Agree on two cats. So much fun, and they do keep each other company. We only have one big litter box for both. Maybe I'm lucky, but the one box has never been an issue for the 7 years we have had two cats. We keep the box in the laundry room. It's an open box-- our cats hate covered boxes and won't use them. The laundry room is away from our main living area but they used it from the beginning. Cats pretty much like their privacy when they are using it anyway.

MizLizzie - just a quick comment to say my cat lived to 22 years old, and was healthy and hearty until about the last 6 months. He used clumping litter his entire life. Not saying your vet is wrong; just saying he is making a sweeping generalization of clumping litters that may not be 100% correct. And I wish his term "cheap clumping litter" was defined - what does that mean? There are some very costly litters that I would never use in my home because of their chemicals and scents. There may be other factors to what your vet is describing - whether it's scented as mentioned above, what chemicals were used in the manufacturing, whether the cats had to use an enclosed litter box with no air circulation, and other variables. My vet says that the non-clumping "clay" litters are the worst for the animals. They aren't really clay, and are full of chemicals. So you will find vets with different opinions and different experiences with litters.

OB2B-

You are allowed to get just one cat if that is what you want. I have had 1, 3, and 2. Last time we brought home 2 kittens; 1 for each DS. 2 are awesome and no more work than one, but its your choice.

Dont buy the chest litter box yet, wait until your kitten is more of a cat so you know each other better. My two cats started as same size kittens, one barely grew and the other is a big boy. The little cat- she is really midget like, could not get into litter box when she was young until I put a brick in front as a step. She is now fine.

Litter box snacks for dogs- oh so gross- but yet they do it. You may never have a problem or you might. We didnt for years but all of a sudden 1 of our dogs is always in the litter box, a baby gate is out solution for now. I dont think my kitties would like a litter box like the chest because I am not sure the height would be enough for the big guy.

The litter box should be located on a hard surface floor, preferably not close to any carpeted floor. I would definitely start with an open litter box many cats refuse to use a closed litter box. But when the box has an open top they can scratch and knock the litter out onto the floor which is why I recommend no carpet anywhere near it. Your vacuum may not good at getting litter out of the carpet.

The most important thing to do is to clean the litter box out when there is something there to be cleaned otherwise it just begins to smell.

Cats are super easy pets. Yes, I would get two. I would initially confine them to a room where they cannot hide from you. Once you have established that they understand what their box is for in that room then they can have free run of the rest of the house. I would also get scratching posts....

Yes, scratching posts, preferably covered with sisal. Make sure it has a wide enough base to keep it from toppling over. Cats double as flying monkeys.

Agree with sas about putting the litter box in a quiet, out of the way spot. We all like to poop in private. Except when I'm working in my office and someone comes in and leaves a large one.

MizLizzie, I also get the Precious Cat Ultra. It still leaves a little dust, but not as bad as most. My Zephyr has asthma, so it's always a concern.

I might put a litter box under a table in a mud room, but would not use an enclosed box like that.

Warning: Kittens tend to be high energy and what they do & get into, can be surprising to novice cat parents.

Another vote for adopting two (preferably litter mates). In addition to all the advantages already listed I find it makes travel much easier on the cats. Both theirs (when they're small I put them in the same carrier and they can 'console' each other) and mine (they aren't so lonely because they have their buddy at home). When I had a single cat she had a really tough time when we travelled.

If you're getting [a] kitten[s] then I'd go ahead and get a covered box and. Kittens are highly adaptable, they'll probably have no problem with it, and then you don't have to look at an open litter box.

I've been using these litter boxes for 20 years and cannot say enough good things about them. We have four (3 cats, litter mates) and I can clean all four of them in less time then it takes me to root through a standard litter box looking for 'presents'. Although I don't anymore: my 10 & 12yos do all the litter box maintenance!

Yes, scratching posts, preferably covered with sisal. Make sure it has a wide enough base to keep it from toppling over. Cats double as flying monkeys.

YES. But don't buy one of those elaborate cat trees which cost so much money. And they take up a huge amount of space. Learn from my mistake! I spent the money and got one. My cats enjoyed one of those big cat trees for about an hour, then were bored with it. They definitely didn't use it to scratch on. I gave it away to someone who thought her cats might like it, but they didn't like it either. She ended up giving it to a cat shelter.

