Litter Box Placement

[sarah430]

I have 2 kitties and 2 litter boxes. I know 3 is recommended but 2 works just fine. In fact they had used just one for awhile but its easier for me to keep things clean if I have 2.

Right now the boxes are in different rooms but I'm thinking of putting them side by side in the same room. Is there any reason why this wouldn't be recommended? They both use both boxes and don't seem to be very particular. They are challenging in other ways but thankfully their bathroom habits isn't one of them. Lol

 

[GoldyCat]

I've heard that if the litter boxes are too close together the cats think it's just one box. That said, I have 3 lined up in a row with a few inches between and my cats use all of them equally. It hasn't cause any problems with them going outside the box.

 

[vyger]

I have 5 boxes, what a pain, and they are in different places except for 2 that are side by side. The ones that get the most use are the ones where they mostly hang out. So one will get trashed while another will hardly be used. I find myself wondering "why can't you guys just walk to the other ones instead of making a huge mess". But so far the logic they use for that has escaped me.

 

[vyger]

I have 5 boxes, what a pain, and they are in different places except for 2 that are side by side. The ones that get the most use are the ones where they mostly hang out. So one will get trashed while another will hardly be used. I find myself wondering "why can't you guys just walk to the other ones instead of making a huge mess". But so far the logic they use for that has escaped me.

By the way, I am planing on getting a big plastic tote and use it as a giant litter box rather than the two smaller ones. Some people have found that that works really good with multiple cats.

 

[maggiedemi]

You can try it and see if it works. When I have them side by side, my cat will pee in one and poop in the other one.

 

[sarah430]

Thanks! I put them side by side and will see how it goes.

 

[Dinosnores]

It's not recommended to have them both side-by-side because litter boxes are important territory markers. Spreading them far apart means your cats can feel like they're claiming their entire territory with their waste instead of just one corner - it makes them more confidant and secure. It's the same reason it's important to spread "cat stuff" like cat trees, window perches, etc throughout your home, it serves the same purpose.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Our boxes are in our laundry room/closet. One is in front of the washer and the other is in front of the dryer; so they aren't too far apart. This has been fine for us. I've even seen one cat pee in one box and walk right to the other one to poo.

 

[sarah430]

Our boxes are in our laundry room/closet. One is in front of the washer and the other is in front of the dryer; so they aren't too far apart. This has been fine for us. I've even seen one cat pee in one box and walk right to the other one to poo.

That's so funny! I haven't seen that yet, but I am noticing that they tend to poo in one and pee in the other.

It's not recommended to have them both side-by-side because litter boxes are important territory markers. Spreading them far apart means your cats can feel like they're claiming their entire territory with their waste instead of just one corner - it makes them more confidant and secure. It's the same reason it's important to spread "cat stuff" like cat trees, window perches, etc throughout your home, it serves the same purpose.

I can see how that could be an issue. Fortunately it isn't for us since my kitties are siblings and very bonded. They happily shared one until they grew out of that. So far they seem to be pretty good with sharing in general, but I'll keep a watch out for any problems. Thanks@

 

[Jazhole1]

I have two cats, I used to have two litter boxes but they NEVER touched the second one. They always shared the one, I even tried putting them together. Nada. So now I only have one, I just have to clean it more than once a day

 

[DaddysKitty]

You can try it and see if it works. When I have them side by side, my cat will pee in one and poop in the other one.

Yup, mine too. Dunno why they do that.