# Bad place to put a litter box?



## Sidestep99 (Jul 2, 2012)

Hello All,

Is there a place, say a bedroom or living room, that is not best to place a litter box? 

I'm thinking the main litter box for a soon to be adopted cat would be in my bath room (tile floor) and was looking for a good secondary location (most of the rest of the area is carpeted.. not ideal for box I would assume.. (the notion being this is a second cat so boxes being 2 +1. 

For the record, the bathroom and bedroom are not directly connected to each other, but are on the same floor (top floor of the building, which is pretty much all mine)

Thoughts?


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

I'm not really an expert on the subject, but litter box should be easily accessed and offer the cat some level of privacy. I don't think carpet or tile makes much difference...mine are in the bathroom with marble tile floor. If you put it on carpet, there are mats you can buy to put under it. The main concern there is all the litter that will get kicked out onto the floor, and you probably don't want that in your carpet.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

My three cats have two litter boxes. The "1 each plus 1 extra" is really not practical for lots of people, especially those with multiple cats. You can start out with 3 and then see how they do with 2. There's no right or wrong place. Personally, I'd never have one in the bathroom because I don't want to walk on litter, especially stepping out of the shower. I have one next to the back door, which is only used to take the trash out once a week, and one in a little alcove space, with a plush bath rug to help get the litter off their feet.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

We have four boxes for 4 cats; 1 in each of the bedrooms, 1 in the bathroom, and 1 in the kitchen. Our cats are not very good at sharing.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Last year I went through major renovations and I probably moved the girls litter boxes 20 times in the space of 3 months. Fortunately, they always found them. So, I'm with Marie...there really is no right or wrong place. Just choose whatever works for you, preferably a place where you won't accidentally step in it. :wink:


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

I have moved my litter boxes numerous times trying to find the best spots and I think I have a good set up now. I have 3 cats and 2 boxes and so far that is working. I like them on hard surface floors personally because I found it was easier to clean up tracked litter, and I don't like them in the bedroom in case somebody lays one at night. I have one in and unused bathroom upstairs and one in the dining room...sounds kinda gross but I don't use the room much and the kitchen/dining is the only uncarpeted room downstairs.

If I had a bigger house or my dream set up, I would have a sunroom or a mudroom for them. I don't even have a laundry room though.


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## Cat'sHouse (Apr 5, 2012)

Actually, when I had Eliza and CC I had only one box. It was a liter maid and both adjusted well to using it and is saved on liter and was easier to clean once I 'modified' it a bit. 

Then we got Kermit as a kitten (his mother gave birth in our house and I kept him). So I put another liter box in the upstairs part of the house in a spare bedroom. then for convienience I added another one in the basement so they didn't have to travel two floors to do their 'thing'. Or get lazy.

I guess we have been lucky with adding an abandoned young female and having no bathroom problems to speak of. Knock on wood.

I think the worst place to put a liter box (and I used to see it when I worked in hvac) is near a forced air furnace. They are not sealed up well and they 'grab' air from around the return duct/filter area as well as from the returns in the house. So they drag in odors from the liter box and I don't think that is a good thing. But who knows?


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## Sidestep99 (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yeah the situation is I live in a rectory and its a big house in which a cat has reigned for a number of years. I honestly don't know how he'll react to a new cat.

My personal quarters are basically on the third floor of the house. The resident cat wasn't happy when I moved in as I took his favorite hiding spot, the third floor. He does come up every once in a while to hide in one of the storage rooms, but won't come to me. 

I can easily give the new kitten three rooms (sitting room, small office and bathroom) to explore for a few weeks as it gets use to new house. I just think it would be easier to have a box up on the third floor for the new cat, which the current king retains his throne on the second floor. I realize that the cats may have other plans, but you can't blame for trying to plan.


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

Three big males use two big boxes. If I could find room for two more boxes I would. 

Give the two boxes proper attention once in the morning and once at night, the litter lasts me about 8 days on average.


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## rightsaidfed (May 31, 2012)

I have a box on carpet, and I have no problem with it. I put a doormat near the opening to the box. The whole area is easy to vacuum when I need to. I'd much rather vacuum than sweep though so that's just me.


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Mine are here:

#1--closet near kitchen (it is set up so that the cats can enter the door but the dogs cannot) (hardwood floor)
#2--storeroom located between dining room and bathroom (tile floor)
#s 3 and 4--cat room (hardwood floor)


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

Both of mine are in bathrooms. The downstairs one has hard floor (wood laminate) and the upstairs one is carpeted. I have a plastic placemat under the back of the one upstairs. (and 4-ply of paper towels under both just in case Harli would pee over the edge, which luckily hasn't happened in a long time). There are small throw rugs in front of both. Vacuuming is easy. (I vacuum the downstairs bathroom too- it seems easier to clean up the litter that gets on the floor)


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

I have mine in the storage room. It's lucky we don't have much stuff. Her box is in an alcove in back, beside it is the garbage can, litter, scooper, and disinfecting wipes. The rest of the room has her extra food, toys, carrier, and other assorted cat guff.


