I have two indoor-only cats and two jumbo litter boxes that sit side-by-side. My cats are brother and sister and there's no toilet drama to worry about.

I scoop every morning, sometimes more frequently if people are coming over. I change the litter completely about once a month. In the meantime, I top up the levels. My guys like to dig so I like having plenty of litter for them. I don't line the boxes anymore because it created more mess than it was worth and the litter actually keeps the boxes clean. Sometimes, but not always, I'll really wash out the boxes outside, but usually in the warmer weather.

I switched to the jumbo boxes when I had an elderly cat who didn't get far enough inside and her pee would shoot right out over the sides of the box. The jumbo boxes with high sides (yet easy getting in and out) took care of that. I bought both of the jumbo boxes at Petco, but when I look online the one they show is smaller than mine. Mine are 24" long x 17" wide x 10" deep. They are in my office. I have a plastic bag underneath with newspapers on top, in case there's an accident, but that hasn't happened. Yes, big litter boxes are more prominent, but my office isn't really a public space and anything for happy, healthy kitties. Litter fling and tracking aren't too bad.

One of my cats has asthma, so I'm very conscious of litter dust, not to mention the general messiness. I just recently switched from Precious Cat to World's Best Cat Litter, which is recommended for asthmatic cats. My guys have taken to it without complaint and I like its lightness and mild pipe tobacco smell so much better than the clay. It seems less dusty too.

I wouldn't get an enclosed litter box for a couple of reasons. 1) Dust raised is trapped inside, not good for asthma. 2) If one kitty is inside and the other decides to be a jerk, the one inside can feel trapped and vulnerable.

With 5 cats, we have several boxes around the house and all contain clumping litter which is easier to deal with than non-clumping. Because it's clumping litter, I top off the litter as needed rather than dumping it out and replacing it. For litter boxes, we use the 18 gallon Rubbermaid totes with a door cut in the end. Our cats use them just fine. The higher sides keep things contained and that size is large enough to accommodate cats of just about any size.

We have a small coat closet in our laundry room that is dedicated to one litter box and nothing else. I have one washable, large pee pad (made for human urinary incontinence) under the box to protect the floor. I clean the area once weekly - move the box, dust the walls, mop the floor, etc. I follow this procedure for the other boxes in our home as well. In the winter, I replace the boxes one time because I don't have anywhere to wash them and I don't want to do it in a bathtub. At about $5 each, it's relatively inexpensive to buy new ones, even though I feel bad about pitching the used ones that I can't easily clean. In nicer months, March or April thru October, I take them outside, scrub them with soap and a brush and rinse with the hose.

(I have read various places that boxes should be replaced periodically anyway as they get scratched and retain odors.)

Under one of our boxes, we have one of those large plastic appliance trays to protect the floor. It helps contain the mess and can be dumped out if it collects litter.

Hope this helps!

I just took a very large Rubbermaid box like 2ft wide and tall x 3feet long adn cut a hole in the side. I put the litter box in there and, with the lid on the Rubbermaid, the smell is much better. Also, on the advice of someone here, I stopped giving her dry food all together and that has helped the smell too. Here is so cold in winter, I only really scrub out the box 3 or 4 times in the summer when I can do it outside.

I'm without kitties now, but when I had them, I put the litter boxes inside a tall garbage bag (like a liner, but I also bought liners sometimes), so when I wanted to clean and not just scoop, I would just slide the bag down far enough that I could turn it inside out, with the old litter inside. If I kept enough litter in the boxes, they did not scratch through the bags. I also placed the boxes on the lids of large under the bed type storage boxes (the litter boxes themselves were smaller than that). It helped contain the stray litter and any pee that fell outside the box.

After 40 years with cats, I was thrilled to discover World's Best, for the exact reasons you stated. I'm always surprised when litter discussions come up that someone will post they didn't like it. I just can't fathom that, when it seems like litter perfection to me!

eta: Bluebell, could you just move the dirty ones outside in the winter when you buy new ones and then just wait to clean them when the weather improves? Then you'd have a clean set for the next winter when the time comes to replace the ones in the house?

