The rule of thumb when it comes to tucking away your cat’s litter box is: don’t think about you, think about your cat. Certain locations like behind bathroom stalls, closets, and cabinets may be convenient for you, but how about for the one who’s actually going to be using the litter box?
The great thing about our resident felines is that they don’t have to be let outside or walked in order to their business. Most cats are content discharging their bowels in clean, strategically placed litter boxes.
Good Locations for Your Cat’s Litter Box
When it comes to litter box placement, you want to choose locations that encourage healthy litter box habits. Here are a few great location choices that should motivate your cats to use their litter boxes faithfully.
1. Areas With Little Traffic and Unobstructed Views
Cats are very particular about how their surroundings should be before they discharge. They prefer areas that are quiet, have little to no traffic, and have unobstructed views of the entire room. You can find these spots in the kitchen, family room, living room, and bedroom. While favored by the resident felines, these locations are not even close to being the most popular choices for pet parents.
A great spot for a litter box would be one that allows the user an expansive view of the room from which to see threats and provides them the opportunity to escape those threats when necessary. Cats are allergic to areas that make them feel like they could be ambushed or trapped at any time.
2. Multiple Locations
Like humans, cats sometimes need more than one bathroom. Depending on the number of cats you have at home, the ideal number of litter boxes should be that figure plus one. For instance, if you have three feline friends at home, then you need four boxes strategically placed in different locations.
For homes that have multiple stories, make sure to place boxes on every floor. There are times when a particular location just doesn’t feel safe to a cat, so they should be able to have another option in case that happens.
3. Quiet Areas
Noisy rooms that often have too many people are not the best places for your cat’s litter boxes. Cats tend to avoid doing their business in areas where too much is going on. While felines aren’t too particular about their privacy, they don’t necessarily relish loud, well-traversed locations either.
You don’t have to place litter boxes where everyone can see them; these boxes can be placed in areas where they don’t get in the way of people and still provide kitties with a comfortable, appealing means to do their business.
To discover the best spot for that litter box, crouch down to the cat’s level and see what these animals might see and hear from down there. If you spot a location that’s away from feeding areas, provides an expansive view of the room, and is situated where cats won’t feel cornered or ambushed, then you’ve found yourself an awesome spot.
Always remember that the placement of the litter box can mean the difference between a cat that faithfully uses the box and one that avoids it altogether.
Areas Where You Shouldn’t Place the Litter Box
Some spots can encourage proper litter box habits while others can make your kitties feel anxious and stressed. Here are a few areas you should avoid putting litter boxes in.
1. Areas That Are Convenient to You
Unless the spots that are convenient to you also happen to be locations your cats relish doing their business in, then you should avoid placing litter boxes in these areas.
Remember that cats aren’t as particular about privacy as humans, preferring their litter boxes to be in open areas so they can keep watch of their surroundings. For these animals, feeling safe is much more important than having privacy.
Litter boxes placed in small rooms, around corners, behind sofas, and in closets make kitties feel like they can be easily trapped or ambushed.
2. Areas That Don’t Allow the Odor to Escape
So far, we’ve been discussing how cats don’t like areas that hinder their escape. Well, it’s not just your feline friends who’ll find these spots difficult to escape from
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