4 cats - how many litter boxes should I have?

The consensus seems to be one litterbox per cat +1.   2 cats, 3 boxes.  4 cats, 5 boxes.

 

IMO, the boxes don't have to be in five separate places though.  I have two litterstations for my four boxes, and they've been good kitties and save for one accident right in front of the door (think he turned around mid #2 to dig more), have had no issues to date.  *knocks on wood*  

IMO, it depends on the size of the boxes & location. I currently have 7 cats with 4 litterboxes. They are 20 gal Rubbermaid tubs. One on the main floor, the other three in their 'kitty litter bedroom'. For my cats the set-up works.....but you have to watch if you have a 'littlerbox attacker'. You don't want one cat cornering another, preventing them from using the cat box.

Once I get more settled into the house, I'll be adding in at least 3 more cat boxes. But for now there are areas the cats aren't allowed for their safety.

I have six boxes spread throughout the house for eight cats, and I clean all of them morning and evening. I think few people in normal houses would really manage more! There are two in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, and three in the hall and landings. I don't like having one in the living room - I have tried it but my guests always remark on it however often I clean it. All the boxes are covered, which the cats are fine with and I think does reduce smell and spill.

I do have one litterbox per cat + 1 (in 3 different locations). . .and I have 20 cats! . But I think that most people with a lot of cats can get by with fewer than that, as long as they scoop frequently (at least once a day without fail). For 4 cats I would recommend at least 3 boxes in at least 2 different locations, if at all possible. More is always better, though, don't ever worry about having too many litterboxes.

If buying new litterboxes is breaking the bank (I can't believe what they charge for them at pet stores), you can modify a Sterilite/Rubbermaid tote to make a good litterbox. I like the 18-gallon high totes, but they have all sizes and shapes so you have your pick.

For my 6 cats, I have 5 boxes. They are big Sterilite storage boxes with the covers removed. Three are in the basement, next to each other. These have sides about 5" high. The other two are on the main floor, next to each other, and their sides are about 10"high. I scoop once a day.

This works for us with no problems and no bad smells. Litter is about 2" deep. I use a corn litter, very much like WBCL.


Robin
Edited by bastetservant - 11/21/11 at 5:35pm

I have six cats and five extra large open litter boxes. I scoop three to four times daily. I know I scoop more than the average person, but I like the boxes clean for them and I think they like it that way too. I even think I could get away with four boxes since I scoop so much but I like to have one on the main floor in my foster room. It does get some use but not as much as the four downstairs.

We have seven cats and five litterboxes. They're all fairly big boxes. Four of them have regular clay litter; the fifth contains scoopable.

 

I know that the standard is one per cat, plus one, which means we should have eight litterboxes. But I don't know where I'd put eight boxes! Our house is small and we simply don't have the room. I scoop twice a day, every day, and we clean the boxes out once a week without fail. So far, and I'm knocking on wood here, we've had no problems. The kids are wonderful about using their boxes.

If you don't mind the price and use a good clumping litter, I highly recommend a sifting litter box.   Its just SO much easier not having to scoop.

 

This is a new one I haven't tried but looks cool ($60):

http://www.littersystem.com/

 

The most popular one on ebay that I have four of are these, and I like mine ($30):

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Paw-Self-Cleaning-Litter-Pewter/dp/B005E2S77C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322059127&sr=8-1   (also available in green; definitely get the large for normal size cats)

 

So much less work:

 

Another helpful trick since all plastics are slightly porous is to just use some PAM antistick spray and lightly spray your new box.    As we all know, moisture and oil won't mix, and so it prevents pee clumps and such from sticking to the plastic, and since its just food its perfectly safe.  

It definitely depends on what kind of boxes you have.  This board knows my litter woes far too well, haha!  I had three boxes for three cats, just normal large-sized uncovered boxes that sat right next to each other in a row in the bathroom.  The litter was a nightmare - I would come close to tears because of the mess, smell, and frustration.  That was even though I had a box for each cat.  After combining some tips I got from several people on the board, I went with a large Sterilite tub with the cover on and a hole cut in the top.  (This. Works. Fabulously.) 

 

So now I just have one box for three kittens (though two of those kittens - 8 months old - are probably bigger than some people's grown cats, at more than 11 pounds!), which violates all the cat rules in the book but it works for us. I've since moved the litter out of the bathroom but even when it was still in there, the smell decreased dramatically, the amount of litter on the floor decreased dramatically, the work required to clean it up decreased dramatically.  I think the biggest difference is the level of the litter - I chuck it full, almost halfway up, maybe four inches.  It's difficult for them to dig down to the bottom so the urine just clumps into a neat little ball. I clean it once a day and everyone's happy (especially me).

 

Your choice of litter will probably make a huge difference, too.  I was using Dr. Elsey's in the uncovered boxes, when I switched to the tub I started off with Tidy Cats which was okay but I hated, hated, hated the scent and it never seems to dissipate or fade.  I gave it up and tried Swheat Scoop, and I absolutely love it!  Other than when there's a fresh poo, there is never a smell - even one time when my dad was in the hospital and I didn't clean it until the 2nd day.  I also love that it's flushable and that it's natural, no chemicals like clay litter.

 

Anyway, all of that to say this: You can have the "right" number of boxes, like I did, and still have a litter nightmare, or you can have fewer boxes than you're supposed to, and have a well-functioning, hygienic system that makes everyone happy.  For what it's worth, I'm moving soon and plan to put in a 2nd tub - but that still puts me at 2 fewer than the "correct" number.  Play around with your system until you find something that works for you and the cats.  As long as the litter is clean, scooped daily, and the cats are using it happily without any signs of avoidance, I think you'll be okay.

Yup, and you can give yourself an extra pat on the back since its made from renewable resources, is biodegradable, and doesn't contribute to landfills or strip-mining operations (clay unfortunately is typically close to the surface layer so a small deep mine doesn't work and large plots of land have to be stripped which also naturally removes the topsoil for plants to grow on later).  

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/50/1/Cat-litter-and-strip-mining.html

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/files/2009/06/mtntop12.jpg

I have 3 boxes for my 4 kitties, but I used to have 2 and that worked great too, I kept them clean and it was justo fine.

 

I think it depends on your cats and your lifestyle.

 

If you use clumping cat litter and scoop 2 or more times per day, you can get away with less boxes.

 

When I had 2 cats, I had 1 litter box. I now have 3 cats and have 2 boxes, but the box in the bedroom is hardly ever used and there are days where it's not used at all. It seems that all 3 of mine don't mind sharing the 1 litter box in the bathroom because I keep it clean enough for them to share.

 

 

We have 5 cats and 5 boxes, though one of the boxes pretty much never gets used.  It works for us.  Everything gets scooped once a day and sometimes twice if someone is stinky.