Place outdoor litter boxes in out-of-the-way areas with little human traffic. Keep it away from the cat's food and water. Be sure to place the outdoor litter box away from areas where cats eat or drink.
If you live in a spacious home, you may be able to place the litter box in a seldom-used bathroom or guest bedroom. However, if you live in a small space, you may want to consider placing your litter box in the living room or bathroom, provided it is far enough away from other activity areas.
Well-Lit and Ventilated. When you're considering where to keep a litter box, you should also choose a location that offers sufficient lighting and ventilation. Even though cats have very good night vision, they still may not feel comfortable using their litter box if it is in a dark area of the house.
Although the risks are small, you could become ill if you contract Toxoplasmosis, worms or you're exposed to too much ammonia. More likely, the noise and smell of your cat doing their business in it will either wake you up or keep you awake when you should be sleeping.
"It's certainly not ideal for a cat to sleep in the area where she urinates and defecates," Wieber explains. "It could lead to bacterial infections of the eyes, ears, and perhaps the bladder." Skin infections can occur as well.
Your cat will let you know where they prefer their litter box to be placed – or, to put it more bluntly – they will simply refuse to use a litter box that's in a location they don't like! Possible places where a litter box could go depend on your home but the bathroom, living room or bedroom are all possible options.
Most cats prefer an open litter box. Most cat owners prefer a covered litter box. Covered litter boxes may trap odors and make the human environment smell better but for those reasons they may not be as desirable for the cat. If boxes are not cleaned regularly, the odor may be aversive to them.
Experts recommend cleaning the litter box monthly, but maybe more frequently depending on the number of kitties, the type of litter, your cat's output and health, and your preferences.
Even if you scoop out your kitty litter box consistently, smells can still linger in the litter as you accidentally miss small specks of urine and feces. That's why changing the litter at least twice a week can help to significantly reduce litter box smell.
Multiple locations trumps number of boxes. 4. Amount of light: Contrary to belief, cats do need some light to see. Try placing a night light near their litter box and turning it on in the evenings so they feel safe and can navigate to their box easily.
Not only can this get stinky after some time, bits of cat litter dust and contaminated cat feces can enter the air every time the can is opened. Also, never dump used cat litter outside. If you live in a rural area you may have a burn pile or burn barrel for your trash. Clay litter, though, does not burn well.
Training a cat to use a litter box in a new location can be a challenge, but it is possible. With patience and gentleness, your cat can learn to move its bathroom habits to a new site and both you and your pet will be more comfortable.
In this study, no overall preference was seen for covered versus uncovered litter boxes. When individual cats were assessed, 70% showed absolutely no preference (i.e. used both boxes equally), 15% used the covered litter box more significantly, while 15% used the uncovered more than the covered. Pretty even results.
3. No smelly business: With an enclosed bathroom for your cat, you don't need to worry about any unpleasant odors that might (will) come wafting out of the box. Enclosed spaces work wonders for containing the smell — better than any scent, candle, powder, or other witch's brew you can buy.
Dirty litter boxes can cause kidney, bladder, and urinary tract diseases in cats. When a kitty squats over a pile of feces, bacteria can travel up the urethra, wreaking havoc all along the way.
On these occasions, it's not uncommon for a cat to stake their territory by sticking to their litter box. By sitting in the litter box, your cat is marking the area with their scent glands and sending a clear message to other cats to stay away.
Fear or Anxiety: Introducing new animals to the house, moving to a new home, loud noises, pain or illness can all give cats anxiety. Often, an anxious or stressed-out cat will take refuge in a familiar and safe place and a litter box–especially one that's covered–can be a comforting place to be.
Kitty Could Be Feeling Unsafe, Territorial, or Pregnant
The first is that they're feeling threatened and the litter box feels safe and familiar. This behavior can also be triggered by guests in the house, loud noises such as nearby fireworks, or an unfamiliar environment.
Scooping the litter box twice per day is ideal, but you can get away with only doing it once. Just make sure you avoid letting clumps sit for more than 24 hours, as that can be very off-putting for your cat.
Simply move the litter box a few inches at a time each day toward the new location until the litter box is in the place you would like for it to be. It is very important that you are mindful of your cat's unique needs during this process. Do not scold or punish your cat for eliminating outside of the litter box.
You Should Never Flush Your Cat's Poop Or Litter!
One of the biggest problems with flushing your cat's presents is the harmful parasites in your feline's stool called toxoplasmosis.
If you flush kitty litter down your toilet, it can swell up and block sewer pipes, even in the pipes in your home — yuk! Don't risk it! Blocked sewer pipes are a horrible, messy and smelly problem. Sinks can block and toilets can stop flushing.