I have a cat client who has multiple cats, and is moving into a new home soon. One of the cats uses the litter box, but only sometimes, and the owner is afraid another of the cats is terrorizing the shy one. What can we do to get the docile cat to use the litter box consistently? My client naturally loves them all, and wants to see it work out, but doesn’t want to move into a new home with a cat who is soiling the carpet! Help!

From: Robin

Hi, Robin. From what you’ve described, it seems to me your client is quite right: one cat is frightening another.

The territorial issues between and among cats are a constant and often fluctuating topic. It’s not as though there is a “Top Cat” who remains King or Queen for life. Shifts in positioning are frequent and subtle enough that people often do not pick up the signals being passed to each other by cats. The result is a cat which cannot get to a litter box because he has to cross an invisible dividing line across a second cat’s declared territory, or because that more dominant cat has staked out his claim on the litter box itself.

The best solution to this problem in a multi-cat environment lies in the number of litter boxes, and where they are placed. The rule of thumb for total number of boxes is, you MUST have one box per cat, plus one for the house -- i.e., in a two cat household, there must be three boxes. As to placement, the boxes should never be clustered together, but situated in different parts of the house so there are viable options for the more subordinate cat as to where he can safely go to relieve himself without being harassed.

Hope this provides some help, and thanks for the question. Good luck!

Tracie Hotchner