How litter tray management affects cat welfare, preventing FLUTD, stress, and litter avoidance in multi-cat and single-cat households.
Litter management has direct welfare implications for cats. Inadequate litter provision is a common but avoidable cause of chronic stress, feline idiopathic cystitis, and inter-cat conflict in multi-cat households. Understanding individual cat preferences for litter type, tray style, and location, combined with appropriate provision levels, prevents the cascade of welfare problems that litter stress creates.