Unfortunately, many cat owners do not understand the need to provide their cats sufficient litterboxes. If you have a multi cat household, you will need to provide the necessary number of boxes, or think twice before adopting more cats if you have space constraints.
The general rule is 1:2 (i.e. 1 cat = 2 litterboxes). When the cats start doing their business out of the box, pawrents think it's their cat's fault & punish them.
Let's discuss 6 reasons why do cats need sufficient litterboxes, especially in a multi cat household.
1. Hygiene & Cleanliness:
Cats are naturally clean animals & they have a strong instinct to bury their waste. A clean & well-maintained litter box encourages regular use & helps prevent accidents outside the box. In a multi cat household, cats have varying patterns of litterbox usage, often resulting in 1 messy user who may pee at different angles or spraying pee all over, while another cat may be very clean & pristine. The differing sense of hygiene may cause the cleaner cat to stop using the box which he condemns as too dirty for him.
2. Catering to Individual Preferences:
Cats have specific preferences for the type of litter, box size, amount of litter, type of litter & cleanliness. Meeting these preferences helps satisfy their natural instincts & contributes to satisfying all the cats. If the litter box is too small or not kept clean, your cat may avoid using it, leading to potential behavior issues. Providing more boxes allows them to have options to choose from.
3. Litterbox Bullying:
Just because your cats get along, does not mean there is no litterbox harassment or bullying. One cat may just sit outside the box while another is using it, causing the user to feel harassed & threatened. This results in the cat avoiding the box completely & choosing elsewhere to relieve himself where he will not feel cornered or harassed. Providing more boxes can eliminate this issue as the cat can choose another box to use.
4. Litter Type Preference:
Cats can be picky about the type of litter they prefer. Some may prefer clumping sand litter, while others may accept variations such as tofu, pine or paper. Providing options according to your cat's preference helps ensure they are all comfortable using the litter box with their preferred litter type.
5. Preventing Competition:
In multi-cat households, competition for resources such as scratch posts, food bowls, toys, litter boxes, can lead to stress & conflicts among cats. Having several litter boxes distributed around the home ensures that each cat has easy access to a preferred spot, away from people & the other cats.
6. Health Monitoring:
It is important to monitoring your cat's litter box habits to keep track of their health. Are they peeing more than usual? Are they peeing less? Is there soft stools, or traces of blood? All these can indicate underlying health issues. A well-maintained litter box allows you to notice & address potential problems promptly, as well as identify its user to bring to the vet immediately.
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