Do you have a larger pan now? It has been a few years since we lost our two very senior cats, so I don't remember the sizes, but we had an issue with one of ours going over the box. She was a larger cat (Maine Coon) and more high strung. Not sure if advancing age was part of the equation (or maybe getting a dog, and then a second dog), but I saw her not tuck her back end at all -- even squeeze and spray. As far as we could ever tell, that may have been a stress related thing because she we found nothing physically wrong with her.

We did find a larger covered litter box and put that one where she used it. It is still a mess to clean up, because the sides and rims of the top and bottom have to be cleaned. We used clumping litter and scooped at least once, usually twice a day and anytime we noticed solids (poop) or smelled anything. We started using large to XL liners that would come outside the box and cover and take all of that away to reduce the number of times we had to completely wash the pan and lid. I would use paper towels with water, Nature's Miracle, cleaning wipes or something similar to wipe everytime we changed the litter (avg 1 x week or two) or if I noticed a small mess.

Some things that may or may not apply --

if this is a new behavior, it could be a symptom of something else - health issues, stress, protest to changing litter brands (my other cat got to where she wouldn't go in the box at all and went beside it when we had scented litter)

make sure your pan is a larger one and that should be large enough for a larger cat.

Cats are weird, but I miss them.

shee--my older boy, who has diabetes, urinates a lot (despite twice daily insulin) and started to hang his butt over the litter box side! I was faced with cleaning up urine on a daily basis--ugh. I experimented with various litterboxes and configurations and finally found a combination that works perfectly. I haven't had any urine on the floor since then. Here's what I do:

1) buy a washing machine plastic pan at a hardware store, Home Depot, Lowes or the like. They sell for about 15-20 dollars. They are big flat sided pans that people use with washing machines to prevent possible leaks.

2) buy this humongous litterbox:

https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Miracle-Advanced-Corner-Litter/dp/B004N1NAMW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487279243&sr=8-1&keywords=high+side+corner+litter+box

Check out all the wonderful reviews! This is the best thing ever. It is huge and the sides are tall. But my cat was still hanging his butt out the door. So I just moved it away from a corner and turned the door side to the wall. Now he has to step over the tall sides to get in (despite his age he does this just fine) and it is far too tall for him to hang out! I put this litterbox on the plastic pan just in case any urine escapes. But none does now. And the pan catches the litter from their paws (I actually have two cats and two of these complete set ups) as they jump out.

3) I scrape the litter twice a day, and clean the entire litter box area and plastic pan once per week. I'd say I actually dump out all the litter and wash out the box once every two months--to be honest not that often. I either take it outside or use the basement laundry sink.

Hope this helps! I was SO glad to get rid of cleaning urine from the floor on my hands and knees everyday!.

Olychick, a few years ago I tried, with no success, to switch my cats from clay to pine litter. I just love the smell of it! But apparently a lot of cats hate the way it feels underpaw so I gave up. And I do really prefer clumping for containment and cleanup. My neighbors use World's Best and when I sometimes take care of their cats I was struck by how lightweight and non-dusty it is. I think it's corn-based. I put a layer of it in the box, covered by the old litter and within a couple of days had transitioned completely to World's Best. My cats are fine with it. Yay!

An easy solution for containment and easy clean up is a washing machine pan. Home Depot sells them for 22.00 and they are worth every penny!

Washer pan

We adopted an 8 year old larger kitty about a year ago and purchased a smaller litter box at first. She would just miss the box, so after a couple of days we got smart and purchased a couple of these and they work great.

https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Miracle-High-Sided-Litter-P-82035/dp/B0087Y5NKS/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1487280319&sr=1-1&keywords=natures+miracle+high+sided+litter+box

We felt bad for not having a big enough box for her as she is a great kitty and just had no choice as she did not fit the box! Live and learn.

I take care of her boxes as most of the posters have mentioned. I clean the boxes at least once or twice a day and add litter as needed. I completely wash the boxes out more often in the warmer months. and use clumping litter.

I used to do Olychick's garbage bag trick, but then we had cats with claws who tore the bag, making a mess when I emptied it.

The washer pan is brilliant! We keep our litter box in the utility bathroom off the laundry, so there may not be room with the fixtures, but I might try it!

Our box gets scooped maybe twice a day (two cats, clumping litter), topped off as needed, emptied and refilled about every 4-8 weeks. From March to October it also gets washed and left to dry in the sun when the litter is changed.

