Everything You Need To Know About Litterboxes

 Cat perch, interactive toys, elevated feeding bowl... there are just so many things that everyone tells you to buy: but the most important is probably your cat's litterbox. 

The Box Itself

The wrong litterbox can result in accidents and other issues, sometimes even intestinal issues. That's why its important to make sure you chose the right litterbox.

The four most common litterboxes are litter pans (standard), scatter shields (ones that have high walls on 3 sides), covered litter boxes (ones with a top cover) and, of course, the self cleaning litter boxes that probably cost twice the price of the cat itself.

The standard litter boxes are perfect. There isn't really any problem for your cat, but there are some issues for us humans. Litter might trail everywhere easily, and odor control might be quite difficult. However, the good old box is still an awesome option, because odor control is usually pretty good with the right litterbox, and you'll need a litter mat anyways to control trailing.

The other popular one that many store associates will recommend is the scatter shield. These boxes have tall walls on three sides, promoting the cat to only use one side to exit the litterbox, therefore allowing you to use a tiny litter mat. However, this is usually just as good as the standard pan because I noticed that in my case, my kitten just jumped out any side of the litterbox, effectively removing the purpose. It's a better idea to place the litterbox in a corner with a large litter mat covering the surrounding area.

Then, we have the closed top ones. I do not recommend these because their primary use is to provide privacy (which cats really do NOT care about), and odor control (again, with a good cat litter, this shouldn't be an issue at all). Ultimately, these litter boxes are uncomfortable for your cat, and will also make them anxious because they won't be able to have a good view of their surroundings. 

Finally, we have the self cleaning litter boxes, which I do not recommend for a first-time cat owner for a variety of reasons, but that's a story for another article.

The Litter Inside The Box

What goes inside the box is just as important as the box itself. I usually use standard clumping litter for my cat, and my experience goes between 3 brands.

1. So Phresh Advanced Odor Control

This was my first cat litter, and will probably be the first for many others as well. It has great clumping and is pretty standard-weight. However, the big flaw with this one is the fact that the odor control is TERRIBLE. The whole room smelled of cat poop with this one, and we had to use an additional litter deodorizer on top of the litter. So, not the greatest idea.

2. Arm & Hammer HardBall

This was a cat litter I tried because I felt like my litter wasn't clumping so well (turns out that was the fault of my scoop!). It's a very lightweight orange-color litter that does not have great odor control. Also, the clumping wasn't as awesome as I expected: it was just as good as others for my case. It did make the clumps a little more 'elastic' though, which might be useful to help it not break in some cases?

3. Scoop Away Cat Litter

This is an awesome cat litter: it's pretty economical as well if you buy it at Costco☺. It provides great clumping, and one of the best odor control systems, and even has an ammonia blocker built into it. I think it's the best cat litter for a first time user. If I had to note a downside, it might be on the heavier side of litters, but everything else about it clearly makes up for this. 

The Litter Scoop

There are some litter scoops that are harder to use than others. I currently use the Litter Lifter, a great scoop that requires almost no shaking at all! However, I did start with a $3 litter scoop that was no good. 

Below is an awesome video from cats.com about the best litter scoops.