I was chatting to a client the other day about their cat’s litter tray – scintillating subject matter I know, welcome to my world. But it did cause us to have quite a giggle and they suggested I should write a column about it, so here we go. (Thanks for the inspiration, you know who you are)

A cat’s litter tray is, as you would imagine, their toileting facility, which comprises of a box and a layer of litter.

A simple concept, you may think, but one with which I have seen endless issues in my career. Here are a few tricks to help you give your cat the perfect powder room.

Size is important. The tray must be large enough for your cat to comfortably turn around and to dig in, but not too large that they feel threatened or exposed. Imagine yourself in a very large and open bathroom.

Some have a lid, which helps to keep in smells and litter, but in my experience most cats prefer an open tray which they can enter from three sides.

The entrance must be high enough to keep the litter in but low enough to allow cats to comfortably enter, especially as they get older.

The placement of the tray is important too. Corners seem to be less preferable to more open walls, as they limit access.

Cats don’t want their tray in the same area as their food, for obvious reasons, but they also don’t want it in an area they could be disturbed whilst visiting such as doorways or high traffic pathways.

Cleanliness is of paramount importance when it comes to litter trays. You really can’t clean them enough for your cat. I always use the airport stall analogy when explaining this to clients.

If you enter a bathroom stall at the airport and there is anything in the bowl, you will come out and find the next clean stall.

You wouldn’t think of using that dirty toilet. Cats are the same, if their litter tray is dirty, they are much less likely to use it, and will find an alternative spot in a cleaner location.

In an ideal world you would remove any waste as soon as they go, but as a minimum scoop the tray daily, and then replace all the litter once a week.

The litter type is important too. Most owners like scented litter to mask the smell, but most cats prefer unscented litter as they are sensitive to the perfume.

Remember, they are much closer to it than you are, and their smell is keen. Some cats prefer clumping litter to non-clumping, and it is a bit of trial-and-error until you find the perfect substrate.

If you are really struggling to find a litter your cat likes, try using potting mix as most cats love the texture and smell of the soil.

There is a general rule of thumb which says you should have the same number of litter trays as cats in the home, plus one. (So, one cat equals two trays, two cats equals three trays, etc.)

Cats don’t like to share their trays, and they don’t like them all in the same place as privacy is important to them.

If you have several cats living together, you will need to have multiple trays in various locations to keep everyone happy.

Who knew there were so many rules to kitty litter etiquette? Your cat, that’s who.

So, check your cat’s powder room and make sure you are providing a litter tray fit for royalty. If not, you’ll be the one clearing up the mess.

* Lucy Richardson graduated from Edinburgh University in 2005. She started CedarTree Vets in August 2012 with her husband, Mark. They live at the practice with their two children, Ray and Stella, and their dog, two cats and two guinea pigs. She is also the FEI national head veterinarian for Bermuda