In Door Cat(S)

[CHLOE AND ZOE]

Hi everyone !
Is there anyone here who has 4 or more indoor cats?
If you do, what do you do about litter boxes? - How many? Are they spread out in different areas of the house or all in one room? What do you use for litter boxes??

A question for people who have indoor cat(s) what kind of litter box do you use, have you used, like/ dont like and same with litter - which brands..

Thank you everyone !

Sarah

[chico2]

I have 3 cats,they are not completely indoors,we take them outside with supervision.
However I have 3 Rubbermaid storage-boxes as litter-boxes and although I have tried all the fancy litters,the wheat,newspaper-pellets etc,I am back to regular clumping clay,dust-free.

[growler~GateKeeper]

There are a couple of members with multi-cat households, hopefully they will chime in soon.

I have 1 indoor cat with 2 medium sized litterboxs, one currently in the bedroom (bathroom renos) though I think I'll leave it where it is, and the other in the hallway.
I use Feline Fresh Pine Pellet cat litter, they do have a clumping version as well. There is a rebate offer for your first purchase of a small bag and a frequent buyers program

I recently has the apartment building manager, after walking past 1 clean litterbox and standing just feet away from the other just-used litterbox, comment that if he hadn't heard my cat meow he wouldn't even know I had a cat, cuz he didn't smell a thing.

[Love4himies]

I have 4 cats. I have 4 litter boxes, 3 in the basement (one large rubbermaid box and the rest large covered) and 1 in our ensuite on the main floor.

I use Max Scoop, multi cat and I love that litter.

[quincymycat]

5 cats, 5 litter boxes, extra large size, all in the same basement room created specially for that purpose....I scoop the boxes at least 4 times a day, usually more.
I use dust free scoopable litter. I used to use regular clay and changed the entire boxes every week, but that was before I discovered scoopable litter. I love it!
As for brand, right now I find Costco brand economical and efficient, however, I have heard from reliable sources (insert Chico here ) that the formula has been changed so I will have to find a new brand.

[onster]

2 cats have used lots of different kinds of litters but like chico Ive found myself going back to clay. Recently (past 3 months) though Ive switched to feline fresh, my cats didnt love it at first, but I do!!! Theyve warmed up to it. I love that when I empty the litterboxes its not heavy and that the dust from clay litter doesn't bother my asthma/allergies

I have 3 litterboxes for my 2 cats, 2 jumbo sized one medium. No particular brand really.

[14+kitties]

I have four boxes. Not enough for the number of kitties I have in the house but the house is not big enough to have more. Three are the normal sized boxes. One is an extra deep box. So far with seven kitties in the house it has worked well. I scoop as often as I need to in a day. Sometimes that's three or four times an hour once or twice a day. I find when one goes they all go. I use Swheat Scoop in the house. I have noticed lately it is not doing a good job of masking ordours but I think that is more because I should have more boxes. A large bag would last a "normal" household quite some time.
I have tons of other boxes in the catuary. 10 to be exact. I use clay litter in those. Plus there is a very large sandbox which I scoop every day and replace the sand as needed. They also have a corner which is filled with pine chips. I find they like to lie in that rather than use it for litter though.

[Tundra_Queen]

Hi

I have 4 indoor only cats.

Top floor where the bedrooms are; I have bought 2 very large sterlite totes as the rubbermaid totes weren't allowing the cats to turn around easily as they have gotten bigger. So they are in the cat room, I have one automatic litter box in my mom's old room, but it is not plugged in as it couldn't keep up with more than 1 cat. It's just in there if one of the cats get stuck in the room when hubs goes feed the fish in there.

In our bathroom esnuite upstairs we have a rubbermaid tote because some of the cats sleep with us and I close the bedroom door to keep the ones who want to zoom butt around at night when I'm trying to sleep out of the bedroom.

Down on the main floor we have a covered box by the back door and then another box in our porch for when the cats are hanging out there.

No boxes in the basement as I don't like them down in the basement cause there are too many things down there that can harm there so we try to keep them out by using a tall piece of plywood.

The type of litter I use is clay, it is called Scoop and it is made by Purina. It is in a red, white and blue box and is the one I like, even though it costs more. It is the one I find works the best and the one the cats like. I also use odour controlling powder and I also use those automatic glad air fresners.

Debbie

[catlover2]

I have 2 indoor cats, and 1 covered litter box. Yes I know, not the norm, I did have 3 boxes, but both cats decided they wanted to use the one same box. I scoop 2x/day, am & pm. I've tried most kinds of litter---newspaper, pine pellets, 'crystal' pieces (cats detested it), clumping clay litter, but am now using World's Best Cat Litter, which is corn meal. It clumps well and excellent for odour control, and the cats like it as well as the clumping clay litter. I like it, tho it's a bit pricey.

