Finicky Cat Litter Box Set-Up

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Getting the right litter box setup is hard and chances are if you've landed on this post, you might be looking to improve your litter box situation. Cats have high standards and if their bathroom setup is not ideal, they'll probably let you know.

With three resident cats and a revolving door of foster cats, its imperative that we have a good litter box setup. Based on many years of living in an apartment with limited space, we've had to get creative. I hope you and your cat(s) find these tips helpful.

Take your cat to the vet!

Cats tend to go outside the litter box for one of two reasons; medical or behavioral issue. Ruling out a medical issue is a must. For example, straining in the litter box can result in an emergency if not addressed quickly.

If a cat is suddenly pooping or peeing outside the litter box, they're trying to tell you something. Make a vet appointment. An inconvenience to you might actually be very painful for your cat. Your vet will likely want to run some tests (and hopefully ask tons of questions). Some common tests may include a urinalysis, bloodwork, x-ray, ultrasound and a fecal sample.

Whether you're treating for a medical issue and still noticing litter box aversion, or you've determined it's behavioral, it's time to get serious about your setup.

Consider behavioral causes

There are a number of reasons a cat may be eliminating outside the box.

Location: They might not like the location even if it seems perfectly acceptable to us.

Litter: The litter might smell funny, feel weird or be triggering to them because of an unpleasant event.

Cleanliness: It might look clean but... dump it out and you're sure to find some pee clumps stuck to the side or bottom. What we can't see, they can smell. Inspect your box and understand their habits. Do they pee against the inside of the box? If so, pull the litter away from the side carefully, scoop up any crumbs. Wipe the insides of the box, let dry and shift litter back to it's original position.

Once a cat urinates in an inappropriate location, they might continue going there, forming a habit! Remove the target and clean the accident spot. Make their litter box setup as inviting as possible.

Change can be hard on a cat, even if they aren't showing any signs of stress. Have you recently moved? Brought home a new baby, a new pet? Did you welcome a loud appliance, invite over rowdy toddlers or start band practice? Is there a new cat coming up to the back window, have your work hours changed?

Bottom line is, let's make their litter box setup so amazing they won't want to go anywhere else.

Remove the targets

Once a cat has urinated in a specific spot chances are they'll do it again and again. Rugs, bags, laundry piles. It's time to get this stuff up and off the floor, closed off or washed. Make any and all target areas inaccessible as much as possible.

Sometimes we have to make lifestyle changes for our cats. If your cat is peeing in the sink or bathtub (and you've ruled out a medical issue), close the bathroom door. Often times that's all it takes to redirect them to the litter box. Clean affected areas, preferably with an enzyme cleaner. I Alternate between this cleaner and another one just to keep it fun!

Clean affected areas

Eliminating cat urine smell is not an easy task and may require a few washes. I prefer to use a store bought enzyme cleaner first and then a homemade solution to deodorize, if necessary. It's important to use an enzyme cleaner as these eat the residue without affecting the surrounding fibers. If cat urine is on laundry, rugs or other fabrics, make sure to pre-treat with a fabric enzyme cleaner before adding your regular detergent to the wash.

Skout's Honor Urine and Odor Destroyer is fragrance free making it perfect for spot cleaning litter boxes. I also do a full spray down with this during a big cleaning with the hose. It helps the litter box smell and look super fresh during a deep clean.

Angry Orange Enzyme Cleaner is effective and smells like oranges. A little goes a long way! It can work as a deterrent as well since cats dislike citrus. Best for floors and other non-litter box areas. If you don't like oranges, this cleaner is not for you, but I love it!

I like the smell of Bubba's Stain and Odor Terminator. It works well and the reviews are great. The fragrance is vaguely minty and fresh!

Another unscented enzyme cleaner I love! It's made by Whisker so if you have the Litter-Robot, Whisker Cleaner Spray is great. I've used it on my regular boxes too. Wipe the inside walls, cracks, crevices. Pull the litter away from the edge and give it a good clean!

EASY! These Whisker Cleaner Wipes use the same formula as the enzyme spray but in an easy wipe form. They're nice and thick. I'm able to wipe the inside of 1-2 boxes with just one wipe.

There's a reason this Bissell Little Green Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner has over 60,000 ratings on Amazon. It's easy and works great! Plus, the price is fair. We've had it for a few years and it's going strong. It wraps up nicely and is perfect for small messes like urine and vomit stains. Ewe. Using a pet cleaning solution like this Bissell Pet Machine Formula can help. Bonus, this machine comes with a self cleaning attachment that is easy to use.

