When you buy a litterbox for your cat, you need to first consider your cat’s type. You may be buying it, but your cat has to use it.
With most cat litter boxes, your feline may be willing to use it now but there’s a chance you’ll have to buy another one if the litterbox doesn’t suit her. Any of the below best cat litter box choices will save you time and money on buying new litterboxes over again.
Providing your cat with a litter box is essential. Unlike with dogs where pet owners can go for a while without buying any dog supplies, cat owners must ensure they have a cat litter box at home even before they bring a cat.
However, choosing the best cat litter box may prove difficult for some pet owners, especially if this is your first cat.
Veterinarians at Cornell warn pet owners about the importance of picking the right type of the best cat litter boxes and how it prevents house soiling, as well as how important this is for your cat’s psyche.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything related to the best cat litter boxes and also review the top-rated best cat litter box brands like these:
| Cat Litter Box | Price | Quality | Rating |
| PetSafe ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box | $$$$$ | A+ | 5.0 |
| Catit Jumbo Hooded Litter Pan | $$$ | A | 4.9 |
| Omega Paw 021002 Self-Cleaning Litter Box | $$$ | B+ | 4.9 |
| IRIS Open Top Litter Box Kit | $$ | B | 4.8 |
| Omega Paw Large Self-Cleaning Litter Box | $$ | C+ | 4.5 |
Choosing the Best Cat Litter Box for Your Feline
Picking out the most perfect best cat litter box may seem easy but it’s actually a little more complicated than that. Cats are picky animals, and sometimes it can take some convincing to get them to use it, or you may need to buy a new one altogether.
Moreover, as your cat ages and goes through the life stages of a cat, her preference for the litterbox may change. The most common reason is simply because she’s not able to use her box anymore. A litterbox that worked well when she was younger may be too high or too low for her now to get in and out of.
Senior cats may develop arthritis in the joints of their hips and climbing into a litterbox which is now too high may prove painful. Your cat may not choose to use her litter box for a variety of reasons. Since old age is one of them, watch as she gets older to make sure that she can access the litter box easily.
The best cat litter box that you can’t see, smell or have to change is the most perfect litter box for your cat. Your feline would step into it, disappear, and come out completely content and happy. You wouldn’t smell anything; the litter would refresh itself, and you wouldn’t have to maintain it at all. But that isn’t how a lot of litter boxes work.
For the automated process, take a look at automatic self-cleaning litter boxes. But if the budget is tight, you may need to simply pick one of the best cat litter box options that are standard and clean up after your pet yourself. Since choosing the best cat litter box isn’t always easy, this article will help with your litterbox choice.
What Is the Best Cat Litter? Top 10 best cat litter boxes for all breeds
1. ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box by PetSafe
The very first choice on our list of best cat litter box brands is a popular automatic one from PetSafe. This litterbox self-cleans for weeks without cleaning, scooping or refilling.
It’s the perfect litter pan for people who hate to clean litter boxes. The crystal litter will absorb the urine with five times better odor control than other litter used.
PetSafe has been manufacturing some of the best cat litter boxes out there for over a decade, and this is one of the top choices in terms of price to value ratio.
The litter box rakes the waste into a closed waste compartment. The disposable litter trays are leak proof. There is also a health counter which tracks how many times your cat uses the litter box.
It has an adjustable timer that has three different timing options too. The safety sensors will reset the rake timer too if you cat re-enters the litter box.
The hood gives your cat privacy and helps to reduce litter tracking.
2. Hagen CatIt Hooded Litter Box by CatIt
The second on the list of best cat litter box choices is CatIt, one of the more popular cat supplies brands. This cat box will provide privacy for your cat while keeping the litterbox inside the pan where it is out of sight and smell. For easy access the large hood lifts so that you can easily access the litter pan.
CatIt has made one of the best cat litter boxes out there by combining the most necessary features of a litter box and pricing it at a very low cost. There is nothing fancy about this second best cat litter box option, but it does its very basic things very well and for pet owners on a budget, this may just be an easy winner.
The built-in bag anchor will keep the refuse bag open so that your hands are free for scooping. The filter is carbon-impregnated and will trap and remove the litter box odors effectively. The Catit Jumbo Hooded Cat pan is perfect for multi-cat owners.
3. Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Box by Omega Paw
Third best cat litter box choice is a less popular one from Omega Paw. This litter box is a perfect choice if you have large cats or for homes with multiple cats. It cleans itself while also controlling odor and dust. To use it, you just roll the litter box to the right until the top touches the floor.
