Cat Litter Boxes: 3 Features to Compare

When purchasing cat litter boxes, you should make sure that you find the best box for your cat and your lifestyle. It’s not as simple as buying the most expensive box you can find-nor should you assume the cheapest box on the shelves will do the job. Before you decide, compare these key features:

1 – Domes

The cheapest litter box is a $5 cardboard tray, but it’s missing a key feature for the apartment dweller with a cat: a dome. Cat litter boxes with domes have four advantages over those without domes:

1. They keep messes to a minimum. Cats bury their waste and they also dig through the litter to prepare to go to the bathroom. During this process, they kick litter around and dust spreads into the air. A dome stops the litter and dust from leaving the litter box.
2. They hide waste from sight. A tray without a dome leaves waste exposed, which is unattractive, particularly in the small space of an apartment, where the box must be kept in a high traffic area.
3. They keep odors to a minimum. Leaving waste exposed allows odors to permeate an apartment more easily, but a dome helps block some of the odor.
4. Cats tend to prefer them. Cats are attracted to dark, enclosed spaces because they feel safer when in control of their environment. On the whole, cats prefer domed litter boxes.

When comparing domes, make sure that the dome allows your cat ample space to turn around completely. Larger cats require larger boxes and domes.

2 – Filtration

The best cat litter boxes help with odor filtration. This is especially essential in small spaces like in an apartment. Some litter boxes without domes include an area for a deodorizer, but the best filtration is in boxes with a dome, which may have a small compartment for a filter to help trap foul odors. The basic, changeable filters are fairly effective, but if you want to spend more money, you can purchase a litter box with an electronic air filtering system, which quietly circulates the air in the box to help dissipate odor.

3 – Easy Cleaning

Living in an apartment, it’s even more essential that you scoop your cat’s litter box frequently in order to keep odors and bacteria from penetrating the apartment, so cat litter boxes with features that help make cleaning more convenient for you should be a selling point for you. Self-cleaning boxes, which automatically sweep through clumping litter to seal waste away, have their advantages, but they’re expensive and some cats are afraid of the mechanical components.

You can spend a much smaller amount of money on a litter box that has some easy cleaning features that aren’t automatic. For example, some boxes have miniature stairs or ridges to trap litter as the cat exits the box so that less of the litter is spread around the box. Other boxes allow you to roll the box over to trap the clumps in one easy motion.

The best cat litter boxes make cleanup simpler, impede the spread of odors and messes, and, above all, make your cat comfortable. You don’t have to spend an incredibly large amount if you don’t want to, but paying a little extra for a box with the right features can make your life with a cat in an apartment much easier.