Funny, a couple of us posted at the same time about the washing machine pan and the Nature's Miracle high sided litter boxes. Go for it! It is the best combination!

We used this litter box for years when we had cats. Had tried others before settling on this, and this was by far the best. Very easy cleaning daily. Just roll the box until it is completely upside down, the clumps land in a pull out bin. Turn it back to the original position, pull out the bin and dump the clumps.

I know that some report their cats won't use covered cat boxes, but it was never a problem with ours.

Link to Omega Cat Box

Just wanted to mention something I've been using for high peeing cats. No commercial boxes seemed high enough with litter in them. I got a sheet of this white recycled plastic wall paneling that is flexible, waterproof, thin, and easy to cut with a utility knife. I think the link below is the right stuff or very similar if I recall correctly. I cut a large rectangle of it to wrap around two sides of a litter box that is in a corner and notched it to sit on the edge and continue down into the box an inch or two. It could be attached to the wall with a few cup hooks and holes in it I suppose. Could also be made to wrap around three sides of a box with a little ingenuity too. It acts like a pee shower curtain, directing all high pee down into the box. It's easy to wipe clean and holds up to them pawing at it. It could be made any height for super high peeing kitties.

http://www.menards.com/main/paint/paneling-planking/paneling/plas-tex-reg-0-06-x-4-x-8-white-waterproof-interior-wall-panel/p-1444450605703-c-8168.htm?tid=-3188832466255129256

I do pretty much as Linelle described, as far as cleaning. I read somewhere (maybe the Pets forum) about using an underbed storage box in place of a regular litter box and that's worked great, since our little cat is quite messy.

I have three cats and 3 boxes - two big high sided and one large regular. Fortunately I have a basement furnace room where I keep them because I do have someone who pees over the edge sometimes. Even with the high sides someone will occasionally pee out the low opening. They seem to do a lot of their business in the lower box. The one most fastidious cat always pees in that box in the same spot so I scoop the boxes at least twice a day. I empty and wash that one box once a week and put the used litter in the other boxes and fresh in her preferred box. She has feline uro syndrome so I don't want anything to deter her from the box and she likes it pristine. The other boxes I empty and wash when I notice anything sticking to the sides or bottom.

I started putting giant puppy pee pads under the side of the boxes where they pee over the edge. Makes it very easy to cleanup. Otherwise if they actually pee on the floor I clean with the enzyme stuff to prevent my house from smelling like a litter box.

In the past I've tried all kinds of things for an elderly cat who couldn't make it down stairs to the box. I don't recommend anything with a removable cover and a seam - they can end up peeing right through that crack and you don't even realize it. Liners are a PITA too IMHO. Someone I know got a high sided Modko box with no seam. I'm keeping that in mind for future use. I have also put a giant flat tray under the box with a pee pad to soak up anything that went over the edge. At the moment we have no such geriatric cat issues but just a matter of time with one 17 years old.

I also use a Rubbermaid storage bin with an opening cut on the long side (not the short end). I use a combo of World's Best (regular, the green package) and Nature's Miracle natural, which smells like pine. The World's Best clumps better, but the Nature's Miracle smells better. I put at least 4-5 inches depth of litter.

I used to completely replace the litter ever few months, but I haven't done it since we moved... in Nov 2015... I need to do it NOW because the litter has gotten very dusty.

The two boys share a jumbo lidded box. It's scooped 2-3 times a day and washed outdoors once a month. Litter is topped off as needed. I have a washable rug under the box and a litter tray that sits in front of the box. Doesn't catch all the litter, but it helps. I vacuum the area daily with a rechargeable stick vacuum.

So after reading this, I went out today and bought a new covered box. This one is much bigger than our old one. Would a larger one work for your big cat? I also found a new litter called sWheat that is made of, you guessed it, wheat. It doesn't have that distinctive smell of the corn based "World's Best". Not sure how it will work long term, but thought I'd give it a try. The smell of the corn based never bothered me, but other members of the family said they didn't like it.

A friend of mine recommended Dr Elsey cat litter for low dust. I've been happy with the Petco generic refillable as very low dust but just bought a bag of Elseys to try.

