Hello!
Okay, so Minx is about 2 years old now, and we've had her for nearly 18 months. We had always planned to get a second cat when we got our own bigger house (currently in 1 bed flat), but it's taking longer than expected and we just can't wait to get a second furbaby! We really want a second one to keep Minx company whilst we're at work, and we would like to get one from a kitten to raise it ourselves (Minx was 9 months old when we got her). We would also quite like a male kitty.

So I guess I would like your thoughts on the above but also need some advice on the litter tray situation... Minx is an indoor cat as we are a bit too worried to let her out (some thugs round here think it's funny to hit cats with their cars on purpose) so the new kitty would be an indoor cat too. The problem is, our kitchen is really tiny and we just can't think of anywhere we could put the second litter tray. Do you guys think we NEED another litter tray for a second kitty? What is your experience of this? If you guys think that they would be happy sharing a tray then we would like to get our second kitty now rather than waiting up to another year to get our own house.

It probably would be better to have two litter trays just in case the new one isn't interested in sharing or that particular type of litter that you may be using. You definitely don't want to start cleaning up "accidents". Besides, they suggest you keep the kitties apart for a while and have a safe room for the new kitty to adapt and have a litter box in there. Bathrooms are also a good spot for litter trays. Under the sink or in the shower or tub (except when you are using it, of course). As you know, pets are a huge commitment and I'm happy to see you're trying to figure things out before you get a new kitty.

The general rule is 1 tray per cat plus another... so two cats = 3 trays. Some cats will cope with less, some will not and it is easier to try to reduce the number of trays than to cure inappropriate toileting... as it seems difficult to get them not to pee on things once they have started.

We have several trays in our house. Bedrooms, hall, kitchen, living room.... etc... You can even get some disguised as furniture. My dad built us some wooden boxes to house our big trays and so they do not look too bad anymore. A breeder friend has big trays behind her sofa in the living room.

Also worth noting that you will need to keep the new kitten isolated from your existing cat for 1-2 weeks in order to make sure they are fully healthy, free from things you can't visibly see straight away. Also make sure they are slowly accustomed to your place and allow your existing cat to get used to the smell. Certainly do not allow litter box sharing straight away as there are many things that can be passed on in poop that could cause your existing cat to get quite poorly. Even good breeders can have some tummy issues in their kittens that only transpire when they move to a new environment and encounter the stress of a new home.

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Lollo

Thanks for your advice guys - I didn't think about the whole keeping them apart thing. We could put a litter tray in the bathroom I suppose I just don't really fancy the idea. I try not to let Minx take over the flat too much with her kitty stuff and so far the bathroom has managed not to look like it has been repossessed by a pack of cats with shares in Pets at Home.

I think we are going to put the idea on hold until we have a better idea of how long it will be before we can get a bigger place, and if it's going to be too long we will just work something out and have to cope with sharing our bathroom with the cats (would they knock before they came in?). We would like Minx to still be fairly young when we get the newbie.