[CHLOE AND ZOE]

Thank you all for replying!

I have 6 kittens all under the age of 6.5 months.
They have their own room where we keep them at night and when we go out but other than those times they roam around the house as they want.
I have kept their litter boxes (which are Rubbermaid containers (2) and one really small kitten sized one since Chloe seems to be attached to it) all in their room in the same corner. I thought this would help control litter being spread all over the place. It hasn't, I have to vacuum their room every day.
I have recently put an air purifier in their room and leave windows open when its warm enough.
I use the President's choice PC green twice as absorbent clumping litter.

I can't handle the smell !
My boyfriend and I are sensitive to air fresheners which is why we don't use any.
I don't work so I do clean the litter boxes quite a few times a day.

I just wonder if using proper litter boxes with a cover would help, or if maybe I should try switching the litter. I definitely think I need more litter boxes now.

Please any recommendations/suggestions ! !

Thanks so much

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by CHLOE AND ZOE

Thank you all for replying!

I have 6 kittens all under the age of 6.5 months.

Yikes. They are all at the fixing age now. Have you found a low cost s/n program to help defray costs?

They have their own room where we keep them at night and when we go out but other than those times they roam around the house as they want.
I have kept their litter boxes (which are Rubbermaid containers (2) and one really small kitten sized one since Chloe seems to be attached to it) all in their room in the same corner. I thought this would help control litter being spread all over the place. It hasn't, I have to vacuum their room every day.
I have recently put an air purifier in their room and leave windows open when its warm enough.

Rule of thumb is one box per cat and one extra. If you are using the larger containers then you can probably get away with one more box. Sometimes you don't have a choice but to only have a few boxes.

I use the President's choice PC green twice as absorbent clumping litter.

I would be changing to at least one meant for multi cats. With that many kitties you will find it hard to control the smell.

I can't handle the smell !
My boyfriend and I are sensitive to air fresheners which is why we don't use any.

Thank you for not using air fresheners. They may mask the odours but they are not healthy for the cats. There have been studies done showing the damage to animals from essential oils and second hand smoke. Essential oils are not healthy for us. How can we think they are for a tiny being like a cat?

I don't work so I do clean the litter boxes quite a few times a day.
I just wonder if using proper litter boxes with a cover would help, or if maybe I should try switching the litter. I definitely think I need more litter boxes now.

Using a box with a cover helps to keep the smell inside a little. BUT, some cats don't like to use them. It's like having to use an outhouse. The smell lingers inside.

Please any recommendations/suggestions ! !

Thanks so much

I noticed you said you are leaving the windows open. Do you have pet safe screening on them? They make a strong screen meant for cats so their claws can't rip through it. The cheap stuff they use on screening normally does nothing to hold back a determined kitty.

[14+kitties]

Just to further confuse the issue. What food are you feeding? The better quality canned food you feed, the less the feces smell. L4 says there is next to no smell if you feed raw. If you are feeding Fancy Feast or Friskies or another cheaper food then yes, it will smell. Dry food is of course not good period. The smells aren't either.

[CHLOE AND ZOE]

Hey 14+kitties,
They aren't special screens like the ones you mentioned no. We are renting the home we're in. They do have screens over them and I have trained the cats not to claw or climb the screens. Its not something I can change at this time.

I have been feeding them a high quality kibble (Orijen)
I have recently switched to this kibble from kitten canned food since my vet recommended it.

How do you do raw? Do you buy those little Amore raw meat + veggie packs?
Is there another brand? Or do you make it yourself?

[CHLOE AND ZOE]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

Yikes. They are all at the fixing age now. Have you found a low cost s/n program to help defray costs?
Rule of thumb is one box per cat and one extra. If you are using the larger containers then you can probably get away with one more box. Sometimes you don't have a choice but to only have a few boxes.
I would be changing to at least one meant for multi cats. With that many kitties you will find it hard to control the smell.

Using a box with a cover helps to keep the smell inside a little. BUT, some cats don't like to use them. It's like having to use an outhouse. The smell lingers inside.

Two have been fixed so far. They are all female. The vet we are currently seeing does the surgery for 200.00 each. I'm not sure if this is cheap or expensive.
I gotta get more containers! I wont bother testing out an expensive covered litter box, they all use the containers we have now I'll just get more!
A litter for multi cats? I didn't know there was such a thing. Which brand do you recommend?

[catlover2]

Most "litter for multi cats" contains baking soda to control odour.

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by CHLOE AND ZOE

Hey 14+kitties,
They aren't special screens like the ones you mentioned no. We are renting the home we're in. They do have screens over them and I have trained the cats not to claw or climb the screens. Its not something I can change at this time.

