Markham and Unionville Cat Owners' Supply Guide: Bulk Litter Runs, Wet Food Case Pricing and Pickup Options

Anyone who walks the loop around Toogood Pond in February knows how the east end of York Region works in winter: you bundle the errands, you make one trip, and you don't want to be hauling a 12 kg bag of litter through slush twice in one week. Cat households here skew indoor — heritage rowhouses near the old Main Street strip, newer condo towers off Highway 7, and quiet subdivisions where letting a cat roam simply isn't realistic. Indoor cats mean more litter volume, more hydration coming from food instead of puddles, and a supply routine that rewards planning ahead. If you're mid-scramble right now, you can shop cat litter by the bag before reading the rest.

This guide covers the three things local cat owners ask about most: how much litter a household actually burns through per month, how case-format wet food changes your cost-per-calorie math, and how to plan a single pickup run so you're not back in the car in ten days. You can also browse wet cat food cases online if you'd rather have the heavy stuff sorted before you drive.

How much cat litter does a two-cat household actually go through each month?

Two average adult cats using clumping litter consume roughly 11–14 kg (25–30 lb) per month when you scoop daily and top up rather than fully dumping. A single cat typically runs 4.5–6 kg (10–13 lb) monthly. Full box changes every 3–4 weeks add another 30–40% to that total, which is why many multi-cat households land closer to 18 kg.

The variables that move those numbers most are box depth, scooping frequency, and litter type. The ASPCA and most feline behaviour resources recommend the n+1 rule — one box per cat plus one spare — and a fill depth of 5–7 cm (2–3 inches). Deeper than 7 cm and you're wasting product; shallower and clumps bond to the pan floor, which forces earlier full changes.

Litter density matters too. Sodium bentonite clay is heavy and compact, so a 20 lb bag lasts a comparable number of days to a 26 lb corn or walnut bag that takes up twice the shelf space. Our team at Ashario Pets sees customers underestimate this constantly — they buy by bag count rather than by weeks of coverage, then run short mid-month.

Which bag sizes are worth buying in bulk?

For bulk cat litter runs, the practical sweet spot is two bags in the 12–13 kg range (or three 26 lb plant-based bags) per two-cat household, which covers roughly 6–8 weeks. Beyond that, you're storing product longer than most people have dry, airtight space for.

• OdourLock — Canadian-made clumping clay in mid-weight bags; dense, so it stacks in a small closet.
• World's Best Cat Litter — whole-kernel corn, flushable in small amounts, lighter per litre than clay.
• Sustainably Yours — corn and cassava blend with visible colour granules that show saturation.
• Naturally Fresh — walnut shell base, very low tracking, darker granules hide stains.
• Arm & Hammer — baking-soda-boosted clay formulas aimed at ammonia control.

Store spare bags off concrete floors. Basement slabs wick moisture, and clay that absorbs humidity before it reaches the box loses clump strength. A 60–75 L airtight bin holds two mid-size bags and keeps the dust contained.

Wet cat food by the case: what you're actually paying for per calorie

A case of wet cat food is cheaper per unit than singles almost universally, but the real comparison is cost per 100 kcal, not cost per can. Cans in the same size class can differ by 80 kcal or more depending on moisture and fat content, so a "cheaper" case sometimes costs more to feed.

Start with your cat's daily requirement. A lean 4.5 kg (10 lb) indoor adult typically needs 180–250 kcal per day. Wet food sits around 75–82% moisture, so a 5.5 oz (156 g) can delivers anywhere from 100 kcal in a broth-forward shredded formula to 180 kcal in a dense pâté. That's the difference between feeding two cans a day and feeding one and a half — a 25% swing in how long a 24-can case lasts.

Check the guaranteed analysis on the label. AAFCO nutrient profiles, carried forward in its 2024 Official Publication, set adult feline maintenance minimums at 26% crude protein and 9% crude fat on a dry-matter basis, with taurine minimums of 0.20% for canned formats versus 0.10% for extruded dry food — canned foods need more because processing and moisture affect taurine availability. Any complete-and-balanced case food will meet those floors; premium lines often run well above them.

Weruva vs Tiki Cat: how two popular case formats compare

Both are moisture-rich, protein-forward wet food lines that our customers buy by the case, but they suit different feeding styles. Weruva leans toward broth-heavy shreds with lower calorie density, while Tiki Cat offers denser, higher-calorie recipes in smaller cans.

Other case-format options worth comparing include Inaba, Snappy Tom, Caru broths and Open Farm. When a customer comes in with a cat that's drinking almost nothing from the water bowl, we typically suggest running one broth-style meal daily alongside a denser pâté — it raises total water intake without cutting calories. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association is a good starting point if you're weighing hydration changes against an existing urinary or kidney diagnosis; any diet shift tied to a medical condition belongs in a conversation with your own veterinarian first.

