How Many Litter Boxes For One Cat?

With one cat, it is ideal to keep two litter boxes in your home. Having two litter boxes instead of just one is a great way to prevent your cat from peeing and pooping in places they shouldn’t. Some cats like to urinate in one of the boxes and defecate in the second one. Your cat will have multiple options to choose from for when they need to use the bathroom. This mitigates the issues with your cat eliminating outside of their box for a couple of reasons.

First off, having two litter boxes for one cat fixes location-related issues. If your cat tends to roam all over the house, then having multiple boxes in different locations will provide easy and quick access to the nearest litter box. Senior cats can have a harder time getting around. This can cause them to not be able to make it to the litter box but if you have two then they will have easier access at all times. Here is a great article that talks about more ways of making a senior cat’s life easier. Keep this factor in mind if you have a large home or one with multiple levels.

Secondly, it means that there will almost always be a clean option around for them to use. As you know, unclean litter boxes are a major no-no for cats and in turn, your cat might eliminate somewhere you don’t want them to.

Having another litter box around means that you are more likely to have a clean one readily available for your kitty to use.

For some cat owners, it is sufficient to have only one litter box for a single cat. The only way for this to work is if you clean and scoop your cat’s litter box very frequently. If you do go with only one box, try to maintain the litter box consistently. Every time that your cat takes a trip to the litter box, scoop it and get it ready for the next visit from your cat.

If you are good at scooping litter frequently, your cat is okay with the current situation and there are no other issues, then you are probably fine with just keeping a single box.

FAQ

What is the reason to have 3 litter boxes for only 2 cats?

A good rule to follow for deciding the number of litter boxes you need for the number of cats you have is by having one litter box per cat plus one extra.

In multi-cat households, all the same reasons apply from above for why you should have an extra litter box, but there are a couple more that are exclusive to multi-cat households. Some cats can be territorial. An additional litter box can resolve an issue of recurring fights as then each cat will have their own respective area that is theirs for bathroom purposes.

Can litter boxes be side by side?

Having two litter boxes side by side is not best practice. This is because the reason for having multiple litter boxes is that there are many options for your cat to go to the bathroom. This makes it more accessible for them. That being said, it is still better than only having one because at least you will have another option for a clean litter box.

If you have multiple cats, then it is highly advisable to ensure that the litter boxes are kept apart. This is because it will make sure each of your cats has a haven to run off to go to the bathroom in peace without one cat getting territorial over multiple boxes in the same area.

Where should you put the second litter box?

I would put the second litter box in a separate location from the first one that you think effectively covers the area that your cat spends a lot of their time.

If you live somewhere with multiple floors and your kitty likes to spend time upstairs and downstairs, then definitely consider having a litter box on each separate level that they spend their time on.

Should the litter box be covered or uncovered?

Either kind can work. When choosing the kind, make sure that your cat has plenty of room when using the litter box. If a covered one doesn’t allow your cat to properly move around to suit their needs, consider an uncovered one.

Another potential issue with covered litter boxes is you can forget about cleaning them since the actual cat litter and smell from the litter is hidden. This can cause problems because your cat will be more prone not to use a dirty and smelly litter box. If you are consistent about scooping and thoroughly cleaning the litter box, then a covered one can work well.

Conclusion

Having another litter box can be very useful for pet owners as you do not have to scoop cat litter as often but it still allows your cat to have a clean place to take care of business. It can prevent your cat from eliminating in areas they are not supposed to and prevent fights in multi-feline homes. 

The best part about this solution is that it pretty easy to implement and there are zero negative consequences to having too many litter boxes. If you are having issues, a simple fix might just be adding another box into the mix.