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How to Keep a Clean House With Multiple Cats: 9 Cleaning Tips for a Spotless Home

Written by: Catster Editorial Team

Last Updated on March 8, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

multiple cats

How to Keep a Clean House With Multiple Cats: 9 Cleaning Tips for a Spotless Home

Living with multiple cats can be fun, especially if all your cats are pals and get along. However, the assumption that the home must stink to high heaven is usually at the forefront when one thinks of a home with multiple cats. Litter boxes don’t smell like daisies and are typically the culprit to odors in the home, and most cats shed, adding even more odor. To add insult to injury, so to speak, when you have multiple cats, you need multiple cat boxes, and you must also keep cat hair down so you don’t have cat hair tumbleweeds flowing around.

So, how do you keep a clean house with multiple cats? Join us in learning nine tips for how to keep a clean house so you’re not viewed as the nutty cat lady with a stinky home that no one wants to visit.

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Before You Start

A rule of thumb when owning multiple cats is to have the correct number of litter boxes. So, you need a litter box per cat, plus one extra. For example, if you have three cats, you need four litter boxes. It sounds like a lot, but if you don’t have the correct number of litter boxes, you’ll end up with urine and feces issues throughout the home, which leads to odor problems.

Unlike dogs, cats are not pack animals, preferring privacy and space while going potty. You may even have an alpha cat who bullies another, and if this happens, the beta cat will need an option to go elsewhere instead of your bed or the floor. So, before we begin, ensure you have enough litter boxes for all your kitties.

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The 9 Cleaning Tips To Keep a Clean House With Multiple Cats

Now that we know the number of litter boxes you need, we can proceed with how to keep your house clean with multiple cats. Read on to learn nine tips for a spotless home with your beloved felines.

1. Carpets Equal Odors

If you have carpet in your home, you may want to consider removing it and replacing it with hard flooring. Carpets trap all sorts of odors, regardless of how much you vacuum. Laminate or hardwood flooring is an excellent choice when you have multiple cats and is easier to clean. Also, if one of your cats eliminates elsewhere, you can clean the spot much more quickly and efficiently, leaving the spot odor and stain-free.

cat staring at the vacuum on the floor
Image Credit by: VH-studio, Shutterstock

2. Invest in a Pet Vacuum

Not all vacuums operate the same, and when you have multiple cats, investing in a quality pet vacuum can help tremendously. Pet vacuums are designed to target loose pet hair and the dander left behind by way of a HEPA filter, which is also excellent for allergy sufferers. They typically come with attachments for accessing hard-to-reach areas, and they have powerful suction. Look for one that works well for all floor types for the best results, and ensure you vacuum regularly—at least once a week.

Investing in a high-quality pet vacuum is especially ideal if you have carpet and it’s not within your budget to replace it with hard flooring.


3. Keep a “Cat Room”

If you have the space, keeping cat toys, bedding, scratching posts, food, water, and litter boxes in a designated room can help keep odors down in other areas of your home. However, you may not have the extra space, and litter boxes should technically be scattered in low-traffic areas of your home. For example, cats desire privacy when they go potty, and keeping the litter boxes in one room is not ideal. This may work for two cats, but if you have more than three cats, you may run into issues, such as one of your cats going potty outside the litter box.

If you have a well-ventilated sunroom or screened-in patio that’s cat-proof, those areas are excellent choices for keeping one or two litter boxes. The idea is to keep all litter boxes out of the main living areas to keep smells down.


4. Scoop and Clean the Litter Boxes Regularly

Clumping clay litter is a popular choice among cat owners because the waste will clump up, allowing you to scoop the waste out and replace it with fresh litter in that spot. You should also clean all litter boxes at least once a week with a mild, pet-friendly detergent and warm water. Ensure you rinse the detergent out completely and dry thoroughly before adding fresh litter.

Tip: Choose unscented cat litter that contains baking soda or activated charcoal to help minimize odors and avoid breathing issues. Scented litter tends to trigger respiratory issues in cats and humans, and it’s also unsuitable for allergy sufferers in the home. We recommend choosing a low-dust cat litter for this purpose.

If you're dealing with stubborn smells in your litter box or elsewhere in your house, a good cat litter deodorizer can work wonders.

Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Cat Litter Deodorizer Powder
  • Bio Enzymatic Cat Litter Freshener - Smart formulation uses natural ingredients eliminating cat...
  • Save Money - Stuff for cats isn’t the cheapest. With this litter box odor eliminator, you’ll...
  • Every Litter, Every Surface - Are you afraid this additive won’t work on your litter? Fear not!...

