What Type of Cat Litter Box Should I Choose?

Cats, in many ways, can be considered cleaner creatures than dogs. They have a natural instinct to constantly groom their fur and bury their droppings even though they have not been taught to do so.

However, caring for any pet is not necessarily a piece of cake, and any responsible pet owner should know which type of cat litter box is best suited for their cat and to which items they should pay attention when buying a cat bed.

Why do I Need a Cat Litter Box?

Because your furry friend needs a place to relieve himself. Cats are pretty solitary creatures that have retained many habits found in other feline species living in the wild.

The scent is one of the most critical aspects of the animal kingdom, and cats naturally know how to bury their waste. But why do they do it?

First and foremost, they do it because they are not dominant big cats like lions and tigers and don’t want to leave a pheromone trail for potential predators.

For a cat, you are the dominant creature in the household, as you provide everything it needs to survive, and your aid helps maintain a dependent relationship.

Secondly, as mentioned above, cats are clean creatures and are likely to bury their droppings to avoid the risk of parasite contamination. These parasites, at least in wild cats, can be numerous, and here we can give examples of tapeworms like Dipylidium caninum or roundworms like Toxocara Cati.

Cats Are Opportunistic Creatures

Cats like our company and the comfort we provide, but we can’t say they are attached to us in the same way that dogs are. House and wild cats have the same genetic traits, and their behavior once used to our presence is remarkably similar.

There is a joke among cat owners that we didn’t domesticate cats; instead, they domesticated us, and this story probably has a grain of truth in it.

To find out the origins of modern cats, we have to go back thousands of years to the Mediterranean Sea basin on the ships of Egyptian sailors.

Humans were beginning to engage in long-distance shipping, and cats accompanied us on our journeys, being excellent exterminators for the various rodent species found on our vessels millennia ago.

This cohabiting relationship has led over time to a pseudo domestication of the modern cat, as they are genetically indistinguishable from wild cats but obviously more docile.

How to Choose a Cat Litter Box?

There are many factors, and they all depend on your preferences. As a general rule of thumb, the litter box should be about 1.5 times the size of your cat so it can easily rotate inside when doing its business.

It’s also important to consider the box placement in your home. Cats naturally prefer slightly more secluded places where human activity is reduced, and it’s in these places where they feel relaxed enough to relieve themselves.

And when it comes to the box itself, they generally fall into two categories—those with lids and those without one. The ones without tops are perhaps the most common and have the advantage of being easier to clean.

Their disadvantage, however, is the smell and the fact that they do not have a barrier to prevent your cat from spreading the box’s contents.

The ones with lids instead have the advantage of preventing some odor from escaping and act as a barrier that keeps the contents where they belong while simultaneously being somewhat more challenging to clean.

In any case, no matter which type of cat litter box you choose, they should be cleaned at least once every two days, if not daily, with cat litter needing to be replaced minimum once a week. And speaking of this:

Don’t Forget About the Cat Litter

The boxes will be useless without the litter inside them. But what should we look at when choosing it? First, we should look for cat litter sold by established manufacturers.

Looking further afield may be a good idea if you don’t recognize the brand. Secondly, cats can be prone to allergies, and some of the scented cat litter available on the market may harm them. It’s always a good idea to speak with your veterinarian about what possible cat litter you should buy for your particular situation.

In most cases, the safest choice is to use unscented cat litter. Cats naturally prefer litter that doesn’t have a specific odor, and in case of emergencies, you can even use regular sand for your furry friend’s comfort.

Read also: Types of Tabby Cats

What Cat Bed to Choose From?

The perfect cat bed should feature a combination of factors that make it the ideal sleeping place for your fur ball. First, at least if you have a young cat, it’s best to aim for a cat bed that is scratch resistant.

Besides this, a good cat bed should also have enough padding so that your cat feels comfortable and safe. A furniture-style bed is also an option, but if your cat is a little older, it may not have the agility of yesteryear, and climbing in and out of it might be a little too challenging.

There are classic designs that look just like cushions and others that are little perches your cat can use for looking out the window. As with a cat litter box, you should aim for a bed that can be cleaned as quickly as possible.

Most of these beds can be machine washed, but if you have a cat bed that imitates furniture or is too bulky to be cleaned easily, there should be a removable cover that is machine washable.

Last but not least, we’re talking about your cat here. You can buy him the most expensive bed, made of the most exotic materials, but most likely, he will still try to sleep in his favorite box. And that’s why you love him, isn’t it?