This scratching post I've linked is the best scratching post out there. It's sisal, it doesn't tip over, and is the proper height so a cat can stretch full length on it (those little short ones are useless). Mine is going on 7 years old, and appears to have another 7 years of life to it. My cats absolutely love to scratch on it. I ended up buying a second one, so that I could have one on another floor.

SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post

Lots of cats love cat trees.

They adore sisal scratching posts but don't get one if you have any sisal rugs or may want them in the future!

Not very swanky, but mine adore corrugated cardboard scratchers:

https://www.amazon.com/Mojetto-Catnip-Scratching-Post/dp/B006QLQSTO

I have two litter boxes for two cats. I used to scoop whenever I passed by, but with the kitchen reno, we moved the boxes and they are out of sight now. I scoop daily, but I'd like to get back to scooping a couple of times a day. My younger cat digs like crazy and will break up the pee clumps if I don't get to them first.

i found a magic formula for keeping stink away: World's Best Litter (green bag) mixed with Nature's Miracle natural litter that has a pine scent (red/white bag). The World's Best by itself always started to smell bad after a few days.

catinfo.org has awesome information about cat food, amounts, types, etc. it was there that I learned that wet/canned food is a far better choice than dry.

We went pretty quickly from 1 cat to 2... I LOVE having two!!!

I have one indoor kitty but two mini doxies, so kitty torments them when she's bored. My DH got tired of cat litter on the floor so he built a very high sided, open topped box for her over my objections. Kitty immediately got an eye infection. I think she got some litter/dust in her eye because the litter was trapped by the sides when she kicked it around. We keep kitty's box in the mudroom, and I use a large, disposable puppy pee pad under it. If your kitty's poop is excruciatingly smelly, switch whatever you're feeding. Ask me how I know. ETA, we have a kitty door in our mud room door.

Feeding high quality food will minimize the stink. Our cats are on a high quality wet food only diet and there is virtually no smell.

What food are you feeding sas95?

You're so right sas95. But even among the high quality foods, I tried a zillion before hitting on one she would eat and one that worked with her digestive factory, lol.

I'm a two-cat convert too. I think it's important if they are indoor kitties. We had Gracie for two years and she pestered us constantly to play. Then we got her a kitten for Christmas. It is so sweet to see her groom her baby, who is now bigger than her. Their play also satisfies their need to chase and hunt.

We have two open litter boxes in a closet with bifold doors. They each use their own box. Dust was a problem until we switched to World's Best Cat Litter, a clumping corn-based litter.

Good litter and well-covered poop will not be smelly.

I can't even imagine having a sisal rug in my house, unless it was a Christmas present for my cats.

M Miller, I'm curious about how that square post has lasted so long. My guys demolish most sisal-covered posts, with the rope hanging in loops that I have to trim. When they get really bad, I take all the old sisal off and add my own, usually 1/4-3/8 inch from HD and Elmer's wood glue.

Ever since she was a baby, my Bessie has had a penchant for rolling in the litter box. I was aghast and appalled at first, but I've read that some cats will do it. If I catch her, I'll make her stop, but I suspect it goes on anyway.

All I have ever done for any cat (kitten or adult) is to set them in the box and move their paws in a digging motion for a moment. One time does it.

If you get the "furniture" box cover, be sure that you can easily reach down into it to clean the box. I would get some plastic sheeting also, using painter's tape to secure it to the insides of the box (so it makes a floor under the actual litter box) -- easier to collect stray litter and change out in case of misses.

My cat's box is in the basement under the stairs. I use one of the Rubbermaid under bed storage boxes because she likes to poop at one end and pee at the other and this gives her plenty of room. A tarp on the floor underneath and a mat at the entrance.

Furniture protection: I buy the rolls of sticky clear plastic that is meant for carpet protection. Cut strips and place on the armrests (tops and sides), corners, and backs of upholstered furniture. You might even find that you need to put it on the edges of carpeted stairs. This will discourage scratching in those areas until your kitten learns that the post only is the place for scratching. I think that there is actually a double sided sticky tape that is meant for this purpose, the stickiness is an extra deterrent. I adopted a cat that refused to use a scratching post and loved to 'fight" with the bottom step -- the plastic has saved my furniture and carpet.

Agree completely with Mayflowers. Two cats comfort and play with one another in the most adorable and hilarious ways. My fraternal twins are indoor-only and thunder through the house playing tag-you're-it and general roughhousing.