As one of the best cat litter boxes that’s self-cleaning and cheap, this is perfect for pet owners on a budget that do not wish to clean after their cats themselves. It’s not the most effective and feature-heavy self-cleaning cat litter box out there, but for the price, this is the best choice you can get.
The litter box works in a simple way that may be considered semi-automatic rather than fully automatic. Once you roll the litter box to the right until top touches the floor, you roll it back into the upright position.
The mechanism inside then deposits the clumped waste into the pull-out tray for easier disposal. This litter pan only works with silica and clumping litter.
4. Open Top Litter Box Kit with Shield and Scoop by IRIS USA
No list of best cat litter box choices can go without the popular brand, IRIS. The IRIS Open Top Litter Box comes with a removable shield so that the litter doesn’t spread everywhere. Also, the deep pan design helps to keep the litter where it belongs. For the price, it’s easily one of the best cat litter boxes out there.
The design of this USA made cat litter box is very simple yet effective. There’s a reason why this was the most popular best cat litter box on Amazon for the last three years with the most reviews from pet owners.
The box will fit almost anywhere in your home. It additionally has a high side and back shields to protect the surrounding area from the spraying litter from your cat covering her waste. Because this litter box has a recessed bottom and molded-in feet, it can fit easily in all kinds of spaces.
5. Omega Paw Self-Cleaning Litter Box by Omega Paw
The already mentioned Omega Paw brand has several options and another one of their products takes fifth place as the best cat litter box choices out there.
This litter box is easy to use. You just roll it like its smaller counterpart after your cat has used it, and it cleans for you. The litter box is covered so that your cat has privacy. It also helps cut down on litter dust and mess.
This is one of the best cat litter boxes out there because of the low price and how simple it is for cats and owners to use it, making it especially a good choice for big cats, small cats and kittens.
Furthermore, the design itself isn’t as eye-poking as some others and will generally look good in your home.
Clumping litter is used in this fifth best cat litter box from Omega Paw, and the unique patented grill separates the clumped waste.
When you roll it, this deposits the clumped waste into the pull-out tray. This is a good box for large cats and multiple cat households.
5. Pureness Assorted Color Giant Litter Pan by Van Ness
The sixth best cat litter box brand comes from a lesser known company Van Ness. However, their very simplistic design has garnered them a lot of positive reviews from pet owners, and most cats love this easy to use cat litter pan. This pan measures 21-/7/8 inches by 16-3/4 inches. It also comes in assorted colors with a high polished finish.
The reason Van Ness’ cat litter pan is ranked as one of the best cat litter boxes is because of the low price and fail-safe design that will work with any cat and in any home. If you’re looking for something simple yet effective to place in your bathroom, and won’t be bothered by how well it fits with the home decor, Van Ness cat litter pan is the winner.
This finish is both odor and stain resistant which makes the pan easy to clean. This is the perfect litter pan for cats which are larger and for homes with multiple cats. Pick a color from the several that they offer to fit this better in your bathroom.
7. Disposable Litter Box by Nature’s Miracle
Pet owners looking for the best cat litter box choice that’s disposable, there’s no better and more cost-effective option than Nature’s Miracle one.
This litterbox is recyclable, disposable and has dual odor control using baking soda. This is the perfect litter box when you’re traveling, and it can be used at home too.
As one of the best cat litter boxes out there, Nature’s Miracle disposable box does literally everything a cat and her owner needs for a disposable litter box to do. Air passes through the box due to its innovative design which allows the litter to dry out, and this control the odors.
The jumbo design is good for larger cats or for multi-cat homes.
This disposable litter box can be used just like a regular litter box or inside one as a liner. This pan is so durable that it will not fall apart or leak; and it cleans up without a fuss.
It’s one of the best cat litter box choices out there because of how cheap it is if you need some for travel or if you’re fostering a cat.
8. Sifting Enclosed Litter Pan by Van Ness
Our eight best cat litter box brand is yet another choice from Van Ness company. This very cheap litter pan is a combination of litter scoop-free maintenance along with odor control; all in a litter pan which is enclosed. It also has an odor door with a replaceable zeolite air filter.
There are additionally two nesting pans with a sifting screen. The nesting pans are stacked with the sifting screen on the top one. You fill it with litter and when you lift out the sifting screen after the cats have been busy using their bathroom, the litter is sifted to the bottom one leaving the clumps behind on top.
You then replace the sifting screen in the pan which is empty. Then you restack the pans with the now full nesting pan on top.
