We’ve all been there with the picky cat that you can’t seem to find just the right litter box to suit him for. But, it’s not like you can just give up, as a litter box is a vital part of being a cat owner. So, whether your cat is a kitten, getting older, or just very picky about how his litter box is kept or even how big it is, then these reviews are for you.
It’s very possible that you have three or four cats, and one of them doesn’t like sharing litter boxes, or your elderly feline friend can’t quite make the jump into that high-sided litter box anymore. Regardless of your scenario, you must find a cat litter box that works for both of you.
That’s where these reviews come in. We’ll count down our top 10, give you a few pros and cons, and even give you a guide to help you make the right choice.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Kitty Poo Club
Convenient subscription
Includes cat litter
Fully recyclable
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Best Value
Pet Mate Basic Cat Litter Pan
Easy to clean
Features a comfort grip rim
Wide base contains litter with ease
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Premium Choice
Smarty Auto Cat Litter Box
Self-cleaning
Has a light for usage overnight
Keeps up with weight and bathroom habits
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Best for Kittens
Booda Dome Cleanstep Litter Box
Has a charcoal filter
Features a non-stick round pan
Stairs preventing tracking of litter
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Nature’s Miracle Cat Litter Pan
High sided to keep litter in the box
Large enough for more than one cat
Low entry sides for entering and exiting
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The 11 Best Litter Boxes for Picky Cats
- Kitty Poo Club – Best Overall
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Box Type: High-Sided
Size: 19″L x 15″W x 10″H
Material: Recyclable materials
If you have a picky cat, you’ll love Kitty Poo Club’s disposable litter boxes. Sign up for a subscription to receive a recyclable, leakproof cardboard litter box and a fresh bag of corn & wheat cat litter every month. At the end of the month, just toss the litter, recycle the box, and set up your new one!
Click to save 25% use code CAT25
Box Type: High-Sided
Size: 19″L x 15″W x 10″H
Material: Recyclable materials
We love this subscription because it’s just so convenient. No more scrubbing your old litter box or dealing with lingering stains and odors that your cat hates! And if your cat is really picky, you can upgrade your subscription to include extras like mats, scoops, and domes.
Best of all, Kitty Poo Club offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and you can cancel anytime. Of course, all of this convenience comes at a cost, but your picky cat is worth it. That’s why we think Kitty Poo Club is the best litter box for picky cats that you can currently buy.
Pros
Convenient subscription
Fresh litter box every month
Optional extras like mats, domes, and scoops
100% satisfaction guarantee
Includes cat litter
Fully recyclable
Excellent odor control with minimal cleaning
Cons
Must sign up for a subscription
A little more expensive
At number two on our list is the best litter box for pick cats for the money. The Pet Mate Basic Cat Litter Pan takes that spot with ease. If your cat tends to be clean and neat with the litter to begin with, then this basic pan is a good option. It’s affordable, features a comfort grip rim for easy emptying, and is easy to clean. The comfort grip helps you stabilize the pan so it doesn’t buckle and spill when emptying it. The durable plastic makes for easy cleaning, and even the jumbo size is affordable.
Convenient subscription
Fresh litter box every month
Optional extras like mats, domes, and scoops
100% satisfaction guarantee
Includes cat litter
Fully recyclable
Excellent odor control with minimal cleaning
- Convenient subscription
- Fresh litter box every month
- Optional extras like mats, domes, and scoops
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
- Includes cat litter
- Fully recyclable
- Excellent odor control with minimal cleaning
Must sign up for a subscription
A little more expensive
- Must sign up for a subscription
- A little more expensive
Box Type: Open
Size: Jumbo
Material: Plastic
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As with number one on our list, the only downside to this box we saw is the open pan, which gives your cat no privacy.
Pros
Easy to clean
Wide base contains litter with ease
Features a comfort grip rim
Cons
The open box gives cats no privacy
At number three on the list is the Smarty Par Leo’s Loo Covered Automatic Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box. This little contraption looks like it landed here from outer space, but it’s our premium choice for a few reasons. The entry hole in front of the box is easy for cats to get into. The rest of the box offers great privacy as it’s completely enclosed.
