We have two cats approximately 10 pounds each and we got a clear plastic lidded blue litter box that we really like. The opening is on the end. We have one of those gray kind of rubbery mats under the box made for catching litter when they crawl out of the box. That does a pretty good job. We got the litter box and mat at Walmart. We use Tidy Cat for multiple cats clumping litter and always have. The litter box is in our laundry room too, so easy to sweep up any litter that might not get trapped by the mat. I clean out the litter box every day.

I favor the typical, large open box and the largest I've ever found was made by Petco. Unfortunately Petco doesn't make/carry the large size anymore and the next largest size I've found is this one by Nature's Miracle. I have two long, tall cats and one of them (a male) weighs 20 lbs, so I have to have a large box with tall sides.

Anything with a lid would never work for my cats since their head would hit the top. I'm not a fan of the top-entry because the boxes aren't very large and my cats like seeing what they're stepping on/into. Plus, I don't think the design is ideal for exiting the box, especially for a large, older cat since they have to jump straight up to get out of the box. And if you have more than one cat they may not use it at all since cats become wary if they can't see what's outside the box waiting to ambush them.

As for pads........I don't need another item to worry about buying, cleaning and throwing away. If litter is doing it's job, pads shouldn't be needed. I keep a large, washable decorative rug under each litter box. It catches most of the litter that is tracked out and if it gets beyond the rug, it's more a problem with the brand of litter than the cat.

JMHO......;)

Do you currently have a hooded box? Some cats don't like them. We've had all sorts of litter boxes and what we have usually depends on the cat and what they like.

For years we used a plastic file box- actually bought 3 or 4 over the years, because they were deep and the inside was smooth (easy to scoop and clean). We had one cat who sort of stood up when she peed, so high sides all around were a must.

OTOH our current cat has a low, cheapo $6 pan from Target. He doesn't like to be enclosed and doesn't like to be in deep boxes. He is good with this box, though there is more tracking.

Anyway, I'd look at what you are currently using and how the cats do with that. Are your cats laid back and adaptable? Or sticklers? I've had both. Personally I wouldn't spend too much on a litter box because it may not work out. Years ago we bought one of those self-sifting pans, that was way more trouble than it was worth. Anything that has some sort of neat catch to it, is a neat catch that you will have to clean gummy clay out of... :^s

If it aint broke, don't fix it.. but ... I have been a cat owner for more than 25 years. if you have room, I have always heard it recommended that you have at least 1 box per cat and maybe an extra one (ie, 3 boxes, in different areas, for 2 cats).

If your layout does not allow room for that, and they are using the box without a problem, disregard. Just my .02.

I just buy the huge, cheap boxes. I get them on chewy.com for around $5, so I toss the whole thing every few months. I have no interest in scrubbing a litter box so it works for us.

I've used many covered ones in the past and I prefer open ones now for ease of cleaning. The covered ones are nicer to look at but they are so expensive for some big ones, like $30+.

We've always had a hooded box and they are fine with that. I've always bought the cheapest WalMart litter, maybe that is the issue with tracking. Both cats are pretty laid back.

Lindaohnowga, I saw that box that you have. Looks pretty similar to mine and had the added bonus of the opaque top to let in light.

The dogs search the box for the hidden cookies and have no problem with navigating the hood (gross dogs!). I was thinking that a top entry would help with dog snacking issues too. I am on the fence and might try the cheaper one prior to spending $139 for one :-) The expensive one has an optional side door though, and a tarp like liner that holds the litter for easier cleaning.

Tackycat, I considered a second box in the guest bathroom. That could be an option.

Thanks everyone for your input! It helps to hear other's experiences and preferences.

I used to have a top entry, now have a hooded front entry. Biggest recent difference in the cat sanitation department was switching to The World's Best Cat Litter, thank you to everyone who recommended it because it has really made a difference.

Pkponder, I bought several identical bathroom rugs and any tracked litter gets caught in the rug, I have two sets of 3 rugs for around the cat box, I just shake out one set and launder it maybe once a week but immediately put the other set down.

We have two of the same as annztoo! They work great for our larger, part Maine Coon kitty and are easy to clean!

PKponder, we currently use Fresh Step because we need an unscented litter for this cat and the FS seems to control his odor better than any other unscented we've tried to date. The FS is probably the worst tracking litter we've ever used, but given that it stays fresh smelling so long, we live with it. Our solution was to get a dust buster type vac- a few seconds a day to suck up all the stray litter.

