I have 2 cats - can they survive with one littler box?

Question

They say you should have 1 more litter box than the number of cats that you have. In that case I would need 3 and there would be no room left for me. I have a small, 1 bedroom apartment and have 2 litter boxes right now (one in the bathroom and one in the living room). I would love to be able to have only the one in the bathroom but I guess that's not enough? Can 2 cats survive on one litter box?

Oops typo there. If I go down to the one box in the bathroom it would be scooped often because I can sit on the toilet and scoop it at the same time. They both seem to use both boxes though I think at times there is some territorial business with one blocking the door so the other can't get itn.

Answer 1

Of course they can survive with one litter box. But can you? What this means is you really have to keep it clean. And for goodness sake, get the litter box out of the living room. Who wants to visit and smell the litter box? If you are willing to pay more, get the clumpable litter so you can clean the box daily. When I had two cats, that's what I did. You can do it, if you are willing to work at it. The cats don't care as long as they have a place to go, but if you let the box get dirty, they will poop and pee anyplace. Mine did!

Answer 2

I have 3 cats and one litter box only. I keep it in the half bath downstairs. It's a large litter box with a cover and I do scoop it everyday and wash it with soap and water once a week. I use Arm and Hammer litter. The cats are siblings so they have no problem sharing the box. In fact, sometimes they go together two at time. However, if your cats are not related then like you said they may not be comfortable using just one litter box. If I were you, I would remove the litter box in the living room for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Do keep the one litter box in the bathroom clean by scooping it everyday.

Answer 3

I have two cats - live in a 1 bedroom condo - and they only have 1 litter box -- I also have friends that have two cats and 1 litter box and it works. They can survive. You just have to make sure to get a big enough box and a good litter that will hold up w/ 2 cats using it. Also you'll need to clean it probably at least twice a day to compensate for the fact that both cats are using the same box - the thing cats hate most is a dirty stinky litter box - and if you don't keep it clean they may go to the bathroom elsewhere. I'm sure you'll be fine...just keep it clean and get a big enough box for them. Good luck!

Answer 4

My two cats actually INSIST on using the same litter box. When I got my second cat, I bought a second box and taught both kitties where it was. They never used the second one! So, I now have the largest box I could find and clean it every day so that it stays 'acceptable' for them.

If your cats tend to be territorial about the box, they may not tolerate going down to one. But perhaps they could deal with it if you made a gradual transition (move the second box closer and closer to the bathroom over a period of weeks until both are in the bathroom and then remove one). If you do that, and you start finding 'accidents' that is the sign that they need to have two.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I have three cats, two males and a female and they all share one litter box. It is in the bathroom and it gets scooped all the time, but they do wonderful with just the one box. I had two for awhile, but they never used the other, so I got rid of it. I would say you could try just the one and scoop it often. If you have any accidents, go back to the two and if it stops, then you know you need to have two.

Answer 6

Yes they can, I also have 2 cats and they do good, I do have 2 litter boxes 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs but since you dont have that big you could have 1 litter box and if you do have 1 litter box make sure it is a jumbo one not the 1 cat litter box but if they start going to the batroom outside of there litter box go back to 2, but 1 should work. Hopefully your cats will like 1 litter box.

Answer 7

Gosh, don't tell my cats they should have more than one box!! Do they use the living room box a lot? Because what you need to do is break a habit if so. I had a cat who always went outside, having been born in a barn. I kept a pan in the bathroom just in case, but she never used it until I finally decided to pitch it. She came zooming into the john, frantically looked for that box and went where it had been for years. I put it back. Try moving it slowly towards the bathroom where the other box is and see if they follow it. If so, once it gets into the same spot as the other one, it may be safe to go to one. It's worth a try. It won't work, though, for cats who must have their own pan. Some cats dislike going in another cat's pan altogether. Check your cats to see if this is the case, if they both use both toilets, you can try going to a single litter box.

Answer 8

You know, I really think it depends on your two cats. Some don't mind sharing, and some will go in a corner rather than use the same box; and as you say there may be territorial concerns, one cat may dominate the other by refusing access to a box, so you may need to keep at least 2 boxes or have very stinky carpet :) Unfortunately, the only way I know of to find out for sure whether they will accept a one-box home is to risk stinky carpet...

best wishes,
CatCorrigan & Cryllie

Answer 9

Absolutely, as long as you keep the litter box clean. We have two cats and one litter box (also live in a small one bedroom apartment). We scoop it several times a day and have had no problems.

Answer 10

Just make sure that you keep it clean. No they can not live on one cat litter box. I have seen what can happen if 2 or more cats use a box and it is not cleaned the way it should be cleaned. Keep the two boxes but make sure the boxes are clean.