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## heston (Nov 17, 2011)

I have my one litter box in the office right here near the computer. It is carpeted in here but that's not a problem. Autumn has her privacy since I'm not sitting here all that long. She will come in here and use her box even when I'm sitting here, it doesn't bother her.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

Once I was cleaning Io's box and she ran in, pushed between my legs, and did her business while I was hunched over the box, scooper in hand. The thing that made it most awkward was her making/keeping eye contact the whole time. It was surreal.

Then was she was done, she hops out of the box and trots out. I'm like "Excuse me, princess!" and she sheepishly came back in, covered it up, and left again.

That was a bit OT but I wanted to share because it was like I was in a Kubrick film. About cat toilets.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

not kubrick, polanski. it was called _repulsion_.


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## kty78 (Mar 18, 2012)

I have 2 litter boxes and they are side by side by the back door. I didn't want it in the bedrooms or living room and that's really the only other place, bathrooms are too small. I started with one and thought it was too small so I bought another one and put it next to the old one to get the cats used to it, and never moved it. They use them both. With just the small box sometimes they would get poop on their paws but they don't anymore. They will run and use it while I'm scooping as well. Ollie peed in the empty box while I was changing the litter once. Goofy cat. And they almost never cover their poop, unless it's on accident. LOL. I just scoop whenever they do it, maybe that's why they don't bother to cover, easier access. They wouldn't want me to miss it.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

I almost wish Io wouldn't cover them. When she has pudding poops she gets so excited digging that there's wall splatter. Yuck.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Note to self: Don't read this thread at lunch time.


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## kty78 (Mar 18, 2012)

Oh, and my litter boxes are on tile but I put a rubber backed mat under them and in front of them to a) keep the cats from pushing the litter boxes around, which they have done, and b) to catch some of the litter so it doesn't track everywhere. I have a jute rug in front and the little grooves do a pretty good job of catching litter and it's easy to clean with a broom or vacuum depending on which I have out at the time. I use wood pellet litter now and it doesn't track nearly as much as the clay stuff I was using before. Like feline pine, only I buy the horse bedding, it's much cheaper.


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## Amba1027 (Jul 9, 2012)

We have our litter boxes in the basement. The previous owners of our house had a kitty door in the basement door so that seemed the best out of the way place to put them. When we were in our apartment we had the box in the bathroom we didn't use much. That wasn't the best though because Charlie has some really smelly poop and it would always stink up the whole place.


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## Sidestep99 (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks for the replies everyone: 

The not reading at lunch time message was great!

Ok, so after reading your messages, and checking out a good size litter box on amazon.com, which I plan to purchase soon, I'm thinking my bathroom is probably the best option. It's large enough to have a box in a corner, out of the way, which should serve nicely. 

I will say, I'm surprised that cats are pretty adaptable to boxes being moved. Or at least my Mom's cat seems to be. We're on vacation at a cottage and we brought Whiskers along with us. After a day or so of hiding (probably smelling dogs scent from a few days ago) she's come out and is having a ball. I showed her where her box is and food and she's used it without any problems. I was so proud of her. 

Now, I have to ask though.. Is there a limit to how "out of the way" the box can be? Amba1027 you mention a basement.. That strikes me as stretching the out of the way area that a cat could reasonably be expected to find and go back to when needing to relive his/her self.

Thoughts?


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## Amba1027 (Jul 9, 2012)

We were a little worried it would be too out of the way but no problems so far. We started off putting both cats in the basement by the boxes so they knew where they were and just kind of let them figure their way out from there. They don't often leave the main floor so they're usually only ever one floor away from the boxes. Also the boxes are right at the bottom of the stairs so they don't have to go searching for them.


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## ladymeowface (Jul 11, 2012)

I have the box in my kitchen at the moment. Before I moved, I had his box in the bathroom which was a terrible place for it (the floor got wet, then the cat litter got wet and caused an awful mud kind of mess in there that was AWFUL to clean). I would say put it wherever there is some privacy, and make sure it's in a place where the kicked up litter can't get wet.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

the only bad place for a litter box is where the cat doesn't want it. i have four litterboxes and three cats but they only use two so i don't use the other two. i have been informed by baci that he doesn't care how many there are or where they as long as there is one that he approves of right by my bed. i think it's weird but it's either that or my bed so i choose the box.

when kty and jacq were talking about covering it, it's weird because mine all used to cover theirs, but now that i changed to pine, houdini is the only one who covers and he doesn't even do it every time. i would so love it if they would just use the toilet but oh well. they have another weird habit (or maybe all cats do this), if they're just peeing, they stick their face out the front, but if they're doing #2 they get all the way inside.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

cinderflower said:


> they have another weird habit (or maybe all cats do this), if they're just peeing, they stick their face out the front, but if they're doing #2 they get all the way inside.


Io doesn't do that. She gets all the way inside, digs a bit, moves around, digs some more, and finally finds the PERFECT place. Then does her business and digs some more.

She does run around like crazy for a min or two after she #2s, though. That's a bit strange.


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