How Many Litter Boxes Should You Have Per Cat?
Despite the fact that a cat is able to roam outside freely, it is always more advisable to keep litter boxes inside in case your cat does not feel safe with the idea of going outside for its toilet or maybe due to the issues of advanced years or mobility problems cannot make it fast enough to the backyard.
There are never too many litter boxes for cats so let’s consider how many litter pans per house including what you need to know about them.
Number of Cats | Recommended Number of Litter Boxes |
---|---|
1 | 1 |
2 | 2-3 |
3 | 3-4 |
4 | 4-6 |
5 | 5-7 |
How Many Litter Boxes Do Cats Need?
In households with many cats, it’s important to offer enough supplies including feeding spots, cat furniture and sleeping places to avoid conflicts and minimize competition thus the same advice applies to litter boxes too.
According to most feline behaviourists, one box is not enough for a cat. You can have a number of vehicles at different corners of your home.
Cats that are in an outside potty often want to pee somewhere else other than where they poop. To simulate the best possible litter services inside, you may give each cat two trays.
Determining How Many Litter Boxes You Need
You are required to check the number of cats in your household for the purpose of determining number of litter box needed with one more added. So if you have 2 cats, you should use a minimum of three trays. If you have 3 cats, then at least four boxes are recommended. But it would be best if possible to keep two boxes per cat. If you live in a small house and have many cats, the way out will be to look for ways on how many social groups they form and how compatible they are together. If there is harmony among them, put one litter box for each group plus one more.
Tips for Litter Box Success
When all is said and done, regardless of the myriad of litter box products available on the market, as far as a cat is concerned, what the cat wants is just a box that feels secure to it, remains clean and has two or three inches of sand-like material for burying its physical waste.
To determine which type of litter your cat prefers, conduct a test using different types of litters. If you have a new cat use the same litter they used before (if you know what it was).
It’s essential to have an idea about the size of litter box that suits your cats best. One rule to follow when determining the right size for the tray, is; it should be at least 1.5 times longer than from their nose to tail end. The tray should also be well-built and wide enough for full turning around by your pet without being hindered in any way plus also adequate for digging and covering itself with soil while going to toilet. The kittens can start with small trays but as they grow up shift them into bigger ones.
Scoop out the boxes several times daily and thoroughly clean them at least one time per week– this motivates cats to always make use of these facilities when kept clean.
Lastly, for old pets or those who cannot climb in/out of their toilets conveniently provide a large tray with low sides.
Where To Place Litter Boxes
In order to be safe, place litter boxes in hidden regions or quiet angles away from crowded places and arrange them in such a way that the cats can see their environment with a wall behind them or some other sturdy structure.
When you have a kitten or an old cat, especially if you live in a multi-story house,. You need to place one litter box on each floor so as to reduce soiling in the house. Put in a microchip cat flap on the door or move the litter box into a room with baby gates around it. If your dog frequently tangles with the tray,.
Avoid placing litter boxes near busy highways, glass windows that lead outwards through cat flaps, or any home entry/exit points. If not, they might become uneasy and feel disturbed when taking care of their personal hygiene needs. Still, ensure that the pet never shares its food and water areas with its toilet. Since pets don’t like using toilets located within. Where they eat, this is more so if there are washing machines. And dishwashers, which make loud noises next to where the pet sleeps.
Can You Put Litter Boxes Side by Side?
Avoid putting litter boxes next to each other, especially in households with multiple cats. Rather, disperse the trays throughout the house to lessen the likelihood of a cat becoming trapped. Alone, or under the control of another dominant cat.
What To Do if Your Cats Aren’t Using the Litter Box
If your cats are not using the litter box, try putting out additional litter boxes. In different places and upgrading to bigger ones. You can also conduct litter preference tests by temporarily restricting access to particular areas of the house during the test.
Try out various kinds of litter, use trays with covers or without covers. Make your cat’s pooing ground deep, and scoop off their waste multiple times a day just to see. If it changes anything. Keep a diary of daily elimination habits to know what your cat loves most.
If such attempts fail because you’re still experiencing issues with your cat making on floor instead of in its toilet. Then go ahead and take it for medical advice from veterinarians. Tell your vet about any minor behavioural changes too.
Conclusion
On the other hand, it is important to provide a sufficient number of litter boxes for cats. With a safe place where they can ease themselves. Setting up the perfect litter box in your house can reduce or prevent accidents occurring outside the litter box altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions
01: Should you have a litter box for each cat?
Certainly, it is important to have one litter box per cat, with an additional one as well. They should be put in peaceful, empty areas of the house, far from busy streets.
02: Can I put two litter boxes next to each other?
Avoid placing two litter boxes together because your cat will think they are a single large sandpit. Furthermore, the second litter box might not be used if the first one is unclean.
03: Why do two cats need three litter boxes?
So that each cat has its own place for urinating and defecating. There are two cats in need of three toilet boxes. When the dirt is already completely packed into two of the boxes. You should leave the cats with at least one clean box for them to use. To avoid disturbances, it is possible to achieve this by positioning the third box in a peaceful section of the house. And lower the likelihood of conflict between cats that are aggressive.
04: How many litter boxes for 3, 4, or even 6 cats?
It is important that two cats use one extra box of dirt. So they are able to use separate trays for stooling and urinating. Thus, three cats would need four boxes, and six cats would demand seven litter boxes. However, having so many bins in a home is impractical, as a result. The cats can use a variety of large litter boxes, one of which can accommodate all six of them.