Selecting best cat litter tray and litter box for your cat isn’t just important for your kitty’s happiness and satisfaction but also equally helpful for you to have a clean home.
Cats peeing outside of the litter box is common unwanted cat’s behavior for any pet’s owner. Punishing such cats isn’t fair enough and will never be effective too. As most of the times, this isn’t fault of your kitty but yours.
Will you use too small, smelly, and dirty bathroom? No? How can you expect it from your bare-footed kitty? Don’t forget, cat’s sense of smell is more sensitive than humans. So, choosing a best cat litter tray and litter box for your cat is very important decision.
Well, it wouldn’t be easy to pick the best one and placing it on best location. But once you’ll figure out, it will help you to have easy going relationship with your kitty.
Here is the complete guide about what type of litter box and litter should you choose for your fur-baby. The most important guidelines to be considered before making a purchase.
How to Choose Best Litter Box for your cat?
Vets often seen cats’ owners asking how to select best litter box and litter tray for cat? Due to huge variety, available in market to make people confused. There are jumbo, large, medium, small, regular sizes available. Open litter trays and boxes, enclosed litter boxes and with a rim or lid for easy going in and out for kitty. When we talk about cleaning of litter box, there are electric litter boxes with automatic scooping system, Automated litter robot and what not. When we talk about the fashion and style; there are hundreds of colorful, fancy shapes and simple cat litter tray to modern look fashionable litter boxes and litter trays e.g Litter tray with extra rim to prevent litter from scattering around the tray, Corner Litter tray & Ladybird shaped litter box.
Ahh, confusion, confusion and confusions. Human eyes like modern, fancy and fashionable litter boxes which can match with home décor. While, who can reject automated cleaning system to lessen the workload? Smallest size litter boxes attract the owners living in small apartments, to save the space.
For a moment, forget your likes/dislikes and think from your cat’s perspective. As, you are making this important purchase for your cat so honestly avoid your preferences and focus only on your cat’s satisfaction.
The Best Litter Box or Litter Tray For Your Cat
The basics that really matter for choosing any litter box or litter tray for your cat; are size and type.
#1- What should be the size of litter box?
This is one of the most important point to be considered while choosing a litter box or litter tray for your kitty. Cats want a comfortable place for their business so they want enough space for scratching, digging, turning around to hide the waste. The size of the litter box matters a lot. Usually people buy smallest or medium so they can easily place in their small apartments. Keep in mind, that small size litter boxes are made for kittens only while medium sizes litter boxes are fine for short heighted breed cats.
Generally, you should choose litter box size one and a half times larger than size of your cat (In length). So, she can have enough room to do her business of elimination. Always, the larger is the better. And, if you have busy daily schedule, and can’t clean the litter, more than 2-3 times a day. In that case, you must choose little bigger litter box. No doubt, due to cats’ nature, they hide/cover their waste but still there should be enough litter for next few turns.
Small size litter box where she ends up squeezing herself too much; will increase stress in your kitty. Resultantly, she will prefer to find another location instead of uncomfortable litter box.
#2- What is the most appropriate type of litter box for your Cat?
Litter Box Or Litter Tray – What should be used? When we talk about types of litter boxes, there are basically 2 different types, covered and uncovered. Uncovered litter boxes are also known as cat’s litter trays.
There are negative and positive points for both types. You should take decision smartly.
Positive Points of Covered Litter Boxes
– Privacy:
There are shy cats as I have one among my 5 cats, who doesn’t like to pee while any human or other household cats are watching her. To ensure such timid and shy cats’ privacy, covered litter boxes are best solution.
– Neatness
Best for prevention of accidental spread of waste. Outside of the litter box stays neat. Moreover, it doesn’t look bad anywhere as nothing can be seen directly.
– Odor Control
Covered litter boxes control odors. So, can be placed anywhere at home.
Negative Points of Covered Litter Boxes:
– Unpleasant for Kitty
Absolutely, nobody liked odor of cats’ waste. What will happen to you if you need to bear 14 times stronger than normal? Don’t forget, your cats’ smell senses are 14 times stronger than yours. And covered litter boxes control odor to spread out but they keep it in the litter box. So, try to understand your cat. How hard it will be for her to do her business in such unpleasant odor? This is one of the most important reason to say NO to covered litter boxes.
You can experience it by heading inside for few seconds and take breathe once. If you can’t take breath once, how your cat will stay longer in such smelly environment?
– Uncomfortable
If we compare equal sizes of covered and uncovered litter boxes, both take about same amount of space on the floor but covered litter boxes are smaller comparatively. Which means the same size of covered litter box will be much smaller for your cat that it’s equal size of uncovered litter box. Cats head can’t go beyond the hood. And, if covered litter box wouldn’t have enough space for your kitty to turn around, she would need to squeeze a lot which wouldn’t be comfortable; for sure.
– Out Of Sight = Out Of Mind
Finally, covered or hooded litter boxes would be hiding waste so there are chances that you can be lazy to clean the litter box that regularly. It will not only bad for your cat as who likes unflushed toilet? But, also will be unpleasant for you as sooner or later, you kitty will find some other place at home to do her business.
Uncovered Litter boxes or Open cat litter trays
Alike the covered litter boxes; uncovered litter boxes or litter trays have their own pros and cons.
– No Privacy
Cats who want to ensure their privacy will refuse to use cat litter tray and will prefer to do their business in any other hidden place such as under the bed.
– No Odor Control
You need to become superman for removing the odor as open litter trays won’t hide it for you.
– Clean The Waste Regularly
You should clean the litter tray regularly. Cleaning after each use is highly recommended.
– Accessibility
It will be easily accessible for your kitty anytime.
#3- More Options
Simple or Fancy?
Litter boxes or litter trays are available in number of colours, shapes and designs. Colours doesn’t matter for the cats so you can choose any of your choice or matching with your home decor. Fancy look good but simple is the better. Less expensive, cleaning is easier, takes less space and more comfortable for your kitty.
Self- Cleaning Litter box Or Automated Cleaning Litter Boxes
Litter boxes with automated cleaning robot, or self cleaning litter boxes are way more expensive but well worth your money. Usually, these type of litter boxes come with advanced cleaning system such as disposable container or plastic bag to store the waste automatically. Availing this option will cost you more but will make upkeep easier. However, noise can bother some cats in start, so don’t mind of unexpected jumping. With the passage of time, your cats will learn to use such litter box. For busy pet owners, advanced litter box with automated cleaning system would be highly recommended.
Final Words
As we see in the market, there are various types, colors, shapes and sizes of litter boxes and litter trays available. Surely, each one is specially designed for cats, so the manufacturer would have all the points in mind. But, same time you need to understand that all the cats aren’t same. I personally recommend that as vets suggest, you should buy one litter box per cat and one extra so take extra one of your choice to notice your kitty’s behavior and buy one per cat the standard open litter tray.
Again, if you are working buddy and have small closed apartment, open litter tray wouldn’t be good for you as neither you can clean the litter tray after each use, nor you would be able to remove odor timely. Also, presence of dog or babies at home would increase the mess by exploring the cat litter tray.
Cats owners, who spend most of their time with cats can choose litter trays over litter boxes.