Easy to clean
Wide base contains litter with ease
Features a comfort grip rim
- Easy to clean
- Wide base contains litter with ease
- Features a comfort grip rim
The open box gives cats no privacy
- The open box gives cats no privacy
Box Type: Covered, Self-Cleaning
Size: 4 cats can use it at one time
Material: Plastic
The box is self-cleaning, easy to set up, and even features a digital screen that keeps up with your cat’s weight and how often he’s using the litter box. It even has a light that you can switch on when your feline pal has to use it overnight.
Picky cats will love this box. The only downside is having to purchase replacement bags and filters, the fact that the box is quite expensive, and a few cats have been reported as being scared of the self-cleaning functions noise factor.
Pros
Self-cleaning
Has a light for usage overnight
Keeps up with weight and bathroom habits
Easy to set up
Cons
Quite Expensive
A few cats are scared of the noise of self-cleaning
You have to purchase replacement bags and filters
- Booda Dome Cleanstep Litter Box – Best for Kittens
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Box Type: Covered
Size: Large
Material: Plastic
If you have a kitten that’s just learning to use the litter box, he might be shy and nervous. He needs a litter box with an entry point he can find, but the privacy to use the box itself. That’s where our choice of the Booda Dome Cleanstep Litter box comes in at number four on the list. The stairs in the entryway are grooved to prevent your little one from tracking litter out of the box and onto your clean floors.
Self-cleaning
Has a light for usage overnight
Keeps up with weight and bathroom habits
Easy to set up
- Self-cleaning
- Has a light for usage overnight
- Keeps up with weight and bathroom habits
- Easy to set up
Quite Expensive
A few cats are scared of the noise of self-cleaning
You have to purchase replacement bags and filters
- Quite Expensive
- A few cats are scared of the noise of self-cleaning
- You have to purchase replacement bags and filters
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Box Type: Covered
Size: Large
Material: Plastic
Featuring a non-stick round pan, the box also has a charcoal filter in the roof to ensure no odors filter down and out into your home.
The only downsides to this domed litter box include having to purchase replacement charcoal filters and it not being easy to clean because it’s enclosed instead of an open pan.
Pros
Stairs preventing tracking of litter
Features a non-stick round pan
Has a charcoal filter
Cons
Must purchase replacement filters
Not easy to clean
A great litter box for picky cats, in our opinion, is Nature’s Miracle Just for Cats. Extra-large, it features plenty of room for your cat to turn around or for more than one cat. It has high sides to keep the litter inside the box but isn’t so high that your cat has a problem jumping in and out. In fact, the entry point has been kept lower for that very reason.
Stairs preventing tracking of litter
Features a non-stick round pan
Has a charcoal filter
- Stairs preventing tracking of litter
- Features a non-stick round pan
- Has a charcoal filter
Must purchase replacement filters
Not easy to clean
- Must purchase replacement filters
- Not easy to clean
Box Type: High-Sided, Open
Size: Extra Large
Material: Plastic
Another reason we love this litter box is the odor control and non-sticking properties that have been built in. No sticking litter to pry out and no nasty odor wafting through the house makes this one a winner.
The only downside to this litter box is since it’s an open pan, your cats get no privacy, which might bother some cats.
Pros
High sided to keep litter in the box
Large enough for more than one cat
Low entry sides for entering and exiting
Has odor control and non-sticking abilities
Cons
No privacy because of open pan
If you’re looking for something a little more modern in your cat litter box, but don’t want to pay modern designer prices, then the Iris Top Entry Cat Litter Box might be the best bet for you. It features a closed lid to prevent messes and has an entry point in the top of the box. However, this box isn’t just about looking good in your apartment. It is functional as well, with high sides and a top entry point that prevents spraying.
High sided to keep litter in the box
Large enough for more than one cat
Low entry sides for entering and exiting
Has odor control and non-sticking abilities
- High sided to keep litter in the box
- Large enough for more than one cat
- Low entry sides for entering and exiting
- Has odor control and non-sticking abilities
No privacy because of open pan
- No privacy because of open pan
Box Type: Top Entry, Covered
Size: Medium and Large Sizes Available
Material: Plastic
It’s perfect for tight spaces, such as the bathroom or small apartments, and even comes with a litter scoop that hangs neatly on a hook attached to the outside of the box. However, while this is a great idea for younger cats, jumping up and climbing into the box might not work well for older cats.
