Litter box advice! :)

[minniewinnie]

I just took in a 5 month old kitten, minnie, 3 days ago. It's my first cat, so it's definitely exciting but I find myself googling endless amount of questions regarding their care (

).

We have a pretty big apartment (~2200 sq/ft, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms).. anyways, right now I'm keeping her litter box in my room which is relatively large. I didn't want her getting overwhelmed with the new environment so I put the box in with me for now. I would eventually want to move the litter box to one of the bathrooms that no one in the family uses.

When should I plan to do this? Is she still too young? Should I keep her in my room for a few months or so to get her accustomed to the apartment?

 

[kittehtime]

It's a good question.

Cats adapt pretty easily, i'm sure you're finding out for yourself

That being said, your apartment is pretty big. If it were me, i'd keep the box where it is for now, but allow the cat access to the rest of the house as well so she can explore and get used to her surroundings. I'd also get another box and put it in the bathroom that you intend to leave it. I'm sure you'll be surprised when in a day or two, you check the box in the bathroom and she's gone in it

I just say this from my experience recently w/ my kitten. We have 2 litter boxes in our 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse, for what that's worth

Good luck!

 

[mrblanche]

By the time they're 5 months old, they don't usually have any problem remembering where the litter box is. Maybe don't keep it too clean for a day or two, just so she can find it by smell.

The alternative is to put her in the room with the litter box for a day or so. But I don't think you'll have a problem, unless she is acting very timid.

 

[cat person]

Originally Posted by KittehTime

...That being said, your apartment is pretty big. If it were me, i'd keep the box where it is for now, but allow the cat access to the rest of the house as well so she can explore and get used to her surroundings. I'd also get another box and put it in the bathroom that you intend to leave it. I'm sure you'll be surprised when in a day or two, you check the box in the bathroom and she's gone in it

I just say this from my experience recently w/ my kitten. We have 2 litter boxes in our 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse, for what that's worth

I have to agree with you one 100%. I will admit I have major fears of a indoor cat and litter box avoidance issues. But I have seven (7) boxes and four cats (4). Only two are indoor full time. Two are indoor/outdoor.

I change all the boxes once a week and scoop twice a day. Yes, I am sure I waist litter. But to me it is more important to have a clean smelling home.

If the litter box in the bedroom really bothers you, just wait till your cat is using the litter box in the extra bathroom. Then you could remove the one in the bedroom. Just wait till she is using both boxes consistently for two weeks before removing the original one.

This information is just my humble opinion.

 

[kittehtime]

Originally Posted by Cat Person


I change all the boxes once a week and scoop twice a day. Yes, I am sure I waist litter. But to me it is more important to have a clean smelling home.

This information is just my humble opinion.

lol same here, altho i will also admit that i have ocd and i think for me this plays into it as well...

 

[minniewinnie]

Should I be worried that the litter box would be too out of the way? I mean, she'll have her own room and a bathroom to herself but it's far away from the living room (where she likes to spend time with us).

I currently have a makeshift litter box in the bathroom I intend to have the box in and every 1-2 days I'm going to be moving her primary big litter box closer and closer to that bathroom.

I just hope she'll be able to run to that bathroom when she needs to go

 

[rewboss]

If your apartment is so huge, you might consider getting a second litter tray. Some cats will actually insist on pooping in one tray and peeing in another, but that aside, as long as you're not tripping over them, too many litter trays is usually better than not enough.

Placement of litter trays can be a bit of a puzzle, but generally speaking cats prefer to have their trays somewhere slightly secluded so they can do their business in private, but not hidden away or surrounded by stuff they have to clamber over.

I don't think you have to worry about a five-month-old cat not getting to a distant tray in time: they do have quite a lot of control over their bladders (or should do at that age). The important thing is that she knows where it is and always has access to it -- and knows that she's allowed to do her business in the tray and nowhere else.

 

[minniewinnie]

I think I may keep two around. A small one in the isolated bathroom, in case she wants to use it there if she's hanging around that area. And I'll keep the one she usually uses in my room. I'm guilty of wanting her in my room so we can have and continue our feline-human bond. Is this normal?

 

[rewboss]

There's no particular need to have the tray in the same room she sleeps in; cats are perfectly able and willing to get up in the middle of the night and go to another room to do their business. Personally, I prefer not to be woken in the middle of the night by the sound of a cat pooping, and depending on what they ate that day, it may not be very fragrant either.

There's nothing at all usual in wanted to foster your kitty/human bond or to have her sleep with you at night. Whether your cat will think the same way is a different matter; some cats love to snuggle up, others prefer to sleep alone. Some cats in my experience will sleep for a more-or-less solid eight hours; others might get up in the middle of the night, have a midnight snack, stare out of the window for a bit, play with a toy, and come back to bed later. You never know, but if you've been looking after her properly, she'll have bonded with you, no worries.