Cat Owners

Options
24

Replies

  • warneg
    warneg Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    FWIW, my vet recommended the open kind. Had something to do with the cat being sensitive to the odor/bacterial buildup in there which caused the cat to hold off peeing, then he got a bladder infection. Anyhoo, I took her advice and he's been fine since. Good luck with your new baby when you get it!
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    Options
    http://litterobot.com

    Expensive, but the best litter box I've ever had.
  • SkyPixie
    SkyPixie Posts: 224
    Options
    I think if your kitty is young enough you can train them but mine was quite old (19) when she finally gave in and had to have a tray inside and she would not use it .. which got a bit messy in the end :frown:

    So she has an open tray and even tho she is now 20 she can still kick litter all the way down my hallway like an Olympic champion :laugh:
    If kitty doesn't take to it my advice is buy buckets of litter and keep a hand held vacuum handy !
  • sweetpea7441
    sweetpea7441 Posts: 149 Member
    Options
    My 2 have the hooded one - they are 10 years old now and probably had that type of tray for the past 5 years.

    Was not a problem. Only thing was I did remove the cat flap on it, simply because the one cat tends to bully the other one and I wanted him to be able to have a fast escape out of his toilet...
    :-)
  • Sherriediva1
    Sherriediva1 Posts: 345 Member
    Options
    Kitties are so special! Take your time to find one well matched to you!!
    And because I can't help it...here's my Mo girl!!

    4h4fme.jpg
  • Curvy1taliana
    Curvy1taliana Posts: 371 Member
    Options
    My cat had the hooded typed with a door thing when he was little but he is part Maine Coon and is very large so it got too small for him. I then bought him one that is "partially hooded" as in, the front is open (not a door) and the top goes halfway... so he can jump out as he pleases. He likes his privacy so I turn it around facing the wall :wink:
  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
    Options
    Kitties are so special! Take your time to find one well matched to you!!
    And because I can't help it...here's my Mo girl!!

    4h4fme.jpg

    Your girl is so cute.....

    It's been ages since I had a kitten and so looking forward to getting another one....I'm not going to rush into it. at least not until I get the supplies......Going to look at Big W tomorrow to see what they have.....
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Options
    I have seven cats and six litter boxes (technically, I should have 8 since you should have one for each cat plus one, but I don't have room in the house for more than that and I refuse to have a litter box in my bedroom or kitchen). All but one box is covered, but none with door flaps, and the one that isn't has really high sides... it looks like a covered box, but without the roof. Most of my cats are major diggers and thrashers... I'd have litter EVERYWHERE.

    My favorite box is the one by Tidy Cat. http://www.tidycats.com/Products/Accessories/LitterBox.aspx

    Hinged lid and rounded sides make scooping easier... no corners where litter gets stuck. Should be about $20. When I got mine, it came with about $15 in litter coupons.

    Favorite litter is the Arm & Hammer Essentials. It's clumping, but corn based instead of clay based. So not only is it better for the cats and the environment, it's not as heavy as regular litter. Not a big deal if you have one cat, but with seven, and a 30 pound limit on city garbage bags... I can get some seriously heavy trash! There's also other corn based litters, as well as pine based and wheat based, but the A&H seems to be the most accessible (no need to go to a pet supplies store) and best priced.

    Although the best clumping is Scoop Away. That thing makes clumps so hard you could toss them through someone's window, if you were so inclined and hated them bad enough. :laugh:
  • Katanthus
    Katanthus Posts: 348 Member
    Options
    THE best cat litterbox ever, is the LitterRobot, if you can afford it. It is well worth the money. It automatically cleans the box, by rotating itself. You pull out a drawer, grab the trash bag, and throw it in the bin. Replace trash bag, and you are done. It uses less litter, saves time, and there is no smell. Tried all the other types, Littermaid, and other, and they really are awful. This was expensive, but it was wonderful. I say, "was", we still have it, but my kitty died suddenly on the way to the new house, and I am still devastated, so no new kitties yet, but will use it again, if I get another cat.

    http://www.litter-robot.com/?gclid=COLo-qWJvLACFQSxnQodWWyOqQ
  • iwillrideagain
    iwillrideagain Posts: 10
    Options
    each cat is diffrent i have 3 cats now did have 4 rip maria she didnt like the flap so we had a hooded one but took flap out as they would fling the litter everywhere !! hope you have many happy years with your furry friend :smile:
  • kikilieb
    kikilieb Posts: 118 Member
    Options
    Can't speak for all cat preferences (since I only have two and am obviously not one), but mine absolutely hated the hooded litter tray we initially bought, and spent large amounts of time trying to knock the top off. They seem to prefer to stand actually on the edge of the litter tray than right inside it (presumably to stop their little cat feet getting dirty), and obviously this isn't possible with a hooded litter tray.

