The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Litter Box for Your Cat
The Box Itself
A litter box seems like a pretty simple purchase- until your cat refuses to use it!
The size and style of the box, the type of litter you choose, where you put it, and how often you clean it can all affect whether your cat happily uses it or decides your carpet is a better option. There isn't one perfect litter box for every cat, either. Different cats have different preferences, and sometimes you have to experiment a little to figure out what works best.
Bigger Is Usually Better
One of the most common mistakes I see is using a litter box that is simply too small. Your cat should be able to comfortably turn around, dig, squat, and cover their waste without constantly bumping into the sides.
A good general guideline is a box about 1.5 times the length of your cat's body. This is especially important for larger breeds like British Shorthairs. That tiny kitten-sized box might be perfect today, but your kitten can outgrow it surprisingly quickly.
Recommendation: Stainless Steel Sifting Litter Box with High Sides (for pellet litter)
Open, Covered, or High-Sided?
There isn't necessarily a wrong answer here. Many cats prefer an open litter box because it gives them more room and allows them to see what's happening around them, while other cats are perfectly happy with covered boxes.
If your cat urinates high or kicks litter everywhere, you may want something with taller sides. Covered doesn't always have to mean a traditional enclosed box, either. There are litter boxes with very high shields or splash guards that provide more privacy and urine protection while still leaving the top open. For some cats, this can be a great compromise.
Just make sure the box is still large enough for your cat to comfortably turn around and use it.
Recommendation: Stainless Steel High Side Litter Box (non-sifting for pellet or sand)
Automatic/Robot Litter Boxes
Automatic litter boxes have become extremely popular, and for good reason. Instead of waiting until you have time to scoop, the machine automatically removes waste after your cat uses the box, which can make keeping the litter box clean much easier. This can be particularly appealing for busy households or people with multiple cats, and many of my pet parents absolutely love them and tell me how easily kitten adapted to using one!
However, it's true that not every cat will want to use one. Some cats are frightened by the noise or movement, while others simply prefer a traditional litter box. I've seen that a kitten introduced at a younger age will general get on board easier than an adult who is set in their ways; always follow the manufacturer's age and weight requirements though for their safety.
If you're considering a robot litter box, I'd also recommend keeping at least one traditional litter box available while your cat gets used to it. That way, your cat always has another comfortable option if they decide they need one.
Recommendation: This is the Litter Robot 4 my pet parents rave about.
What Type of Litter Should You Use?
This is where things get much more personal. Cats can have strong preferences about the texture, smell, and feel of their litter, so what works beautifully for one cat may be completely unacceptable to another.
There are several major categories, including clay, pine, paper, corn, wheat, silica, and other natural substrates. You don't necessarily need to choose the most expensive or newest option. The best litter is one your cat is comfortable using consistently.
Clay Litter
Clay litter is extremely popular because it's readily available, absorbent, and easy to scoop, but I personally don't recommend clumping clay litter for cats. Clay litter can be very dusty, and clumping varieties contain materials designed to absorb moisture and form solid clumps. If a cat ingests litter while grooming, particularly over time, there is concern about gastrointestinal irritation or obstruction.
Some clay litters are also heavily fragranced, which can be unpleasant or irritating for cats.
There are safer, more natural alternatives available, including pine pellets and other non-clay litters.
Clumping vs. Non-Clumping
Clumping litter forms a solid mass when it becomes wet, allowing you to scoop out urine and feces without replacing the entire box every time. This makes it very convenient to keep the box clean, especially in multi-cat households.
Non-clumping litter absorbs moisture but generally requires more frequent replacement because you can't remove individual urine clumps. Neither is automatically better for every cat, although many cats and owners do well with clumping litter because waste can be removed frequently without throwing away all of the remaining litter.
Pellet Litter (Pine, Paper, and other alternatives to traditional clay)
Pellet litter is another option that I personally use. We use pine pellet litter with stainless steel sifting litter boxes in our cattery.
Pine pellets are very different from fine clay litter. Instead of forming traditional clumps, urine breaks down the pellets which then fall through the sifting section of the box, leaving clean pellets behind. For a large number of cats, I love how simple this makes the cleaning process. We put a bag liner underneath the sifting tray, and the system makes removing the waste and changing the lower portion of the box much easier while preserving clean pellets, keeping waste away from the cats, and overall just being very easy to manage!
Recommendation: Pine All Natural Cat Litter. We buy a local brand, but this is an equivalent.
That doesn't mean pine pellets are automatically the best choice for every household. Some cats strongly prefer the finer texture of clay, and if your cat refuses a particular litter, the fact that it's convenient for you doesn't matter much.