I've been on my own for 12 years. Hard to believe. But I've had cats with me the entire time and I've never felt alone.

Oh, Sticky Paws!!! Be proactive about cats' natural tendency to sharpen their claws and establish their territory by scratching edges of furniture. Sticky Paws is double-sided clear tape you can buy at the big pet stores or online. Cats hate the sticky feel. It works. Eventually you can take the tape off. My cats are naughty and incorrigible, but they don't scratch the furniture. Except now and then, but that's life with cats.

What food are you feeding sas95?

Snookums, we feed a rotation including Natures Variety Instinct, Wild Calling, Nature's Logic, Tiki Cat non-fish varieties, Hounds and Gatos and Ziwi Peak.

My cat's never took to scratching posts of any kind. The only thing they would use is that cardboard Scratch Lounge. I think it's the horizontal scratching action they like.

Our cats are not related but they are around 6 months apart in age and were adopted at the same time. They are hilarious together.

Don't bother with litter box liners. They are more mess and trouble than they're worth and entirely unnecessary. I used them for years, taping around the outside and then the deep diggers would rip them and there would be random pieces of plastic amidst the pee/poop. Since litter itself is absorbent, it actually draws the moisture and matter away from the bottom of the box and keeps it relatively clean. When I do a complete litter change and dump the old stuff out, the box has very little stuck to it.

M Miller, I'm curious about how that square post has lasted so long

The SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post is built like iron. And maybe because I have two of those posts? My two cats are the short-haired oriental types, and they are very active, as those breeds are, and use the posts several times a day. When I get home after work, I'll see if I can find the video of one of them scratching the post, fully-stretched, and with a lot of gusto.

My neighbor gave me a post that his cat ignored. It has a fuzzy ball at the end of an elastic cord. My cats are in heaven and the post is usually on its side because the base isn't big enough to withstand Cat G-Force.

The secret to keeping the cat using the litter box is keeping the litter box clean! I have 2 cats and a large self cleaning litter box. Worth it's weight in gold! I dump the receptacle once or twice a week and add fresh litter and that's it.

sas, what do you think of Nature's Balance (including their Limited Ingredient version) and Wellness?

The 2-cat proposition, 8 months later:

So cute! Did you adopt them together or bring in another?

These are my daughter's/grandchildren's cats. They adopted the pair of them from the local Humane who believed they were litter mates - they were abandoned and rescued together. My 8 year old grandson (the photographer) named the male cat Comet and his 3 year old sister named the female Elsa (imagine that!). Elsa, the tabby, is half Comet's size. The two of them are best buds.

Snookums, our Bengals thrive on the Natures Balance LID green pea and duck.

sas, what do you think of Nature's Balance (including their Limited Ingredient version) and Wellness?

Snookums, I don't know anything about the Nature's Balance food. I used to feed my cats Wellness, and they did fine on it. But stopped because it has carageenan in it. I'm not sure that carageenan has been proven to be bad necessarily, but it is a controversial ingredient that some say causes digestive issues. It didn't cause any issues with my cats, though. My criteria when I look at food is 1) grain free; 2) as much meat and as few cheap looking fillers as possible; 3) no carageenan (because I figure it's easier to avoid it than to figure out whether it is really bad or not). Now I also look at calories because my cats are 7 and more prone to weight gain than they used to be.

I am with Annette on the self-cleaning litterbox! I know "they" say you should have a litter box for each cat and one extra. I'd need an entire room just for litterboxes. We have four cats and just one of the self-cleaning box and it is sufficient. DH or I empy it about every other day, but it sure beats scooping many times a day. The first time my brother visited our house recently and saw how many cats we had, he asked where we had the litter box stashed and commented that he couldn't smell it. We have it in our master bath, but even if it were nearer the front of the house, I don't think the odor would be much.

I also agree that unless you are going to devote a LOT of time to your cat, a feline buddy is important.

I also have 2 male cats. We put a cat door in the door to the garage and the litter box is in the garage. I have a night light that comes on when it's really dark in there. I use Arm & Hammer clumping litter and it works great. I may try Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra to see if I like that better.

Wowzer, there is a ton of fantastic feline wisdom here! I am so grateful for everyone sharing great advice about food, safe litter, scratching posts, and companionship for kitties. We can't move into our new house until late October, so we may wait after Christmas to get our new cats- which seems like a long time to be deprived of their adorableness.

