The litter tray is one of the most welfare-critical elements of indoor cat management — inappropriate provision causes stress, inappropriate elimination, and urinary tract disease.
Litter tray management is one of the simplest and most impactful welfare interventions for indoor cats. Inadequate tray provision — too few trays, too infrequently cleaned, in unsuitable locations — causes chronic stress. The stress response in cats often manifests as idiopathic cystitis, causing painful urinary symptoms with no detectable physical cause. Providing adequate, clean, appropriately located trays eliminates a significant source of feline stress. The recommendations are straightforward: one tray per cat plus one extra, scooped daily, completely changed weekly, placed in quiet accessible locations away from food.