Forgive me if I sound like a salesperson, but we could not be happier with our Litter Robot! Yes, it was expensive, but we feel it was totally worth the cost. Why? NO MORE SCOOPING! We have five cats and there is no way I was going to follow the "a litter box for each cat" rule. I don't have that much room, LOL. Nor do I want to go from room to room and box to box to scoop the poop. It is automated. Uses electricity, but has a battery backup. Solid blue light means the box is available. Red means it is in use or a cat recently exited. Flashing blue light means it's time to change the bag. With five cats, that amounts to 2 or 3 times a week. Any clumping litter will do. None of the cats had any problem using it after we replaced their previous box. And their customer service is awesome. Here's Bruno checking it out.

donna_loomis I'm so glad you put that. I too have been thinking of the liter robot. We have a .... well a lot of cats haha and I've been looking into it. Like you said that's a lot of boxes and also this one you just dump the tray. Anything else you can tell me about it? How long have you had it?

I have 2 cats, both over 10 lbs. I got tired of the litter particles, and one of the cats has a tendency to pee over the sides of a normal box. I have 2 boxes, one I made out of a large, clear plastic storage bin, similar to what quasifish mentioned. I cut a hole in the side of the box, and it is up high enough to put a fair amount of litter in. I took a stick lighter and melted the edge of the opening so it wouldn't be sharp. It's their favorite litter box.

I also have another covered litter box that they use, but they don't like it as much as the storage bin one. I think since it's clear, they don't feel so confined. I have washable rugs underneath both boxes. As others have said, it all depends on the cat's preference.

Hareball, I checked my receipt. We have had the robot for 15 months. 15 scoopless months. If you go to the litter robot site, you can download the manual, which will tell you all about how it works and troubleshooting, etc. The bags are also expensive, and in the beginning we bought them, but we found that a 13-gallon kitchen garbage bag works as well. You don't even dump the tray. Just pull the bag out, tie it up and carry it to the trash.

I have the covered box for Libby, and have it sitting on the sort of tray that one puts under washing machines.

I've never had a covered box for my cats. I have five boxes for three cats. Four are in the basement and one in the sunroom. It's a large box I got at Target. My 24 pound Maine coon fits so all is good.

That litter robot looks pretty interesting Donna_Loomis!

I love the idea of using a big tote too, genius!

We do have a small vac that is stored right behind the laundry room door that is used to clean up the litter. I really should be using rugs like so many of you do. That would probably limit the amount that gets tracked out of the LR.

When we had 9 cats plus dogs who loved to raid the litter boxes, we solved that by building tables that the dogs couldn't reach and we had 3 cement mixing trays for litter boxes, one on each of the 3 tables. Worked great.

Two large cats 12 & 13 lbs. Have a jumbo covered box and use scoopable Tidy Cat. Box is scooped 2-3 times a day. Also vacuum the laundry room and adjacent hall after each scooping.

https://www.chewy.com/petmate-hooded-litter-pan-set/dp/111827?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Petmate&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7PnMt9P52gIVxsDACh3FZwr_EAYYAiABEgK_L_D_BwE

Wow scooping and vacuuming 2-3 times a day is a lot! I wish I were that dedicated.

Me too, Chi!

I'm retired, so that helps. It's just part of my routine. Dh pitches in when he's home. We keep a cordless Riccar in the hall utility closet, so everything is super convenient.

I also scoop several times a day. I'm retired and it only takes 2 minutes. But I'm basically lazy and use my swiffer to push tracked litter up against the litter boxes until I sweep and mop.

I also use a big tote, putting the lid on is optional. We have 2 boxes and 1 cat.

Just wanted to mention something. Be careful keeping the boxes too clean. Cats like having a place with their smells. Even Galaxy Jackson (My Cat From Hell show) says he only gives his litter boxes a good scrubbing about once every 6 months. Yes he scoops them and changes them out but doesn't use anything to harsh to remove the cats smells. I hope this makes sense haha

We have two large cats, one is a Maine Coon. We are using a cement shape super tub as a litter box. The cats love it. They ignore the other litter boxes in favor of this one. We love that it has a smooth bottom for scooping.

Shape Super Tub

I'd like to thank you all for your thoughtful responses.

I just placed an order for The World's Best Cat Litter that Lucille mentioned above. I think we'll try a opaque tote with a top entry cut into it. At least we can cut a front entry if the top doesn't work out.

Most of the dog shenanigans occur when I am sequestered in my office working and my husband is at work, we keep the box fairly clean and scoop almost every day but only once. When we are working, they take advantage or maybe act out because we've left them alone. I'm just hoping to cut down on that.

One thing I've been doing for a couple months that cuts down tracking and also I would think might cut down dog snacking is turning the opening of the cat box toward the wall. It is about 7 inches from the wall so when the cat leaves the box, she has to step out and then turn and walk down the side, and all of that has bathroom rugs under, so by the time she gets to the real floor the rug has all the tracked littler instead of her paws.