Cat Litter Boxes & Trays

About

Almost every litter problem a cat has is a tray problem first. A cat litter box that is too small, too enclosed, too dirty or in the wrong place is the most common reason a cat starts going somewhere else, and it is far easier to fix than the behaviour it causes. Size, and the one-plus-one rule A tray should be about one and a half times the length of the cat from nose to tail base, which is larger than most trays sold as standard, and large cats routinely end up in trays they cannot turn around in. The other rule worth following is one tray per cat plus one spare, kept in separate rooms rather than lined up together — two trays side by side count as one to the cat. Kittens and older cats need a low entry they can step over without climbing; a deep-sided tray that suits an enthusiastic digger is the wrong choice for a fifteen-year-old with stiff hips. Open, hooded, top-entry or sifting Open trays are the ones most cats prefer: full visibility, nothing to squeeze into, nothing to trap smell. The CatMate and M-Pets rimmed trays are this style, and the rim is what stops litter being flicked over the side. Hooded boxes contain scatter and odour and give a nervous cat privacy, but they concentrate smell inside, so they need scooping more often, not less — the Catit Loo and the Catit Airsift with its filter system are the covered options here. Top-entry boxes such as the M-Pets Sile cut tracking to almost nothing and are useful where a dog raids the tray, though they do not suit older or arthritic cats. Sifting systems take the scooping out: the Catit Smartsift and Catsift separate clumps with a lift or a roll, and the Ezi-LockOdour dual layer kits drain urine to an absorbent pad below so the litter above stays dry. The PETREE 2nd Gen is the fully automatic end of the range. Kits, and what to pair a tray with The CatMate three-piece and five-piece kits and the Ezi-LockOdour standard, XL and hooded kits bundle the tray with the scoop, liner or pad, which is the simpler way