Did you know how difficult it can be to find the perfect place to keep litter boxes?
Cats are cute, but that box of theirs stinks!
Litter boxes can smell awful and it’s hard to know just where to hide them away.
I’m talking about litter boxes kept in terrible spaces by masterful (or mad) cat owners.
Not every cat owner has a dedicated space for the litter box.
Even if your pet has been using one of these places, you can work with her to resolve the problem with patience and understanding.
You might have heard the “rule of thumb” about where to keep your litter box, which is more often than not “out of sight, out of mind”.
Have you ever kept your cat’s litter box in an inappropriate place? If you have then this article is for you.
I’ve broken down where you can’t keep your litter box and then rated them from 1 – 6 (1 being bad and 6 being the worst).
Enjoy the read!
Where should you not put a litter box?
1. Too private locations:
Your cat will always develop worries about being ambushed, unlike humans who are highly concerned about their privacy when toileting.
Though cats don’t want their litter boxes to be in the most focal areas of the house, they won’t also want a place that offers too much privacy.
You don’t want your kitty to develop worries each time she moves to the litter box to complete her transactions.
So, places like around corners, just behind your favorite couch, inside a cabinet, closets, and small rooms wouldn’t be ideal for a kitty’s litter box.
Your cat will always get worried about a possible attack whenever it moves to such locations.
This could be the reason why your pet has chosen to finish her business in the area with fewer blind spots.
2. Very close to other litter boxes, water, and food bowls:
Your cat is most likely to choose the biggest litter box if you put multiple litter boxes together.
This explains why it’s inconvenient to put many litter boxes in one locale.
Similarly, your cats have an extraordinary sense of smell and wouldn’t want to erode the place where they eat and drink with stink.
You’ll only need to be humane enough to do them a favor by ensuring that the litter box is as far away from their food and water as possible.
3. Hidden and inconvenient locations:
You might have advanced the idea of shifting the kitty’s litter box to the basement when its life is on the first floor.
There’s a tendency that your pet may be uncomfortable moving down several stairs to drop the stinky bomb!
This is particularly tiresome if the kitty’s either an old senior or very young.
You must look into ways of ensuring that kitty’s litter boxes are always accessible and easy to locate if it is in a hurry.
4. Near a window:
Don’t put the litter box near a window, as cats are creatures of habit and they’ll be startled by people walking by or other animals passing.
5. High traffic regions:
Cats love secrecy and quiet.
They wouldn’t want to defecate in a place where everyone is crossing.
Places with loud and immense traffic such as kitchens and foyers might not go well with kitty’s litter boxes. Avoid a high-traffic area.
6. Places close to noisy appliances:
Maybe your laundry room looks very convenient for the installation of a kitty’s litter box. However, you must think about how your pet will feel if she’s exposed to the noise from the washer and the drier.
Operating in such spots could be very scary for a kitty.
Where should I keep my cat’s litter box in the house?
Your cat will want to do its business in a place that offers a combo of safety and privacy. In most cases, your feline will develop an interest in the places that will avail it with quietness and an expansive view of the surrounding geographies. You only need to ensure that the kitty’s litter box is in a place that avails safety, and quietness and is easy to reach. Here’s a list of suggestions for you.
1. The bathroom:
Your bathroom will avail kitty with the aspects of quietness and warmth. You’ll only need to part with a few coins investing in a litter mat and an enclosed litter box. This ideally is one of the best places to set up your kitty’s litter pan.
2. Your living room:
The fact that most living rooms are large explains why they are considered the best places to install a litter box.
You may choose to impose some creativity lessons and disguise your litter box to take the shape of the furniture in your house.
3. Keep the Litter Box in a Mudroom:
If you have a mudroom with tile or linoleum flooring, this is an excellent room to place the litter box. It is easy to keep clean, and once again, it is out of the main living areas. If you don’t have tile or linoleum, you might want to consider putting down a tarp or some other type of plastic covering just for this purpose.
If you have a spare bedroom, then putting the litter box near the toilet may be a good idea. Leave the door open to ensure she never gets trapped outside and can’t access her litter box.
Pro tip: Make a cat door to allow easy access to the bedroom.
Is it OK to keep a litter box in the bedroom?
No, it is not. Though kitties are wonderful companions, they may not be the best pets to keep in your room-particularly the bedroom.
The litter box could be a great source of chaos between you and your cat.
Dangers of a litter box in the bedroom:
- There’s a chance that you may trip in the dark and step into the kitty’s litter box
- You may easily inhale the litter in your sleep
- The dust and bacteria expelled by the litter could be very dangerous to your health
Creative places to put a litter box
Most veterinarians recommend that litter boxes be placed in quiet, low-traffic areas of the home, away from the food area.
In addition to being convenient, the ideal location should allow the cat to feel safe and secure while eliminating.
Here is an in-depth review of creative places to put a litter box.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I Keep a Litter Box Outside?
Yes, you can. Have you ever imagined a kitty having an outdoor bathroom that presents it with optimal safety, comfort, quietness, and perfect litter to dig in?
What more could she want? You need to think about keeping your litter box outside if your cat is a roamer.
However, you must be extra careful with the outdoor litter box as it may act as an attraction for other community cats.
This may bring you the double tragedy of infections and pests. The place you choose for the litter box must be quiet, convenient, and free from the effects of environmental hazards.
Do I need a litter box on every floor?
Yes, you need a litter box on every floor of your house.
If you have multiple floors, it is recommended that at a minimum you have one litter box on each floor.
This way your cat does not have to travel upstairs or downstairs if she needs to use the box.
This will increase your cat’s likelihood of using the litter box because they do not want to go far from where they are if they need to use the bathroom.
The more floors you have in your home, the more litter boxes you should have.
Can cats find their litter box if you move it?
Cats and cat litter boxes are a pair that go together like milk and cookies, and peanut butter and jelly. The two are inseparable and you seldom see one without the other.
But, what if you wanted to move the litter box? Would your cat know where to find it? Can cats find their litter box if you move it?
Cats are dependent on routine, and that means they like to find their litter box in the same place every time.
According to Dr. Sarah Ellis, a senior lecturer in feline behavior at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom who spoke with The Dodo, cats can adapt to a new location for their litter box. “Cats are quite good at finding things,” she said. “They have a very good sense of smell and a good memory for locations.”
If you’re moving the litter box across a room or somewhere else in the house that’s still close by, your cat might eventually figure out where its new location is after some time has passed.
Can cats smell their litter box? Cats have an excellent sense of smell and use this sense to familiarize themselves with their environment, including their litter boxes.
In most cases, relocating the cat litter box won’t be a problem, but there are some things you should be aware of beforehand.
Do cats need light to use a litter box?
Cats don’t need any light to pee and poop, especially in the wild.
In the wild, cats will do their business in low-light conditions or pitch darkness.
Some cats are comfortable using a litter box in complete darkness and other indoor cats don’t seem to mind having light shining on them as they use the litter box.
Conclusion
Where you place your cat’s litter box is important.
These tips can help you find the best possible location for your kitty to do their business, minimizing odor and mess.
It’s a bad idea to keep your cat’s litter box in any of the places we mentioned above.
There are plenty of other places where you can keep it that should be safer and more convenient.
But if you’re still a little bit unsure about where to place the cat litter box, then you can check out our recommendations above.
Hopefully, they will prove helpful and useful in your search for the best spot for your kitty’s toilet.
Your cat will also thank you for it.
