Are you wondering if you should use litter box liners or not?
It’s a valid question, and one with mixed opinions.
In this article, I’ll share important things to consider, including:
- Why there’s no straightforward answer
- The benefits of using litter box liners (and the drawbacks)
- How to use cat litter liners
By the end of this post, you’ll feel confident answering the question, “Should I use litter box liners” once and for all.
Let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
Should You Use Litter Box Liners for Your Cat?
It’s a common question and there are pros and cons to both options. But, the simple answer really comes down to personal preference.
Some people swear by them where others avoid them entirely.
To help you decide if litter box liners are right for you, I discuss the benefits and drawbacks below.
If you’re still unsure, buy one of the best litter box liners and give them a try.
Benefits of Using Litter Box Liners
Here are some good reasons why you might want to use litter box liners for your kitty.
1. They’re easy to clean
When you use a litter box liner, it’s super easy to clean the litter box.
That’s because you simply tie the bag up and dispose of it in the trash.
This is great if you don’t like to clean the cat litter box or prefer not to touch the litter with your hands.
No more scrubbing the litter box every 2 – 4 weeks.
Also read: How often should cat litter be changed?
2. It can saves you time
Another reason litter box liners are a good idea is they can save you time.
Because litter box liners are disposable, all that’s required is tying them in a knot once the litter is old and disposing of the bag.
This can save you considerable amount of time, especially if you have more than one cat.
4. It will keep the litter box dry
When you use litter box liners, it keeps the litter box dry.
This prevents cat urine from seeping onto the litter box, making it more hygienic.
This can also make the box last longer, so you won’t have to change the litter box as often.
5. Might save you money
If using cat litter liners helps you maintain the litter better, then you might be able to cut down on cat litter costs.
The more you maintain a fresh litter box, the longer the litter will last, thus costing less per month in litter.
Drawbacks of Using Litter Box Liners
Even though litter box liners can be helpful, there are some drawbacks you should know about.
1. It can be expensive
Using litter box liners is an extra expense to add to your list of litter cleaning products.
Even though many liners are inexpensive, frequently needing to renew them can definitely mount up.
However, you have to account for the cleaning products you’ll save on if you do use litter liners.
You have to weigh up the differences and whether you’d prefer to save yourself the cleaning duties.
2. Can be awkward to install
Fitting cat litter liners for the first time can be a little tricky. It can take a little trial an error.
After some practice, however, you can being to the hang of it.
Just make sure you get the right size liners for your litter box. This will make them much easier to use.
3. Cat litter liners are prone to tear
Even though litter liners are made to be durable, they can still rip and tear from time to time.
Sure, some brands are better than others, but there are some things you can do to prevent it.
First, as I mentioned before, make sure you get the right size liners. This will help them fit your litter box and not get in your cats way.
Second, make sure the liner is completely flat against the box. If there is too much liner gathered anywhere, it will be easier to get ripped up.
Lastly, make sure your cat likes the liners you got. Sometimes, cats can get fussy and might try to scrtch the sides where the liner is.
This leads us to the last potential drawback.
4. Some cats don’t like litter liners
Some cats simply don’t like litter liners and this can stop them from using the litter box altogether.
Because liners can feel or sound strange to your cat, they might refuse to use it. Or worse, spend the whole time tearing it up.
However, these are rare cases. Give them a try. You might find your cat doesn’t even notice.
How to Use a Cat Box Liner
Some cat litter box liners have a drawstring which can be tied for easy disposal.
However, some liners won’t have these and you’ll need to tie a knot with the excess edges of the plastic.
The box might need a bit of a clean if any urine has seeped through, but there will be less work involved.
You will of course need to properly clean and dry out the litter pan, usually once per month, but the litter liner will have made the whole process easier.
To use a cat litter box liner, open the plastic bag and place it inside your litter pan. Most liners will fit your litter box, just check the size before you buy.
Fold any excess plastic around the edges of the litter box so that it sits neatly inside and doesn’t get in the way when your cat needs to go.
Then pour your cat’s litter on top of the plastic liner until it fills the bottom of the cat pan. Anything between 1-3 inches of litter is fine, depending on your cats preference.
Here’s a video to show you exactly how it’s done:
Conclusion
Cat litter box liners can be a very hygienic way for looking after your litter box.
You can also save a lot of time, as you can just throw the litter liner away after 1-2 weeks of changing the litter.
Two good options if you want to try them are the JONNY CAT or Kitty Kitty . Give them a try to make cleaning up cat litter less of a chore.
Can’t find medium size liner. Like your picture of liner going over entire pan may try that. I have two cats who were started with flushable litter.Now live where septic tank does not allow the litter. Cats use to clean litter and come to me vocalizing greatly when one has used the litter. Scoop,scoop.
It’s a real battle with the mfgs. on these products. One company, “Exquisicat,” makes so-called “sifting liners.” Unknowingly, I bought a box that said it had “20 liners.” (Sorry for the quote marks; you’ll see why in a minute). The box had 30″ x 17″ liners for my 23″x16″ box. I brought them home, opened up the box (more about that in a minute), and was astonished to find two vacuum-packed packages, each of which contained a 10-layer sandwich of liners, every single one of them hole-punched but the last one. The idea is you take the 10-layer sandwich, place it in the litter box, then fill the box with litter. At the end of every day, you grab the upper-most layer, lift, and let drain ALL OF THE LITTER through the punched holes down to the next layer, leaving only the No. 1 and No. 2 solids if you’re using clumping litter. (I didn’t know these products existed; I only focused on the liner size.) After seeing what was there, then figuring out how they work, here’s the deal: You put the multi-layer product in the box. You fill with litter. Every day, you lift the upper layer and let it drain, then toss it in the trash. Day two, repeat. And so and so on. After day 9, you lift the solid bottom w/the remaining litter and toss it. You have now left TEN layers of plastic with cat waste in the bin. That is an ecological nightmare of plastic waste, plus, you might not be able to place the box close to the the bin, meaning that the trip to the bin will leave droppings through the liner holes for you to sweep up after you’re done. Every. single. day. And if there are only two 10-layer packages, you end up spending $30 PER MONTH on litter liners. Oh, and Exquisicat product boxes are sealed with melted plastic on three layers. You need a serrated knife to cut through that plastic nightmare if you have the strength. If you’re old/weak, don’t even try it without wearing gardening gloves.
Hi!
I’m thinking of dropping the liner completely unless I could find one that fit my cat box perfectly and has seams in the corners. I’ve come upon a great way to clean the box, but the liner, the way it’s constructed, has part of the plastic at the bottom coming up and getting litter under it, which frustrates my method. Not a hole, but the way the liner is constructed to fit into its package (a fold goes across the bottom). Now, I have lots of excess around the sides, so the liner might be too big. The brand I use is sophresh XL.
I never would use a drawstring. I use Arm and Hammer Absorbix, and I put enough in to use gravity and the way the stuff cascades to locate the litter buggers and remove them with the metal slotted spoon I use. Don’t even get me started with the only scoops I can find in stores that are plastic with sharp right angles. I “change the liner” rather than the box, with unclumped litter being reused, because my cats often do there stuff against the liner and it’s never really clean after that. I’m going to do further research including measuring all the dimensions of my cat box and then seeing what’s out there. Thanks for your site.