Actually, screens are very easy to change. Even if you are renting. The landlord may even thank you for thinking about it and not risking damage to his windows.

I have been feeding them a high quality kibble (Orijen)
I have recently switched to this kibble from kitten canned food since my vet recommended it.

Dry food is not good for cats. They need moisture with their food. Not beside it. Cats are known to not drink enough water. In fact, as sugarcatmom would tell you, by the time cats drink water they are usually on their way to dehydration. They also do not need grains or corn in their diets. If humans can't digest corn why would we think cats can?
A good site to read is www.catinfo.org It will give you tons of info about feeding canned and not dry. Please take the time to read it. It is well worth it and may, down the road, save some huge vet bills.

How do you do raw? Do you buy those little Amore raw meat + veggie packs?
Is there another brand? Or do you make it yourself?

There is a section on the same site I quoted that shows you how to prepare raw and recipes. You could do the raw that you can find at good pet stores but preparing your own is cheaper in the long run. There is also tons of info right on Pets in the cat food forum.

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by CHLOE AND ZOE

Two have been fixed so far. They are all female. The vet we are currently seeing does the surgery for 200.00 each. I'm not sure if this is cheap or expensive.
I gotta get more containers! I wont bother testing out an expensive covered litter box, they all use the containers we have now I'll just get more!
A litter for multi cats? I didn't know there was such a thing. Which brand do you recommend?

Congrats on getting those two done. 200 IMO is quite expensive. I am giving you a google search I did for low cost s/n in BC. Maybe there is something near you. The rescue I work through works with donations. They s/n, give first shots, rabies, and revolution for an amazing cost. Usually around $50 per cat. I know of one other near me who does that and microchips for the same.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&rl...+Columbia&btnG

I use Swheat Scoop here which is wheat based. A big 40 pound bag cost $35.00 but lasts for a while. There are lots of other ones available for multi cats. I think one is MaxScoop or something. I don't use clay in the house so not sure of the names. Just look on the boxes or pails. It will tell you if meant for multi cats.

[MyBirdIsEvil]

I have 10 indoor cats right now and I use a few normal low litterboxes (which I don't like, but they're already paid for so I use them), a high sided uncovered litterbox from petsmart (which I like a lot and the cats like) and a bunch of covered litterboxes, which completely keep the litter in, but some of the cats prefer the uncovered. I have 8 litterboxes.

I use normal clay clumping litter. Name brand, I prefer scoop away, off brand I actually prefer Kmarts house brand, which is a bit dusty but clumps very well.
I used Tidy cat for a long time because it was cheap, but the price sky rocketed and it doesn't work as well as the others to be honest. It falls apart sometimes and isn't as good about the smell.
I've used some of the so called natural clumping litters and all were horrible. Didn't keep the smell down and didn't clump tightly.
Fresh step is ok as far as clumping litters go, but overpriced, and still doesn't compare to scoop away IMO, though their NON CLUMPING clay litter is the best non clumping litter I've used (but again, expensive).

All of my litterboxes are in one room and the door is shut (mainly to keep dogs out, but does help with smell) and has a hole in it (which we were gonna put a cat door in but haven't gotten around to it yet, plus I'm not sure all my cats would use an actual door with a flap.)

[MyBirdIsEvil]

I thought this would help control litter being spread all over the place. It hasn't, I have to vacuum their room every day.

The covered litterboxes I have are just cheap ones from walmart but the sides seal well and they never have any litter thrown out of them. If your cats will use them that's the best for not spreading litter around.
I have a high sided box that has a narrow low spot in the front but is uncovered and almost no litter comes out of it.
My normal cheap litterboxes from Walmart are by far the worst and enough litter gets kicked out that I can actually scoop it up and put it back in the box.

I have area rugs all over my cats room and a runner that they HAVE to walk on to get out their door that prevents them from spreading litter all over the house. The only litter I found around the house is what gets stuck to their paws sometimes (some of them have long fur and tufts on their feet. I'm gonna try trimming the tufts and see if it helps).

I can't handle the smell !
My boyfriend and I are sensitive to air fresheners which is why we don't use any.
I don't work so I do clean the litter boxes quite a few times a day.

You know, your best bet, though I dunno if it's within your budget, would be to install a good exhaust fan in the room with the litterboxes. That way the smell won't make it into the rest of your house. Trying other litters will also help (they are definitely NOT all the same with odour control) and scrubbing the boxes down at least monthly when you change out all the old litter.

[MyBirdIsEvil]

They make a strong screen meant for cats so their claws can't rip through it. The cheap stuff they use on screening normally does nothing to hold back a determined kitty.

