Consolidating litter boxes

[Runemist]

Hi guys...
I'm new, and I had a rather interesting question for you...comes with a bit of a story!
I've had my cat, Mya, for quite a long time, though I've had to have her live with someone else once a couple of years ago. She's about two and a half, very small kitty (tabby), and has some problems, due to being inbred. She seems to have all her capacities, she's smart enough to know where to go to the bathroom and when the can of tuna is being opened, but she's a little...sassy.
Recently, we just adopted a new cat from the SPCA, his name is Moe. He's a huge main coon cross, about two years old, and very lively, compared to Mya. He seems to still be halfway between kittenhood and adulthood. 'Coons tend to mature at about five years of age, so I'm not very surprised.
Well, unfortunately there's been a bit of a rift in the household since he arrived...Mya won't tolerate him. I've given her lots of attention, and Moe's been getting enough attention from my husband, as he is his cat, technically.
I can deal with the growling, the little swats, and the refusal to really interact. They don't really fight, and even if they did, it wouldn't be hard to deal with...
But they won't share litter boxes!
I have three cats in the house, the third being out roommates' cat, Evil. She's Mya's mum. Evil will share a box with Moe, and with Mya. We even purchased a larger box so there would be less of an issue with it being dirty, though we are always trying to keep on top of it.
I would set up a different box for Mya, and I have out of necessity, but with such a small place, it starts to smell when they are on either end of the house. I'd like them to use one box, so that it wouldn't be so confusing and smelly!
So, if anyone has any suggestions, please, let me know! I'm totally at a loss!

And, sorry this was so very long!

[chico2]

Sorry Runemist,but one box for 3 cats is just not enough.
I have 3 cats and I get away with only 2 boxes,because they are larger Rubbermaid storage-boxes.
Mine are downstairs,side by side.
You don't have to put them in different areas,but you definetly need more than one.

[14+kitties]

Rule of thumb for cats - one litter box per cat plus one extra.

Welcome and we need to see pics please.

FYI - Introducing cats properly in the furture will probably also cut down on the fighting issues. You could try some tricks now to see if they will work.

Baby powder rubbed on your hands and then on the cats so they all smell the same.
Separate rooms so they can smell but not see for a while.
Trading sleeping blankets, clothes, whatever.
This is a terrific site for learning more about managing a multi cat household. Never too late to learn.

http://www.squidoo.com/multi-cat-management

[sugarcatmom]

I agree with chico2 and 14+kitties, you should have more than one box. It is perfectly within your kitties rights not to want to share, and I wouldn't try to force the issue or you likely end up with some inappropriate eliminating. I'm not sure why your boxes are smelly if you have more than one. Do you clean them at least once a day (preferably twice if you have 3 cats)? What kind of litter do you use?

[Runemist]

Hi guys!
Thanks for replying so quickly. The main reason I was hoping to consolidate was because my place is pretty small. For a while, we had one box in one room in particular, where the new cat was being kept for about a week. I did try to introduce them slowly, and he knows now that his room is that room. The Ladies, as we call the females, are pretty comfortable with the rest of the house, as they never really went in that room, anyways.
I suppose you are right, though. I didn't know the "rule of thumb" for how many litter boxes...all of my previous cats had been able to go out, so we didn't really have that problem. It's kind of new to me.
As for how much we clean them and what kind of litter, we use pine pellets, which seem to work well...been using them for a long time. We clean the boxes...a lot less than once a day! I'll try that for sure though. I suppose if it were my litter box, I'd want it cleaned often, too!
What kind of pictures did you want to see, 14+kitties? I can see if I have some of my cats...

[sugarcatmom]

I love the pine pellets, that's what I use with my guy (mixed with newspaper pellets for a softer texture). One question, are you just mixing the urine soaked sawdust back into the rest of the litter or do you scoop it out completely? That can make a big difference in odors, and even though the manufacturers say you can just stir it back in, I'm not a fan of that technique. It means the cats have to walk in their pee! I use a little garden shovel to remove all the waste and then sprinkle a couple scoops of fresh pellets on top. My cat has 3 litter boxes, 2 of which are upstairs in a main part of the house. There is no odor whatsoever and if it wasn't for the 4 cat-trees in my living room, you wouldn't even know I had a cat.