Best spot for a litter box

United States
October 13, 2011 1:45pm CST
My big guy Boots (16-20lbs) has been trying to be a spoiled brat. He mews at the metal baby gate so I can open it for him instead of jumping over it. I was thinking maybe he's having troubles getting over it since he is very big. So then I moved one of the litter boxes upstairs. I have no good place for it, there's no room in the bathroom, I'm not putting it in a bedroom, so I thought maybe under the kitchen table? Either way I hadn't seen him using it just his lil sisters. So I kept it up here for a week or two... Then I saw him hop that gate like no man's business after one of his sisters probably look'n for some love'n . So I figure he's just being LAZY! I put it back down stairs in the basement next to the other box. So then I decide to clean under the pit that is under the kids desk and it's foul. That darn boots did his business under there in their mess of papers they've left about. So now I'm torn again is he having troubles jumping that gate? lazy? or wants his litter box convient and spotless? As I know he pulls that when the box needs a changing also. I change one box one week and the other the next. Where do you keep your litter box & why?
4 people like this
15 responses
• Australia
14 Oct 11
I DEFINITELY wouldn't suggest keeping the litter tray in an area where food is prepped or eaten, and definitely not in a room where people sleep. Cat's urine is potent, and Boots is going to continue rebelling until you get into the habit of changing the litter daily. Most cats are picky and won't use a litter once it's soiled, choosing instead to go on top of dirty laundry, a stack of papers, in the soil of a pot plant, or inside a cupboard on top of stored stuff. May I suggest cleaning your litter daily, and you won't have any trouble with Boots not using his litter tray. Also, as to where I keep mine. My litter tray is in the shower cubicle. I only need to shower once a day, so I move it out when I have a shower, then put it back in again. This way, if the cats need to use the litter after they've used it once and I don't get to it in time (sometimes they need to use it twice a day and I only clean it once a day), then they'll soil next to the litter. And all my cats often just pee over the drain hole as it's less messy and they don't get their feet wet. When this happens, all I have to do is simply hose down the shower cubicle using the hand held shower (or you can just let the water run if your shower isn't a hand held).
• Australia
14 Oct 11
For the record, I volunteer for Cat Defence, a rescue organisation, have 2 cats of my own, and fostering a third puss.
• United States
14 Oct 11
I like that idea of keeping it in the shower area that way if there is an accident it's easily rinsed away.
• United States
19 Nov 11
that's on my lottery list (as in if i ever win it)..a bathroom of their own. we have a few scattered throughout the house,i wish we had a better place for them. but i have to have at least one upstairs,because if one of my older cats "gotta go goota go gotta go right now",they may not make it in time if they have to go downstairs. beings as one of my oldest is a 26 pounder,that's a lot of potential poop.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
18 Oct 11
That is one big cat! How big is the metal baby gate and how old is your cat? My cats are aged 9 and 11, and they can still climb the side gate whichis nearly 2 metres. Howver, my guess is, being a very large cat, he is finding it difficult to jump this gate. Then again, cats can be very lazy. If ours think we will pick them up rather than jumping on to the shelf themselves for food, they will certianly wiat for that. Cats can be very naughty when it comes to litter trays and poos. If given the chance they will do it elsewhere. Our litter tray is in the laundry. Mostly now both our catsdo it outside, as I let them out during the day when they want.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
22 Oct 11
I have 10 cats and only 6 boxes. I should have 11 but I don't have were to put 11 boxes. I only have 2 bed rooms. I have one box behind a recliner. One box is in my bedroom. One is in the bath room. One is under the desk. One is in a nook. I find were to put them. I scoop out the poops every day or more than once a day if I see it. I use pine pellets for litter. I change them whenever all or most of the pellets have disintegrated. When I used old fashioned litter, I changed it every day or two. Clumping litter doesn't work for me. I have way to many cats and it costs to much. I was going through a bag or more a day. That is expensive.
@timetravel (1425)
• United States
21 Oct 11
The rule of thumb is one litter box per cat generally. Also, what type of litter do you use? some cats don't like a certain type. I use the scooping litter - we have two cats; two litter boxes. I scoop constantly. The litter needs to be at least three inches deep all the time. One of my cats is very particular and loves a clean litter box. I have one upstairs in the hallway between the bedroom and the bathroom. It's on a litter mat that works beautifully to catch the litter that inevitably gets kicked out of the box, no matter how high the sides are. The other is downstairs in a small area between the dining room and living room. My husband made a "shelter" around it from extra scraps of wood we had to give the cats more privacy. One of my former neighbors way back - from fifteen years ago - had three cats and one litter box! her one cat constantly peed on clothing left on the floor, bags, etc. Cats will do that if the litter box isn't kept clean. Don't put a litter box where they eat. Also, if you try all these wonderful suggestions everyone has given you and it still happens, a trip to the vet might help. How old is your cat? Some cats have physical problems with urinating. Good luck!
@phanvy (11)
16 Oct 11
you love pets! Me too. But I don't have box. I have a cat. He is very pretty. I Think you don't change box one week. You should clean old box to save money. And this work is easy. You can do it. I think that. I hope you are successful.
