Caturday: How Many Litter Boxes Should You Have? A Practical Guide for Large Cat Families

How many litter boxes should you have? Now, that is an interesting question. The general advice floating around—from cat professionals to the cat-loving masses—is one more litter box than the number of cats you have. That means if you’ve got three cats, you should have four boxes. Five cats? Six boxes.

But let’s be real—when you’re living in a multi-cat household, that rule starts to sound less like practical advice and more like a logistical nightmare. If you’ve got a big cat family, are you really supposed to turn half your house into a feline bathroom? Probably not.

So, how do you balance feline bathroom etiquette with the realities of space and household harmony?

The “One More Than the Cats” Rule: Why It Exists

This guideline isn’t just about forcing humans to find space for an ever-growing collection of litter boxes. It’s based on some solid feline logic:

Territory & Privacy: Cats can be picky, and some don’t like sharing litter space, especially in a household with dominant personalities.
Avoiding Conflict: More boxes help prevent those “this bathroom is MINE” disputes. When cats feel crowded, tensions rise.
Hygiene & Cleanliness: More boxes mean fewer messes, fewer backup accidents, and generally cleaner litter areas.

But again—if you’re dealing with six, seven, or more cats, this ideal setup might be physically impossible. So how do big cat families make it work?

Finding the Right Litter Box Balance in a Multi-Cat Household

If you can’t follow the standard rule, here are some ways to make the best of your setup:

Strategic Placement is Key
Instead of cramming boxes into one corner, spread them out across your home. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, quiet corners—give cats options so it doesn’t feel like a crowded subway station at rush hour.
Different Types for Different Preferences
Some cats love covered boxes. Others prefer open trays. Some take to automatic litter robots, while others will stage a protest against anything that moves. If space is limited, having varied litter options can help appease picky paws.
Cleanliness is Everything
The fewer boxes you have, the more you need to stay on top of cleaning. Cats aren’t shy about abandoning a dirty box and finding… alternative locations (hello, laundry pile). If you're reducing the number of boxes, be diligent about scooping at least twice a day.
Testing & Adjusting
Every cat family is unique. Some will do just fine sharing a few boxes, while others will demand extra accommodations. Watch their habits and make changes as needed.

A Special Case: The Bear & Moo Method

Some cats naturally mentor each other when it comes to litter habits. Take Bear & Moo’s story from Luna Norwood's forthcoming book—Bear, the relaxed, confident cat, helped Moo learn to use the litter robot when he first joined the household. That kind of mentorship can be invaluable when introducing new cats into a shared litter situation.

If you’ve got a cat with rock-solid bathroom habits, let him or her set the tone for the rest. Some newcomers will learn the ropes just by observing their more experienced feline roommates.

Final Verdict?

While “one more than the number of cats” is a good ideal, large cat families often can’t follow it perfectly. Instead, focus on cleanliness, strategic placement, and making sure your cats feel comfortable with what’s available.

Because sometimes, all you need is the right setup—and maybe a wise mentor like Bear—to keep litter box harmony intact.

Learn more about cats. See our many Caturday posts.

Be entertained. See all our posts about cats.

Be inspired. See posts by and about Sula, parish cat, and her books.

Have a chuckle. Read posts by and about Jeremy Feig's award-winning book (book of the year finalist, Kops-Fetherling Lagacy Award for Humor), How My Cat Made Me a Better Man.

Watch for Luna Norwood's forthcoming book, Raising Happy Cat Families.

To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount,

use code FF25 at MSI Press webstore.

Want to read an MSI Press book and not have to buy for it?
(1) Ask your local library to purchase and shelve it.
(2) Ask us for a review copy; we love to have our books reviewed.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OUR AUTHORS AND TITLES.

Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter
(recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date)
Check out recent issues.

Follow MSI Press on Twitter, Face Book, Pinterest, Bluesky, and Instagram.

Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?
Check out information on how to submit a proposal.

We help writers become award-winning published authors. One writer at a time. We are a family, not a factory. Do you have a future with us?

Turned away by other publishers because you are a first-time author and/or do not have a strong platform yet? If you have a strong manuscript, San Juan Books, our hybrid publishing division, may be able to help.

Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our author au pair services will mentor you through the process.

Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book in exchange for reviewing a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com.

Want an author-signed copy of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.
Julia Aziz, signing her book, Lessons of Labor, at an event at Book People in Austin, Texas.

Want to communicate with one of our authors? You can! Find their contact information on our Authors' Pages.

Steven Greenebaum, author of award-winning books, An Afternoon's Discussion and One Family: Indivisible, talking to a reader at Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, California.

MSI Press is ranked among the top publishers in California.
Check out our rankings -- and more -- HERE.