Keeping more litterboxes is a really great idea. I think of part of they kick a lot of litter out of the litterbox may be a territorial thing, since the young female cats don’t like the old male cat and vice versa. So since they’re essentially forced to use the same litterbox, maybe that causes problems? I’m not sure… But I don’t want to confuse my cats, since the I’ve been using the same spot ever since I moved in. (My husband set up that spot back when there was just 2 cats and 1 dog.)
Here’s the layout of my home for some context: The front door opens up into the living room, and to the right side of you when you walk in are the dogs’ crates. Bones has a wire crate and Coffee has a travel crate. There’s an armchair and 3 cushioned couch to the left, and on the wall parallel to the side where the dogs are is a window that the cats like to look through. Directly forward, a doorway leads into the dining room, and immediately there is a small dining table and chair set to the left of you. A little forward, and a doorway leads into a small kitchen. To the left hand side is the stove and cooking area, a window which allows sunlight onto the stove that the cats like, and the cat waterer, and to the right hand side is the garbage can, sink area, litterbox, and the bathroom. The bathroom does have a door, and it has a sink, a washer, dryer, and a medium sized shower, big enough to possibly bathe two of my small dog (she is 23 pounds) but not two of my big dog. Back to the dining room and past the dining table, there are some stairs that lead into a room that has the pets’ food closet, a sewing machine table and a dresser shaped record player that the cats like to be on, and a mattress. Directly past that is a room with a door that has a more expensive mattress, the computer area, and the clothes closet. The dogs aren’t allowed in this area because of pee accidents.
My point of mentioning all of this is that I don’t really have many other places to place 2 or more litterboxes. While I could possibly do so anyway, I would like to have my dogs roam around one day, and having a litterbox in almost every area of the room could possibly be way too enticing…
I’m in no way shutting you down or anything, a lot of people tend to think so.. Thanks again for your help!
Time, they will learn to coexist with each other.
They may not be best friend but they will be able to be in the same room ect and tolerant each other.
We had 3 cats and then got a dog. Get a pet gate that also has a small door in the bigger gate. Approx $60 at pet smart. Use a strap or something to hold the small door open. Depending on the size of your dog if it can fit through the small door get a bungee cord and use it to make the small door smallerUse the gate to give the cats a totally separate space to “escape” from the dog. We did this and put the litter boxes in that room, and also used that room to feed them. It will take a while for the peace and harmony your hoping for. if your cat has claws I can’t help there ours do not, but I will tell you that your sweet little cat will probably make sounds that seem to be coming from the depths of hell towards the dog ours did. Our dog learned to back down from the cats so we didn’t worry about aggression towards the cats. Good luck and remember to pay equal attention to all of them to prevent jealousy.