@GardenGerty (160611)
• United States
13 Oct 11
I have a cat that will use anything left on the floor, but especially plastic bags and papers, so it is not a problem for Boots it is a preference. I would make sure the doors are shut and that he has no access to the kids room. He will go back and use it every time because he can still smell it. I have no room in the bathroom either. I have one tray in the Laundry area, because it is not in the kitchen and is out of the way and at the back of the house. I have one in the front front room (parlor?) as it is clear to the front of the house and a room we people are not in much. I have put it under a coffee table at times. I have a door and the boys are not allowed upstairs because they will go anywhere. I need to clean it more often at both ends. I clean and scoop the night before trash day usually.
@ElicBxn (63593)
• United States
14 Oct 11
I have them in the back of the kitchen and a couple in my bedroom (because I used to keep the door shut.) and because its the only place they fit...
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
13 Oct 11
Well I don't have such issues in my house. No baby gates to jump over, not that any of my cats are too old or too big to jump over them anyway. My litter box is kept in the kitchen between the stove and cupboards. It's somewhat out of the way, but not so much so that I'll forget about it and not know when it needs cleaning. Back when I lived at home with my foster mom she had a litter box in every room of the house. She had 6 cats, so obviously needed the extra boxes. She was also very meticulous about scooping them out daily and changing them every couple of days. They never ever stunk, unless someone had just used one.
@jdyrj777 (6530)
• United States
14 Oct 11
Im living ina RV with 3 cats. Miss Kitty Kat(mama), Missy Sissy Kat(daughter), Bubba Kat(son). I had thought for years that Sissy was a bad cat because she would go on the floor near the box. It took me 4 years to figure out that she is just very particular. She likes the clumping litter and the box must be clean for her. I have the one box for all cats because as i said im living ina RV. It is placed in the bathroom. It takes up most the bathroom floor. I do need to clean it 2 times a day. I have seen Sissy go up and look into the box to see if its clean before she will go in. If its too dirty she will walk away. Then i will have to go clean it and call her back to it.
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
15 Oct 11
A cat that weighs 16 - 20 lbs., probably has a hard time jumping. That is like a human who weighs 1 1/2 times what he or she should. They may have trouble rising from a couch and have health problems. You need to find a suitable place forth e litter box and keep it there. Moving it around confuses your cats. How would you feel if the bath room is downstairs one day and upstairs the next, and maybe somewhere else the next day? We always kept the cat's letterbox in the laundry room. Changing the litter box every 2 weeks is not frequently enough .
@savypat (20216)
• United States
14 Oct 11
I keep mine in the laundry room, it's out of the way and next to an outside door for easy cleaning. For you I might suggest cleaning more often, it will save you unpleasent clean up work. When cats can go outside they always chose a clean place. A litter box is certianly one of the more unpleasent parts of having cats.
@Mayuko (1268)
• United States
14 Oct 11
In my house, we have an room on the first floor. Before we got our cats, the room was used to store extra clothing and the ironing board. There is a small corner--I think it was intended for a vacuum would go there, but that is where my family put the litter box. It's really convenient and because it's at the back of the house, we rarely smell any odors.
• United States
15 Oct 11
Two homes ago I kept my litter box in my guest bath. I used the guest bath myself often and when I did I'd scoop the box and put it in a little covered trash container with a foot pedal. At that time I had a cat family and the mom cat would come running in when I was leaving so she could use the clean box. This prompted me to get a Littermaid, mechanized box. They loved it. I loved it. No more frequent scooping. When I moved the box moved into the utility room. After that the box's sensor stopped working. I'd make a point of activating it manually whenever I let the dogs out, which was often since my mom dog had a weak bladder. I got a new one when I moved to where I am now. My big tom cat got scared of it. My fault, I left it on when I wasn't there, before he got used to it. It worked fine until I adopted a pair of sickly siamese kittens. The male was so fascinated with it that he would watch it work. Unfortunately when he watched he held down the trap door with his front paws so the rake couldn't lift it. This burned out the motor. Sigh. Now I'm back to scooping it into the container several times a day. When I run out of containers I'll have to go back to simple boxes. I do keep a boot tray in front of the box for the one who goes in front of it when it's full. It's also on a rug that was specially made to keep them from tracking litter. It feels like a doormat, but is twice as big. There's a book that teaches how to toilet train cats. I tried it and it worked, until I got to the last couple steps. They wouldn't make the actual transition from the box. Maybe it'd work better on kittens. My big tom cats are in Boot's size category, but they're not overweight. They can jump up on the counter and bookcases just fine. They chase each other around the house sometimes too. They're just big boys.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
13 Oct 11
hi 3snugglebunnies wow I am not sure if he is lazy or like me his weight is making it hard to jump over the gate. maybe we two do need to lose some weight. the last cat I had was a black she cat we called Midnight and boy was she picky with her litter box 'it must be cleaned all the time and must be on our back porch. well she had a habit of moving that box just enough so when you are hurrying through that small porch and that box is right in your way you could come within inches of falling over it.She was a large cat too so we had to cut down some on her food. the only time she did her business outside the box was when it was not cleaned for a day so I learned to clean it often. I felt horrid when we had to find a good home for her as we had sold our house and were moving to an apartment where no pets were allowed.