The number of cat litter boxes available for your kitties is
another key to good litter box habits. Many cats are fussy about
their litter boxes, and if they aren't happy with number you
provide, they communicate their unhappiness to you in most direct
manner possible - they stop using the litter box.
Here is some essential information for determining the minimum
number of cat litter boxes you need for your cats.
First off, there is a tried and true formula that tells you
the bare minimum number of cat litter boxes you should have
available:
"X" cats + 1 = minimum number of cat litter boxes.
If you have three cats you need a minimum (I can't stress this
enough) of four cat litter boxes. However, depending upon your cat's
litter box habits, you may need more. Why?
Some cats require two litter boxes for their personal use.
They use one for liquid waste deposit, and the other one for their
solid waste output. If you have just two cats, and one of them fits
this description, you're already up to four cat litter boxes!
With this formula, even one cat requires at least two cat
litter boxes. If you have a dwelling that is multi-story, you may
need to strategically locate litter boxes on each level of your
home. This works well to eliminate any problems your cat may have
about making it to the litter box in time. Particularly as cats get
older, they develop stiff joints and/or memory problems. You will
see this illustrated in their ability to get to the cat litter box
in time, provided they remember where the nearest one is located.
If you have several cats in your household, applying this
formula can be challenging if you run out of litter box locations
that suit you. What if your cats don't like the litter box locations
you’ve chosen? They tell you - they do their waste elimination
business in the location they'd prefer to see a cat litter box.
It may take some creativity on your part, as well as
negotiation with the cats, to place the minimum number of cat litter
boxes around your house that will reinforce good cat litter habits.
When I am contacted by cat owners who have 4 or more cats, and
they want to know how many boxes they need to have available, they
sometimes gasp at my answer. But cleaning up after multiple cats can
become a full time job. You really have to scoop out the boxes as
often as the cats deposit their mess, because a dirty cat litter box
will cause problems.
For this reason, I always urge feline owners who live in
rather small spaces to think seriously about the number of cats they
wish to keep, especially if they decide to keep all kitties indoors.
I agree that all cats should be kept indoors, except under special
circumstances. However, space considerations are finite and can only
accommodate so many cats and their litter boxes.
The majority of questions I receive from stressed-out cat
owners involve multi-animal households. Often, the owner simply
doesn't realize that each cat needs at least one litter box to call
her own. When they realize the number of cat litter boxes necessary,
they often have to be very creative to place the litter boxes in
strategic locations.
However, once you set up enough cat litter boxes, depending
upon your cat's litter box habits, successful litter box habits can
be learned and enforced.
By Nancy E. Wigal
Nancy has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her
home, and kept the kitty that caused it. The Cat Urine Odor Advisor
helps you save money and stop the damage in your household by
offering solutions that work together to eliminate cat urine odor
from your home.
http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
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