Cat owners sometimes face the difficult task of training their pet to urinate in the cat litter box. A successful solution to the issue depends not only on the character of the pet, but also on the tray offered to the cat. But how can you not get confused in the wide range of models presented in the pet industry and choose the right toilet accessory?
Our rating will help you decide. It is compiled based on consumer ratings and contains descriptions of important product characteristics. The article shows the pros and cons of the selected products and their current prices. Read our review and choose the optimal model that simultaneously meets your requirements and the characteristics of your pet.
Standard trays
These are vessels that may additionally have a mesh. They come in different sizes and colors, with and without high sides. It is better to use a container with a mesh, because... it allows urine to seep down, leaving the paws dry. These litter boxes are ideal for kittens because they are easy to climb into. They are compact and cheap. But here, perhaps, are all the advantages. The rest are cons.
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Cats don’t like a regular toilet without a mesh or litter because their paws get dirty, and cats, as a rule, don’t like a mesh because their claws get caught in it. If you pour filler into such a tray, it can easily be scattered around. If you place it under the sink, water may get into it. The design does not retain odor. Therefore, the only reason why you can purchase it for your pet is a desire to save money or a temporary solution.
Kitten's first litter box
There is no need to buy a litter box for an adult cat right away.
When training a kitten to use the litter box, it is important to develop an adequate attitude towards the cat litter box in the animal.
Since the kitten is still very small, it is also logical to take a small tray with low sides. A kitten may be scared of a large tray, and high sides will make it uncomfortable to go to the toilet. This can form a negative attitude towards the litter box in the animal.
By the way, in the first stages it is also better to take medium-sized filler. But make sure that the kitten does not chew it.
I recommend buying the first tray inexpensively - small in size and with low sides. So that the kitten can enter it without hindrance.
Whether you use filler or not is up to you. I have already shared my opinion about fillers in my publication.
Tray with rim, mesh or film
If you add removable sides to a standard tray, and attach a special film under them on which you can pour filler, you will get a very convenient budget solution. After the cat has gone to the toilet, the side is detached, the film is taken away along with the sand, and then thrown into the trash.
But such trays do not solve the problem of the animal’s desire to retire, feeling safe, and also the fact that at the most interesting moment water may drip into the tray if the toilet is located under the washbasin.
Tray houses
An excellent choice for cats, including Scottish cats, is a closed litter box. Below these are ordinary trays with high sides, but on top they have walls and a roof, as well as a door. They are larger than standard and well suited for large cats. In addition, they create a sense of privacy, so this toilet can be placed almost anywhere. In addition, the houses retain odor if you use a door and a special filter.
The houses are more expensive than regular trays: the price starts from $20.
The disadvantages include the fact that not all cats easily master the art of using the door, which must be butted with their heads, to enter and exit the toilet. Many cats are unable to do this. Some people find dangling doors intimidating, so the litter box must be used without a door, which impairs its odor-holding abilities. However, a house even without a door is an excellent solution that cats like so much.
In addition, the appearance of such a tray is more aesthetically pleasing. It can even be made in the form of a vase with flowers (see photo). But you will have to look for such a tray in foreign online stores.
House trays are different. Take a model that has a hinged lid. Otherwise, you will have to disassemble the structure every time during cleaning, which is quite inconvenient.
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Tray for an adult cat
As your pet grows, you need to prepare to change the tray. I changed my cat's litter tray to an adult one when he was about 9 months old. The second tray was not very large, medium with slightly higher sides.
We eventually switched to an enclosed litter box.
But let's look at what types of trays there are and which one is advisable to buy in each specific case.
Traditional plastic tray with low sides with or without mesh
Such trays are the most common; they can be found in every zoo and not only pet stores. The average height of such a tray is 8-9 cm with an average size of 37*27 cm. If your cat has no problems going to the toilet, you can choose such a tray.
This tray has both pros and cons.
Pros:
- Low cost - you can easily keep it to 300 rubles.
- It takes up little space - even in a small bathroom you can put it in a corner and it won’t get in the way.
- Easy to clean - since the tray is small in size, it is easy to clean.
Minuses:
- The filler often ends up outside the tray and spreads throughout the room. The cat buries waste and the litter scatters.
- The animal may make mistakes - walk past the tray. Especially if the cat is big.
- The cat may refuse to go to the small litter box several times. A cat is a fastidious creature, and if you are away from home all day, your pet may refuse to go into a dirty litter box. In this case, there are two ways out - go next to the tray or endure it. The first option will not bring you joy, the second option is fraught with health problems for your pet.
By the way, if you still choose just such a small tray, I recommend purchasing it with a mesh for the first time. At the same time, see which option is more convenient for you. The grid can eventually be removed. But it's more hygienic. Liquid waste falls under the mesh, therefore there are fewer odors and the tray is cleaner.
