The Litter Box – Choosing the place

Location. It applies to real estate and it most definitely applies to litter boxes. Unfortunately, many owners don’t realize the importance of placing it in a suitable location. The truth is, you can have the perfect box, filled with the highest quality litter in the world, but if it’s placed in an area that the cat finds unacceptable, it may be easily rejected.

There is actually one rule that cat owners should never break under any circumstances when it comes to its location: don’t put the litter box near the cat’s food and water.

Many owners mistakenly believe that having the box right next to the cat’s food will serve him as a constant reminder to him. Unfortunately, this plan can only backfire and you lay the groundwork for litter box rejection. Don’t forget that cats eliminate away from the nest.

By placing the food and box together you’ll only send a very confusing message. Thus, your cat will be forced to make a decision about whether to choose that area as a feeding station or as an elimination spot. Since the food is only available in only one area, he’ll search for another location for his other biological needs.

If you have no choice but to keep the food bowl and litter box in the same room, at least make the effort of placing them as far apart as possible.

The most common place owners put the box is in the bathroom. This is a good spot provided you have the room. It makes cleanup easy and it’s convenient in terms of your being able to regularly scoop it.

Remember, however, that if lots of steamy hot showers are taken in the bathroom it will be humid in there and that may cause the litter to take longer to dry.

Another popular location is the laundry room. Like the bathroom, the laundry room is usually not carpeted, which makes it ideal for cleanup. The downside is that if the washer goes into the spin cycle while the cats is in the box, the sudden noise could make the room lose its appeal.

Pick a spot in your home away from heavy traffic to provide your cat with a feeling of privacy and safety. However, don’t choose an area too remote or you’ll forget to check it on a daily basis. This one is perfect.

Wherever you locate the box, make sure you’ll remember to check it twice a day. If your indoor/outdoor cat doesn’t use a litter box and prefers the comforting effect of the great outdoors, keep a litter box indoors anyway in case he chooses not to go out in bad weather or for some other reason.

In a multicat household, more than one box will be needed. This is not just because one box gets dirty too quickly, but also because some cats object to sharing and one cat may be too intimidated to pass another cat in order to get to his litter box. The rule is to have the same number of boxes as you have cats.

► Click here to discover how you can make your cat enjoy the location of her litterbox