Thank you for the compilation mrspete. The people at GW are incredibly generous with their time and wisdom. I hope I'll have something useful to pass on one day.

Which automatic litterboxes are people recommending?

Do I stare at you on the toilet?

Actually, that would be Zephyr. He loves to visit me while I'm "occupied." Loud purring, foot-licking, flopping over for a belly rub. He's his own cat.

Linelle, one of mine likes to stare at me in the shower. We have a glass-enclosed shower. The minute the water is turned on, he comes running, jumps on the sink counter, sits himself down, and stares. If I close the bathroom door so he can't get in, he cries.

I've had a few cats. Some that I have shown the box to, others, including a months old kitten that found it on his own. There's not the same training involved as with a dog. Keep the box clean and in a quiet area, and away from his food and you should be good to go. I use s'Wheat unscented litter and the bonus is that it is flushable. I won't suggest that you get 2 kitties. It can work, or not..... Ask me how I know.

M Miller, I have a lightweight white shower curtain for my tub/shower. There's always a dark cat shape sitting on the edge of the tub when I'm taking my shower. Sometimes a head poking around the curtain edge.

Mayflowers, et al., I'm interested in the corn-based World's Best Litter because of its lack (?) of dust. Anything that can help Z's asthma is a good thing. Was it difficult converting your cat(s) over? I've tried other litters, regular in one box, new one in another, and they completely avoid the new.

I remember the wheat and corn litters to be very dusty. They are both high allergen foods so I would be wary. World's Best was horribly dusty IME too. There is a litter for asthmatic cats, developed by a vet:

https://drelseys.com/product/rr-respiratory-relief-silica-gel/

Linelle,

I used World's Best Litter and it truly is dust free! I was able to switch over my senior cats by mixing it half and half for a week or so and then just putting the World's Best. It is a great litter. I was so exasperated with the constant dust covering over everything in the vicinity of the litter box. That problem disappeared completely when I started using World's Best!

My automatic litter box is by OurPets and is called the SmartScoop. I got it from Amazon. I came with a bunch of bags but once those ran out I switched to grocery bags. I get the big bag of clumping litter from Costco.

It looks like Dr. Elsey has a high quality protein food coming out (his litter is the best!). I am looking forward to seeing the ingredients list!

The litter box we use is the Littermaid LM980 Mega, also bought on Amazon.

If you use clumping litter get a litter genie aND make your kid the responsible person. We use tidy cat breeze litter and a litter box. More economical and no oder when combined with the litter genie. It is true about the high quality food creating less odor and less stool.

I've never had a cat who cared to stare at me while I "do my business", but my dog does. The real oddity: He's completely blind.

As for litter type, yes, some cats do have a preference, so don't buy too much up front -- and if you're having trouble, switching the litter is an easy thing to try. It's cheaper and easier than switching the litter box itself. If you need to use up half a box of litter, your cat may or may not allow you to mix it half-and-half. My last fellow became quite fussy about his litter as he aged, he'd go outside the box rather than touch non-preferred litter.

You guys are wonderful, thank you so very much for all the wisdom and advice!

DH would kill me if I brought home two kittens. We do have a 1 year old German Shepherd, and I think the best is to wait and see how the two get along together before adding to the mix. We're picking the kitten up today; I will post pictures and an update later. I'm holding off on buying the 'furniture' litter box but would love to see pictures of any of your 'hidden' set-ups. We usually keep the basement door closed, and are not down there daily, but that might be the best option.

Anglophilia - it sounded like your cabinet combined the food and litter box? Mizlizzie - would you be willing to post a picture?

Everyone - thank you again! I have been reading and re-reading this post.

I have 2 cats and 3 litterboxes. One in a bedroom that is only used when we have overnight guests. 2 are in the basement. The bedroom box is rarely used, I only put it there because they do sleep in the bedrooms during the day, but even so, they'll make the trip to the basement more often than not. A box in the basement is just fine with cats, they seem to prefer a quiet place for their bathroom functions. You do have to make sure the door into the basement is open so they can get to it as needed. Congrats on your new kitten! Cats are such interesting, affectionate and comical members of the family.

In my last house the litter box and elevated feed station was down in the basement. I found a product called a Cat Hole and installed it in the door to the basement. This way I could keep the door closed and the cat could come and go but the dogs couldn't.

Annette,

That is so neat!