Pros
Closed lid prevents messes
Perfect for tight spaces
Comes with a litter scoop
Cons
May not work for older cats
- Omega Paw Roll’N Clean Cat Litter Box
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Box Type: Covered, Self-Cleaning
Size: Large
Material: Plastic
The Omega Paw Roll’N Clean Cat Litter Box is also a self-cleaning litter box, but it’s not as expensive as some others on the market today. Many self-cleaning litter boxes don’t do the job they’re intended to do, or they scare the cats using them due to the loud noises the self-cleaning function makes. This litter box is indeed self-cleaning, but it’s not automated, which means it’s more affordable and quieter as well.
Closed lid prevents messes
Perfect for tight spaces
Comes with a litter scoop
- Closed lid prevents messes
- Perfect for tight spaces
- Comes with a litter scoop
May not work for older cats
- May not work for older cats
Box Type: Covered, Self-Cleaning
Size: Large
Material: Plastic
Instead of the automatic cleaning, this box features a grill in the bottom that separates the litter from the waste, making for easy cleaning.
This one has a cover to ensure no litter is thrown out of the box and gives your feline privacy when they need it.
The only negative we found with this cat litter box was that you have to buy only clumping litter for it to work properly.
Pros
Features a cover
Easy to clean
Not automated
Cons
You can only use clumping litter in this box
There will come a time in your cat’s life where he might have a problem getting in and out of the litter box because he’s getting older. The KittyGoHere Senior Cat Litter Box can help with that. If your kitty cat is getting older and has mobility issues, this box will help. It’s easy to get into with the three-inch-high entry area but still high enough to keep the area surrounding the box clean with its five-inch high sides.
Features a cover
Easy to clean
Not automated
- Features a cover
- Easy to clean
- Not automated
You can only use clumping litter in this box
- You can only use clumping litter in this box
Box Type: Pan, Open
Size: Available in Large and Small
Material: Plastic
The design is large and comfortable enough for elderly cats to use and turn around in. In addition, it comes in two different sizes.
The only downsides to this senior cat litter box are some have reported the litter scattering too easily, and it’s said to be hard to clean as well.
Pros
Easy for older cats to jump into
Comes in two different sizes
Large comfortable design
Cons
Hard to clean
Litter falls out too easily
- Arm & Hammer Sifting Cat Litter Pan
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Box Type: Sifting, Pan, Open
Size: Large
Material: Plastic
If you’re searching for a low-tech, super easy solution to cleaning the litter box, then the Arm & Hammer Sifting Cat Litter Pan is for you and your pet. This pan makes scooping out the litter box as simple as lifting it up. Cleaning is made easy with this pan that sifts the litter away from the waste by using a three-part system. Using two regular pans and one sifting pan, you can easily keep your cat’s box waste-free and smelling good.
Easy for older cats to jump into
Comes in two different sizes
Large comfortable design
- Easy for older cats to jump into
- Comes in two different sizes
- Large comfortable design
Hard to clean
Litter falls out too easily
- Hard to clean
- Litter falls out too easily
Box Type: Sifting, Pan, Open
Size: Large
Material: Plastic
Arm and Hammer are known well for their odor control, so odor control is built into this pan. And better yet, it has a low price point to fit any budget.
The only drawbacks we found is that it can be difficult for some cats to climb into, and it only works with Arm & Hammer litter or a clumping litter.
Pros
Odor control built in
Easy to clean
Has a low price point
Cons
Can be difficult for cats to climb into
Only works with Arm & Hammer or clumping litter
10. New Age Pet EcoFlex Litter Loo & End Table
At number nine on our list of the top 10 best litter boxes for your picky cat is the New Age Pet EcoFlex Litter Loo & End Table. First off, this isn’t a litter box; it’s an enclosure for a litter box with a bit of elegance and great functionality added in. It’s easy to clean by just using a mild detergent and doubles as an end table, plant stand, or whatever you want to conceal it as. Since there are no tools required to put this piece of furniture together, it’s easy to assemble as well.
Odor control built in
Easy to clean
Has a low price point
- Odor control built in
- Easy to clean
- Has a low price point
Can be difficult for cats to climb into
Only works with Arm & Hammer or clumping litter
- Can be difficult for cats to climb into
- Only works with Arm & Hammer or clumping litter
Box Type: Furniture, Covered
Size: Jumbo
Material: Engineered Wood
The biggest drawback to this box is the price and that it requires you to buy another litter box to put inside this one since, technically, it’s not a litter box at all.
