Me too. I'm down to two litter boxes for two cats and one rarely gets used.
I think adding extra litter boxes is good for trouble-shooting problems, but if things are fine I don't see why you would go and shake things up.
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4 cats - how many litter boxes should I have?
- Thread starter cr4zyc4tl4dy
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I think adding extra litter boxes is good for trouble-shooting problems, but if things are fine I don't see why you would go and shake things up.
Rule of thumb is 1 box for every cat +1. I also have 4 cats and I have 5 litter boxes. But then I have the space and areas for them as well. I scoop daily and replace litter as needed. Once weekly or every 10 days I completely dump the litter, clean the box and put in new litter. I'm pretty neurotic about litter box cleanliness though so I'm just telling you what I do. I'll read the rest of the thread to check out what other folks are doing.I currently have two which I clean daily. I know that you should probably have at least two boxes for one cat - so does that mean I should have more for my four?
Advice would be great!! Thanks.
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*
I have 2 of the boxes side by side in the laundry room. Then I have 2 in either corner of the basement. The fifth is upstairs on the main floor of the house tucked away in an unused closet with a kitty door to keep my dogs out of it. I don't know if the boxes have to be separated or not. There is no problem here but I've heard that 2 cats using 1 box can create issues because sometimes one cat will dominate the box and not let the other cat use it. I dunno.Thank you so much for your fast reply! That helps me a lot. Guess I gotta invest in a few more boxes eh.
My cats used to poop in my mom's plants before they were completely litter trained. She wasn't too happy with me, let me tell ya!They haven't had any accidents since then either and I'm pretty sure it'll stay that way!
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you should have a litter box for each floor also
plus, when my cat got sick with diarrhea, i was glad i had more than 1 litterbox
plus, when my cat got sick with diarrhea, i was glad i had more than 1 litterbox
Having more than one litterbox does nothing if a cat has diarrhea. Both cats used both boxes when I had two cats, so I would not know who is sick that way.
I disagree with the "each floor" idea. My old house has a finished basement, but that does not mean cats were going to poop down there. The only times I needed a litterbox on the second floor were when I adopted Patricia and Wilbur to keep them away from Emily for a few days.
I have heard and read different logics on the "different floor" thing. I keep one on each floor because it's easier for my geriatric to use the box on the main floor than it is for her to go clear downstairs. If I took it away I don't know if it would make any difference or not.
I have 4 cats (not counting my 2 fosters in their own room with their own box). I live in a 2 story house and I have one large steralite tub (that is cut out for kitties to step in) on the main floor and one on the second floor. I also have a litter box in the basement. I clean the tubs once daily.
I have to use the tubs because two of my four kitties pee straight back and are very messy LOL. If I added a box or two they would use them as well. But what they have now is equivalent to a large sandbox for people, size-wise, and they are fine with it.
Thanks for posting this question, it has been interesting to see what everyone is using and what new products are out there.
I have to use the tubs because two of my four kitties pee straight back and are very messy LOL. If I added a box or two they would use them as well. But what they have now is equivalent to a large sandbox for people, size-wise, and they are fine with it.
Thanks for posting this question, it has been interesting to see what everyone is using and what new products are out there.
The biggest surprise here is that some cats use boxes made for humans. I can't imagine doing that with so many types of litterboxes available now.
Does anybody have a LitterMaid box?
Does anybody have a LitterMaid box?
Why is that a surprise? A plastic box is a plastic box :dk:. A cat doesn't know or care whether the box was labeled "litterbox" or "storage tote" at the store :lol3:. Those sold in pet stores are expensive, and I can find something I don't like about every single one (low sides, hard to clean, too small, etc.). I won't ever use anything other than a Sterilite tote now.
Sorry found myself wondering what your cats use...
I have seen too many times one of our cats pee in one box, hop out, and poop in another one. Just like people, they can have their preferences. Don't bother arguing with them; they won't see the logic of doing it all in one box.
Because there are litterboxes with high sides and covered litterboxes that are big enough for an obese Maine Coon to use. Buy a covered LB, and you don't have to worry about cutting a hole in hard plastic.
Emily's first litterbox had a cover, but I took the lid off. The reason I got that one for her was the uncovered boxes were too tall for little kittens.
:scratch: It's not difficult to cut, and SO much cheaper!
Why should I pay $20+ for a plastic box labeled "litterbox" when a plastic box labeled "storage tote" is $5? It's not like it matters to the cat. It's easy to cut an opening wherever you want it. And I hate covered boxes 
.
I agree with you Willowy about the steralite tubs, and it's not just a matter of money either
. If you have a tall cat that pees pretty much straight at the back of the box, then you need a box that does not have a seam halfway up where the pee can collect and/or drip through the back.
Here's a picture of the kind that we use http://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/306866-doublestack-rubbermaid-design-setup.html
If you have really large cats like I do, I think it is nicer for them to have a lot of room. Plus I can still keep the lid on the top and they don't have to crouch inside or hang out the front of the box.
I'm also surprised that no commercial company has come up with a good large box for cats without that seam in the middle. We have a top-entry litterbox that someone gave us, but it's too small. Most of the people I know in rescue use the larger tubs, especially for multiple foster kitties.
Here's a picture of the kind that we use http://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/306866-doublestack-rubbermaid-design-setup.html
If you have really large cats like I do, I think it is nicer for them to have a lot of room. Plus I can still keep the lid on the top and they don't have to crouch inside or hang out the front of the box.
I'm also surprised that no commercial company has come up with a good large box for cats without that seam in the middle. We have a top-entry litterbox that someone gave us, but it's too small. Most of the people I know in rescue use the larger tubs, especially for multiple foster kitties.
I never thought about cats peeing straight backward toward a wall because none of my cats ever did that. Also, I personally would not be able to cut a hole in hard plastic, but that is just me.
I do agree high sides are important if your cat has no mobilirty issues. Short walls are the cause of urine going to the floor when a cat is in the box. But I would buy one of those boxes with three high sides and one short side if I had an arthritic cat.
I do agree high sides are important if your cat has no mobilirty issues. Short walls are the cause of urine going to the floor when a cat is in the box. But I would buy one of those boxes with three high sides and one short side if I had an arthritic cat.
...or for those of us who don't have a hard time cutting sterlite boxes, just cut down an entrance in the front of our tall-sided boxes.
The plastic isn't really hard. It cuts like butter with a razor knife :dk:. I love the customization possiblities.
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i have 1 cat and 3 litterboxes. she used all 3 during the night the time she had diarrhea. and 2 of the boxes are close by each other.
In my opinion, you don't need a litter box for EACH cat. If your cats all get along with each other and don't have any potty problems then stick to 2 boxes, especially since you said you clean them daily. Cats are very clean creatures and don't like having to step around messes in the box to find a spot to squat so as long as everyone is behaving and they all seem happy then stay with what's working.
