Box Conundrum
As if the litter box wasn’t complicated enough already, right? Litter box liners can add yet another element to the mix that can put some cats off of going in the litter box.
Since there are a variety of reasons a cat might use the bathroom outside of the litter box, it’s best to eliminate all other possibilities first. Reasons for accidents outside the litter box can include:
- Stress
- Illness
- Declawing
- A smelly litter box
- Litter type (try using Pretty Litter! Cats love it!)
- The litter box itself or the placement of it
All of these things can make your cat uneasy about using the litter box. However, litter box liners can also cause this issue.
Plastic Liner vs. No Liner
How did plastic liners become a thing in the first place? Cats didn’t exactly use them in the wild. The truth is that plastic litter box liners were designed by humans for humans. There’s absolutely no added value for the cat.
Litter box liners make the cleanup process easier. All you have to do is use the drawstring or twist tie to close it up like a garbage bag, then you just throw it away. Simple. Efficient. Lazy.
Plastic litter box liners are like a foreign object to your cat, one that they don’t want in their bathroom space. The liner can feel strange on your cat’s paws when they dig around in the litter. This can cause litter box avoidance in more extreme cases, but most cats will use the bathroom in odd positions or just deal with it.
Are There Health Issues From Using Litter Box Liners?
Honestly, I’ve never heard of any. The liners themselves don’t pose any significant threat to your cat. They’re more of an annoyance that can cause litter box avoidance, which can turn into other health issues.
The only foreseeable problem would be if your cat got a part of the liner caught in her claws. Cats with claws will poke holes in the liner, but they can sometimes rip a chunk right out of it. Although swallowing a bit of the liner when cleaning her claws is not ideal, it’s highly doubtful it would get caught in your kitty’s digestive system and cause a problem.
In short: your cat has a far greater chance of experiencing other health issues before having trouble with a litter box liner.
Is It Ever Okay To Use A Litter Box Liner?
It’s up to you whether or not you want to try using liners. If your cat doesn’t have a problem with them, you can continue to use them without worry. Just be prepared for holes in the litter liner if your cat has claws. Those sharp points can cause the liner to spring a leak.
If, however, your cat starts to experience accidents outside of the litter box, you may want to stop using the liners and see if the situation improves. You should also take kitty to the vet to make sure the problem isn’t health-related.
Are There Alternatives To Litter Box Liners?
None that eliminate the nasty task of scrubbing your cat’s litter box clean. There is no invention on Earth that lets you avoid this annoying chore, but there are litter box options that make it simpler to scoop.
Self-cleaning litter boxes like the Litter Robot require no scooping, but you still have to clean them every once in awhile. It’s like having a water fountain for your cat: you don’t have to pour out the water each day, but you still have to clean the fountain once a week. Disposable litter boxes, on the other hand, can just be thrown away.
It’s ultimately up to you to decide what’s best for your cat, but if you ask us, litter box liners are more hassle than they’re worth.
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Interesting. I didn’t know that those “robot” litter boxes were available in the west but boy, are they expensive ($650 CAD thanks to the devalued currency). Had a rather strong case of nostalgia with that Luuup box 😀
Yep! They haven’t been available for long, but they look really cool. Hopefully they’re as good as the insane price you have to pay for them. lol
Hi Amber, Misha and Tippy- its Lucky the Little Kitten here, your Instagram furriend. Love the blog guys and thought I’d come over and show my support.
I hate litter tray liners for many of the reasons you mention here. I also like to feel the natural roughness of the litter below my paws. I also like to scratch and scrape it up and over my toilet business to cover it up myself and stop it from smelling but I can’t do that properly if I have a shiny, slippery bag in the bottom of my tray.
This ultimately means that it is up to my human to clean my tray more frequently. Big deal hey.
I am pretty much well trained and will use a litter tray indoors and bury my business outside in the garden so my human has it easy really.
Thank you Amber
We agree 100%, Lucky! Imagine if hoomans tried to flush their business with a plastic liner in the toilet. It probably wouldn’t work out too well! 😉 It’s a good thing your hooman is good about cleaning your litter box. Thanks for stopping by!
My cats have been using them for years. I use a brand called Johnny Cat. I can’t imagine NOT using them.
Hmm, I’ve never heard of Johnny Cat. I’ll have to check them out! Hopefully your cats continue to use them without any problems.
I tried the Johnny Cat liners and found that they are very strong. With my cat that likes to dig, they last 1-2 weeks before slowly getting holes in them. However, I feel like the litter (non-clumping pine pellets) might’ve smelled more that way plus it seemed like my cat might’ve been annoyed with the liners despite continuing to use the litter box. Ultimately I decided to use pine pellets (sold at farm stores like Farm and Fleet as horse bedding pellets, 40 pounds for $6) in a Nature’s Miracle jumbo disposable litter box. I replace everything monthly ish. It’s super easy and the yearly cost is probably around $65 which doesn’t seem too bad for the convenience, plus the disposable boxes help keep the smell down since they contain baking soda.
We’ve used those disposable litter boxes as well. They come in really handy. Did you know that they have disposable corner litter boxes now too? Awesome!
Just wanted to add that you need to check the liner and the drawstrings with your cat first… plastics mimic smells and pheromones that cats adore, this is why some cats love plastic bags and will sit in them and play with them – other cats will eat any sort of plastic bag or wrapping – like my furry nightmare does. If they show no sign of eating it, then it is safe – if it’s something they want to eat as they’ll literally start chewing it. I can’t have any plastic wrappings or bags of any sort lying around my house, when I take him for a walk (rescue 13y/o house cat) i have to make sure i’m scouring the floor for anything he will try to eat. He is an utter trashpanda, so beware liners could pose a very serious danger to your cat (even playing with them is a choking, suffocation, or strangling hazard).