How long does an opened case last?

Unopened cans are shelf-stable for 1–3 years depending on the manufacturer's stamp, so buying 24 at a time is low risk. Opened cans are the constraint: refrigerate covered and use within 3–5 days, and let the portion come to room temperature before serving, since cats reject food served cold far more often than food served warm.

Planning a single supply run instead of three

The most efficient approach for cat owners in the northeast GTA is a 6–8 week cycle: litter and case food together, dry food and treats topped up on the same trip. From most of the area, the drive west along Finch or Steeles takes 25–35 minutes outside rush hour, which makes a consolidated run genuinely worth it.

Build your list in this order so nothing gets forgotten:

1. Litter — two bags minimum, plus a deodorizing additive if you run covered boxes.
2. Wet food — one case per cat per 4 weeks as a rough starting point, adjusted by can size.
3. Dry food — a bag sized to finish within 6 weeks of opening, since fat oxidation degrades palatability after that. You can browse dry cat food formulas from Acana, Orijen, Farmina, Go! Solutions and more.
4. Frozen raw or freeze-dried — plan freezer space before you buy. Frozen raw travels safely for about 45 minutes in an insulated bag; freeze-dried doesn't need any cold chain at all.
5. Supplements, treats and enrichment — omega-3 fish oils, probiotics, dental chews and cat toys for indoor enrichment.

Pet owners tell us the freezer is the real bottleneck. Two weeks of frozen raw for one 4.5 kg cat is roughly 1.5–2 kg of product, which is a meaningful chunk of a standard fridge-freezer drawer. If space is tight, air-dried and freeze-dried formats from brands like ZIWI, Stella & Chewy's, Primal and Instinct Raw give you comparable ingredient quality at room temperature — see the freeze-dried cat food range.

Load heavy litter bags flat in the trunk rather than upright; upright bags shift, split at the seam, and you'll be vacuuming clay out of your carpet lining all spring. Cases go on top.

Visit us at 1111A Finch Ave W, Unit 2, North York, ON M3J 2P7 — we're open 7 AM to 11 PM daily, and delivery is available across the GTA through apps like Uber Eats. That late closing time is why several customers driving home from work stop in after 8 PM rather than fighting weekend parking.

Questions from cat owners east of the city

Is it worth driving from Unionville for cat supplies?

It depends on your cycle. If you're buying a 6–8 week supply of litter and wet food cases in one trip, a 30-minute drive works out to roughly six trips a year — about three hours of driving annually. Owners who buy single cans weekly get far less value from the distance and should lean on delivery instead.

Our price match guarantee matters more than the odometer here. Bulk purchasing only saves money if the per-unit price actually drops, so check what you're paying per 100 kcal and per kilogram of litter before deciding how you want to shop.

Can I get cat litter delivered in York Region?

Yes — litter is one of the most commonly delivered pet items in the region precisely because it's heavy and low-urgency. Delivery makes the most sense for the bulky, non-perishable half of your order, while frozen raw and anything you want to hand-select is better picked up in person.

How many litter boxes do I need in a condo?

Two boxes for one cat, three for two cats — the n+1 rule holds regardless of square footage. In smaller units, placement matters more than count: separate the boxes so a cat guarding one doesn't block access to the other, and keep them away from noisy appliances. Covered boxes concentrate ammonia, so if you use one, scoop twice daily and swap the carbon filter monthly.

What should Markham cat owners stock up on before winter?

Two things move fastest in cold months: litter (indoor cats use boxes more when the household is closed up) and hydration-forward wet food, since dry indoor air increases water loss. Adding one broth or high-moisture meal per day is a low-effort change. Grooming also gets busier — dry-air shedding and static mean more mats, so a decent slicker brush from our cat grooming supplies earns its keep by January.

For broader feeding questions, our cat wellness resources and the cat blog go deeper on life-stage formulation and ingredient sourcing. For anything involving weight loss, urinary crystals or chronic kidney disease, work with your veterinarian — the AVMA maintains solid owner-facing background reading on when diet changes should be clinically supervised.

Quick summary: Two cats typically go through 11–14 kg of clumping litter per month, and a 4.5 kg indoor cat needs 180–250 kcal daily, which is one to two 5.5 oz cans depending on calorie density. Buying litter and wet food cases on a 6–8 week cycle cuts trips dramatically, as long as you compare cost per 100 kcal rather than cost per can and have dry, airtight storage lined up before you buy.