Litter box dust and location problems

[Ghani]

I’ve posted before, but this issue is new and bugging me. We have a very big rescue cat inherited when my mother died. She was both blind and had LBD, so she is forgiven for this 13 yo 25# tabby. He is pair-bonded to my husband and it is very sweet when he can’t find him.
As you can guess he needs a very large litter box. The box is just a large storage type covered box from HD - he “misses” a regular kitty box.The only place in the house for the box is the laundry room. Does anyone have any suggestions for mitigating the litter dust? We installed a new exhaust fan. The box is over the area where we used to hang clothing, but that’s not a good place anymore. My husband does not want to install a piece of wood over the box which leaves us the status quo or a large more sheltered box if one exists.
He misses my parents and we are committed to a good life for him. He plays and goes walk about in our yard. The vet checks him regularly & we even had him scanned for a mass due to his size. He eats, at most one can of high protein food and a smattering of low cal dry so I feel he is not over eating. He eats a bit then walks away. He is also very nervous and licks his fur - if his tongue can reach an area there is no fur. We have tried Prozac - no luck & Xanax which makes him certifiable. The air relaxers are of no use. He has been with us for 3 years and we have tried to relax him. And, a trip to the cattery the one time we went out of town was too much for him, a trip in the car - well, every orfice ejected - lol . Curiously, he loves a bath which makes cleaning a breeze.
All advice much appreciated!
GhaniJ

 

[Willowy]

Is the problem just the dust? That really shouldn't be much of a problem with a high-quality litter. What brand are you using?

 

[Ghani]

Is the problem just the dust? That really shouldn't be much of a problem with a high-quality litter. What brand are you using?

Mostly dust, but he is very particular & spends a lot of time covering. I will check on the brand, Fresh Step (I think), hubs buys and the cat is very particular. We tried the “natural” pellets - big mistake. lol
GhaniJ

 

[Willowy]

Ha, yeah, many cats don't like pellets.

I don't care for Fresh Step clumping litter, although the unscented kind is OK. See if he can get Tidy Cats black lid (I think it's called 4-in-1 or something like that, but it has the black lid so that's what I call it, lol) or unscented (light teal lid) and see if that helps.

 

[Ghani]

I have asked my husband to try the black lid kind. His box is literally 8 steps from where I sleep, so it is really my problem. The litter box has a lid and the new exhaust fan is just getting started. Our guy is very funny, he is so exuberant when he covers I worry for his lungs! lol. He is also one of the cats who drinks with his paws, we are thinking of filming it so we can always remember. I used to fuss over the wet baseboard, but have let it go - he’s happy and baseboard can be replaced some day - hopefully in a long time.
He does not wear a collar and I am not sure he would like one, but oh how I would love a little go-pro to film his walk abouts (~30 minutes). We have a fairly large yard & gardens and I think he knows each nook and cranny better than I do.