Pet Ohana June Watanabe

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Clean cat’s litter box twice each day

Question: We're adopting a cat. As a first-time cat owner, where should we place the litter box? My wife wants it in the bathroom upstairs. I want it in the laundry room downstairs.

Answer: Using the bathroom in inappropriate places is a common reason why people give up their cats. So while litter box placement might seem like a silly question, it's perhaps one of the most important questions that new cat owners do not ask.

Our answer will make you both happy. Keep one in both locations because pet experts recommend one litter box per cat, plus one extra. Giving your cat choices increases the likelihood that it will use a box instead of picking a place on your carpet. You want to place litter boxes in rooms that are easy to access and easy to escape to ensure use, especially for older cats that might have difficulty with stairs. Cats like their litter boxes in quiet, private spots, away from their dining area. Like you, they don't like to relieve themselves where they eat and drink.

Q: What kind of litter should we buy? There are so many options.

A: That's a question best answered by your kitty. Let it pick. Buy small bags of fine-grained versus rocky pellets and test them in each box. Some like a box with deep sand. Some prefer shallow sand. Most like litter that's unscented. Clay-based clumping brands are the most popular as they're easy to scoop.

Keep in mind that your kitty's nose is far more sensitive than yours. Brands that sell sand with strong fragrance are marketed for you, not for your cat's pleasure. Even using detergents to wash their box, or aerosol and plug-in air fresheners around their box could turn them off all together. The best way to control odors in the sandbox is to clean it twice a day.