I don’t recommend buying such a tray for large animals - the cat should have a place to turn around and dig. For larger breeds (especially Maine Coons), buy a larger litter box.
Large open tray
A larger litter box will be comfortable for most adult cats. Their sizes are different - 50*36, 51*40, 56*39 and so on. My cat has a tray measuring 58*40 - king size. There are also large corner trays - convenient for some rooms.
Pros:
- The pet is comfortable - if the tray is large, the cat has room to turn around.
- Convenient if there is more than one animal in the household. If only your cats are ready to go to the same tray.
- A varied price range - from 250 rubles.
- You can safely leave your pet all day and not have to clean it several times a day.
- The filler is less likely to be carried around the house.
- Less odor due to large space and more filler in the tray.
Minuses:
- Takes up a lot of space. If the bathroom is very cramped, it will be difficult to find a place to put such a large tray.
- Cleaning is more difficult and takes longer.
According to my observations, more is not better. I noticed from my cat that he does not use the entire area of the tray. He has a favorite part of him and goes to mostly the same place. However, if you leave the cat alone for several days, such a tray can be a real lifesaver. So from the larger sizes it is not necessary to choose the largest one.
Tray with high sides
This is my choice - my cat has a large tray with high sides.
Which sides should be considered high? Again, based on our own observations, high sides can be considered a tray height of 22 cm and above. My cat's litter box has a side height of 23 cm. And I can say that I could have looked a couple more cm higher.
Such trays, as a rule, are equipped with an entrance, that is, they have a slight decrease in level (high sides are most often overhead and this is very convenient - if necessary, the side can be removed and the tray will become lower).
There are also cascade trays - the maximum side height can reach 27 cm, and the minimum 15.
But when choosing, you need to understand that if the cat goes to the toilet not towards the high side, but towards the exit, then he can do his business by passing by. In our case, the entrance is not very wide, so there are no problems. At the same time, the cat can enter the litter box without hindrance - he does not have to jump into it.
You may think that a tray height of 23 cm is a lot. Not really. Do not forget about the level of filler under and above the mesh (in my case it eats up about 3 cm).
The advantages are basically similar to those when using conventional large trays:
- Convenient for the cat. The combination of a large tray and high sides gives the animal a place to dig.
- The filler almost never ends up outside the tray. This is perhaps one of the main advantages.
- If your pet has a habit of going to the toilet past the tray due to illness or other reasons, high sides will save urine from getting past (everything will flow down the sides inside).
- You can clean the tray less often.
Minuses:
- There is a chance that the cat will not like the high sides. I didn’t have to train my cat - he immediately went to the new litter box and liked it.
- Takes up a lot of space - such trays are rarely small, so more space needs to be allocated.
- The cost of such trays is on average higher – from 500 rubles.
- Cleaning takes longer, but you have to clean less often. And general cleaning includes disassembling the top cover. Plus, periodically you have to wash the joints between the main part of the tray and the side - urine can accumulate there.
This litter box is perfect for those cats that walk by. And also if you are worried about the scattering of the filler. From such a tray, filler granules sometimes fall outside its boundaries, but these are isolated cases.
Closed tray house
If your cat is already quite an adult and previously he always went to an open litter box, then he may have problems getting used to the new toilet. Some cats are afraid of covered litter boxes, while some, on the contrary, like to retire there, and not only in the toilet area.
In this case, I can only advise you to check it from your own experience. My adult cat began to go into the litter box without any problems, but only with the door removed. In fact, the screen door for such a tray is inconvenient and I immediately removed it and do not use it. This doesn't bother me at all. And the cat does not feel any discomfort.
Pros:
- Less odors. The tray is closed on all sides, there is practically no smell.
- Aesthetics. The tray looks interesting, and guests won't have to look at a dirty tray.
- The pet won't miss.
- If the cat is very secretive and feels discomfort with an open litter box, a closed option is what you need.
Minuses:
- Not for every cat. Some cats refuse to go into such a litter box. Some are put off by the door, others are simply afraid of such a “colossus”. Not every cat perceives such a house as a toilet.
- High price. Frankly cheap models of houses are almost impossible to find. Prices start from 1000 rubles.
- Difficulties with cleaning. You need to look in and unfasten the top wall in order to properly clean. In addition, if your cat is one of those who walk by, you will often have to wash the top and sides of the house. Otherwise, the smell inside will scare away your pet and make him reluctant to go into the dirty, smelly litter box.
Biotrays are a type of house tray - they are equipped with a carbon filter that absorbs odors. Therefore, the liquid fraction can be removed less frequently. But solid waste will have to be disposed of as usual. Such trays are much more expensive.
