How many litter boxes your cat needs and where to put them

To find out the ideal number of litter boxes you should have for your cats, the formula is simple: one litter more than the number of cats. So two cats will ask you to have three litters in the house. It also means that you need two litters for one cat. This number is directly related to how important a clean litter is for the cat. Science has proven that cleanliness is the most important factor for a cat. So by offering cats multiple litter boxes, we avoid creating this scenario where the litter is not considered clean enough and becomes undesirable for the cat.

The litter bins should all be located in different rooms, and each floor should have at least one litter box, which is particularly important if the cat is more than 7 years old or has difficulties moving around. The Cat Educator – Feline Behavior explains why: “An older cat sleeping on the third floor and needing to quickly go to its litter in the basement may not have time to get there. Even worse, he just might not feel like going down those three floors of stairs that his old bones are struggling with and decide to take care of himself right on your bed!” Another reason for putting litter boxes on different floors is related to the fact that the staircase often becomes a bottleneck in a house. A dog or cat that lay in the stairs leading to the only room where the litter is in the house can become very problematic for other cats.

The number of litters is also related to their positioning because it offers the cat multiple options. He can choose the litter which, at this particular time of the day, he likes most or seems to him the least dangerous. “At different times of the day, a litter box, located for example near the washing machine, could be considered unpleasant or dangerous for the cat”, says Daniel Filion. “If the litter is in a place that is too busy, next to a household appliance that is too noisy, in a closet or a small room that gives the cat the impression that it will not have a way out if a danger (another cat, a dog) should occur, or if the litter is too far from his favorite rooms or on cement that’s too cold, a cat could decide to do his needs in a place he considers more appropriate for him and this place could very well be the carpet of your living room”.

Too often, cat owners will choose to put litter boxes in the least visible part of the house. Unfortunately, it is also the smallest, inaccessible, unpleasant or dangerous place for the cat like a small toilet in the basement, the laundry room, a wardrobe, the room where the furnace and A/C unit is located or the garage. You must avoid these places.

Opt instead for a place that’s a bit quiet, but still near the areas occupied by the cat. The cat prefers a place where he can see his environment and thus watch for potential dangers approaching while he’s doing his needs. This is especially important in a house with other cats, a dog or children.

Finally, an important rule is to avoid at all costs putting food near the litter box. “We don’t eat by our toilets, do we? Well, neither do cats!”, Cat Educator simply tells us.

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