# Cat box in laundry room; does your cat have its own room?



## GingerZ

So, we are moving into a new house soon. Yay! With it comes a question of where I want my cat's "space" to be. We cannot have her sleep with us due to my husband's allergies and if she is left out at night, she cries and digs at the door. So, ever since we got her, she "goes to bed" in her own room with her litter box, comfy bed, and bedtime snack. She's never minded this system and usually starts bugging us around bedtime until we go through our nightly routine. 

Up until now, her room has been our second bedroom in our apartment. It's comfy and has a big window she can look out of. But, the litter is a problem. I've tried many so called dust free varieties and found all have some amount of dust. When the litter box is in a room doubling as an office, the dust gets on everything (books, computers, etc) and is really hard to keep clean. 

We are thinking about keeping her in the laundry room at our new house. It's big enough for all her stuff, and there won't be lots of small items to constantly wipe cat litter off of. There is a window, although the view is of the side of the neighbor's house. She would only be in there at night;the rest of the time she would have the run of the house, which is much more space than she has now. I'm just worried that she will be uncomfortable, or scared of the washing machines, and we will have problems. 

Anyway, I always set out to ask a simple question and write a novel, but here's my question: do you keep your cat's litter box in the laundry room and has it caused any issues (I.e. fear of the machines)?

Also, I would be interested to know if anyone else has a separate room for their cat at night?


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## Jacq

The only concern with the laundry room would be if the washing machine (or water heater, or furnace, as they are the same room in a lot of houses) can sometimes be noisy or scary for a cat and cause litterbox aversion.

If it only has the laundry machines in it, you should be fine as long as you don't have them running when she's in there? We've often kept the litterbox in the laundry room when I've lived in houses. (Now we just use a small storage room as the "cat room" - it keeps us from accumulating too much stuff haha).

My sister's cat is confined to the (enormous) laundry room at night time with food on one end and his box on the other. He's very old and sometimes pees himself in his sleep. The floor there is all lino, plus his washable bed, so it all stays as clean as it can get. I can't tell you if he has any aversion to it because he has other issues that make the box hit n' miss for him, sorry.


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## Jetlaya67

Just a thought, have you tried the litter boxes that are covered on the top with a flap for the cat to get I and out? That may help with the dust problem. Like the poster above I have a kitty with problems (Manx syndrome) and he sleeps in the garage (easy to clean). He has his bed, food water, litter box (hit or miss because of his problem). He is not afraid of the washer or dryer. I have found him on top of the car watching a load tumbling around in the dryer! You may want to make the laundry room as comfortable as possible, stay in there with her for a while and maybe feed her there in the beginning so she gets used to her new sleeping area. I hope it all works out. Please let us know.


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## Venusworld21

My laundry room is my primary foster room and all my babies stay in there. I have to do laundry sometime though, and so once a week they get to put up with the noise. I generally sit in there with them the first few times. Usually after 5-10 minutes they've forgotten that it's even on and are happily playing again. If your cat is only going to be in there at night, can you make a point of doing laundry before bedtime? My guys have never given a hoot about the washer/dryer when they aren't on.


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## howsefrau32

I think it's fine to have them sleep there at night. My two boy cats have their own room they sleep in at night. Stephano would be up and into everything all night, so that is one reason why he is put up at night. My other cat, Beep, is out all night while the boys are up (she can't be around other cats she is vicious). I think it is perfectly fine to put cats up at night, it teaches them that it is not acceptable to run around tearing up the house all night, waking people up. 

Have you considered the Breeze litter box? It would be great for someone with allergies. It does not use traditional litter, but has plastic pellets, that sit on top of a grate, and the pee goes through and is absorbed into a very absorbent pad. There is no litter tracking and no dust. You do have to be diligent at scooping the poop out asap, if you are not that kind of person to scoop it at least daily, or when they do it, this is not for you, but if you are, it is wonderful. For one cats, you have to change the absorbent pad weekly, I have to change it every 4-5 days for the one that both of my boys use. They do have another box with feline pine, but they both do use the breeze. I love it. There is no pee clumps and no odor at all, until you open the tray to change the pad, then you just spray it down with some all natural cleaner, wipe it with a paper towel, and the pellets last a month. Every month I hose the whole thing out and put in new pellets. I have two and I love them. They do take a bit of coaxing to get your cat to use the new litter box, but I managed to convince the worlds most stubborn cat to use it and now she loves it. It took about a month, but it's pretty easy, and they tell you exactly how to do it. You should look it up on Amazon and read the reviews. I love mine.


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## Marcia

Cats will get used to the laundry room noises in no time. Sounds like a great plan. My son keeps his cat in there at night and it works out well.


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## cat face

Laundry rooms, I'm beginning to think, are just code for the cat's room in human speak LOL

When my kittens were young they started out in the laundry room. And, like suggested, I didn't run the washer and/or dryer at night, while they <cough> slept.
They did just fine.

You might want to not clean her bedding in when you first set it up (familiarity) and, perhaps a little radio playing soft elevator music, on low, for comfort.
Just a suggestion, it might be soothing.