Homemade solution that works:

1/4 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1 tsp dish soap, mix with water, add baking soda. Note: baking soda won't dissolve so it can't be used in a sprayer or carpet machine. You can mix hydrogen peroxide, water and soap in a sprayer and then sprinkle on baking soda. Try in a small area first, avoiding precious fabrics as peroxide can bleach. 3% is typically a safe level to avoid bleaching but there's always a possibility. Works great on wood floors, walls and carpet.

If you need this solution often, you may want to invest in some reusable sprayer bottles. We have both the blue and brown glass bottles for homemade surface cleaners like vinegar/water and they've lasted us for years.

Brown glass sprayer bottles

Blue glass sprayer bottles

Add litter boxes

Let's start with the general rule. You might have heard this before. One litter box per cat plus one more. This might sound like a lot but it really does help!

1 cat = 2 litter boxes

2 cats = 3 litter boxes

3 cats = 4 litter boxes

Of course if you have a big house with multiple stories you may need to add accordingly. I have found that having an automatic litter box can make it seem like you have an extra litter box since it always dumps the waste.

Keep the area clean

It's easier said than done and also easy to forget about until you notice your cat peeing in an inappropriate location. Between fully cleaning litter boxes (hose outside or bathtub inside), wiping the insides of litter boxes makes a world of difference!

Scoop the litter box daily... or even twice a day.

A quick wipe with a paper towel and water can help freshen the insides of the box. Vacuum or sweep litter that escapes the box and shake out mats. Once every 2-4 weeks, dump all the litter and do a complete clean. How often you do this will likely depend on the amount of cats and boxes you have.

After washing, let the boxes dry and refill with 3-4 inches of litter. Having a deeper litter box helps prevent urine from seeping to the bottom, keeping it fresher longer.

Location

Litter boxes should be in quiet comfortable areas. Some cats enjoy their litter boxes in the main area, near (but not too close) to where they hang out. I'f they're peeing on a rug in the living room, put a box there and add an attractant litter like this or this. Avoid loud areas. A laundry room might be nice for some cats and scary for others. Same goes for radiators, the furnace or any other places that suddenly make noise. Areas with foot traffic, opening and closing doors might be too stressful for a cat to feel safe.

Litter box types

Most covered litter boxes are disastrous. There are too many grooves for urine and litter to get stuck. If it's working for you, great. That's all that matters! Think of a covered litter box with a small opening or a door as a port-o-potty. Even in the best of circumstances... ewe! Even people may choose to pee in the woods next to the gross port-o-potty because it's the cleaner option. Cats... they're just like us.

Set out multiple litter box types but remember, always provide more than one at the same time. Some cats like to pee in one and poop in another. This goes without saying but cleaning the litter box daily is a must. If you don't currently have the Litter Genie Waste Disposal System, you need one! We find ourselves scooping as we pass by, meaning the boxes are often scooped more than once a day.

If you prefer a more closed situation, let me introduce you to The IRIS Large Top Entry Litter Box. The opening is large and the inside surface is perfectly smooth, making it EASY to clean. It's perfect for high pee-ers, corner pee-ers and cats who play in the litter. It also minimizes tracking. This is the only "covered" box I truly like. I would love to see a front entry version of this box because it would be even better.

Tuft & Paw Cove Litter Box has high sides for high pee-ers and litter kickers. I love how the top piece sets in, preventing leaks. It's a full system with a scoop and brush that can be stored. It's spacious and has a removable 8" wall. It is a bit pricey but has a great design, complete with anti-stick plastic. Save 10% with this link!

If you like the Tuft & Paw design but would like to spend a bit less, Their original box, The Cubby is a scaled back version that also offers the 8" wall extension and anti-stick plastic. Save 10% with this link!

If you want simple, inexpensive and high rated, this Frisco box might be your jam. It's spacious and offers a high enough side for litter kickers. It's all one piece making it easy to clean. It even comes in a medium size, which is still pretty spacious.

A bin from the hardware store works great but often times they hold a lot of litter making it hard to lift when cleaning. Many hardware bins also have grooves so if your cat is a wall pee-er, this may not be the best choice. Consider your options and try them out! You'll soon learn what your cat gravitates towards.

I haven't used this box but the benefits are clear. Small spaces exist and sometimes you just need a litter box that fits. I searched for a flexible box years ago when I was struggling to create an effective litter box setup. Litter Genie came out with a great design that's perfect to squeeze into a tight spot. If your cat has been peeing in a weird location this might be the perfect extra box to move around.