The litter pan is made from durable easy to clean plastic, which paired with a low price is what makes this best cat litter box cheap and affordable for pet owners on a budget.
9. Dosckocil CDS22007 Plastic Hi-Back Litter Pan by Petmate
At the ninth place of best cat litter box brands is a cheap option from a well-known company Petmate. This is the perfect cat litter box if your cat has messy litter habits or if your cat is large. The Hi-back cat litter pan will control the spray problems in litter boxes when large cats use them too and also the scatter of litter.
As one of the best cat litter boxes for large cats out there and for a very affordable price, this can be a winner for pet owners looking for a very simple yet effective design. This is not only the best cheap litter box for large cats but also for those who are very messy.
The high back controls the litter spray while the low entrance makes it easy for your cat to get in and out, saving you a lot of trouble cleaning around the cat litter box as it’s often the case with large and messy cats. It’s also available in assorted colors.
10. 22793 Retracting Litter Pan by Petmate
The last on the best cat litter box list is another option from Petmate. This litter box has a retractable visor which rolls up into the hood.
This gives easy access for quick scooping, and it reduces the litter being tracked through the house. This wouldn’t be your first choice among all the best cat litter boxes listed out there, but it’s a good alternative.
The extra bonus is that it also keeps dogs from digging inside the cat box when unsupervised. It’s has a large capacity for big cats and multi-cat households. There are many different sizes, shapes, styles and colors of litter boxes. Just make sure that the one that you choose suits your cat as well.
Choosing the right and the best cat litter box for your cat or cats is something that does require some thought. A happy cat is one who likes her litterbox; a happy owner is one who has a cat that uses the litterbox and doesn’t require a constant cleanup of the messes made or the poor odor taking over the house.
Reasons Your Cat Doesn’t Like Her Litter box
There are other reasons why your cat may not like her litterbox. She may not like the style of box that you chose, so you may have to try a few styles to find the one that she likes.
But before you toss out the box that you just bought, try putting the litter in at different depths and keeping the litter cleaned more frequently. These could be reasons for your feline’s dislike of her litterbox, and these steps may change her attitude towards it.
Even if you have one cat, you should have two litter boxes additionally. There’s less likely of a chance that your cat won’t like at least one of them especially since some cats prefer two litter boxes.
So a good rule to remember is to have one litter box for each cat, plus one extra one box. For example, if you have three cats, then you would need four litter boxes.
In addition, where you put the litter box is important. It needs to be in a quiet area, away from where the food and water is. This because the last thing that you want is for your cat not to use the litter box because the people noise and foot traffic makes it nervous.
The box is kept away from food and water to protect these against contamination.
Another note is that if you have multiple cats, with the required number of multiple boxes, don’t put them all in one room. Your cat may feel uncomfortable with an audience of other cats while using the litter box, even if it’s clean. Also, if possible, keep a litter box upstairs if you live on more than one floor.
Remember in all of this that your cat thinks like a cat and can’t help this fact. So being frustrated with your cat over your great choice of litterbox that she won’t use is not her fault. She doesn’t look at things like you do.
Where you place the litterbox is important. Cats like privacy as much as people when relieving the call of nature.
Helpful Cat Litter Box Tips
Placing and caring for a litterbox is crucial. So below are some hints to help you keep your cat happy with her cat bathroom:
- When you place your litterbox, don’t try to squeeze it into space which is too small. If the litter box or the space is too small, then your cat may refuse to use it. So, make sure that your litter box is big enough for your feline to turn around in and the space around it is adequate.
- Be sure to tend to the litterbox daily. It’s even better if it’s cleaned out twice a day. If not, your cat may refuse to use the box. This is especially true if the litterbox is one that holds onto urine and feces residue.
- If you need to change a litterbox from an old one to a new one, put the new one beside the old one first. This allows her to get used to the new one before you take the old one away. Otherwise, she may refuse to use the new one entirely.
- When you do figure out a spot that works for your cat, be sure that it’s also in a place that’s easily assessable for you as well. Placing her litterbox back behind some shelves may be great for her, but if you have to crawl on your hands and knees to clean it, you may want to give this placement a second thought.
- When cleaning her litterbox, don’t scrub it with a harsh strong-smelling disinfecting cleaner. The pine-scented cleaner may smell wonderful to you, but she may refuse to use the box if she finds the cleaning scent too strong. So, use a mild soap such as dish liquid, and be sure to rinse and dry the litterbox as well.
Keeping the litterbox clean is the most important tool to keeping your cat using her litterbox.
