The 9 Best Cat Litter Box Options for Your Feline Friends 2023
9/10
Want a litter box that doubles as home décor? Opt for the Modkat Flip Litter Box, which falls under high-end cat furniture that spoils your pet, but also seamlessly blends into your home. This design stands out for its adjustable features to suit each individual feline. If your kitty likes privacy or wants an open cover, the top flaps open and shut as necessary to provide whatever environment your cat prefers.
It also comes with a tear-resistant and replaceable tarp litter liner, plus a scoop that handily attaches to the box’s side. The high sides prevent messes from “side pee-ers” and cats that excavate, and throw litter outside the box.
Pros
- Adjusts to cat’s needs
- Sized for larger cats
- Contains litter and pee overshooting
Cons
- Liners expensive to replace
- Pricier than basic models
10/10
Covered litter boxes may help contain pet odors and prevent messes, but some cats just don’t take to them. It keeps you from smelling the yuck, but condenses the odor for a kitty’s sensitive nose. Cats also may feel trapped, or fear another feline might ambush them when they can’t see out of the cover. If you want to explore covered litter boxes, go for the Petphabet. It’s the best litter box with a transparent top and colorful bottom.
The clear top allows your cat to see what’s around them, which is critical. It comes in a range of fun colors, so you can pick the shade that best matches your cat’s personality (and your decor). Even better, the rounded corners on the bottom make it easier to keep clean.
Pros
- Transparent cover
- Available in four colors
- Rounded corners for cleaning easy
Cons
- Snaps on cover may break or misalign
What to Consider When Buying a Cat Litter Box
Instead of choosing the best cat litter box based on human convenience, start by understanding where cats prefer to go potty and why. Posing to eliminate makes cats feel vulnerable. They dislike locations that feel like traps where a second feline might corner them, noisy locations that startle, or high-traffic areas where a dog or toddler might interrupt them.
Many cats prefer two boxes, so they can use one for solids and the other for liquid waste. While friendly cats—especially smaller felines—may be okay with sharing, there’s really no best multi cat litter box. I recommend the 1+1 rule: one box per cat, plus one extra—especially with multiple cat homes, because cats rarely want to share. You can increase cat territory by providing window perches and other elevated levels, and several boxes help reduce cats feeling territorial.
Placing litter boxes on each end of the house, or both upstairs and downstairs, gives kittens and elderly felines a better chance of getting to the potty on time. In multiple cat homes, one feline might guard a single litter box and prevent the others from using it. Territorial cats can’t guard boxes spaced appropriately in different rooms.
How We Chose the Best Cat Litter Box
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FAQs
Why do cats use litter boxes?
Cats inherited the instinct from wild felines to cover their waste, so their scent wouldn’t draw attention from predators or other cat competitors. They also use pee and poop to mark territory as “owned” and safe. When cats feel stressed, they “go” outside the box to help calm themselves down with familiar self-scent. Kittens copy the behavior of their mothers, learning to cover waste in deference to the cat-in-charge. Cats prefer sand-like paw-soft litter they can easily dig.
What size litter box does a cat need?
Cats need a litter box at least three or four inches longer and wider than they are. The best cat litter box should have high-enough sides to prevent the cat from “over-shooting” when posing to eliminate. Some cats won’t squat and need higher sides, or they might like to hang over the edge.
A litter box must allow the cat to walk around and cover the waste without having to step on top of the mess. If cats get out of the box and then paw-dig the floor, that means they need more room inside to cover properly.
Do cats prefer open or closed litter boxes?
Most cats prefer open boxes, which allow them see any other cat, dog or human approaching while doing their business. Covered boxes also hold and concentrate odor, which is highly offensive to a cat’s extremely sensitive sense of smell.
How often to clean litter box?
Scoop every day. The more cats you have, the more frequently you should change the entire box. Throw out old litter, clean the box with soap and water (no strong perfumes cats hate!) and refill with fresh litter. The top reason cats “go” outside the box is a dirty or smelly box.