    Your cat(s) might be completely different though - see if it's well-received (if it's already litter trained and is used to a different type, possibly not very), and if not you can always switch to the regular kind. As long as you empty it regularly, there shouldn't be any problems (and if you don't have a "sociable" place to keep it - ours is in the garage to avoid any problems on this front - odour masking cat litter works quite well).

    This^ My cats like to stand on the edge as well. Also, within six months to a year old they would have been way to tall for the hood anyway (my cats are very tall!)

    Also, i found that i didn't like the way the hood trapped odors. Of course i don't want the odor throughout the house but with regular (daily) cleaning and a nice brand of litter, that hasn't really been a problem.

    I recommend "Swheaties" litter (not sure if i spelled correctly) - It is very effective and supposedly friendly to the earth (you can even flush it down the toilet in small pieces)

    I hope you get the kitty - they are a joy to have around the house :)
  • Sgriffin2382
    Sgriffin2382 Posts: 360 Member
    Options
    I have two hooded ones, one for each cat, and they love it! The one they prefer the most is the dome shaped one. More room to move around in (I have fat cats). The best part is the stairs to get in and out. They catch the stray bits of litter on their feet. Enjoy your fur babies!!

    Here is a link for it : http://www.amazon.com/Booda-Dome-Cleanstep-Cat-Titanium/dp/B0002DH8L4
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
    Options
    I have two cats.. at first I just had a stand alone kitty litter box. When we went to sell our home, I purchased a woven wood-like litter box cover. I think my cats like it. They get their privacy and most cats like to be in small places anyway. It also contains the smells more and mine looks more like a piece of furniture. I got mine at walmart for like $24 or something like that.
  • Rwtmo
    Rwtmo Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    If you don't have much room, one of these is useful

    _dsc5214_8.jpg

    http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter_litter_boxes/hooded_litter_box/litter_boxes_without_filter/214086

    You just put an ordinary tray inside.
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,849 Member
    Options
    My cat had no issue with the hooded ones. We had to get one because with just the tray he'd shoot his litter and droppings across the floor.
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    I have used both with my cats. They didn't care either way. Currently we have a hooded one. I'm about to attempt to train them to the use the toilet, though.:love:
  • flyingwrite
    flyingwrite Posts: 264
    Options
    I tried the hooded litter box when my three were kittens. It lasted about a day. The Maine Coon pooped in my Zen Garden sand box. He would walk over to the litter box, stick his head inside and obviously decide I was trying to Napalm him, walk away and pee on my bed. With cats, just like beer, I've found open containers work best. :drinker:
  • Schraudt814
    Schraudt814 Posts: 496 Member
    Options
    Mine has the hooded one and he seems to like it...

    are you getting a cat or a kitten? If you get a young kitten, I found when I got mine that most litter trays are too big for them for the first few months. I ended up getting just a shallow tupperware container at Target and using that. After that, the transition from shallow tray to hooded litter box was no problem at all. It will take some time for you to learn your cat's preferences...but you can be sure if they do not like what you get they will let you know- quickly.

    That's exciting though so good luck and have fun getting to know your kitty!
  • ajball90
    ajball90 Posts: 211 Member
    Options
    Can't speak for all cat preferences (since I only have two and am obviously not one), but mine absolutely hated the hooded litter tray we initially bought, and spent large amounts of time trying to knock the top off. They seem to prefer to stand actually on the edge of the litter tray than right inside it (presumably to stop their little cat feet getting dirty), and obviously this isn't possible with a hooded litter tray.

    Your cat(s) might be completely different though - see if it's well-received (if it's already litter trained and is used to a different type, possibly not very), and if not you can always switch to the regular kind. As long as you empty it regularly, there shouldn't be any problems (and if you don't have a "sociable" place to keep it - ours is in the garage to avoid any problems on this front - odour masking cat litter works quite well).

    My cat does the same thing standing on the edge of the litter tray, so I personally wouldn't buy a hooded litter tray. Also, she was already litter trained when I got her, so I would feel mean changing to a hooded one, because it would be so different. But really its up to you, because both are good, just depends what the kitten is already used to when you get her.
  • asasser2002
    asasser2002 Posts: 26
    Options
    I had a hooded litter box at one time.. more of a pain to clean it out.. it does contain the mess though. Now, I just use a good ole Sterilite storage container - only $6. It's about 12" tall I guess and it contains the mess without me having to fight with a lid everytime I need to scoop! Keeps the dogs out of it too. :) If you get a kitten they can adapt to pretty much anything... adult cats not so much. Please don't shop... ADOPT! :)

Categories