Multiple cats
- Thread starter traciB
- Start date
story1267
Cathlete
Hi Traci-Lee,
I have had cats in the past and my DX has 4 cats and my SO has two cats (down from 3 a few years ago) so I do know from litter boxes.
Cats love things that stink. Even a good, clean litterbox will have intoxicating stink levels.
Cats are also territorial and use their urine to mark their space.
They will use as many litter boxes as you care to clean, and they will each use them.
DX has one of those
$400 automatic "self-cleaning" litter boxes and all 4 of his cats use it without problems. Our old grand dame Maya never did poop in a litter box. She neatly hangs her behind over the edge to do her business. She still does that but the other ladies use it.
HTH.
I have had cats in the past and my DX has 4 cats and my SO has two cats (down from 3 a few years ago) so I do know from litter boxes.
Cats love things that stink. Even a good, clean litterbox will have intoxicating stink levels.
Cats are also territorial and use their urine to mark their space.
They will use as many litter boxes as you care to clean, and they will each use them.
DX has one of those
$400 automatic "self-cleaning" litter boxes and all 4 of his cats use it without problems. Our old grand dame Maya never did poop in a litter box. She neatly hangs her behind over the edge to do her business. She still does that but the other ladies use it.HTH.
CollinsMom
Cathlete
DF has two cats, one box.
shakeubooty
Cathlete
Hi Traci-Lee!
We have 2 cats and 2 litterboxes. From what I've observed, each cat has claimed a litterbox as their own. I've read that you need at a minimum 1 litterbox per cat.
HTH,
Sue
We have 2 cats and 2 litterboxes. From what I've observed, each cat has claimed a litterbox as their own. I've read that you need at a minimum 1 litterbox per cat.
HTH,
Sue
cataddict
Cathlete
We currently have 4 cats & 4 litterboxes. We did have 3 boxes but added one when we isolated our 2 newest arrivals from the 2 others and they all got used to it being there. All 4 cats use 3 of the boxes, one is---ahem---"plus size" and can't fit well through the opening to the smallest box so he doesn't use it. With that one exception, they appear to use the box that is closest to their location when the need arises, so days when they don't move much through the house there may be unused boxes.
We used to have 2 cats and 1 box when we lived in an apartment and they adapted just fine with one although each would lay in wait for the other to emerge from the bathroom and jump them.
We used to have 2 cats and 1 box when we lived in an apartment and they adapted just fine with one although each would lay in wait for the other to emerge from the bathroom and jump them.
I have 3 cats and 3 litter boxes. They use them all!
During the winter months (indoor / outdoor cats), they don't go outside much, so I have to clean the litter boxes everyday to keep it from binging messy. And for some reason, my cats don't like it, if its not clean. Go figure- picky cats! Or maybe just spoiled!!
PS: Our vet. advises, that you should have one box per cat plus one extra. Esp. if you have a dominant cat. Me personally - 4 litter boxes would be a lot to clean
During the winter months (indoor / outdoor cats), they don't go outside much, so I have to clean the litter boxes everyday to keep it from binging messy. And for some reason, my cats don't like it, if its not clean. Go figure- picky cats! Or maybe just spoiled!!
PS: Our vet. advises, that you should have one box per cat plus one extra. Esp. if you have a dominant cat. Me personally - 4 litter boxes would be a lot to clean
Hi,
I have multiple cats. I have a total of 25-30, but not all of them are inside. The amount of boxes that are recommended by vets is 2 per cat, but I don't think that's necessary unless you see that there are problems with cats using the same box. In your case, I would recommend two boxes. Some cats like to poo in one and pee in the other, so that would help you in that situation. If you put two out, and there are no mishaps then you should be fine. Both cats will probably use both boxes though. Ultimately what's as important as the number of boxes is how clean you keep those boxes. We have several boxes in our house and we sift them all at least once a day.
I have multiple cats. I have a total of 25-30, but not all of them are inside. The amount of boxes that are recommended by vets is 2 per cat, but I don't think that's necessary unless you see that there are problems with cats using the same box. In your case, I would recommend two boxes. Some cats like to poo in one and pee in the other, so that would help you in that situation. If you put two out, and there are no mishaps then you should be fine. Both cats will probably use both boxes though. Ultimately what's as important as the number of boxes is how clean you keep those boxes. We have several boxes in our house and we sift them all at least once a day.
HTH,
I am sorry to disagree with you, but it's my experience that cats do not like things that stink. They have a much higher sense of smell than we do (approximately 14 times greater than ours actually), and they will NOT go in a dirty pan; matter of fact, if you take their pans and constantly spray chemicals on them and around them to "clean" they won't even use them - not because they are "too clean" but because they odor is too strong for them and it drives them away. This is why repellents work (the sprays you put on garbage cans to keep them out of it - because the smell is too strong and unpleasant for them). If you are referring to territorial marking, that's a different than using a litter pan....they do that to mark their own area because male cats can tell their own urine from another male's urine. That's how they "write their name" on stuff.
I am sorry to disagree with you, but it's my experience that cats do not like things that stink. They have a much higher sense of smell than we do (approximately 14 times greater than ours actually), and they will NOT go in a dirty pan; matter of fact, if you take their pans and constantly spray chemicals on them and around them to "clean" they won't even use them - not because they are "too clean" but because they odor is too strong for them and it drives them away. This is why repellents work (the sprays you put on garbage cans to keep them out of it - because the smell is too strong and unpleasant for them). If you are referring to territorial marking, that's a different than using a litter pan....they do that to mark their own area because male cats can tell their own urine from another male's urine. That's how they "write their name" on stuff.
