Desperate situation...need advice!

[Medusa]

From what everyone is telling me, I need more boxes, but if I keep the ones that I have scooped I don't see how that will help.

I can only venture a guess here but I think it's because they more or less claim a litterbox as their own. Then if another cat does use theirs, there is one extra that's clean. It definitely helped to get more litterboxes plus, as you say, having them in the basement. My house is the same way as your friend's, no odor unless a neighborhood cat walks by and has the audacity to sit on my patio or in my shrubbery, then they might spray against a window.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Mine don't do this but I've heard from others that some cats prefer to pee in one box and poop in another. Since you don't have very many boxes and they poop in them then this may also be a reason why they're peeing outside of the litter boxes. Some cats are very picky and won't even use a box that others have used. I only have to scoop 2 times a day and mine hardly ever use all 8 boxes but they are there if they need them. I'd also rather put up with looking at and cleaning more boxes than having pee and urine odor throughout my place. I sure hope that something will work for you. Good luck.