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Where to Put a Litter Box in a Small Apartment: 4 Vet-Approved Places

Written by: Christian Adams

Last Updated on January 17, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

cat litter box with scoop on wooden floor

Where to Put a Litter Box in a Small Apartment: 4 Vet-Approved Places

VET APPROVED

Dr. Marta Vidal-Abarca Photo

REVIEWED & FACT-CHECKED BY

Dr. Marta Vidal-Abarca

Veterinarian, BVSc GPCert (Ophthal) MRCVS

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Learn more »

Do you live in a small apartment and have a cat or two living in that apartment with you?

We all love our feline companions, but living in a small apartment can cause all kinds of issues when it comes to where to put the litter box. Also, where you think the litter box should go isn’t necessarily where your cat would prefer it to go.

If you’ve found that your cat is going to the toilet outside of the litter box, then it could be that they don’t feel comfortable using it where the box is kept. Also, remember that if you live with more than one cat, the rule of thumb is to have one litter box per cat, plus one extra. However, if you live in a small apartment, your options can be pretty limited. We’ll give you a few suggestions for the best places to put the litter box when you live in a small apartment.

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What the Area Should Be Like

If you’ve had a cat for any amount of time, you already know that cats are stubborn, independent, and picky about everything from their food to where they use the litter box. Therefore, the area where you put your feline pal’s litter box should include the following features:

  • Privacy
  • Away from busy areas
  • Away from windows 
  • Quiet
  • Well-ventilated
  • Easily cleaned 
  • Always accessible
  • Away from food and water 

If the place you choose to put the litter box has at least seven of the eight features listed above, your cat should be more than happy to use the box there. However, it’s important to watch your cat when you move their litter box to see how they react to that new area; otherwise, you may have a mess on your hands.

Now that you know the features needed, we’ll give you five of the best places in your small apartment to keep the litter box for the best results.

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The 4 Best Places to Put a Litter Box

1. Creatively Hidden

The best option for your small apartment is to choose an ideal spot based on the above features and bring out your creativity to hide the litter box in the most aesthetic and smartest way possible. You will find many clever ideas online. You can hide the litter box in a piece of furniture or, for example, create a little cat tent. 

Another option is to use a closed litter box with a modern look that matches your apartment and becomes part of the decor.

Orange cat in a nice box
Image Credit: Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay

2. Laundry Room

Sometimes a nice, quiet corner in the laundry room is the perfect place to keep the cat’s litter box. This is the best place to avoid having the box on your carpet. However, you don’t want to keep clean clothes in the laundry room if you have the litter box in there, as they can pick up the odors and need to be re-washed.

However, some cats may feel the sound of the washer and dryer is scary, and it may cause them to avoid using the litter box at all. In that case, you could consider using the next room on our list.


3. The Bathroom

The bathroom is probably the most popular spot in a small apartment to keep the cat’s litter box. The drawback to keeping the cat litter box in the bathroom is that you’ll have to keep the door open at all times when many of us prefer to close the door to the bathroom.

However, if you have very little space in your bathroom, check out our next option.

 


4. The Utility Closet

This option is unique because you can either remove the door to the utility closet when you put the litter box in there or cut a small cat door so that your cat has easy access, but the litter box won’t be seen. It’s essential to keep the box and closet extremely clean and never leave clothes or other items in there.

Utility closets are small, so they hold smells easily, and the last thing you want is to open the door and have the smell hit you in the face and never go away.

Cat on top of clay cat litter
Image By: Andrey_Kuzmin, Shutterstock

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Wrapping Up

These are four of the best places you can keep the cat litter box if you live in a small apartment. As long as you meet at least seven of the eight criteria listed above to make your cat feel comfortable going to the bathroom, then you shouldn’t have any problems with them using it at all.

Where do you put the litter box in your small apartment? Is it somewhere we didn’t list in our article? Let us know your location in the comments below.


Featured Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock

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