Best Litter Box For Messy Cats

If you’re a proud cat owner, you know how difficult and high maintenance your feline friend can be sometimes. The litterbox is no exception. Cats instinctively bury their droppings in the wild, and they need a safe space indoors where they can peacefully do their business. That’s where finding the best litter box for messy cats comes in handy.

We all like to feel comfortable in our own bathrooms, so why not give your cat the same pleasurable experience?

5 Best Litter Boxes For Messy Cats

These litter boxes listed below are just a few of our recommended products that we think you and your cat will love! Check them out:

The convenience of the carbon filter lets you place the litter box anywhere in the house without the worry of any smell! To top it off, this litter box comes with what it calls a “clean-step” entrance. This means that the steps leading into the litter box are grooved, and this gently cleans your pet’s paws as they exit so they don’t track litter around the house!

A few problems that may come with this litter box is that, if you have a larger cat, they may have trouble spraying into the actual litter. Instead, some urine may get sprayed onto the sides of the box and leak out from where the top half meets the second half. Another problem you can encounter is that if any litter happens to pour onto the stairs, there is no way of sweeping it back into the base of the box. However, these two problems can be solved if you have a smaller cat and if your cat doesn’t play with the litter.

Related article: Best Litter Boxes for Odor Control

This design also helps keep litter within the litter box and reduces how much litter you would have to clean off the floors of your home. The top half of the litter box can be taken off for easy cleaning of the inside of the litter box. Lastly, this litter box is large enough for even the biggest of cats!

One problem you might find with this litter box is that, because it is so large, there aren’t many liners that are big enough to fit the bottom. The locking handles also may give you some trouble, as they sometimes don’t completely seal the top and bottom halves of the litter box, allowing some litter to exit the litter box.

Another problem you may encounter is that, if you have a very large cat, they may have some trouble with the door. The door is made to be able to swing both ways so your cat can enter and exit, but larger cats may have trouble maneuvering around the door when entering the litter box.

The open concept also allows for easy cleaning, and the shape of the litter box makes it easy to quickly wipe clean when it gets dirty. Also, the sides of the box are non-stick, meaning that it’s super easy to wipe away any mess!

With all these perks come some negatives. Surprisingly, the bottom of the litter box is not non-stick, so if your cat is prone to burying excrements at the very bottom of the litter box, you may have to work a bit harder scrubbing the bottom of this box.

Also, albeit the litter box has tall sides, the entry point is quite low and it’s easy for litter or waste to be flicked out from there. This entry point is also quite high for some older cats with health issues to get over, so remember to think about the health of your cat before purchasing this litter box.

Another benefit to this litter box is its size. The box is around 15” wide and 23” long, giving your kitty a large area to do its business. As an added bonus, there are rubber feet at the bottom of the litter box to keep it from moving around if you have slippery floors in your home.

Even though the pan is large, the sides aren’t very tall, so if your feline friend gets a little rowdy in the pan there is a chance that litter can spill over the edges. Another problem with the short sides is that your cat may end up doing their business over the edge, creating a mess. This pan is also not scratch-resistant, meaning that it can acquire a few undesirable looking scratches over time.

There is a pullout tray at the bottom of the litter box (where you put a pad) so you can easily change the urine pad, thus reducing the smell even more. Lastly, there is a spot on the litter box where you can store a scooper so it’s always within reach.

A problem that you might encounter with this litter box is that, since it requires a specific pellet litter, your cat’s solid waste is designed to sit on top of the pellets for easy scooping. This makes the smell of the waste travel outside of the litter box and it may be a bother for you and your cat.

Another problem that can arise with the pellets is that your cat may decide not to use the litter box until the waste is gone, which means that you would need to constantly monitor the litter box to remove the waste.

Choosing The Best Litter Box For Messy Cats

When choosing a litter box for your kitty, the most important factor is getting something that they will easily be accustomed to. Your cat needs enough space to get inside of it and do their business, and they need to feel comfortable while they’re inside the box. To guarantee comfort, you need to choose the material, size, and type of litter box wisely. Here is a list of some of the different types of litter boxes on the market:

Open-Litter Pan

The open-litter pan is, as the name implies, open at the top. These types of litter boxes are the best type to get when space is tight and you have more than one feline in your home. Cats are territorial and private by nature, but open-litter pans allow the cat doing its business to see its surroundings and make sure it isn’t being watched by another cat. Getting one of these pans allows for all of your cats to use a single litter box, saving space and making cleaning easy.

One problem that may surface with this type of little box is that, since it is open at the top, it isn’t very good at keeping odors within the box. To add to that, if the material of the open-litter pan isn’t a good odor-neutralizing material, it could create a stench in the house that will bother both you and your cats. Also, this type of litter box may be a problem if there are other animals in the house, like a dog, or small children. You wouldn’t want your other pets or children in the home to play with or ingest any of the contents within the litter box!

Covered Box

Covered litter boxes offer more privacy for your cat while they do their business. These are great options for narrowing down the best litter box for messy cats. The closed sides allow your furry friend to feel secluded and comfortable. As an added bonus, closed litter boxes are great at trapping odors. This keeps your house smelling clean, and you don’t have to worry about guests smelling anything if they happen to walk by the litter box.

However, odor trapping capability could be a disadvantage. All of the odor inside the litter box can build up, and it can be absorbed by the material the box is made of. To prevent this try to get a litter box that has built-in ventilation.

Self-Cleaning Litter Box

Self-cleaning litter boxes can be a marvel in the home. It is able to clean itself and neutralize odors, making your life easier when it comes to cleaning the litter box. Self-cleaning litter boxes work by sifting through the litter and filtering out the waste, putting it in a separate bag or container. These litter boxes are convenient for owners that don’t like seeing their cat’s waste, or for cats that are easily bothered by odors in the litter box.

The downside of this type of litter box is that it can be a little pricey depending on the model. Even the cheapest self-cleaning litter boxes are much more costly than a regular litter box. The real question is whether or not the benefits outweigh the price. Also, some cats may get startled by the noises made by the litter box, and this can make them uncomfortable with using it. This can be resolved with time and allows your cat to get used to the noises made by the box.

Height of the Litter Box

Another thing to think about when looking at options for the best litter box for messy cats is the height of the litter box. If you have a young and healthy cat, then any height will do, just make sure that your cat can comfortably get into the litter box. Older cats, on the other hand, can have trouble stepping into a litter box with taller sides. Especially for cats with arthritis, be mindful of your cat’s age when getting a new litter box.

Best Litter Box For Messy Cats – Final Thoughts

My favorite litter box from the selection has to be the Petmate Booda Dome Litter Box! The litter box has a nice design and is easy for any cat to use! Although there may be a problem with getting litter onto the stairs and subsequently onto your floor, this can be fixed by putting a mat underneath the litter box. The litter box’s ability to reduce odors and remove litter from your kitty’s feet makes this litter box my top choice for the best litter box for messy cats!

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