Like Jetlaya67 suggested, a covered box with a cat flap opening. If the laundry room doesn't work out, the box might make another room more workable. 
I use one of those and they really do reduce "litter spray" and "dusk kick up". 

If you have a thing about close boxes harboring smells, you can always remove the lid for a half hour in the morning to "air" it out. 
If the box has a filter, the filters work great and there is no need for "airing".

Good luck and happy moving into your new home


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## CharlesD

My cat is only 7 weeks old, so if we confine him in a room he goes crazy crying after we shut the door. I currently have all his stuff close to my desk in my office and at night we just shut the bedroom doors so he can't get in the bedroom and leave him the run of the house. He tends to only stay in that room, or another part of the house if people are there. He is very attached to people and during the day he will never be in a part of the house if people are in a different part, so at night he tends to just stay in my office and sleep and/or play, after he gets done crying when we shut the bedroom door. My wife won't let him on the beds, hence shutting the bedroom doors at night.


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## Marcia

CharlesD said:


> My cat is only 7 weeks old, so if we confine him in a room he goes crazy crying after we shut the door. I currently have all his stuff close to my desk in my office and at night we just shut the bedroom doors so he can't get in the bedroom and leave him the run of the house. He tends to only stay in that room, or another part of the house if people are there. He is very attached to people and during the day he will never be in a part of the house if people are in a different part, so at night he tends to just stay in my office and sleep and/or play, after he gets done crying when we shut the bedroom door. My wife won't let him on the beds, hence shutting the bedroom doors at night.


7 weeks old is barely old enough to leave momma!!! No wonder he cries, he is virtually an infant and very, very scared of the big bad world!!! He won't run around in the house because he is still so insecure at that age. PLEASE treat him as you would any infant and be mindful that although he is a cat, he is still a tiny frightened baby...afraid of being alone.


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## howsefrau32

Marcia said:


> 7 weeks old is barely old enough to leave momma!!! No wonder he cries, he is virtually an infant and very, very scared of the big bad world!!! He won't run around in the house because he is still so insecure at that age. PLEASE treat him as you would any infant and be mindful that although he is a cat, he is still a tiny frightened baby...afraid of being alone.


Yes, I totally agree, I know people with cats older than that, but still kittens, that have gotten hurt (or worse  ) from having the run of the house. Chewing electrical wires, hanging themselves in blinds, getting stuck in something and smothering. You would not leave an infant out to roam the house, and you should not a kitten. A bathroom or a bedroom, if you've made sure that you have checked the blinds, unplugged cords, and baby proofed the room, would be best. It is not cruel, it is for their own good.

Years ago a friend left their puppy out of his crate and came home to find that he had gotten his head stuck in his water bowl and died. It was a home made bowl from the bottom of a 2 litter bottle  I always feel like crating your pet when they are young is the opposite of cruel, it is the loving thing to do, to protect from harm.


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## CharlesD

Marcia said:


> 7 weeks old is barely old enough to leave momma!!! No wonder he cries, he is virtually an infant and very, very scared of the big bad world!!! He won't run around in the house because he is still so insecure at that age. PLEASE treat him as you would any infant and be mindful that although he is a cat, he is still a tiny frightened baby...afraid of being alone.


Yeah, we rescued him from the yard a week ago and between the vet and me we've guesstimated his age. Mama was killed by something and he was sitting next to her shaking. He follows people around the house. Just being in the same room with you is often enough. He doesn't seem scared of much of anything though. He's even curious about the vacuum cleaner, but not being able to get close to a human is rough. He'll cry for about 5 minutes and then settle down. In the morning as soon as he knows we're awake he will get vocal again and we'll open the door and let him follow us around while we're doing our morning routine. He even sits just outside the shower while I'm in there and waits for me to come out. It's quite touching. I work from home, so I never have to leave during the day. Right now he's curled up on my chest sleeping contentedly.

The kicker is my wife. She never grew up with animals in the house. To her, animals belong outside and humans inside, so her even allowing me to keep him is a huge step. If I want to keep him for the long haul, I have to keep him out of the bedrooms when we're sleeping, off the beds all the time, not allowed on certain furniture pieces, etc. Luckily, he's young and I think it will be easy to imprint a lot of training on his brain just by using positive reinforcement and a little gentle nudging. He's already getting better at retracting his claws when he's on someone just by me picking his paws up every time his claws are out. And I think I'll be able to train her in time as well. I've already caught her with him sitting on her lap a couple times.


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## Jetlaya67

CharlesD said:


> Yeah, we rescued him from the yard a week ago and between the vet and me we've guesstimated his age. Mama was killed by something and he was sitting next to her shaking. He follows people around the house. Just being in the same room with you is often enough. He doesn't seem scared of much of anything though. He's even curious about the vacuum cleaner, but not being able to get close to a human is rough. He'll cry for about 5 minutes and then settle down. In the morning as soon as he knows we're awake he will get vocal again and we'll open the door and let him follow us around while we're doing our morning routine. He even sits just outside the shower while I'm in there and waits for me to come out. It's quite touching. I work from home, so I never have to leave during the day. Right now he's curled up on my chest sleeping contentedly.
> 
> The kicker is my wife. She never grew up with animals in the house. To her, animals belong outside and humans inside, so her even allowing me to keep him is a huge step. If I want to keep him for the long haul, I have to keep him out of the bedrooms when we're sleeping, off the beds all the time, not allowed on certain furniture pieces, etc. Luckily, he's young and I think it will be easy to imprint a lot of training on his brain just by using positive reinforcement and a little gentle nudging. He's already getting better at retracting his claws when he's on someone just by me picking his paws up every time his claws are out. And I think I'll be able to train her in time as well. I've already caught her with him sitting on her lap a couple times.


