How Far Should The Litter Box Be From My Cat’s Food And Water?

[iheartlife]

I’m going to be gone for most of a day (around 17 hours, maybe a little longer) and one of my cats will have to be left in a kennel because he has pica and eats carboard, paper/magazines, plastic bags, carpet fibers, loose threads on blankets or towels. I have 2 kennels that I can connect together and put the litter box at the end of one and put his food and water at the end of the other and he will still have enough space to lay down in between them. The food/water would be about 27” from the start of the litter box and he would be laying closer to the litter box (possibly with his face just a few inches from it if he turns that direction. If I put a totally fresh litter box in would that be safe for him to have his food/water that close to where he’s going to the bathroom or is that too close and risks bacteria getting into his food/water or breathing them in? I attached a photo of what it would look like. The entire length from
end to end is 48” and the litter box is about 27” from the food and the cat could lay much closer to it. Is this dangerous? Is it too close to where he could breathe in dangerous bacteria or the bacteria could get into his food/water? Or would this be safe for 17 hours or so? Please don’t say it’s safe unless you’re 100% sure nothing bad could happen to him.

 

[daftcat75]

My cat spent 10 days in a cage about the size of one of those at the vet's office with a bowl of food and a litter box. Yours will be fine for a day. Cats are pretty resilient.

 

[daftcat75]

I mean there's no way to be 100% sure. But. He breathes the same stuff when he goes to the bathroom anyway. If it doesn't bother him there, it's not likely to affect him with his food dish so close. He'll tell you if he objects to the situation by not eating. And he will be fine if he doesn't eat for 17 hours.

This is just a one day situation, and not an everyday arrangement, right?

 

[iheartlife]

I mean there's no way to be 100% sure. But. He breathes the same stuff when he goes to the bathroom anyway. If it doesn't bother him there, it's not likely to affect him with his food dish so close. He'll tell you if he objects to the situation by not eating. And he will be fine if he doesn't eat for 17 hours.

This is just a one day situation, and not an everyday arrangement, right?

Yes this is a hopefully one-time thing. I have to stay in a hotel a Sunday night for an early morning appointment several hours away. I will be leaving at 9pm Sunday and should be home by 2pm Monday.

 

[daftcat75]

He may not eat or he may eat less if he believes the food is too close to the litterbox. But he may not eat anyway just from being locked up. Cats can be sensitive to stress but they're also pretty resilient too. For a day? He'll be alright. Can you give him a blanket or towel to suck on, or is it just not advisable to indulge that urge at all? My Krista likes to groom blankets. She had dental work done at the vet's (on top of a few other reasons she was there for so long) or I would have brought her a blanket from home to go to town on.

 

[iheartlife]

He may not eat or he may eat less if he believes the food is too close to the litterbox. But he may not eat anyway just from being locked up. Cats can be sensitive to stress but they're also pretty resilient too. For a day? He'll be alright. Can you give him a blanket or towel to suck on, or is it just not advisable to indulge that urge at all? My Krista likes to groom blankets. She had dental work done at the vet's (on top of a few other reasons she was there for so long) or I would have brought her a blanket from home to go to town on.

I definitely do not want to give him anything he can suck on because he’ll try to eat the loose fibers or claw at it to make loose fibers to eat.

 

[daftcat75]

You could practice this arrangement with him. Lure him in with treats, play some Music For Cats, and observe him for awhile before letting him out again. Put treats back inside so he associates lockup with treats. Do this a few times this weekend for different lengths of time so he doesn't feel so shocked when you spring 17 hours on him. You don't have to practice it for hours. He can't tell time anyway. You just want to practice it a few times so he knows what to expect: that he will eventually be let out again and given treats. If you play Music For Cats for him or something similar, he'll probably just sleep the time away anyway.

 

[iheartlife]

You could practice this arrangement with him. Lure him in with treats, play some Music For Cats, and observe him for awhile before letting him out again. Put treats back inside so he associates lockup with treats. Do this a few times this weekend for different lengths of time so he doesn't feel so shocked when you spring 17 hours on him. You don't have to practice it for hours. He can't tell time anyway. You just want to practice it a few times so he knows what to expect: that he will eventually be let out again and given treats. If you play Music For Cats for him or something similar, he'll probably just sleep the time away anyway.

He’s used to the kennel. He has to stay in it at night so he doesn’t eat things and he’s let out all day because I work from home. Besides I’m leaving this Sunday (day after tomorrow) so I wouldn’t really have time to practice anything. My brother keeps telling me that there’s a toxicity danger having him that close to the litter box for 17 hours.

 

[daftcat75]

If you're concerned call up a vet's office tomorrow. Even a vet tech who answers the phone should be able to answer that one. They put cats in small cages like that all the time while waiting for procedures or recuperating from them. I can't 100% guarantee you anything but for a day, I do believe he'll be just fine.

 

[marmoset]

It's fine. Ferals that need housing after surgeries are often put in set-ups like this for recovery. I've never heard of a cat getting sick from it. Even in longer-term situations. As long as things are kept clean (washing the food and water bowls daily, keeping litter clean) there's no problem.

There are things that can be transmitted through feces through the oral route but generally they need to sit there longer than 17 hours and for a cat that lives indoors full time there's no reason to worry about those things.

I'd never say 100% guarantee but I've had plenty of cats in crates with litter and food/ water closer than I'd keep them out in the house normally.

 

[iheartlife]

If you're concerned call up a vet's office tomorrow. Even a vet tech who answers the phone should be able to answer that one. They put cats in small cages like that all the time while waiting for procedures or recuperating from them. I can't 100% guarantee you anything but for a day, I do believe he'll be just fine.

My vet is closed on the weekends. I don’t have a way to contact her outside of when her office is open.

 

[daftcat75]

My vet is closed on the weekends. I don’t have a way to contact her outside of when her office is open.

I feel like this is a simple enough question that you could call any vet office that's open tomorrow. They don't need to see you or your cat to answer this question for you.

 

[iheartlife]

It's fine. Ferals that need housing after surgeries are often put in set-ups like this for recovery. I've never heard of a cat getting sick from it. Even in longer-term situations. As long as things are kept clean (washing the food and water bowls daily, keeping litter clean) there's no problem.

There are things that can be transmitted through feces through the oral route but generally they need to sit there longer than 17 hours and for a cat that lives indoors full time there's no reason to worry about those things.

I'd never say 100% guarantee but I've had plenty of cats in crates with litter and food/ water closer than I'd keep them out in the house normally.

So as long as it’s a freshly changed litter box and I wash his food/water bowls and the tray of the kennel he stays in at night as soon as I get home, your opinion is that he should be fine?

 

[Tobermory]

One of my cats spent 24 hours in a cage that size at the emergency vet clinic. I don’t think they would house the cats that way if there was a significant risk. She never had any ill effects from the experience.

 

[marmoset]

So as long as it’s a freshly changed litter box and I wash his food/water bowls and the tray of the kennel he stays in at night as soon as I get home, your opinion is that he should be fine?

Yes.

 

[daftcat75]

10 days she stayed in a space this small at the vet’s office. They charged me way too much if this was unsafe. I trust them with my cat in this arrangement. Yours will be fine.

(Food dish is in foreground with the tuna mousse drool. She was there for dental issues among others.)