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Did you know I’m a zookeeper? Well, not really but some days it sure feels that way. With four cats and one dog in the house, I am always on poop patrol or food duty. Most days I don’t mind but every now and then it can become overwhelming.
Especially in the smell department (if you know what I mean). Garfield, I’m looking right at you.
A few weeks ago, in the middle of the night, Garfield managed to bust open a package of cat treats using his paws and claws. Now before you accuse me of picking on the ginger cat, please know that both my husband and I have caught Garfield in the act. He’s a repeat offender and we swear he’s part monkey. Anyway, this overnight treat buffet turned our two litter boxes into Grand Central Station. P.U.!
That was the day Teddy and I escaped to PetSmart.
As Teddy and I soaked in the fresh-smelling air, I was reminded of something. With multiple pets in the household, I have to stay vigilant about two things:
- cleanliness
- organization
Without cleanliness, my home would look and smell like a zoo for sure. To prevent this, I commit 15 minutes a day to basic cleaning tasks (disinfecting, vacuuming, etc.,). Since I keep my home organized for both humans and pets, 15 minutes is usually all I need. If you’re wondering what I mean by “organized for…humans and pets”, keep reading.
3 Key Organizational Tips For Multi-Pet Households
1. Pet Beds
We have one bed for each pet and each bed is placed in different locations throughout the house. This gives the cats (and the outnumbered dog) several choices on where they want to snooze. In addition, two of the pet beds are placed in unusual locations. One sits on top of our small beverage refrigerator and the other sits atop a cabinet. Now before you call me crazy, please know that I have a perfectly good reason for doing this. Not only does this placement reduce clutter on the floor (one less thing the humans can trip over) but it gives the cats (Bandit, Gracie, Spitfire, and Garfield) a place to escape from the dog. Bonus: I know cats in high places.
Moving on…
If you’re a multi-pet household like we are, consider placing a pet bed somewhere up high and unexpected. In other words, think like a cat! 😉
Bandit
2. Litter Boxes
You should have one litter box for every two cats (preferably, one litter box for every cat). One of our litter boxes is kept in a closet and the other one is kept in the second bathroom. Both locations are low-traffic areas which means the humans are less likely to interrupt the business at hand. Most of us like to do our business in private and cats are no exception.
Also, scoop out the litter box waste at least twice a day. You don’t want your cat soiling your carpets and a clean litter box is key to preventing this. Using a dirty litter box is equivalent to us using a dirty public toilet. Ewww, gross.
We’re currently using TIDY CATS® Free & Clean™ Unscented Clumping Litter in our litter boxes. It’s a brand new product that you can find at your local PetSmart. TIDY CATS Free and Clean is dye and fragrance-free but still tough on odors. It contains activated charcoal which absorbs and destroys odors without masking them with a perfumey scent.
Teddy has high hopes!
As the chief sanitation engineer/poop scooper, I’m excited about the reduced odor. Teddy is pretty happy as well because he knows less stinky time means more fun time!
Let’s go to the spa! ↓
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3. Mealtime and Feeding
One of the things that has improved cat-cat and cat-dog relations around here is giving each pet their own food bowl in their own separate space. When those cans are opened or that food bag rattles, each pet heads to their designated area to get their eat on. This feeding arrangement has reduced mealtime aggression and lessened the occurrences of the dog eating the cat food and vice versa.
Gracie
By the way, if your cats haven’t tried Purina’s Cat Concoctions canned cat food yet, head to your PetSmart and get it now. Our cats are obsessed with this stuff. Obsessed!
Seriously though. You never know what fun goodies you’ll discover at PetSmart. And if you need more pet beds, food bowls, toys, or treats (Garfield!), they’ve got that too.
What daily activity do you do with your pet(s) (e.g., brushing, playing fetch, outdoor walks) that lets them know how special they are to you?
Nice to know there is another chronic illness warrior doing pet stuff out there too. I have Fibromyalgia, Degenerative Disc Disease, Scoliosis, Vertigo, TMJ, Optic Migraine and Raynauds Disease, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease… yeah I have all the fun stuff. In my home we make ESAs and CPCs for people who need them with kittens. 🙂 we have rescued over 90 within the past 2yrs and adopt them out when they found their furever home. We call our home Fostering by Mixie. And I give out tips on how to bond with their new furbaby and etc to keep them happy in their new home including showing new owners how to trim their kittens/cats claws. I am a big time Purina consumer and Tidy Cats Lightweight litter consumer as well.
Hi, Miriam: I think pets make chronic illness a bit more bearable, don’t you? I don’t know what I’d do without my cats and dog. Thank you for all you’re doing to help rescues. You rock! Hugs, Kim
I have 12 cats and two Big dogs. It takes me longer to do my chores in the morning but they are worth it. I also use tidy cat in my 10 litter boxes. It seems like all I do is scoop the poop. But beilive it or not when people come over nobody can beilive I have all those animals I love Tidy Cat.
Wow! 12 cats is a lot of work but bless your heart for taking care of all of them. So many people assume that cat owners houses smell but you and I are proof that this is false. Thank goodness for quality cat liters like Tidy Cats.
Great tips! I am a cat lady and own four cats so I do appreciate this advice. Your kitties are so cute! You cannot have oly one they are addictive =)
LOL Nice to see you fellow cat lady 😉 Cats are like chips—>it’s impossible to have just one!
I can vouch for the Free & Clean cat litter as well. We actually have two litter boxes per cat, and you couldn’t tell that there were cats in our house. The cats seem to like the texture as well.
Hi, Lori! Isn’t the Free & Clean cat litter awesome? It really does a fabulous job at controlling odors. I love how well it clumps too.
These are great tips! We’re in the process of getting a kitten and I need all the tips I can get!
I’ve never owned a cat, but I used to have two dogs! I always went to PetSmart for everything. I can’t imagine having four cats and a dog! So crazy, but it sounds like you manage it well.
It’s crazy fun Tiffany <3
These are great tips! We’ve only had one dog at a time – and that was enough to create chaos! I can’t imagine all those cats – and litter boxes. You are a saint!
I love cats and dogs so much and if that means dealing with poop, I’m okay with that. 😉
We have had a few cats over the years and I wasn’t aware that we needed more than one litter box per cat. I was always cleaning that thing and it was never clean!! We don’t have fur babies anymore but I’m going to tuck this post away in case we decide to adopt a new cat.
I am very particular about litter box maintenance here, I’ve never had a cat with a UTI and I don’t ever want to- it’s just good common sense to keep those litter boxes clean! Many multi-cat homes forget you should have 1 per cat, great call-out! #Client
Thank you, Jenna. Spitfire is a Maine Coon mix so if the litter box isn’t pristine, he’ll most likely get a UTI. Those trips to the vet can get expensive so I do my sanitation duty and keep it clean. 🙂
Your kitties are so cute! Our cat and dog have separate feeding and sleeping areas. They do like to snuggle up on the couch together though!
The kitties say, “thank you.” How awesome that yours sleep together. That’s one thing ours don’t do. It’d be cute if they did! =)
I give you so much credit – 4 cats and a dog! I’d LOVE to have that many, but some days just one seems enough, lol. Also, we live in a small apartment and would probably go crazy! I admit, I need to get better about more frequent scoopings 🙂 Loved your post – so fun!
Thanks so much, Ashley! We live in a small condo and it can get hairy at times in more ways than one. 😉