Choosing The Wrong Litter Box
Cats can be fussy, so finding the right litter box may take some time. Follow these steps to choose the right litter box for your cat:
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Consider the size of your cat. A litter box should allow your cat to turn around easily. If the box is too small, your cat may refuse to use it or urinate over the edge onto the floor.
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Choose the right height. Most cats can easily get into and out of a litter box with semi-high sides. However, an older cat or a cat with mobility problems may need one with lower sides.
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Get at least one box for each cat. Cats are very private animals and won’t typically share a litter box with other cats in the home. Provide one box for each cat, plus a spare.
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Leave upgrades for later. Add-ons like covers and liners and fancy self-cleaning gadgets can seem like useful items, but you might want to wait and add these at a later date once your cat is happily using the litter box.
When You Might Need To Add A Litter Box
One of the signs that you might need to add a litter box is when a cat exhibits litterbox avoidance behaviors. Unfortunately, litter box avoidance is an issue that is usually never simple and requires some investigation on the owners part. For more information about solving litter box avoidance issues, I have written a comprehensive guide here!
The next reason cat owners would want to add another litter box is behavioral issues. One cat might not get along with another, stalk the other cat, and scare it from using the litter box. This is when you probably need to add another litter box to another region of the room to allow the scared cat to relieve themselves in a safer spot.
This usually happens when you introduce a new cat. Allow some time for the cats to get to know each other first and then try again with one litter box.
As previously mentioned, if your cats are relatively friendly and tolerant towards one another, there should be no problems with sharing one or two litter boxes in an apartment or small living area!
So How Many Litter Boxes Per Cat Should You Have
Stick to the classic formula if you can. The number of your cats + 1. Cat experts seem to agree on that magic number. Some people even report that adding just one more litter box cured their cat litter box avoidance.
In a multiple-cat household, if you have a good self-cleaning box, consider losing one litter box from the total. However, with a senior cat, a young kitten or a sick one, or if you live in a very large house, consider adding at least one more box to the total.
Don’t forget to clean all litter boxes regularly. Read our guide about how often to clean the litter box and apply the guidelines to each one of the boxes you have.
We hope we managed to answer your question of how many litter boxes you should have. Leave us a comment to let us know how many cats you own and how many litter boxes per cat you have. We’d love to hear your impressions on the topic!
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When Do Kittens Learn To Use The Litter Tray
Kittens learn this behaviour around 3-4 months of age by imitating the behaviour of their parents. But even without their mother, they are instinctively predisposed to look for loose soil to dig and hide their deposits in. With some forethought and a bit of patience it will therefore be very easy to teach them to use the litter tray.
Providing A Litter Box For Two Cats
Litter boxes are without a doubt, the unglamorous side of cat ownership.
Whether your cats stay indoors all the time or just overnight, they need a litter box to answer the call of nature when theyre inside the home.
Theyre not much to look at, but litter boxes do us a massive favor.
They give our cats a proper place to use the toilet, so they dont soil the rest of our house.
And theyre designed to make our cats comfortable too: outdoors they would dig a hole and bury their urine and feces.
The litter in a litter tray lets them behave naturally while they use the toilet indoors too.
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Cats Cant Block The Litter Box
If you pay attention to your cats, youll notice that your pets have divided your house so that each has a separate territory.
Two cats might enjoy each others company, but it doesnt mean they wont guard their area of the house.
When theres only one litter box, theres a possibility that one cat might block the access of the other one.
Thats a common way for dominant cats to harass young, timid ones and establish who the boss in the house is.
If thats the case, the second cat will find another place to do their business, for example, flower pots, soft carpets, or your bed.
Thats something you dont want to happen.
Cats might also fight for the right to use the single litter box, which will create tension in the household
Not to mention that you might have to break up the fight if it gets out of hand.
How Many Litter Boxes For One Cat
In this article youre going to learn how many litter boxes you need for one cat
Litter boxes are very important to cats because they use it to relieve themselves
Its basically a toilet for them
When a cat starts to avoid using the litter box
The root of the problem can sometimes be the number of litter boxes your cat has
Carry on reading to know what the rule is for how many litter boxes for one cat
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How Do You Get A Kitten To Use The Litter Box
You can encourage your kitten to use the litterbox by placing him in it at regular intervals, especially if hes recently eaten or awakened. Place him in the box and wait to see what happens. Most kittens will naturally start to dig in sand or litter by about 4 weeks of age if you see your kitten doing this, dont interfere.
