Pic: @odinherofficial
When it comes to litter boxes, you're not just looking for size. You're on a mission in search of style. You basically have one shot — maybe two — at getting this right before your cat decides that your pillow makes the perfect potty.
Factors in choosing the right litter solution include simplicity, number, and size. Let's take a look at each of these:
Cats are famously fastidious. According to Dr. Pamela Perry, animal behavior resident of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, cats spend between 30% and 50% of their day grooming themselves.
After all that work, would you want to sink your pristine paws into a mucky litter box? Neither does your kitty. Cat lovers have to roll up their sleeves and do a little dirty work.
You may be a devoted cat caregiver, but you probably don't want to spend 30-50% of your day scouring a litter box. So pick a box that's easy to scrub spic-and-span.
Some cat owners go for a robotic, self-cleaning litter box. That's not a good choice. Loud, mechanical boxes can alarm cats. Really, can you blame them? Would you like to have a scraper appear out of the toilet just as you were getting up?
Besides, a robotic litter box doesn't really keep everything spotless for you. It just hides 💩 you'll have to deal with later.
Other cat lovers pick a flowery scented litter to overpower the smell of a traditional box. Another bad choice. With a sense of smell that's 40 times that of a human's, cats generally hate scented litter. In the end, you will too because your house will feature that distinctive aroma of stale potpourri mixed with fresh cat butt.
Best approach? Just scoop your litter box. If you pick the right scoop, it's easy.
When we decided to make the best cat litter box for ourselves and our cats, we added a durable scoop with an ergonomic handle and an edge that matches the corners of the Modkat, Modkat XL and Modkat Tray.
Scoop daily, refill the litter every 2-3 days, and wash the box with soap and warm water once a week. Presto! Clean cat box; sweet-smelling house.
One litter box for every cat plus one extra according to pet experts.
Expressed algebraically, that's…
# of cats + 1 = healthy, happy kitties
One cat? Two boxes. Two cats? Three boxes. Three cats? Bet you can guess by now… four boxes.
Also consider your home's design. If you have two floors, you need to make sure you have a box on each level. Make sure there's a box that's accessible 24 / 7 / 365.
Your cat needs a box that extends 1.5 times the length of the animal from nose tip to tail tip. The box should be about as wide as your cat is long minus the tail. If you're having trouble measuring your cat accurately, then it's better to go too big than too small.
Yes, most cats enjoy the security they get from enclosed spaces — and there are sound evolutionary reasons for this — but they don't want to feel trapped or claustrophobic while using the restroom. A feeling we've all experienced…
When we first built the original Modkat, people (and cats) loved it! But large cats had some trouble turning around, so we constructed the Modkat XL, the largest top-entry box on the market. Its walls stretch up 17 inches, perfect for high pee-ers, and the box is 21 inches long.
Lidded litter boxes spark controversy. Some cat lovers say their pets prefer the privacy of an enclosed facility. Others say the animals want to go out in the open.
Thankfully, a group of researchers at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine settled the question once and for all.
They discovered that…
Most cats don't care.
Among the animals studied, 70% showed no preference between a covered box and an uncovered one. Another 15% liked going out in the open, and 15% ducked into the private stall whenever they could.
That means that a large cat litter box with a lid has an 85% probability of going over well with your cat. And it's 100% certain you'll like the odor-control benefits and sleek, elegant look a lidded box offers.
"But," you say, "I bought a great box using all those decision factors, and my cat still won't use the litter box. Why not?"
This happens often. Every year, 6.5 million pet cats and dogs wind up in animal shelters. The number-one reason their owners place them there? Inappropriate elimination.
Rarely is this a behavioral problem, though. Most cats prefer to use a litter box over the floor, bedding, or laundry. Cats avoid the litter box for one of several reasons:
What if your cat has already gotten into the habit of doing his business outside the office, so to speak?
Always check with the vet first, though. Nearly always, inappropriate elimination is a sign of a bladder infection.
The best cat litter box for large cats is the one they'll use, and that's probably the largest box they can find.
Now, a "large box" means one that's long enough and wide enough to feel comfortable as well as high enough to keep your floors from getting sprinkled. Some cats are high-pee-ers. They'll send a stream over the wall and onto the surrounding areas if you aren't careful.
Then, we have diggers — those cats that like to dig enthusiastically into the litter. If you love one of these guys, make sure that their box stays full (but not too full) of fresh pellets. But you also need a box with high enough walls to keep the litter inside.
If your wall is between 5 and 12 inches high, you're probably good. Our Modkat boxes run a little higher because we want to add margin for your cat. But remember that a kitten or mobility impaired cat will need a ramp or other easy entrance for a high box.
Even the best litter box for big cats needs regular cleaning. Cat bathrooms smell like any other bathroom that isn't cleaned and refreshed. Check out these 7 tips to make a stinky litter box smell fresh & clean if your kitty's space is starting to get a little ripe.
Cats like a clean box. In fact, many of them also seem to take a particular interest in watching us clean out their bathrooms. Perhaps they're making sure we wash our hands between cleaning their toilets and preparing their meals.
In some ways, large cats just want what all cats want — a clean litter box with enough space to turn around and easy access to the entrance/exit. As our cats' caregivers, we need to do our part by making sure our plus-size friends have the boxes they need to stay happy and healthy. 🖤🐈
“It looks nicer than any other hooded or open option we considered.”
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"It looks nicer than any other hooded or open option we considered."
"This litter box keeps everything in, nothing gets out the sides."
"My beautiful ragdoll cat and I both love the new Modkat Litter tray!"