Confessions of a cat whisperer: 7 mistakes cat owners make

Nagelschneider stresses the importance of distributing litter boxes throughout the home. “Multiple locations actually trump the number of boxes,” she says. “If you have five cats, but can only have three boxes, it’s essential that those three boxes are located in different areas around the house.” Why the need for separation? According to Nagelschneider, it goes back to a cat’s territorial instincts. “It’s like 10 roommates trying to use one bathroom in the house. After a while, you’re going to start getting irritated with them,” she says. Competition over household litter boxes can cause lasting damage, even causing cats to unfriend each other over time.