Why I Like Stainless Steel Sifting Boxes
Plastic litter boxes work perfectly well, but I particularly like stainless steel for our cattery. Stainless steel is durable, easy to clean, and doesn't tend to hold onto odors the way scratched or aging plastic can.
The sifting design also makes pellet litter much easier to manage. For a single cat, it's already great, but for a multi-cat household, a good sifting system can be a huge time saver too.
What About Litter Box Liners?
This is another personal preference. Some cats don't mind liners, while others hate the feeling of plastic underneath their feet or will claw through them.
I use liners underneath the sifting trays in our stainless steel setup because they make cleaning the lower portion of the box much easier. With a sifting box, your cat isn't touching the liner at all since it's on the bottom layer- so this is especially great if you're going this route. If your cat dislikes a liner in their non-sifting box, don't force the issue. The goal is a litter box your cat actually wants to use.
Amazon recommendation: These are the liners we use. Great for most large boxes, but you can double check the size you need. These fit the XL stainless steel boxes I previously mentioned.
Where Should You Put the Litter Box?
Location matters more than many people realize. Cats generally prefer a quiet, easily accessible location where they won't be startled or trapped while using the bathroom.
Avoid placing the litter box directly beside food and water, and think about what else is happening around it. A litter box beside a washing machine, in a busy hallway, or somewhere a dog can constantly bother the cat may not be appealing. Your cat should be able to get to the box without feeling like they're walking into an ambush.
Do You Need a Litter Box on Every Floor?
If you have a multi-story house, I strongly recommend thinking about litter boxes by floor.
You don't want your cat to have to travel downstairs every time they need to use the bathroom. This becomes even more important with kittens, elderly cats, or cats who spend most of their time on one particular floor.
A good rule is that your cat should always have a convenient litter box nearby. If your cat spends most of the day upstairs, I'd rather see a litter box upstairs than expect them to make a trip downstairs every time nature calls.
How Many Litter Boxes Do You Need?
You've probably heard the recommendation:
Number of cats + 1 = number of litter boxes.
So, two cats would ideally have three boxes.
This isn't always realistic, particularly in a small home, but multiple boxes in multiple locations can make a huge difference in multi-cat households. And don't put all of your boxes in one room and assume that counts as multiple locations. If one cat controls access to that room, the other cat may still feel like they only have one bathroom.
What About Kittens?
Kittens need particularly easy access to their litter box. When a kitten first comes home, I recommend starting them in a smaller, easy-to-clean area with a litter box nearby.
This helps them learn where their bathroom is instead of expecting a tiny kitten to find a box somewhere across a large house. As your kitten becomes reliable with their litter habits, you can gradually give them more freedom.
And remember: kittens grow fast. A box that seems enormous for a tiny kitten may suddenly be laughably small a few months later. Go ahead and get the big box now.
If you're bringing home a kitten soon, you may also want to read The First 72 Hours With Your New Kitten.
Keep It Clean
Even the perfect litter box won't be attractive to a cat if it's filthy. Most cats prefer a clean place to go, and some are extremely particular about it.
Scoop regularly and remove waste frequently. With clumping litter, you can remove urine and feces without replacing all of the litter every time. With non-clumping or pellet systems, you'll generally have a different cleaning routine, but the goal is the same: your cat shouldn't have to step into a dirty bathroom every time they need to go.
What If Your Cat Doesn't Like the Box?
Sometimes the answer isn't a new litter box. It might be the litter, the location, the cleanliness, or the box may simply be too small.
If you're having litter box problems, you can actually perform your own little "litter box test." Offer two boxes that differ in only one way- for example, one with clay litter and one with pine pellets- and see which one your cat chooses. You can also test open versus covered, different sizes, or different litter depths.
Cats can be surprisingly opinionated about their bathrooms.
And if your cat suddenly stops using a litter box, don't assume it's behavioral. Medical problems can cause changes in bathroom habits, so a sudden change should be discussed with your veterinarian.
For more information, see Why Does My Cat Pee Outside the Litter Box?
Final Thoughts
The "best" litter box is ultimately the one that works for both you and your cat.
For some households, that's an automatic robot litter box. For others, it's a giant open plastic box. For my cattery, it's stainless steel sifting boxes with pine pellets.
There is no prize for choosing the fanciest setup. Choose a box that is large enough, easy for your cat to access, kept clean, and placed somewhere they feel comfortable using.
And if your cat starts having litter box problems, don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes changing something as simple as the size, litter, or location can make a tremendous difference.
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