The Truth Is That It Really Just Depends
Its never a BAD idea to keep multiple litter boxes, but you might not necessarily need to, depending on your cats behavior.
Heres the thing theres all sorts of reasons why two litter boxes for a single cat is a good idea.
- Allows your cat to have more options for where to go
- Lets cats more easily access the most convenient litter box, depending on their location
- Helps prevent territorial issues with multiple cats
- They might have had an unpleasant experience the last time they used the litter box, and dont want to use that particular box again
- More opportunities for clean litter to use
A lot of this will also depend on how large your living space is. Do you live in an apartment, or a 4,000 square foot home?
The bigger your living space, the more cat boxes youll want. You dont want your cat to have an emergency and not be able to run to a litter box in time!
If your home isnt large and you only have 1 cat, its probably less important to keep multiple boxes unless your cat prefers it that way or starts going elsewhere. If you notice your cat peeing elsewhere and you only have 1 box, youll want to make sure you add another box and make sure theyre in easy to access locations.
All of this advice is just a precaution. If you really want to try your best to prevent accidents, its best to simply add an additional box from the start.
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Missing Stress Signals And Behavior
Cats can become stressed for a number of reasons. Perhaps you have just moved to a new home, had a baby, or introduced a new cat to your household. These types of life changes can stop your cat from using the litter box. Make sure your cat has somewhere safe to go to when they are feeling stressed. A calm and happy kitty is more likely to use the litter box.
Two Cats One Litter Box
So what can you do?
Do you really have to keep an extra litter box out in your home if its not being used?
If you have two cats sharing a litter happily, then thats great!
You can even remove the rejected litter box, but dont chuck it away just yet.
Always keep an eye on the situation, and put it back if sharing a litter box looks like its starting to cause stress for one of the cats.
This can happen if one starts to get muscled out, for example because theyre getting older, and a younger cat fancies vying for a piece of their territory.
Your first sign will likely be confrontations at the litter tray, or the suffering cat starting to use the toilet in other places.
Also leave the spare out if youre going to leave them at home for longer than usual.
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What Kind Of Litter Do Cat Parents Use
Clumping cat litter is very popular among cat parents and is usually the go-to choice. The clumps allow for easy cleanup and provide some odor control. However these clumps quickly become saturated and require pretty much daily maintenance to keep the odors to a minimum.
You should have at least one more litter box than you have cats and there should be no direct line of sight from litter box to litter box. Extra litter and, of course, kitten food will also be needed to help your kitten feel at home.
Merry Products Nightstand Pet House
Alternatively, you can disguise some of those extra cat litter boxes as furniture* instead!
This might sound even crazier than a corner which isnt a corner, but the 2000+ happy reviews mean this manufacturer is definitely onto something!
These night stand/table/towel rail/litter box hybrids come in multiple colors and finishes to blend in with any home.
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The Classic Formula For Calculating The Number Of Litter Boxes
Yup. There’s a formula for that. Don’t worry, it’s a really easy one. You don’t have to be a maths wiz to use it, promise!
The formula is to take the number of cats you have in your household and add one. That would give you the minimum number of litter boxes that you need.
So, if you have three cats, then it would be three plus one and four is the number of litter boxes that you need. If you only have one cat, than it’s one plus one and you end up with two litter boxes. Which basically explains why we have two litter boxes in our home, with only one cat.
Clearly, if you don’t have cats at all, there’s no need to add one to zero, ha ha.
Getting serious again, you may be asking yourself this: How come most cat owners get by just fine with one box per cat. In fact, you may be doing ok with three cats and two boxes. Or even a single box per three cats. And let’s face it, litter boxes aren’t thatmuch fun to handle, so why add unless you absolutely have to?
Good questions, all of them. There are good answers to them too. Just keep on reading – all will be revealed in this post!
