What's the Best Type of Cat Litter Box?

We went the extra mile to find out what type of cat litter boxes cats actually like the best.

Expert guidance provided by:

Video Navigation:

0:00 My Experience With Litter Boxes
1:28 Our Litter Box Preference Test
3:00 Community Poll Results
3:35 Interviewing the Experts
7:34 Summarizing the Results
11:00 Helping Your Cat Love the Box

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[AllAboutCatsYT]

What kind of litter box does your cat like the best? Let us know in the comments!

[texasskygirl]

I took a large, long, tall, clear storage bin and cut an opening in the end. It's uncovered. I add 3 inches of Cats Pride scoopable litter. The tall sides are great for "high" pee - ers.

[revvend]

We live in rural Ireland and just use an old IKEA box in the bathroom with garden compost in it, then it goes on the flower beds or under the hedge. Everybody seems to be happy with this set up.

[MikeBMW]

All of my cats prefer an open litter box. It can get messy with litter tracking out so I've gone with VERY deep litter boxes.
I use a large tub generally used for storage of linens.
Helps keep out the mess and they seem to like having a deeper disposal area - like a small sandbox.
Always love the videos, thanks!

[daytrippera]

Both my cats use a covered litter box.
I scoop it from two to three times a day, not only because I'm very sensitive to smell but also because one of my cats won't use the litter box if it's not up to her preference. She will stand in front of the litter box and meow at me to let me know it's not up to par. She'll wait for me to scoop it or add litter and then, and only then, she'll use it.

[catbb]

I use jumbo deep uncovered litter boxes from Petco. They run $23. I use "World's Best litter." It's light weight for my elderly hands. It's also eco friendly being made of corn. It does track more than Petco's clumping litter. I just use bigger litter mats to contain it. I have 2, 9 month old boys.

[sarahtownsend]

I have been a kitty mom for over 30 years. I found each pet different. My latest are two 4 year old brother/sister that were happy with the large stainle3ss steel uncovered boxes I have, but also liked the two small plastic uncovered boxes they came with. I do all 4. The think one of them was more fussy about with the litter. She preferred a fine grain litter to do her business in.

[johnfoley]

I’ve had cats for 40+ years. Our cat population runs between 2-4 cats at any time. Almost every cat loves to sling litter, some with great enthusiasm. The low sides of store-bought cat boxes pose no obstacle to my fur ejectors, so…. After 20 years of cleanup on isle 9, I moved to using clear storage bins (29Lx19Wx13H). You throw away the lid, cut a U-shaped access hole (bottom of the U 1” above the litter hi mark) in one of the sides and everyone is happy. They’re cheap, the slinging is contained by the high walls and everyone has room to maneuver. Win-Win-Win.

[ameliahadrava]

When I first got my cat, she came with the litter box that was used in her previous home. Tidy Cats Breeze System. I offered her her old box and a new open litter box with grass, granular litter. She never used the tidy cat breeze system again. She let me know her preference. Over time and lots of different litter trials, we decided that we BOTH like tofu litter. 😊

[richiethemainecoon]

Aww I can definitely use your advices, my two mainecoon boys are handful ♥️♥️

[TTmeowamine]

Mallory is gonna dig deeper into this litterbox matter 😆

[madelinevegas]

My Ragdoll cat likes open box and I like it to so I can keep a eye on it and keep it clean all the time

[zeroninesmurf]

I use a clear plastic storage bin, its 32"L x 20"W x 13"H. I couldn't find anything big enough for my cat to comfortably move around in so I went with this. She was cramped and walking on eggshells in several other boxes I tried. Its also uncovered, easy to clean and was only about $15 at Walmart. I use Dr. Elsey's Ultra unscented litter. I put the entire 40lb bag in there and a little extra to prevent stuffs sticking to the bottom. I scoop 1-2 times a day and only have to re-litter the box once every few months. Other than that I just add litter to it when low, and use Fresh Step deodorizing spray bottle. My cat is a Tortie named Calypso, or Caly :)

[adrianac]

I have 2 cats, an indoor/outdoor cat and a strictly indoor cat. My outdoor/indoor cat hated his covered litter box and would meow/howl until I let him outside to do his business. Now that the litter box is uncovered, he'll use the litter box when he needs to pee but still prefers to go outdoors when he needs to poo. My indoor cat has only experienced an uncovered litter box, which I'll move around sometimes. Personally, I think of their litter box of how I use the restroom. No one likes seeing an unflushed toilet, so I'll clean their litter box as soon as they're done using it. Which is 2-3 times a day since I imagine it must not feel so great to them to use their litter box when their earlier bowel movements are still there. I find that because I do this, my indoor tortie cat will meow and wait for me to clean her litter box before she uses it again, if I have been lazy in cleaning it right away. I'm with my cats all day so its easy for me to be pretty on top with cleaning their litter box, so I understand why that situation may be different for other cat owners since we're are all trying our best.

[Kathiewinkle]

I scoop 2-3 times daily with ONE cat and definitely UNCOVERED CLEAN is best with Naturally Fresh Walnut Shell Litter

[thesjkexperience]

My boy loves to throw sand around and he's on the larger side as he's Siberian. I ended up with foot tall boxes from Target for $12. One third the price of the pet store and the tall sides keep the litter in AND its clear so cat can see (the non-existent) danger. Fortunately all of our cats are young so getting in and out isn't a problem. Im using the grass seed litter as its low dust, but it does track a bit because it's light. I noticed the clay should stick to my glasses and was hard to get off, probably not so good for cats sinus and lungs. We have even more boxes than recommended and I know the favorite two and I clean those twice a day and everything once a day. They help me by going in a box! I'll help them and keep it clean.

[frankm]

Love your videos! I've been binging your food related videos and would love to see you do a detailed review of whole hearted brand grain free wet food!

[loretta_]

Must admit, I've always cleaned the litter box whenever it was used. I'm back living with my mum now that she's older and when my dad was alive, he only let us have outdoor cats (different generation). So, to help me keep on top of it, make sure my cat wasn't upset or have complaints from humans about the litter box being dirty or smelly (seeing as my mum doesn't mind her being inside), I just got in that habit.
It's a decent sized open tray/box - however, as she's indoor/outdoor, (the cat, not my mum!) she really prefers to go in the garden. I've got a spotless litter tray I haven't had to touch in months! It's summer here in Australia, the last time I remember her using it was winter and we had a few days that were cold and rainy. Thankfully, she's never had a problem with it and it's there more for (decoration 😅) emergency, if she really needs to go and can't get outside. That's my "fascinating" litter box saga!😺

[VictoriaCalkins-es]

My cat uses a covered letterbox; I got her as a 3-year-old being given away & she was already used to a covered automatic box. She has urinary problems (struvite) & had emergency surgery for the same only weeks after I got her. It's important for me to be able to monitor her elimination on a daily basis. I think it's equally important to assess what kind of litter a cat prefers. Mine prefers "natural" litter, & we have become fans of Worlds Best. However, this report has opened my eyes to additional possibilities, & I will replace one of her covered ones to see if she is more comfortable with the open arrangement. Thanks for more good info!

[PurpleRhymesWithOrange]

I'm glad they talked about other factors especially size. Nearly all of the commercially available covered litter boxes I have seen in the stores are too short! An average adult cat can't stand up in them comfortably! Your cats need to be able to stand fully and hold their head up in a normal position. If even so much as their ears hits the top of the box it will be uncomfortable for them to use. Even if they can stand up many cats will not like it if they can not hold their tail up in the box because of course they do not want to anything in their tail fur.