Pet Lovers

[geegerbee]

My son has 3 cats. I wanted to get him a litter box for Christmas that will be easier, cleaner, faster litter box. Since I am a dog person, I know nothing about litter boxes. But I see some are over $100. I don't want to pay that much. I just want a more efficient one, so I am looking for suggestions. Thanks.

Guess I should have given more information. He adopted 2 cats when he got divorced about 10 yrs ago. One of those boys passed away and the other was missing him so much, so he adopted 2 more at a rescue--a male and a female. Most of the time the older male just wants to be left alone as he is the oldest, now. The other 2 he got about 5 yrs ago. The female is an instigator. But they all get along for the most part. I understand about the kitty litter getting outside the box so that has been a problem. Never thought about putting the current box inside a bigger tray. Great idea. Thanks everyone.

[beach-mom]

@geegerbee - You can find some good ones that don't cost that much! DH is a veterinarian, and we have 4 cats. Here's what he would say: Get at least 2

boxes. Some kitties are fussy about sharing. We have 4. We have one with a hood on top and a flap to get in and out. Our diva uses that - sometimes; it depends on her mood! The 3 boys don't use it much. Has he had his kitties a while? I would check PetsMart. You can always call their customer service for help too, but I still don't think you need to spend that much.

The automated ones might be more expensive, but we've never tried those. We do know someone who got one when they first came out. It started raking before kitty got out, so kitty stopped going in!

What a great gift though - your son will really appreciate it!  

ETA: When I asked if he has had his kitties a while, I never finished my thought! What I meant was if he has had them since they were kittens, or if they're from the same litter, or if they are used to being together, they might be OK with one box. Another thing to consider is the mix of sexes. Our female will urinate and spend 15 minutes covering it up. The males will hop in, go, and most of the time get out without covering anything. Thank goodness they DO scratch and cover when they need more time. 

Ours also like privacy!

[shoekitty]

We use the bottom half of a medium dog kennel  when we had a few cats, they got sand everywhere.  One was the digger from H-E double toothpicks    And then after diggingforever and getting  half the sand on outside he would pee over the  edge.   Myhusband dug out the dog kennel, took it apart and put our large cat box in there.  I think the large cat box is an oil pan thing for changing oil    It worked.  Gotta think outside the box, lol

[FancyPhillyshopper]

I have six cats.  The best litter box is a CLEAN litter box, which means ongoing diligence from the owner.  Daily scooping is a MUST.

I have both short haired and long haired cats-- casual, low-key boys, and fuss budget, diva girls. 

I have three different types of boxes, some that are covered, some not.  I have seven boxes located throughout my three story house.  I use two different types of litter.  I cannot use any kind of clumping litter due to the long-haired cats (sticks to their fur and can be toxic).

I use plastic cat liners and brown bags inside each box.  Changing the boxes is a production.

Buying a box is not the issue--the issue is the upkeep.

[Xivambala]

I have lived with cats for close to 60 years. I have found that most do not like covered boxes. I think they are too confining. Right now I have a male who is just under 12 pounds. I have a very large triangular box that will fit into a room corner, and gives him plenty of room to dig and turn around. It seems important to him that there be a lot of litter in the pan, because he likes to dig in the litter.

[Big Joanie]

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@FancyPhillyshopper wrote:

I have six cats.  The best litter box is a CLEAN litter box, which means ongoing diligence from the owner.  Daily scooping is a MUST.

I have both short haired and long haired cats-- casual, low-key boys, and fuss budget, diva girls. 

I have three different types of boxes, some that are covered, some not.  I have seven boxes located throughout my three story house.  I use two different types of litter.  I cannot use any kind of clumping litter due to the long-haired cats (sticks to their fur and can be toxic).

I use plastic cat liners and brown bags inside each box.  Changing the boxes is a production.

Buying a box is not the issue--the issue is the upkeep.

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Totally agree with that ... I don't think there is any easy way ....

[Meowingkitty]

Ok, I know this is out of your price range with the shipping but I have 5 cats and at one time had 8. These are the best litter boxes I have found. I have 5 of them. The people that I got them well over 10 years ago now only sell on Amazon. They used to sell them through their business. Type in Kat Kave and these will come up. Very easy to clean, never have a problem with the cats using them. Very durable. I hated the shipping charges but it arrived safely and is huge so I understand. 

Horizon Poly Products Kat Kave.

[software]

As already mentioned, it's not the litter BOX that's the issue.

It's the LITTER

I have 2 grown cats, I purchased the Tidy Cats Breeze Litter box & supplies.

You can google for all the information.

Started out good, now neither one will use it, so I go back to the box.

Just a big plain litter box.

But I have struggled with the litter.   The clumping kind is good in theory but when a grown cat relieves himself, that's a giant clump!

Litter is not cheap, if it were me, I would try to find out what kind of litter he uses and buy it for him.   Or maybe a small box & a gift card to a local pet store.

[Still Raining]

Mine did not like enclosed so I put them in a really big Rubbermaid bins.  They needed something to jump up on so they could jump down into it.  Ah cats!

One also liked to aim over the rear, so it was easy to hose out.

I agree about multiple sites and and scooping at least once a day.

[noodleann]

I have Van Ness framed boxes, which have a uniform detachable top to them that keeps litter from spewing all over. I don't think that model is made any longer; the ones I've found with frames have a lower opening at one end, which becomes the end they invariably toss litter over. 

A couple of notes: I do not believe in hooded boxes, with or without flaps. Cats are vulnerable when they're using the box; they're immobilized for several seconds while eliminating. They need to see if an enemy is coming and decide where to run. A hooded box traps them. It may be nice for owners, but it's not a cat-positive thing, IMO.

One item that cat owners often overlook is the quality of the litter scoop. I've recently upgraded to DuraScoops, and they're so much better than the plastic, I wish I'd had them years ago. They're $12.99 on Amazon and Chewy. There are cheaper versions, but only DuraScoop has a solid metal handle, covered with a rubber or plastic covering. Reviews of cheaper versions show their handles breaking off. A scoop that improves the scooping experience would be a nice gift.

The other thing that I'd suggest you look at is a litter box made of metal by iPrimio. A collar, or frame, is also available for it. The box is large and deep and has a nonstick coating to make scooping easier. The firm makes a coordinating aluminum scooper with a nonstick coating. The box, frame, and scoop total around $100 on Amazon at the moment. The frame does have a cutout at one end, but the box itself is 6" tall, so the overflow should be minimized.

I haven't tried this box, and with four cats (need a box for every cat plus one), it would be a big investment. But it would also be a great gift, and all three items are covered by Amazon's free returns policy, open to January 31, 2021.