Why Is My Cat Not Using The Litter Box
A cat with a health problem such as a urinary tract infection or arthritis may associate pain with using the box and decide to go elsewhere. Cats are extremely talented at hiding symptoms of illness, so its up to you to notice any changes in their habits or behavior. To rule out a medical reason, check with your veterinarian.
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Types Of Litter Boxes For Cats
There are several types of litter boxes that might work for some cats over others. Sometimes, its a bit of trial and error to figure it out. Most litter boxes are plastic, though you can find some that are made of other materials, like stainless steel.
Here are the most common types of litter box styles:
Where To Put Your Cat Litter Box
Where should I put my cats litter box? is a common conundrum for cat owners. Youll need to find the right place to keep the litter box that works for both you and your furry friend. Figuring out where to put the litter box in a small apartment can be tough, but these tips should help.
Usually, litter boxes work best on non-carpeted surfaces, because they are easier to clean. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, mudrooms, and even corners of a kitchen, such as near your garbage receptacle, are favorite spots for cat owners.
Limitations in your living space may make figuring out where to keep your litter box more challenging, but look for these conditions to find the best place for your litter box:
Choose a litter box location and leave it there. Moving your litter box around will confuse your cat and potentially cause them to urinate or defecate elsewhere. If you must move your litter box, do so over time, by moving it a couple of inches each day until it reaches the new spot.
Place your litter box scoop near the litter box for easy access for your daily ¬ or twice daily ¬ litter box clean ups. If you selected a litter box tracking mat, place it in front of the litter box to help trap any dust or litter that may be knocked out of the box while your cat scratches or tracked out on their paws and between their toe beans.
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Using Too Little Or Too Much Litter In The Box
Cats love to dig before they go to the bathroom. You can keep your furry friends happy by making sure you put the right amount of litter in the box.
Having too much litter can cause your cat to dig around more than necessary, which can cause them to accidentally hide their poop. While the poop might be invisible to human eyes, itâs noticeable to your cat. If you can’t locate and remove it, this may cause your cat to stop using the box altogether.
However, having enough litter in the box allows your cat to bury their poop and cover their tracks. The litter needs to be deep enough that it absorbs liquids and odors. Aim for a 3-inch layer as a starting point and add more as needed.
How Many Litter Boxes Needed For 1 Cat In An Apartment
The most straightforward of answers. One cat will have one litter box. Life is easy. The question is, do we start adding more litter boxes when more cats are introduced into the apartment?
Provided all your cats are happy and get along relatively well with each other , one litter box suffices for most situations in an apartment. However, below I go more into detail about when more might be needed.
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How Many Litter Boxes Do I Need
Who knew there was so much to kitty litter? Dr. Justine Lee provides some valuable litter box advice. For more from Dr. Lee, find her on !
While it seems trivial, an unclean litter box can result in serious behavioral and medical problems in cats such as:
- Urinating inappropriately around the house
- Spraying
- Defecating right outside the litter box
- Potentially predisposing to medical problems such as feline urethral obstruction or feline lower urinary tract disease
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.
How Many Litter Boxes Per Cat
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If youre wondering how many litter boxes you need per cat, it may be because youre dealing with a litter box problem. If you are, you know its a frustrating situation and a difficult one to correct.
Which is why, its better to stay ahead of things and keep an optimum litter box situation to avoid problems.
Having the right number of litter boxes is one of the ways to avoid litter box problems.
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The Litter Box Golden Rule
The rule of thumb is to have one litter box for each cat in your home, plus an additional one So, the minimum number of litter boxes you need is x+1, where x = the number of cats you have. For instance, if you have three cats, you should have four litter boxes available. The reasoning is that some cats won’t use a litter box after another cat has used it. By having one for every cat, they can each use their own.
Many cats won’t use a litter box that has too much waste in it, even if the waste is her own the extra one gives her a place to go if her primary box is dirty. Without it, she may decide your carpet is a good alternative to her dirty litter box. This is sound advice even if you have only one cat.
If your home is multi-story and your cat has access to each floor, placing a litter box on each level is a great idea. Think of how inconvenient it is for you to have to go up or down stairs when you really need to use the bathroom. It’s the same for your cat. Unlike you, however, your cat doesn’t feel bad about using the couch if her “bathroom” is too far.