August
Cathlete
I have two kittens and one tiny apartment, so they share a litter box (ScoopFree) and we've had no problem with it. I do keep the box very clean and completely change the litter (silica gel) at least once a week (and I scoop so often that I may as well not have an automatic box LOL).
My mom has two kittens (all four kittens are from the same litter) who also share one litter box, and they live in the same building, so we often have all four kittens in the same apartment for some hours at a time so they can play together....and they've been sharing the one litter box while we do that (they are about 8 months old and have been doing this since we got them 6 months ago).
(*I'm not at all recommending 4 cats to 1 box!)
The moment any of them go Numero Duo, I or Mom immediately get rid of it....so that might be why nobody minds....yet. When the kittens become full size (soon), I imagine we'll need a spare for when we do visits.
My mom has two kittens (all four kittens are from the same litter) who also share one litter box, and they live in the same building, so we often have all four kittens in the same apartment for some hours at a time so they can play together....and they've been sharing the one litter box while we do that (they are about 8 months old and have been doing this since we got them 6 months ago).
(*I'm not at all recommending 4 cats to 1 box!)
The moment any of them go Numero Duo, I or Mom immediately get rid of it....so that might be why nobody minds....yet. When the kittens become full size (soon), I imagine we'll need a spare for when we do visits.
Tracey M
Cathlete
I have 4 cats and 2 boxes. One has become the "pee" box and the other the "poo" box. We had 3 boxes but they never used the 3rd so we put it away. I scoop twice a day and completely change out the litter twice a week. When we had just two cats we also had 2 litter boxes but they never used the 2nd so we just kept one out.
I would suggest one per cat and see how they use them. If you have too many put one up...if you experience "accidents" put another box out or make sure you are keeping them very clean.
As for them liking clean vs. stinky boxes I agree with keeping them clean. I do have one cat, Jinxy, who is just an oddball and perfers at least one elimination to be in the box before she uses it. This typically isn't a problem as my two male cats immediately use the boxes when I clean them. They have to get the first use!
I would suggest one per cat and see how they use them. If you have too many put one up...if you experience "accidents" put another box out or make sure you are keeping them very clean.
As for them liking clean vs. stinky boxes I agree with keeping them clean. I do have one cat, Jinxy, who is just an oddball and perfers at least one elimination to be in the box before she uses it. This typically isn't a problem as my two male cats immediately use the boxes when I clean them. They have to get the first use!
kathryn
Cathlete
I currently have 3 cats (have had up to 5) and 4 large litter boxes (I have a big basement).
They do not use their 'own' boxes, but sometimes, they self-designate one or more as the 'liquids' and the other(s) for solids.
I've read that the general rule of thumb is to have one box per cat, plus one extra (which is what I have now, but didn't have when I had 4 or 5 cats).
They do not use their 'own' boxes, but sometimes, they self-designate one or more as the 'liquids' and the other(s) for solids.
I've read that the general rule of thumb is to have one box per cat, plus one extra (which is what I have now, but didn't have when I had 4 or 5 cats).
kathryn
Cathlete
>I am sorry to disagree with you, but it's my experience that
>cats do not like things that stink. They have a much higher
>sense of smell than we do (approximately 14 times greater than
>ours actually), and they will NOT go in a dirty pan; matter of
>fact, if you take their pans and constantly spray chemicals on
>them and around them to "clean" they won't even use them - not
>because they are "too clean" but because they odor is too
>strong for them and it drives them away.
I agree.
Cats will avoid using a too-stinky pan, and if they don't like the way the litter smells (some stuff has too much perfumey crap in), they may not like it either, and many don't like those enclosed pans because they are not cleaned enough by the humans who don't notice how bad they smell inside.
A stinky pan can lead to cats having 'accidents' outside of it.
>cats do not like things that stink. They have a much higher
>sense of smell than we do (approximately 14 times greater than
>ours actually), and they will NOT go in a dirty pan; matter of
>fact, if you take their pans and constantly spray chemicals on
>them and around them to "clean" they won't even use them - not
>because they are "too clean" but because they odor is too
>strong for them and it drives them away.
I agree.
Cats will avoid using a too-stinky pan, and if they don't like the way the litter smells (some stuff has too much perfumey crap in), they may not like it either, and many don't like those enclosed pans because they are not cleaned enough by the humans who don't notice how bad they smell inside.
A stinky pan can lead to cats having 'accidents' outside of it.
story1267
Cathlete
Oh, just slipping back in trying to stay under the radar on the potentially controversial topic of litter boxes and stinky things. :+
By "stink" I just meant - "interesting smelling things".
When one cat leaves the litter box the other inevitably comes over to see (smell) the news.
Of course litter boxes should be clean, not only for the furry ones but for their humans as well.
Slipping back out again......
By "stink" I just meant - "interesting smelling things".
When one cat leaves the litter box the other inevitably comes over to see (smell) the news.
Of course litter boxes should be clean, not only for the furry ones but for their humans as well.
Slipping back out again......
materialsgirl
Cathlete
>I've read that the general rule of thumb is to have one box
>per cat, plus one extra.
I've read the same rule in multiple sources, and I think it's a good rule of thumb. At the VERY LEAST, I think there should be 1 box per cat, in case of territorial issues, so each cat can "claim" a box, if need be. We have 3 cats and 3 boxes, only because we don't have anywhere else to put a 4th box.
>per cat, plus one extra.
I've read the same rule in multiple sources, and I think it's a good rule of thumb. At the VERY LEAST, I think there should be 1 box per cat, in case of territorial issues, so each cat can "claim" a box, if need be. We have 3 cats and 3 boxes, only because we don't have anywhere else to put a 4th box.