Enter the household you are planning for
Use the number of cats, the floors they actually use and the litter boxes currently available. A box that stays behind a closed door should not be treated as a dependable resource. Enter whole numbers: the form accepts 1–30 cats, 1–10 floors and 0–100 existing boxes to keep inputs bounded, not to recommend keeping that many cats.
Understand the result
The starting total is the larger of cats + 1 and floors used. Additional boxes = that total minus existing boxes, with a minimum of zero. Cats Protection supports one tray per cat plus an extra and separate locations [1]. The floor comparison is this tool's simple access safeguard, not a complete distribution algorithm.
Example: two cats using four floors with one existing box produces a starting total of four and three additional boxes. Two cats on one floor with three existing boxes produces no additional boxes, but says nothing about whether the locations are useful.
Turn a number into a layout
- Mark each existing tray on a room sketch.
- Walk the routes from each cat's rest and feeding areas.
- Check closed doors, stairs, noisy appliances and places where another cat blocks the approach.
- Choose separated accessible options and retain a familiar tray while trying a change.
Four boxes in one room may leave other floors poorly served. The result is a number to investigate; the litter setup guide covers tray choice, cleaning and observation.
What this tool cannot solve
It cannot identify a medical cause, predict conflict or tell whether a cat prefers a particular tray. If a cat's toilet behavior changes, record what you saw and contact your veterinary team. Suspected urinary obstruction requires immediate care [2]. Do not keep adjusting the input while delaying help.
The calculator runs in your browser and does not save a layout to your account. Keep a sketch or note of the result; use private observations for actual dated care records.