The daily and weekly rhythm
Scoop every day and clean the entire box at least once a week (Merck). A box that smells fine to you can be offensive to a nose forty times more sensitive — daily scooping is the single highest-leverage habit in cat ownership.
Litter type: most cats prefer small, clumping particles
Merck lists pine pellets, recycled paper, silica gel crystals and others — but most cats prefer small, clumping particles such as clay-based products. Switch types gradually; a full swap overnight can trigger boycotts.
Count and placement
The standard rule: one box per cat, plus one. Spread them across quiet, low-traffic spots — a box next to a loud dryer is a box in name only. Multi-story homes need a box on each floor the cat uses.
When the box gets ignored
House-soiling is the most common behavior complaint in cats — and it is usually a setup or medical problem, not spite. Run the checklist: scoop frequency, box count, new litter, new pets, new stressors — and rule out urinary disease (see our symptom checker) before treating it as behavioral.