I neutered my cat yesterday and changed his litter box so that it's full of shredded newspaper.
For how long should he stay away from his regular sand litter box?
Cleaning a litter box full of newspapers is a pain in the butt.
1 Answer
Newspaper as a substitute for litter after neutering is a short-term approach. According to PetMD:
Sometimes litter can get stuck to the incision, so veterinarians will often recommend using torn newspaper in the litter box for 24 hours after surgery to avoid this.
Other sites recommend different periods; the Toby Project suggests five days, and SNAP recommends 7-10 days, but all cite the same reason of preventing litter dust from irritating or becoming embedded in the incisions.
Once the surgical incisions have closed up sufficiently that dust and particles of litter won't get stuck to them or cause irritation leading to pain or over-grooming, you should be safe to switch back to your regular litter.
