The Best Litter Boxes, According to Cat People (original) (raw)
By ,the Strategist’s sleep writer, covering mattresses, pillows, and more. She has been writing about sleep products since 2021, previously as a staff writer for Sleepopolis.
Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of the retailer
- How to choose a litter box
- Best uncovered/open litter boxes
- Best covered litter boxes
- Best DIY litter boxes
- Best self-cleaning litter box
No matter how much we love our cats, no one loves dealing with a litter box. But it’s pretty much a nonnegotiable part of co-existing with cats in your home. As a somewhat new cat owner myself, I know it can be tricky to find a litter box that your cat will use and that won’t look terrible, smell terrible, or be super-annoying to clean. Back in the old days, a traditional litter tray was essentially the only option. But the market is now flooded with a plethora of choices, ranging from the basic tray to automatic litter boxes that scoop themselves. So I called up cat behaviorists, cat café owners, and longtime cat owners to get their advice on what to look for in a litter box and ask which ones they use and recommend.
No one likes using a tiny airplane bathroom, but that’s what a too-small litter box can feel like to a cat, says Jennifer Van de Kieft, a cat behaviorist and nutritionist for Cat Advocate. That’s why, when you’re shopping for a litter box, size and accessibility are the most important factors to consider. The Feline Veterinary Medical Association’s official recommendation, cited by many cat experts I spoke to, is that a litter box should be 1.5 times the length of a cat (or the largest cat that will use it, if you have more than one). “They don’t want to step in and they’re stuck and if they turn, there’s nowhere to go. They want to step in, find a good spot, dig a little bit, eliminate, cover it, and go,” Van de Kieft explains, adding that the box should also be easy for your cat to get into, particularly if it’s elderly or has mobility issues. “They shouldn’t have to be able to perform some kind of Olympic maneuver,” she says.
Van de Kieft, along with multiple other experts I spoke to, recommended using an open-top litter box instead of a covered one. While owners may understandably prefer the look of a covered box, cats may feel trapped in a covered box and, particularly if you don’t scoop frequently enough, the cover can trap smells and dissuade cats from using the box. If you do buy a covered litter box, be sure it’s large enough with an opening that’s easy to get into. Some cats may not mind using a covered box, but if you’re having issues with your cat not using its litter box and you have a covered box, switching to an open one may entirely solve your problem, according to cat behaviorist Marci Koski from Feline Behavior Solutions. The experts I spoke to also generally recommended against top-entry litter boxes, which can be difficult for cats to use and cause them to get overly dusty and dirty (and, again, dissuade them from using the box), says Benjamin Kalb, founder of the cat café Koneko.
I know, I know, it’s easier said than done, but every expert I spoke to recommended offering your cat multiple litter boxes. The rule of thumb is to have one more litter box than the number of cats — so two boxes for one cat, three boxes for two cats, and so on. Cats like to have options, so do your best to place the boxes in separate places instead of right next to each other, says cat behaviorist Ingrid Johnson from Fundamentally Feline. If you aren’t sure which type of box your cat likes best, consider trying multiple styles to figure out what they prefer.
Ultimately, the experts said it’s best to keep it simple. Steer clear of anything overly flashy or that appeals more to human sensibilities than a cat’s. Koski emphasized that it’s better to have an unsightly litter box than a cat peeing or pooping in random places in your house. And cat-behavior expert Jackson Galaxy put it to me quite simply: If you can’t deal with a litter box in your house, don’t get a cat. Still, there’s typically a way to make things work with your space and your cat’s needs. For example: If you get a covered litter box for a more public part of your home, consider adding an uncovered one in a less visible area. “I want you to have more boxes, so whatever it is that makes it so that you can live with a litter box, do it,” Galaxy says. And, of course, be sure to scoop as frequently as possible.
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This simple, affordable litter box from Chewy’s in-house brand Frisco is Van de Kieft’s top recommendation and meets the criteria outlined by the experts I spoke to. It is 24 inches long, which she says should feel spacious for an average-size cat. It also has high sides, which will help keep urine spray contained if your cat is a “high pee-er,” Van de Kieft says. High sides can also provide some of the visual shielding of a covered box. “I just like the simplicity of it. It’s open, easy to get in and out,” Van de Kieft adds. “My cats love this box, so we’ve been using this box for years.” Finally, it’s pretty affordable, so it’s easy to replace if needed. It comes in two colors, gray and navy.
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It’s tricky to find litter boxes in colors besides white, gray, or navy, Van de Kieft says, but this Town Time box meets all of her litter-box criteria and comes in cheery yellow and spring green as well as a more neutral gray. Like the Frisco box, it’s 24 inches long and has high sides with an open top.
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This extra-large box is a good option for senior cats or young kittens with a low entry and an even wider litter area than Frisco’s box. I learned about it from New York art production director Sarah Hughes, who describes it as “comically big, but very sturdy” and says it has worked well for her older cat.
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Stainless steel can be easier to keep clean than plastic, says Jessica Strika, owner of Beans Cat Cafe, because claw scratches in plastic can create micro-grooves where bacteria can grow. Plastic is also much more likely to hold onto odors. Town Time makes a stainless-steel litter box with almost the exact same dimensions as the plastic one Van de Kieft recommends.
