The bathroom is one of the best places to keep your cat's litter box. Messes will be easier to clean up on the tile or hardwood floor than on carpet. If your home has multiple bathrooms, consider putting the litter box in the bathroom that is used the least.
A great place to locate the litter box is your own bathroom, as long as you make sure to keep the door wide open when it's not in use. Many people tuck the litter box next to the toilet, between the toilet and tub, or under the sink.
Ideally, the litter box should be placed in an area away from the cat's food and water dishes, as well as away from busy areas like the kitchen or foyer. If you live in a spacious home, you may be able to place the litter box in a seldom-used bathroom or guest bedroom.
Where to Put Your Cat's Litter Box. The best places for litter boxes are usually quiet, easy-to-reach corners that offer privacy, de Jong says. “Check out where your cat spends the most time,” de Jong says. “If your cat never goes up to that weird attic room, don't put the litter box up there.”
Place outdoor litter boxes in out-of-the-way areas with little human traffic. Keep it away from the cat's food and water. Be sure to place the outdoor litter box away from areas where cats eat or drink.
You can keep the box next to the toilet if there's enough room. This will save you space in the rest of your home and help contain any litter box odor that may escape. Another reason why the bathroom is a good idea is that it's quiet enough for your cat to feel comfortable.
"It's certainly not ideal for a cat to sleep in the area where she urinates and defecates," Wieber explains. "It could lead to bacterial infections of the eyes, ears, and perhaps the bladder." Skin infections can occur as well.
Just like cats love enclosed, small spaces that provide a sense of security as cats feel safe from perceived threats, litter boxes are familiar places where some cats feel like they can finally relax and “let go.”
Your cat will let you know where they prefer their litter box to be placed – or, to put it more bluntly – they will simply refuse to use a litter box that's in a location they don't like! Possible places where a litter box could go depend on your home but the bathroom, living room or bedroom are all possible options.
A great way to hide a cat litter box in the bathroom is enclosing it in the bathroom cabinet. Simply make a hole in the cabinet and place the litter box inside. If you are looking for something even easier, opt for the under-the-sink hidden cat litter box. Use a skirt around your sink to hide the litter box under it.
You may have even heard that your cat can smell their dirty litter a mile away. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that a cat can smell their litter box from that far away. More realistically, they might be able to smell it up to a few hundred feet away (depending on wind and weather conditions) and often a lot less.
House training
Many cats and kittens will instinctively use a litter box without needing to be taught, because of their instincts to expel bodily waste in dirt or sand. Therefore, with a new kitten, owners usually need to simply show the kitten where the litter box is located, and how to get in and out.
By sitting in the litter box, your cat is marking the area with their scent glands and sending a clear message to other cats to stay away.
Factors to Consider Before Moving the Litter Box
Cats are creatures of habit and prefer a stable environment. A sudden change in the location of their litter box might cause stress and confusion.
Think food puzzles to engage minds and bodies, vertical space for climbing and surveying their domain, scratching posts, safe outdoor access (like a catio), window perches and interactive play. “Play is an important part of relieving stress,” Delgado says. “It helps cats release those feel-good hormones.”
This is a great question, and the answer is usually yes. Cats are pretty smart and will usually visit their litter box before falling asleep. Because most cats sleep between 6 and 8 hours per night, they fall into the routine of peeing before they close their eyes.
Frequent, repeated visits of your cat to the litter tray could be a sign that your cat is suffering from feline lower urinary tract disease and there's a number of different causes. They come in two broad categories, best described as medical causes and psychological causes.
Follow this simple rule: one box per cat, plus one extra. So if you have two cats, you should have three boxes. Making sure everyone has their space can help ease elimination issues. Some owners prefer a hooded box, but some cats don't like them.
Scooping solids and clumps of urine from your cat litter box or tray daily is enough to keep it fresh but you'll still need to have a deep clean every week.
Experts recommend cleaning the litter box monthly, but maybe more frequently depending on the number of kitties, the type of litter, your cat's output and health, and your preferences.
But cats are born with the instinct to dig and cover their waste. Theoretically, she says, if you place an appropriate litter box in a room, a cat or kitten will use it. Stray cats transitioning from outdoor to indoor life also know what to do, but they might insist on using your houseplants rather than the litter box.
Litter boxes should be scooped at least once or twice a day, and it's even better if you can get to it as soon as your cat has finished his business. There are self-cleaning litter boxes available that use a sensor to tell when a cat has entered and then left the litter box.
Healthy cats will generally visit the litter box between three and five times each day, and this includes going both number one and number two. If your cat is relieving itself more than five times each day, this doesn't necessarily point to a health issue.