Automatic litter box for cats
It is a full-fledged toilet that has a connection to the sewerage system. It can be made of different materials - from plastic to earthenware. The toilet is practically no different from a standard human toilet. Flushing occurs automatically. The built-in sensor prevents the flush from working while the pet is in the toilet.
Pros:
- Fully automatic system. Minimum human participation.
- Complete odor protection and no litter outside the toilet.
Minuses:
- Very high cost. From 13,000 to 50,000 rubles.
- Not sold everywhere.
- It is necessary to make a connection to the sewerage system.
- Some cats may refuse to go to such a modernized toilet, fearing the noise during flushing. And the expensive device will already be purchased and installed.
- Binding to the place due to the connection with the sewer - the toilet is stationary, it cannot be moved.
- Consumes electricity and also requires replacement of cartridges, filters, and filler (there are models with washable filler).
- At the moment, not all manufacturers can boast of trouble-free operation. There are a lot of negative reviews about automatic toilets.
I personally have not tried this option (or rather, my cat). I can’t speak clearly for or against. But at least the cost of such a device and the uncertainty that the pet will appreciate such know-how are frightening.
Automatic trays
The latest word in cat technology is self-cleaning toilets. They are installed on the floor in a secluded place and have a storage tank for sand. After the cat has gone to the toilet, a centrifuge-type mechanism is automatically activated, drawing feces into a special tank. There are toilets that do without filler at all.
You can purchase a model that connects to a human toilet, where feces are automatically sent through a special pipe. Thus, the human factor when caring for a cat’s litter box is practically reduced to zero.
The advantages of such a tray are:
- there will be no smell;
- always clean;
- the ability to save on filler;
- automatic disinfection with substances that are not dangerous to cats.
But there are disadvantages:
- high price (200-800 US dollars);
- the cat may be frightened by the loud cleaning process and start going to another place (you need to set up automatic cleaning at a sufficient interval after going to the toilet or select manual mode).
Open machine
Closed semi-automatic
Vending machine with drainage
Tray for cats with mesh
The most common, convenient and affordable invention. It consists of a plastic rectangular tray and a plastic mesh placed on top of it. It’s convenient for cats to enter it, do business, and turn around conveniently when they scoop up feces behind them. This type of tray comes in different colors, and the owner decides which color to choose based on his preferences.
A simple cat tray with a mesh.
IMPORTANT: The mesh inside the pot is needed to prevent the cat from getting its paws wet while doing the toilet. But incidents sometimes happen, so it is advisable to lay a rug under such a pot.
A tray with a mesh does not provide for the use of filler; this is the basis for the features of its use:
- After the cat has relieved itself, the tray needs to be washed, since cats are very clean and do not like to do their toilet chores in dirty and unclean places. Also, a tray that is not cleaned for a long time will spread an unpleasant odor throughout the apartment, which is absolutely not necessary for anyone.
- If the owner(s) go away for a long time and cannot clean up after their pet in time, you can purchase two litter trays for the cat.
- You can also use special cat litter for trays in small quantities. This filler neutralizes the smell of animal feces, and in this case, the pet can use it several times. Usually, newspaper is laid on the mesh, and sand is poured on top for cats.
- It happens that cats do not really like to scoop up feces in trays of this design, since the claws on their paws cling to the mesh. Then the owners can look for either trays of a different design, or come up with another solution, for example, laying newspapers on the bottom of the mesh, which they then throw away along with the filler.
Master toilet
Some owners want their cat to go to the toilet and not to his own litter box. Implementing this idea is not difficult: there is a special 21-day program for toilet training a cat, but it is only suitable for older pets. Small kittens cannot cope with this task. If you plan to toilet train your cat in the future, buy him a cheap standard toilet to use for the first time until he grows up.
Having a cat go to the toilet is convenient because... After it all you have to do is wash it off. But, on the other hand, this is not entirely hygienic, because you will go to the same potty with your pet. Besides, what if you both really want to go to the toilet at the same time?
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Automatic cat toilet
The automatic litter box for domestic cats is a new technological invention that has a self-cleaning function. Everything necessary for this - disinfection and rinsing of the tray after use - is done in such a way as not to cause harm to the animal from contact with chemicals or bacteria.
Automatic toilet for cats.
Of course, such convenience comes at a rather high price. In addition, the process of cleaning the litter box can frighten some cats who are not accustomed to this task.
Trays for cats with a lifting bottom
There are cats that, when they go to the toilet, raise their butts and spray urine around them, which causes great inconvenience to their owners. But the problem is easily solved. Standard litter trays are not suitable for these cats. They need tray houses, and those where the entrance is on the side and on top. Then the cat, while in the toilet, sprays urine on the walls, and the area around remains clean. The walls of the tray will have to be washed periodically, but the floor and walls of your home will not be damaged.