We recommend Hepper's Advanced Bio-Enzyme Cat Litter Deodorizer, an all-natural litter additive that fights odors using bio-enzymes. This effective deodorizer is fragrance-free and works on all types of cat litter. It's also effective anywhere you have lingering odors, including diaper pails, garbage cans, and kennels!

At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!


5. Use a Cat Litter Mat

Some cat litter tracks all over the home when your cat exits the litter box, as it gets stuck on the paws and ends up on your floor. You can buy a cat litter mat to help keep this problem to a minimum. Some cat litter is marketed as “low tracking,” and they are worth a try. If your cat is a litter thrower, investing in a litter mat is an excellent option to reduce the mess.

Cat,Looking,At,Camera,While,Next,To,Litterbox
Image Credit by: Jennifer-McCallum, Shutterstock

6. Run HEPA Air Purifiers

HEPA air purifiers can significantly help reduce cat odor; they also help keep dander and dust to a minimum, which is ideal for those with allergies. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters remove 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and other airborne particles for a cleaner environment, and they are highly recommended if you live with cats.


7. Brush Your Cats Often

Unless you own hairless cats, such as the Sphynx or Peterbald, your cat will shed—often. Whether your cats are long- or short-haired, brushing their coats regularly will help reduce loose hair that gets trapped on furniture, clothing, bedding, or any other areas of your home.

If you own long-haired cats, brushing the coat daily is essential in keeping mats down, which can make cats very uncomfortable. Daily brushing also helps reduce the amount of hair long-haired cats swallow, therefore reducing hairballs. For short-haired cats, you should brush them once a week.

If you are looking for recommendations on the best cat brush, you should check out Hepper Cat Brush. You will hardly find different brush with so many pros - easy to clean, easy to use, durable and effective. Simply everything you need from a cat brush. Click here to order yours today.

Hepper Deshedding Cat Brush
  • ONE PUSH RELEASE - This kitten brush / cat brush pops out fur with just a simple press, leaving you...
  • DURABLE - Cat shedding can be a tough ordeal. Made of resilient ABS plastic and metal bristles with...
  • COMFORTABLE - A cat fur brush with 60 degree angled, fine bristles and rubber stoppers will bring...

At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!


8. Choose Washable Fabrics

All cat owners know that cats love to lounge, and choosing machine-washable fabrics helps reduce hair and odors; they also help protect your furniture. When a cover, comforter, cat bed, or any other fabric gets dirty with excessive hair and other particles, it makes a world of difference to throw the materials in the washing machine, as they will come out hair and odor-free.

Tip: Be careful with the type of laundry detergent you use, as some cats may be sensitive to dyes, chemicals, and fragrances. It’s best to opt for all-natural, pet-friendly laundry detergents without these added ingredients to ensure your cat doesn’t suffer a possible allergic reaction, especially if one of your cats already has respiratory issues.


9. Keep Enzymatic Cleaners Handy

Enzymatic cleaners are life savers when you live with pets. Accidents will happen, whether feces, urine, or even vomit. It’s best to tackle the mess right away to help reduce smells and stains, and if you have an enzymatic cleaner at the ready, you’re a step ahead of the game. Enzymatic cleaners contain enzymes that break down bacteria and ammonia in cat urine, which is the culprit for the strong odor.

Tired of your house smelling like you've got a cat? It's time to check out the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray! 

Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray
  • ADVANCED ENZYMATIC CLEANER - Penetrates the most stubborn smells and stains at the deepest molecular...
  • FOR ANY MESS, ON ANY SURFACE - This pet odor eliminator cleans your carpets, floors, furniture,...
  • FRESH, NATURAL ODOR - Our unique formulation doesn't rely on dangerous or unpleasant chemical...

It removes even the toughest of smells and stains and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Click here to learn more about this amazing product and get yourself a bottle today.

At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool cat company!

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Conclusion

Keeping a clean house with multiple cats requires investing in specific items, such as a pet vacuum with a HEPA filter, running HEPA air purifiers, having multiple litter boxes, keeping the litter boxes clean, brushing your cats, cleaning accidents with enzymatic cleaners, and washing fabrics your cats like to lay on. Although switching out carpet to hard flooring is advisable, not everyone has this in their budget. In that case, ensure you often vacuum with a pet vacuum that targets dust, dander, and hair, and keep those litter boxes clean as much as possible.


Featured Image Credit: Mustafa ezz, Pexels

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