Litter Box size, most way too small

Bobsk8

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I rescued my latest cat about 6 weeks ago. Prior to doing that I spent a great deal of time researching litter and litter boxes including litter box size. I decided on Pine petts for litter and both my cat an I are very happy with the result.. Inexpensive, no odor and easy to take care of.

This left me with one major decision, selecting a litter box that would work well with the Pine Pellets. Watching some youtube videos and reading many posts on litter boxes, I determined that the experts recommended getting a litter box that was one and a half times the length of the cat, the typical cat being around 18 inches from nose to beginning of tail. Anything smaller than that would result in the cat feeling cramped in a box that was too small, and in many cases eventualy winding up in a cat developing litter box issues. Since it is common knowledge that many cats are brought to shelters or worse euthanized by owners that are faced with a cat not using the litter box anymore, this is something that I wanted to avoid. This meant that for my 10 pound cat, and litter box should be around 18 plus 9 inches ot close to 27 inches long. Guess what, there are hardly any boxes that are sold that are larger than 18 inches at most. I finally found a sifting litter box that is around 23" long, the SoFresh Lift to Sift Litter box sold by Petco. I even looked at the one box that is actually made for Pine Pellets, but it is only 18 inches in length, so I ruled that box out as being way to small.

Now why the industry continues to manufacturer most litter boxes that are too small for the average cat, is beyond my understanding. The self cleaning boxes are even worse, because part of the box is taken up by the mechanism. Anyone else have thoughts on ths issue?
 

catapault

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Been there, done that. Different litter but my issue is a cat that is a stand up pisser. Yes indeed, not all the time but some of the time Mr Poe will start in the normal squat and then - while still urinating - will gradually rise up until he is on all four paws shooting urine straight out towards the side of the box.

Solution? Get a translucent plastic storage box of suitable dimensions. You need a longer one. I needed a taller one. There's something for everyone. Their cat, that is.
 

basscat

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If your cats don't "stand" to do their thing, just go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a Medium size Cement Mixing Tub.
 

jen

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I never ever put that much thought into box size honestly. In all the dozens of cats I have had. Now I just use rubbermaid storage tubs, with a hole cut in the lid (or front if you prefer). You can literally get any size you want.
 

Neko-chan's mama

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I think the reason so many litter boxes are too small is for humans not cats. Most people want the box in a small out of the way area and don't really consider the cat's needs when choosing to share their life with a cat.
 

Youcantseemegrrr

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Been there, done that. Different litter but my issue is a cat that is a stand up pisser. Yes indeed, not all the time but some of the time Mr Poe will start in the normal squat and then - while still urinating - will gradually rise up until he is on all four paws shooting urine straight out towards the side of the box.

Solution? Get a translucent plastic storage box of suitable dimensions. You need a longer one. I needed a taller one. There's something for everyone. Their cat, that is.
Funny you said that I have a female who starts in the squat position then stands up and continues to pee over the box. Not all the time but enough
 

gilmargl

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Now why the industry continues to manufacturer most litter boxes that are too small for the average cat, is beyond my understanding. The self cleaning boxes are even worse, because part of the box is taken up by the mechanism. Anyone else have thoughts on ths issue?
:)I think I own your "ideal" litter box. Somebody in the neighbourhood had thrown it out, so I brought it home. It is at least 27 inches long, 17 inches wide and (with a hood) 18 inches high. You know all the advantages (for the cat) so I'll list some of the disadvantages for me!
  1. First thing I noticed on bringing it home: it's too big to clean indoors. OK in summer with a hosepipe outside, but there's no hot water out there.
  2. It takes a lot of litter to fill it.
  3. At some point in time, I have to empty it completely and give it a good wash: there's a lot of litter to dispose of all in one go. Added to which, I have to carry it all up a flight of stairs, which is not something I want to do very often.
  4. Three of my cats tend to walk straight in and pee at the opening, where the litter is not as deep as at the rear of the box.Together they form one large solid clump at the front. The small cat goes to the back, where I find small clumps. But basically, I only have to scrape out one large clump of litter at the front and pick out the smaller loose clumps at the back. The sides are not used at all.
  5. Solid matter is well distributed, mainly because a couple of my cats love to make a lot of noise in the box, not just scratching at the litter but scratching and pulling at the plastic hood with their claws. It resonates throughout the house! They wake us up at night with their racket.
Incidently, I have 3 other litter boxes: one standard with a hood, one standard open and one which looks like a rubber shopping basket. They are all used by the cats, though I am thinking of throwing out the standard one with a hood as the hood is not a very tight fit. Sometimes a cat will manage to pee against the hood and it leaks out onto the floor. The shopping basket is easy for me: litter clumps don't stick to the sides, it's easy to carry upstairs and empty. Can be cleaned under the shower or in the bath.

If I had to give the cats' opinion I would say that the shopping basket and the XXL litter box are their favourites. The smallest cat likes the XXL box, possibly because she can hide in it. However, when she had to wear a cone, she didn't manage to negotiate the opening - though it was large enough. Room for a better design?

So! Any comments or questions?
 

nwc

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I have a few of varying sizes. When one of my cats uses the storage container one, it seems like the high sides induce her to incessantly scratch at them. Sometimes for up to 10 minute or more. The commercial box with low/normal height sides, not so much. Not sure what's up with that, but I've seen other people on the internet complain about the same thing. Just something to consider.
 

Kieka

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I think the reason so many litter boxes are too small is for humans not cats. Most people want the box in a small out of the way area and don't really consider the cat's needs when choosing to share their life with a cat.
A lot of pet products seem to be built to human convenience. I have a rabbit and most American toys are painted bright colors, which isn't the healthiest thing for the rabbit to eat. Most cages sold in American pets stores are also way too small for whatever is meant to be kept in it. Food is the same way with fruits added to cat food just to appeal to humans.

Bottom line, pick whats best for your pet. Which when it comes to litter boxes is usually bigger.
 

kittenmittens84

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I have an arm and hammer top entry box that’s big, I want to say it’s around 27”x16”. My cat is big into litter flinging so I got a top entry box to try to keep more litter inside the box and he likes it a lot, he seems to prefer an enclosed space to an open box.

It’s basically the same size and shape as one of those rubbermade storage totes, but I was happy to pay the $10 extra for the litter box instead because it has a hinged lid which makes cleaning it easier and less messy.
 

maggie101

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Mine are storage bins. 25L 17H 18W. I do not empty the box and clean it. Your taking out old putting in new.u The litter I use has no scent and doesn't stick. Occasionally I tip it ,spray enzyme cleaner on a paper towel, or wipes especially for litter boxes. The wipes remove litter stuck to the scoop and box. None of them have covers. You cant even tell I have 3 litter boxes! The ones I bought at cosco are smooth on bottom and sides.
 
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