Sometimes our recommendations at Cats International's Feline Behavior Hotline are met with, "But he has always had only one litter box" or "He has always used the same litter." Adam Bauknecht, the coordinator for our Madison Hotline, points out that just as things can change for you, they can also change for your cat. "All cats have a certain stress threshold," says Bauknecht. "The level may vary among cats, depending on their individual personalities and temperaments. When everything in the cat's life is going smoothly, a few discomforts can be tolerated. If additional stressors enter the cats experience, stressors that cannot be eliminated, such as a new baby, houseguests, or the move to a new home, then suddenly the stress threshold is exceeded and kitty's misery is expressed in wet and not-so-wonderful ways. We can reduce the possibility of pushing kitty over the top by eliminating the stressors over which we do have control (such as litter box annoyances). Then we can work to minimize the cat's stress by gently introducing and desensitizing him to those elements in his life with which he must learn to cope."
The true story of Susan and her cat Sammy illustrates how a small change can provoke a big reaction-and the advisability of providing litter boxes on different floors of your home. Susan called the Behavior Hotline one day when she was truly at the end of her rope. Her best friend and companion, Sammy, was totally out of control and she had no idea why. For three years he had never missed his litter box, which was located in her beautifully refinished basement. After arriving home from work this fateful day, she discovered to her horror that Sammy had eliminated all over the main floor of her house. She immediately whisked him off to the veterinarian, expecting to hear that a serious health condition had precipitated this bizarre behavior. To her relief and dismay, Sammy was pronounced perfectly healthy.
"So why would he do this after years of impeccable litter box manners?" Her question was followed by a series of probing questions from the Hotline counselor. During the course of the conversation, it became clear that some time during Susan's absence, Sammy had become frightened of going into the basement. Susan was reluctant to accept this explanation, though, because he had always been happy and comfortable using the box downstairs.
Under protest, Susan agreed to humor the counselor and check out to the basement to see if anything was amiss. The culprit was found lying not far from Sammy's litter box. It was an old, rolled-up calendar that she had stored in the rafters. Our guess is that it fell down from the ceiling at the same time Sammy was attending to business. Convinced that a large predator had invaded his sanctuary, he ran for his life. Poor Sammy! Poor Susan! This whole mess could have been avoided if there had been a second litter box upstairs.
Feline behaviorists agree that the ideal number of litter boxes is one per cat, plus one. So even if there is just one cat in the home, you should have two litter boxes. Many cats have a strong instinct to urinate in one area and defecate in another, which is why one cat may prefer two boxes. The litter boxes should not be grouped together, but should be placed in different parts of the home, preferably on different floors. The locations must be convenient and cat-friendly. Cats like to see all around them when they're eliminating-especially the entrance to the room. If the litter box is in a room that is very dark at night, it is a good idea to install a small night light. (Cats don't see any better than we do in complete darkness, but they do see very well in low light.)
Cats are almost neurotic about their need to feel safe and secure while they are eliminating. They live in a sensory world entirely separate from ours. They hear things we can't hear and they smell things we can't smell. They are far more sensitive to vibration than we are. The slightest sound or disturbance can convince kitty that his bathroom is a dangerous place-a furnace kicking in, clothes clanking in the dryer, a thunderstorm rattling the house. Even the family dog can make the cat nervous about using his litter box, especially if Fido has access to the litter box area. (Pet gates that kitty can scoot under but that the dog cannot negotiate work well to keep the dog's nose out of the cat's business.)
Once you've decided where to put the boxes, it's not a good idea to move them. When it comes to elimination, cats are creatures of habit, and will continue to visit an area they've previously used.
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