additional litter box location suggestions

louisstools

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For all my 10 year old girl cat's life the litter boxes have been in the basement. She's got a bit of arthritis and I've been considering adding a litter box upstairs to make life easier on her.

I'm curious if any of these potential locations would be better than others based on the flooring and nearby objects for keeping things clean and cat happiness.
  1. Corner of living room on carpet near the TV.
  2. Edge of dining room on hardwood near sliding glass patio door and basement steps.
  3. Bedroom turned hobby room on carpet
I'm leaning towards the dining room because I think it'll be easiest to clean and it's on her existing potty path. I don't use the dining room but this would make that more permanent.

The hobby room might be better but concerned about litter mess and carpet.

Appreciate any insight yall have!

Edit: this new litter box would be in addition to the others. Even if she only used this news box I'd keep the old ones around.
 
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louisstools

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What does your hobby look like? Tiniest noise bothers my cat so I wouldn't put it near the porch. My cats go wherever I am so bedroom and between the living room and dining room
It's really a storage room for firearms with a cleaning station. I'm rarely in there. Current boxes area near the furnace, ac, and clothes washing machines. She's actually not skittish about sounds here.
 
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louisstools

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I didn't know about this (enzyme cleaners). In the basement I just sweep like once a quarter. She doesn't kick litter out. Just a bit of dust from adding litter and whatever sticks to her paws.
 
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louisstools

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Fizzion or SCOE10X are enzymatic cleaners that work on hard surfaces, including wood.
Forgive my ignorance but why would one use an enzymatic cleaner? ... all I do is sweep up litter that gets out of the box every once in a while...
 

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Until a few months ago we also had all the boxes in the basement. We had a cricket infestation and Sqeeker (14yr) was afraid to go down. The house is old, the hardwood floors have separated some, and litter gets between the boards. I had to use a can of air in one hand and the vac in the other but got it out and put mats around the boxes.

I use this hand vac with the brush out on hardwood. The collection compartment comes apart and empties easily. It can also be removed and washed so very sanitary. These mats are great. One of my kittens throws 1/2 the litter out of the box and I can dump it back in easily. Sqeeker had never had a mat before and was unfazed by walking on it. They claim to be waterproof, I haven't tested it but find fine litter dust under it so doubt it's waterproof.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOEFBKS/?tag=thecatsite

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KP7N5WH/?tag=thecatsite
 

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Forgive my ignorance but why would one use an enzymatic cleaner? ... all I do is sweep up litter that gets out of the box every once in a while...
I offered these cleaners in response to Furballsmom Furballsmom 's comment, without reading your entire thread - sorry. They would only be necessary if any litter that gets outside of the boxes contain pee or poop that could get absorbed into wood flooring.

I agree that mats are probably a good idea for you, regardless of where you choose to place additional litter boxes. If I were you, I'd pick two locations with a litter box in each. You can always 'introduce' her to their location to help her get used to their placement. You might also take one or both of the boxes currently in the basement for use upstairs and place new ones downstairs - just in case she ends up preferring her 'old' boxes to any new ones.
 
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louisstools

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I offered these cleaners in response to Furballsmom Furballsmom 's comment, without reading your entire thread - sorry. They would only be necessary if any litter that gets outside of the boxes contain pee or poop that could get absorbed into wood flooring.

I agree that mats are probably a good idea for you, regardless of where you choose to place additional litter boxes. If I were you, I'd pick two locations with a litter box in each. You can always 'introduce' her to their location to help her get used to their placement. You might also take one or both of the boxes currently in the basement for use upstairs and place new ones downstairs - just in case she ends up preferring her 'old' boxes to any new ones.
Ok, that makes sense about the cleaners. Good thinking about the placement and possibly moving an older one upstairs. For as skittish and anxious as my girl is the one thing that she's been good with is litter boxes. Every time I've added a new one she went right to it. And the few times I had one upstairs (for when someone was injured) she used it without hesitation. But one never knows with cats! And I'm just trying to make her senior years easier on her (even got some 'pet' stairs coming this week to help her get on/off the couch easier)
 

FeebysOwner

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And I'm just trying to make her senior years easier on her (even got some 'pet' stairs coming this week to help her get on/off the couch easier)
If the pet stairs don't work, try makeshift stairs like small footstools and even some of the smaller hard sided storage boxes that normally can fit underneath beds (turned upside down, of course). Feeby does well with the makeshift steps as she tends to 'linger' sometimes on one of them which pet stairs aren't usually big enough for that. I use 12" high footstools, and then 6" high sturdy boxes that make for steps for her to use to climb to and from the bed and couches. She uses them religiously.

Feeby adapted 'right off the bat' to a new litter box, some cats are like that - and it sounds like yours is too!!
 
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louisstools

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I use 12" high footstools, and then 6" high sturdy boxes that make for steps for her to use to climb to and from the bed and couches. She uses them religiously.
Would you happen to have a photo handy of a couch setup?
 

FeebysOwner

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Here are two of the set ups - one to the bed (but I have a chest instead of a footstool along with one of those under the bed storage boxes, and you can see where she used it in order to take a nap on the bed - LOL!), and another with a footstool and sturdy box for her to get to an end table on the patio that she likes. Hope that will give you some ideas. The pet stairs might work just fine for your girl
 

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Furballsmom

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a feeby sighting!
Yah :thumbsup:

One thing in particular that I like about the set up for Feeby, and isn't good with commercially made pet steps is that the commercial ones are too narrow, both from side to side and in the actual step itself front to back. The set up for Feeby gives her all the room she needs :heartshape:
 
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