I love the Litter-Robot, especially for a multi-cat home. Cons are, it's expensive and to be honest, your cat doesn't really care. They just want a clean box they enjoy going to the bathroom in.

Pros are that it cycles out the waste every time a cat goes in it. Perfect if you dislike scooping or lifting a lot of litter. In some cases I think this can almost act as two litter boxes because it gets rid of waste so quickly. That being said, all cats are different and I still think each cat should have more than one box to choose from. Litter-Robot has an empty button that dumps all the litter into a bag. It uses less litter than your average litter box making it easy (and lighter) to remove. You're left with an empty globe ready to wipe out. You can save $50 on a Litter-Robot here. Litter-Robot is unique in that Whisker offers replacement parts for nearly everything. It's designed to be repaired, so you can plan to have this litter box for a long time.

If you love the idea of an automatic litter box but don't want to throw down for a Litter-Robot, the Lesure litter box is compact and can accommodate both small grain and tofu pellet style clumping litters. It's easy to move and clean. Downside is replacement parts are limited but the price is a pro!

Litter

Way back when, clay clumping litter was pretty much the gold standard for cat litter. If you're trying to find a sustainable non-clay option, read on! Scented litters bother some cats. If you're currently using a scented litter, try an unscented version.

The first time we tried Naturally Fresh Herbal Attraction the cats were like moths to a flame. I was curious if this litter would bring them to a particular litter box and it did! Made from walnut shells, lightweight and clumping, this litter is a great one to try if your cat is avoiding the litter box.

Once you're ready to transition back to a non-attraction litter, Naturally Fresh's regular walnut litter is a great alternative to clay.

For many years we used Dr. Elsey's clay litter. It wasn't until my vet mentioned that clay wasn't great for their lungs that I started searching for something new. Not to mention, it's not great for our environment. That being said, I still like this litter because it's reliable and our cats do like it a lot. It has it's place but I do try to choose better as much as I can!

For years during potentially stressful times like bringing in a new foster cat, traveling or moving, we'd use Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter. If there is a behavioral issue and your cat is eliminating outside the box, consider this litter to help bring your cat back to the litter box.

Tuft & Paw Mixed Litter is an unscented clumping mixed tofu litter. It does a nice job of minimizing odor and helps a ton with tracking! Probably the best cat litter I've tried when it comes to minimizing litter outside the box. Not flushable. Save 10% with this link!

Tuft & Paw Tofu Litter is clumping and flushable. It is low tracking and breaks down in water. There are some things to consider when flushing so be sure to read Flushable Cat Litter: Is it Actually Safe? That being said, this flushable litter is really helpful when space is limited or you just want to minimize garbage removal. Save 10% with this link!

If you are using a longer pellet litter like Tuft & Paw's tofu or mixed litter, you need this scooper! Its sturdy and sifts out the pellets really easily. Save 10% with this link!

Hydration

Hydration has always been something we've taken really seriously with our cats. My kibble fed cat growing up developed a blockage in his bladder and I'll never forget how scared my family and I were. The veterinarian kept stressing how important it was that we switch to wet food. It was hard to transition but after many cans, brands and flavors, Buster was switched. Never again will I knowingly put my cats at risk. Blockages and bladder issues can happen regardless, but proper hydration is a a huge key to prevention. A healthy bladder leads to healthy litter box habits!

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat meat to survive. They have a low thirst drive much like their desert-dwelling ancestors. Their bodies ideally receive most of their moisture through food.

Cats eating a dry kibble diet live in a constant state of mild dehydration. This can affect bladder health and contribute to constipation. Dry food is around 10% moisture while a mouse (or canned or raw food) is around 70%.

Good news, it's easy to recreate moisture within a house cat's food by giving them canned, gently cooked or raw food. We feed our cat's raw food from Darwin's simply because it's species appropriate for cats. Their intro offer is 70% off your first order. We also love Tuft & Paw's Really Great Cat Food for their quality ingredients and easy pour boxes. Check out more of our favorite wet foods in our cat's Favorites! Introducing a water fountain can be a great addition as well as adding a cat-safe bone broth to meals.

Bottom line is, listen to your cat(s). If something isn't working, don't be afraid to try something new. And make a vet appointment. You know your cat best! One time we moved a litter box next to a glass door and it became the most popular box for awhile. Location often matters so don't be afraid to make small changes.

Did we go over everything? I think so? If not, what did I miss? Would love to know what worked for your cat's litter box setup! Good luck! You've got this!