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If you’re looking to reduce odors and litter tracking, consider Tidy Cats’ Breeze litter box system, which senior editor Michael Berk uses with his three cats. Instead of conventional litter, the Breeze uses special pellets in the main part of the box and an absorbent pad in a tray that sits below. The pellets collect solid waste, while the pads absorb liquid. Though Berk still scoops daily, he says the pads have helped cut down on smells and that they make the box easier to clean overall, since there aren’t any urine clumps to scoop. The pellets also prevent his cats from tracking litter around the house. The only con is that the Breeze can be expensive to refill, especially in a multi-cat home, though Berk says he sometimes uses off-brand pads instead of the pricier Breeze ones.
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Van de Kieft also likes this extra-large litter box from Frisco, which she says is one of the largest commercial litter boxes she’s found and that her cats love it. It comes with a removable, hinged lid that flips open at the back for easy cleaning. Van de Kieft typically leaves the lid open but says that even when closed, the box is still quite roomy inside. Senior editor Jen Trolio also recommends this litter box and relied on it for years when she had two senior cats that both used it comfortably. She notes, however, that because it’s fairly deep, reaching in to scoop can be hard on the back. You can purchase this litter box with or without an inner tray, but both Van de Kieft and Trolio recommend either skipping the tray altogether and filling the entire box with litter, or, if you have kittens, using it temporarily, early on, when they are smaller and don’t need as much litter space.
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If you want a litter box with a modern aesthetic, ModKat is the brand to look at. While the company made its name with a top-entry litter box, the Flip is a bit more in line with what the experts I consulted recommend. The tall sides are ideal for high-peeing cats, and the lid is conveniently versatile: You can fold it in the middle to create a larger opening if that’s what your cat prefers or flip it open entirely for cleaning. Trolio — who previously used ModKat’s top-entry box but wouldn’t buy it again because it’s too small for her multi-cat household, and the top gets gross quickly — says that if she were to buy another ModKat litter box, it would be the Flip.
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Trolio has also used Boxscoop’s round litter boxes, which have a doughnut-shaped litter footprint and come with a scoop that is sized to cover the full width of the litter area at once. The drawback of the Boxscoop is that some cats may still find the litter space too narrow or be bothered by the central column, but they are very convenient to clean if they align with your cats’ preferences.
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My two kittens, Smudge and Soot, are currently using this combo from So Phresh but with the door flap removed from the hood. They were two months old when I adopted them, and at first they used a round box from ExquisiCat. Once they started to outgrow it, my in-laws (also cat owners) handed down this box and they’ve been using it happily since. They are six months old now, so they are still smaller than an average adult cat, but this box has plenty of room for them to do their business. The lid is easy to pop off for scooping, and the handle on top makes it easy to move the box if needed. The height of the entry is also low enough that it’s easy for them to get in and out.
Van de Kieft and Johnson both recommend a DIY approach to achieve a large litter box, especially if you have more than one cat that will be using it. The easiest option is to modify a large plastic storage tub by cutting an opening in the front (Johnson actually does this as a service in Georgia, but she also has an online tutorial to walk you through the process). Johnson recommends a clear box to provide the most visibility for your cat, but if your cat doesn’t mind an opaque box, pretty much any tub will do. Just be sure you don’t leave any sharp edges; Van de Kieft suggests covering cut edges with duct tape as an extra precaution.
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An under-the-bed storage bin can also be used as a litter box. Johnson says these are a good option for people who don’t want to deal with cutting an opening as they are essentially the same as a traditional litter pan, just larger.
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For another inexpensive alternative, Johnson recommends using a simple concrete mixing tub from a home-improvement store. Many of these tubs are larger than conventional litter boxes and have high enough sides to keep any messes contained. They are typically black, however, if color is a dealbreaker.
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If you have a lot of space, Johnson has had many clients with multiple cats repurpose a hard plastic kiddie pool as a litter box. She recommends this option for people with a basement, porch, or other large-enough spaces, to supplement a more conventional litter box elsewhere in the home.
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While the promise of a self-cleaning litter box is undeniably alluring, most of the experts I consulted generally don’t recommend them. The design of self-cleaning boxes can be scary or unappealing to some cats, causing them to avoid using the litter box. Mechanical components can also make them challenging to clean or prone to malfunctioning, and if you’re not scooping daily, you may be slow to notice important changes in your cat’s health. Some cheap or poorly designed boxes may even pose a risk of injury to your cat. But they can also be a lifesaver in households with cats who will only use a perfectly clean box, if you can’t always scoop after every visit.
If you want to try a self-cleaning litter box, your best bet to go with a well-known brand like Litter-Robot, which incorporates lots of safety features into its various models. Trolio, senior writer Michael Zhao, and deals editor Sam Daly have all used different models of the Litter-Robot; all say their cats took to using it fairly easily and that it does what it promises in terms of managing litter scooping. Zhao also mentioned that he appreciates the smartphone app, which updates him on which of his two cats has used the box based on readings from weight sensors in the base. Trolio, a newer Litter-Robot user, is currently testing the Litter-Robot 4 and has been so excited not to be scooping every day that it’s been worth the challenge of finding a place for the Litter-Robot near an electrical outlet. She also hasn’t had any issue yet with a complaint lodged by Daly and Zhao, which is that the Litter-Robot’s plastic components can retain odors over time and that cleaning the interior can be difficult.
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