The cheapest way is to buy your own rolls of screen. They make different types, thicknesses and grades.

We got the really thick plastic screening from home depot and my cats have not been able to rip it, where in the past I've noticed cats can rip through most normal metal screening (the plastic seems to stretch rather than rip and has strong woven fibers inside).

Bheka, who I think was around 75 lbs at the time, jumped up on our back door and the screen actually came out of the sides and the rubber gasket pulled out rather than ripping the screen. The screen is still intact.

[Stacer]

I've got 2 indoor cats and we use 2 large, tall rubbermaid bins. I've cut out a section on the side of each of them so that the cats can get in alot easier (I think they really appreciated it!)

The boxes are in the same room in the basement. We've used every type of litter imaginable, but we keep coming back to the good old clumping clay litter, with lots of baking soda to help control the smell.

Our cats actually use one box for pee and the other for poop, not sure how they managed to work this out betwixt themselves, lol.

[chico2]

I tried the covered boxes,but my cats did not use them,it kind of makes sense to me,as cats are very sensitive to smells,I can imagine how it would smell in there.
I use now,since Costco changed their formula,Wal-Marts Special Kitty litter.
However I change and throw out the litter every 2 weeks.
I know some people who never change the litter,just keep adding to it

[CHLOE AND ZOE]

Originally Posted by chico2

I know some people who never change the litter,just keep adding to it

Yikes ! What I have been doing is waiting till the litter gets kinda low in their boxes and then just dump the last little bit out in the garbage and wash the tub, put a bag of litter in the box and scoop till it gets lowish again. This is usually every 2 weeks - 3weeks.

Originally Posted by Stacer

I've cut out a section on the side of each of them so that the cats can get in alot easier (I think they really appreciated it!)

Our cats actually use one box for pee and the other for poop, not sure how they managed to work this out betwixt themselves, lol.

I like that idea of cutting out an area for them to easily get in and out!! How did you cut it though??? That's pretty tough plastic!
Your cats sound smart! What a good system they have!
What kind of cats do you have?

Originally Posted by MyBirdIsEvil

I have 10 indoor cats right now

Wow! Are you a breeder ? Rescue them? Fostering them?

Originally Posted by MyBirdIsEvil

The cheapest way is to buy your own rolls of screen. They make different types, thicknesses and grades.

We got the really thick plastic screening from home depot and my cats have not been able to rip it, where in the past I've noticed cats can rip through most normal metal screening (the plastic seems to stretch rather than rip and has strong woven fibers inside).

Thank you 14+kitties for the site !
I would love to feed my kittens raw meat, I've looked into it before. Unfortunately its been hard convincing my boyfriend that a raw diet is way better for them then dry or canned food.
I'm still working on it though... I'll pass the site over to him

[Stacer]

Originally Posted by CHLOE AND ZOE

I like that idea of cutting out an area for them to easily get in and out!! How did you cut it though??? That's pretty tough plastic!
Your cats sound smart! What a good system they have!
What kind of cats do you have?

I used a hacksaw, but I bet a good utility knife would work too. I cut out a U shape from the top to about 2/3 of the way down the bin. It also makes it easier to turn around in the box. My big boy often has his head out of the box via the cut out while doing his bizness. And my little miss was having a hard time jumping up and into the box, so she really loves the cut out.

My cats are just your run of the mill domestic short hairs, tabbies. As for how smart they are, well.... They can coordinate their toilet business, but that's about it, lol.

[krdahmer]

7 indoor cats, I use swheat scoop litter and have it all in one area in the basement.... I have 2 large rubbermaid underbed storage boxes, 2 medium storage boxes with slightly higher sides and two medium sized high sided cat boxes. And it seems to work just right for us. (I like to brag that I get comments like 'you would never know you had cats in here' when people visit.....well aside from the plethora of fur of course...)

[ancientgirl]

I have 5 and have 3 covered boxes. One is upstairs in my bathroom, and the other two are under the stairs (I live in a loft apartment), separated by a bookshelf. My boxes are covered because one of my boys is sometimes in such a hurry to pee, he doesn't sit. So, he ruined one wood cabinet and the wall of my bathroom was starting to get messed up with cat urine. I had no choice but to go with the covered boxes. The boxes get cleaned daily, and I use Swheat Scoop for multiple cats. If I had more room, I'd add more boxes, but luckily they don't seem to mind sharing.

[Frenchy]

I have 3 indoor cats , 2 covered litter boxes. I took out the filters from the tops and I put Bounce sheets instead. I use clumping litter (don't remember which brand but I buy it at Costco) but before I put the litter in the boxes , I put "cat litter deodorizer" by Arm & Hammer.