Thanks for rescuing that little girl. She had a rough start but sounds like she has a happy home with you. It is amazing how they can bond with their humans. Sounds like you are doing great with her. I have a feeling that the little one will work its way into your wife's heart soon enough. Please post pictures and give us updates.


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## CharlesD

It's a boy, a very energetic boy at that. Here's a photo.


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## Jetlaya67

Sorry about that! Little boy. What a cutie, and an orange kitty on top of everything. I think you got incredibly lucky with that fur baby.


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## CharlesD

Lucky isn't the half of it. He's just about the sweetest cat I've ever seen. Takes to complete strangers great. Anyone comes over to visit he has to say hello.


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## Jetlaya67

CharlesD said:


> Lucky isn't the half of it. He's just about the sweetest cat I've ever seen. Takes to complete strangers great. Anyone comes over to visit he has to say hello.


That is the way my Winston is. He is the white and orange cat in my avatar. He is not shy at all and loves everybody. He also loves to say hello when we have people over. I think it may be part of the orange kitty gene.


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## MowMow

If I ever get to design my own house I want a litter box room with it's own vent to the outside that can stay on.. all the time. A closed door with a cat door for them to go in and out and air purifiers built into the walls.

Of course that might be because I was woken @ 2:30 this morning by a godawful pooh stench that *I* had to get up and cover because MowMow doesn't. Two litterboxes in a two bedroom apartment is NOT ideal. I think my next big purchase will be 3 air purifiers.


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## Smokey596

I have my litter box in the laundry room and haven't had a problem. But maybe it's because there is so much time in between when I actually use the washer, lol. 

As for the dust...Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat. Seriously. No dust. I LOVE it! I won't ever buy anything else.


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## Mitts & Tess

I second Precious Cat Litter by Dr Elsey. No dust for real. My friend uses it and swears by it. My feed store sells it by the pound in an open bin too. shop the price!


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## MsMichael

CharlesD said:


> My cat is only 7 weeks old, so if we confine him in a room he goes crazy crying after we shut the door. I currently have all his stuff close to my desk in my office and at night we just shut the bedroom doors so he can't get in the bedroom and leave him the run of the house. He tends to only stay in that room, or another part of the house if people are there. He is very attached to people and during the day he will never be in a part of the house if people are in a different part, so at night he tends to just stay in my office and sleep and/or play, after he gets done crying when we shut the bedroom door. My wife won't let him on the beds, hence shutting the bedroom doors at night.


7 WKS OLD!!! NO wonder he's attached to people, he's still too young to be alone. 8wks is the absolute earliest that kittens should be weaned, 12 weeks if the preferred age for healthy separation from mom and litermates. If it is done earlier, the kitten NEEDS lots of attention and socialization from its new family. My kitten was brought to me nearly dead at 3wks (abandoned). I had to bottle feed and wean, as well as box train and socialize this kitten. "G" has slept with me ever since he came into my home. At 10 weeks, he is finally getting to the age where he will often prefer to sleep alone in the living room. If you banish a young kitten to a room, alone, at too early an age you can end up with a needy, clingy, emotionally stunted cat. Trust me, letting the kitten spend time with you for a few weeks now, is so much less of a hassle than having to deal with a neurotic cat later on.

Ms. M


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## AriasMom

We just bought a house, and we have 2 living rooms I'm thinking of taking the smaller one that we wont be using and turning it into the cat room my cat sleeps with us though but I want her and the new kitten to have somewhere to hang out and play


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## JungliBillis

MowMow said:


> If I ever get to design my own house I want a litter box room with it's own vent to the outside that can stay on.. all the time. A closed door with a cat door for them to go in and out and air purifiers built into the walls.
> 
> Of course that might be because I was woken @ 2:30 this morning by a godawful pooh stench that *I* had to get up and cover because MowMow doesn't. Two litterboxes in a two bedroom apartment is NOT ideal. I think my next big purchase will be 3 air purifiers.


Has MowMow never covered his poo? Or did he stop after you got Book? 8-O


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## MowMow

He's never covered it. It's usually not a problem, it doesn't usually smell *THAT* bad but I've been giving him California Naturals this month (along with By Nature) to save some cash.... it has NOT been worth the trouble. My house *STINKS*. Of course, he's also still on that round of mega antibiotics so that might be contributing to the stank. 

I use a little tupperware tub to pur the litter through the doorway of the box. I've started filling it up (and putting the box on top of it in case Book got any ideas about peeing in the tub) so that when he goes and I smell it I can just dump the tub over the spot and go back to bed  

If Book is sleeping he WON"T get up to cover it so I have too.


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