Small space litter box placement tips

I know this is a bit of a mess, but I need some fresh eyes on my layout. I live in a smaller apartment with three cats, including Olive, my 7-year-old ragdoll who is hypothyroid. I currently have two litter boxes available for the three of them. I’ve documented their medical history in an earlier thread, but I’m worried the current setup is causing stress.

How do people arrange litter boxes in very small living spaces? I feel like I’m violating the basic rules but I literally don’t have the floor space for three full-sized boxes.

Hi Pat. I’m sorry you’re dealing with the stress. I have Whiskers, an 8-year-old siamese with CKD stage 1, and Daisy, a 4-year-old healthy calico. Since Whiskers goes more frequently, I had to prioritize his access.

I found that placing one box in the bedroom and one in the living room helped separate them. You might want to look at Whiskers' CKD and his new litter preferences to see how I managed the spacing for a medical cat. It’s not perfect, but it reduces confrontation.

We do this a lot in foster homes. I currently have Pepper, Nugget, Bean, and Ollie in a spare room. It’s tight.

I use two boxes: one covered and one open. The shy cats (like Bean) prefer the covered one, while the energetic ones (Ollie) use the open one. You don’t always need three boxes if you can offer two different styles. Check out Foster room layout for 4 cats for a diagram of how I keep them apart with just two boxes.

Age and mobility matter a lot here. Bella is 14 and arthritic. I used to have her box in the hallway, but she started avoiding it because the lid was hard to open and the steps were too high.

I moved her box to the bedroom floor, no lid, and added a ramp. If Olive is hypothyroid, she might be heavier or less active. Have you seen Getting Bella to the box without pain? It lists specific modifications for senior cats that might help Olive too.

@msimmons That’s a good point about the weight. Olive has gained a little since the diagnosis. @fourrescues I think I might try the open vs. covered split. @AnnaC I’ll read through your thread, but I’m still stuck on the physical placement. Two boxes in a studio layout is tough.

If you’re really short on space, look at vertical storage. I put one box on a low shelf in the closet and one on the floor. Just make sure the shelf is sturdy enough. Also, keep in mind the The N+1 Litter Box Rule is a guideline, not a law. If the cats are healthy and the boxes are clean, two might work if they don’t fight over them.

One thing I forgot to mention: scent matters. I use unscented litter in both boxes. If you switch to scented for one, the cats might avoid it. Also, make sure the boxes aren’t next to food. My foster cats get picky if the smell mixes.