How Much Cat Litter Per Month? Here’s The Exact Answer

Wondering how much cat litter should you use in a month? This article will answer the exact answer and help you clear your doubts regarding any use of cat litter.

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Adopting a cat comes with a lot of responsibilities. Apart from attending to every whim of the cat, you have to bear the costs of owning the cat.

The expenses include medical insurances, veterinary clinic visits, toys, grooming, litter box, litter, and many more.

We often do not consider the cost of the litter because it is cheap. But it adds up to a large sum if you consider the regular expenses.

We will also cover the hidden costs that you often ignore while calculating the total amount. This article will give you an overall idea of the costs associated with cat litter.

How much cat litter per month should you use?

The amount of cat litter you need per month entirely depends on the type of cat litter you are using.

You can find different cat litter types at the pet shop, and every cat litter has a different replacement schedule.

So, the expenses also vary from one cat litter to another. For example, clumping cat litter is the most popular choice, and it forms convenient clumps with urine and waste.

So, the clusters are easy to scoop out, and it can hold the smell for a longer span.

However, non-clumping cat litter does not have these properties, and you need to empty the entire litter box every time you need to clean it. You may need more non-clumping cat litter than clumping cat litter.

The quantity of cat litter also depends on the size and health condition of the cat. A kitten will need around 7 pounds of clumping litter, and a large cat can require up to 10 pounds of clumping litter per week.

If your small cat has kidney disease or is recovering from it, it will urinate more often. So the requirement of cat litter can go as high as 12 pounds per week.

We are providing average estimates of cat litter requirement according to the type of cat litter:

1. Clumping cat litter: 28 to 48 pounds per month
2. Non-clumping cat litter: More than 64 pounds per month
3. Natural cat litter: 120 pounds per month

We are giving estimates by considering the average size and health condition of the cat. If your cat is healthy and small, the requirement will be less than the estimated figures.

What would be the approximate cost?

At first, we will only consider purchasing the litter and then looking at the additional expenses associated with the process. Let us look at the approximate price for each type of cat litter –

Clumping Cat Litter:

The average cost of a 40-pound clumping cat litter box is $17.40. You will most probably find clumping cat litter in a box of 40 lb.

Considering the amount of cat litter that you might need, we estimate an average of $17-21 per month. The yearly cost of using clumping cat litter should be between $210-260.

Non-clumping Cat Litter:

Although the requirement of non-clumping cat litter is more than the weekly demand of clumping cat litter, the former’s price is low.

So, the average cost of using non-clumping type is around the same as using clumping litter. You should expect a weekly expense of $17-21 per month if you use non-clumping variants as well.

Additional Read: I would highly recommend reading this article on mixing clumping & non-clumping litter to understand better.

Natural Cat Litter:

The need for choosing an Eco-friendly alternative to clay cat litter has inspired the cat owners to use natural cat litter.

There are several natural alternatives in the market, including – paper litter ( read it’s advantages and disadvantages here ), corn litter, natural pallet, and many more.

While these kinds of cat litters’ weekly requirements can vary for the cat litter, the price is always more than conventional. You can expect a monthly cost of $35-45 if you choose to use this natural alternative.

Crystal Litter:

Crystal litters are one of the most expensive cat litter types on the market. This significantly costly alternative to your clumping cat litter can shell out as high as $70 from your pocket every month.

However, Manufacturers claim that you will need less cat litter. So, the yearly cost of using silicone crystal cat litter ranges from $300-350.

Other Costs:

Other costs associated with the cat litter include –

1. Liners/ Garbage Bag – $2.5 per month
2. Deodorizers – $4 per month
3. Vacuum – $35 per year
4. Trash bin – $20 per year
5. Mat – $20 per year
6. Scooper – $6 per year.

Types of cat litter also matter:

As you have probably seen, there are several types of cat litter that you can use for your cat. The cost may vary significantly for the litter type. We are giving you a list of options that you can use-

• Clumping clay
• Non-clumping clay
• Silica-gel crystals
• Recycled paper
• Pine
• Corn
• Grass
• Walnut shells
• Wheat

Conclusion:

Now, you should have a clear idea about all the costs associated with changing litter regularly for your cat. The weekly expense amount may seem less if you compare them with the other cat expenses.

But if you consider the cat litter’s lifetime cost, it will amount to a large sum of money. For example, if we assume that a cat lives for an average of 15 years, the total cost of using clumping cat litter can go as high as $6300.

You should not ignore this hefty sum, and you should consider this cost while deciding to adopt a cat.

Other Resources Related To Litter:

1. Putting those next to each other – Can you do it? Read here
2. Placing litter box in a small apartment – See the article here
3. Ways to keep litter from sticking to box – Read it here
4. Ways to stop your cat eating those litter – Read it here
5. Best cat litter for small apartment
6. Reasons they site in the litter box – See the guide here