Where to Put a Litter Box, and Three Places Not To

Most "my cat went on the rug" problems are not protest. They are a cat telling you the box is in a place it does not feel safe using.

How many boxes

The standard guidance is one box per cat, plus one spare, spread across different rooms. Two boxes side by side count as one location to a cat.

Three places to avoid

• Next to the food and water. Cats will not eliminate where they eat. This one is close to universal.
• Beside a noisy appliance. A washing machine that changes cycle mid-visit can put a cat off that spot for weeks.
• A dead end. Cupboards and tight corners give the cat no escape route. In a multi-cat home this is where guarding happens.

What a good spot looks like

Quiet, easy to reach without stairs for an older cat, with a clear line of sight and at least two ways out. If your home has more than one floor, put a box on each one.

Moving an existing box

Move it gradually, roughly a foot a day, or set up the new location and keep the old box in place until the new one is being used. Cats will accept a new spot much more readily than a sudden disappearance of the old one.