3katz, I used to use the Petco generic refillable litter, but found Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat to be less dusty by a small margin. Now I think World's Best (red bag, multiple cats) has even less.

daisychain01 -- I am one who didn't like the corn smell of World's Best after a couple of days, which is why I mix in the pine-scented litter. It's a perfect combination for my nose!

I never tried sWheat because there were reports of larvae and moths (similar to what people sometimes find in flour)...

I tried Dr. Elsey's but disliked it. It didn't help my cat who sometimes poops outside the box, and it doesn't clump well. Plus it is quite expensive. My favorite now is the Arm and Hammer litter--they have several types but it is basically all the same. I don't think it is very dusty at all.

We have two jumbo boxes with high sides. At this point I'm not sure if I'm going to get a different box or cut up a larger container. Since the large cat is peeing out the front I'm not sure the higher sides will make much difference. He won't use one with a cover anymore. We use Tidy Cat clumping litter. If I could buy the World's Best litter at one of the stores we frequent I'd maybe try it, but I don't feel like making another stop at this point. Thanks for the litter box links and other recommendations. It is time to replace both boxes. I really like the corner box and I'm wondering if they'll both use the same one. I never heard of the washing machine liners and like that idea. Also didn't realize they made washable pee pads so I'm going to look into them more. I like the idea of the bag liners but I could see the one chewing at it. I want to get a separate little vacuum for the laundry room. I keep the broom separate. I always feel like I need to suit up before doing any cleaning beyond just cleaning the litters out daily. We have spray for litter boxes that's supposed to help litter from sticking. I forgot I had it and don't remember how well it worked.

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

Shee, if your cat is peeing out the door of a high sided box, just turn the door side to the wall. Would that work? My 17 year old steps over the high sides with no problem, but he will pee out the door so the door-side is against a wall.

Here's a litterbox I was also considering but have not tried. It sounds like a genius invention. The cat steps in the door but must then turn to pee. Maybe worth a try?

http://www.nvrmiss.com/index.php

Emory - That might work. I was thinking about that last night. He's 22 pounds and is getting older though. Thanks for that link. That box is a good idea. I like that it's an actual litter box instead of a cut up storage container. I wish the dimensions were a tad larger. He may just pee even more outside the box, ha. Not funny really.

I know I started off this thread asking how often you clean your litter area, but I wanted to come back and update on the litter box. It was time for new ones. I looked at all the suggestions here and the measurements were too similar or exactly what I already had. (I wish they wouldn't slant the insides of most boxes!) Reviewers of the The Nature's Miracle ones were commenting how the plastic is now flimsy and the top breaks when changing litter. I still almost ordered the corner one because it was at least a litter wider than what I had. After doing a little more reseach I settled on this big mamma jamma.

Meet the Petmate Giant Litter Pan.

Petmate

Lots of review photos, but someone submitted one with their five year old kid in the box to demonstrate the size! My child also fit in the box and was happy to test it out. :)

People mentioned the photos just don't do it justice and they were surprised how large it was in real life. I found that to be true.

I do wish the front wasn't curved and I'm not sure what I'll use the sides for. Perhaps a container of disinfectant wipes. The side areas are much wider and deeper than I expected as well. The plastic has Microban antimicrobial protection and is nice and thick. Even though the sides don't look like it from photos, they're high.

The inside is shiny because I sprayed non-stick litter spray inside.

(OT note - Walls aren't black they're BM Caponata.)

I didn't buy one of those washer pans for underneath. I figure if pee does end up out of the box, whether floor or pan, I'll have to clean it up either way. I do want to get a new scatter mat. I saw a few that looked promising on Amazon. For now I put a puppy pad underneath. I see on the packaging it says there's 'built-in attractant' soooooo.... hopefully that's not an issue. Dogs and cats are different. I'll find out. I was going to order a washable one, but liked the idea of disposable in this case.

Happy with my Litter Champ too. Love that the scoop hooks to the side and doesn't touch anything!

The plastic has Microban antimicrobial protection

Isn't triclosan (microban) supposed to be toxic to cats?

Writers - Just looked it up quick and you're right, it is if ingested.

I'm keeping the box. So many things are toxic and I try and be mindful about many of them. Packaging is already gone and new box is in place. Honestly I'm not going to worry about it.