Pros
Easy to put together
Easy to clean
Can be used as furniture
Cons
Very expensive
Requires you to purchase another litter box
- iPrimio Ultimate Stainless Steel Cat XL Litter Box
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Box Type: Open, Pan
Size: Extra Large
Material: Stainless Steel
Coming in at number 10 on our list is the iPrimio Ultimate Stainless Steel Cat XL Litter Box. It’s an extra-large stainless-steel litter box that is said to be stain and rust-free. As pet owners, we all know that even the best, highest-quality, durable plastic cat litter box will eventually stain and end up retaining odors.
Easy to put together
Easy to clean
Can be used as furniture
- Easy to put together
- Easy to clean
- Can be used as furniture
Very expensive
Requires you to purchase another litter box
- Very expensive
- Requires you to purchase another litter box
Box Type: Open, Pan
Size: Extra Large
Material: Stainless Steel
Of course, it’s a little more expensive than some other plastic options on the list, but if it lasts you a lot longer, then it’s worth the money spent. Also, the stainless steel and the size of the box make it perfect for cats to turn around in and easy to clean at the same time.
The only negatives to this stainless-steel litter box are that some of the pans started to rust after a few months, and once again, the open pan again means your cat has no privacy at all.
Pros
Easy to clean
Doesn’t carry odors
Stain and rust-free
Cons
Some pans started to rust after a few months
Open top means no privacy for your cat
Easy to clean
Doesn’t carry odors
Stain and rust-free
- Easy to clean
- Doesn’t carry odors
- Stain and rust-free
Some pans started to rust after a few months
Open top means no privacy for your cat
- Some pans started to rust after a few months
- Open top means no privacy for your cat
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing The Best Litter Box for Picky Cats
Now that we’ve given you a few options for the best litter boxes out there for picky cats, it’s time to move into our buying guide. We’ll help you determine what’s the best litter box to suit your cat’s needs and tell you what to look for. First, however, you should be able to picture the perfect bathroom. For a human, that bathroom will be comfortable enough to move around in, clean, well-lit, and free of horrible odors. Now, picture your cat’s litter box. Is it the perfect bathroom for him?
If you can say the things above about your cat’s litter box, then it might be time to get another one. If your cat is a super picky animal, then you might need to take a little more time finding the perfect litter box, however. We’ll go into a few things you should consider below.
Consider the Cats
One of the first things you need to consider when choosing a litter box is how many cats you have. For example, if you have only one cat using the litter box, it’ll be easier to find one to keep him happy and to fit his needs. However, if you have multiple cats, it might not be as easy.
It’s recommended that you keep one well-kept, well-lit, and extremely clean litter box for each cat you own, plus one more. If you have multiple cats, this is important because cats can be territorial and very picky, meaning one of your cats might find another place to use the bathroom if he doesn’t like sharing, and that’s the last thing you want to deal with.
Different Cats, Different Preferences
Just like humans, cats have different preferences when it comes to their bathroom accommodations. One cat might prefer a covered litter box because he likes the privacy, while another cat might not care either way. Some cats don’t like being closed in and will prefer an open pan.
You might have to try several different cat litter boxes from our list to find the right one, especially if you have more than one picky cat on your hands.
No matter which litter box you decide to purchase, scooping it out every day and changing the litter on a regular basis will help to keep the box clean, control any foul odors, and ensure your cat is willing to use the litter box as well.
Keep Your Cat’s Age, Size, and Health in Mind
When searching for the right litter box, you need to keep your cat’s size, age, and health in mind when doing your research. For example, the litter box you choose for a kitten might not be appropriate for an elderly cat. In addition, some cats that are elderly or have certain health conditions might not be able to jump up into a litter box that has a top entry point or that has high sides.
Keep these things in mind when doing your research for the best results.
Choice of Litter Helps
The days when you had no choice on the type of cat litter you used are long gone. Today, you can choose from clumping and non-clumping litter options. The choice, however, is really up to your cat. Some cats prefer clumping, while some don’t.
Sifter boxes and self-cleaning boxes are great and easier to clean. However, if your cat doesn’t like clumping litter or he is scared of the noise the self-cleaning function makes, then you’ve wasted your money on that type of litter box.
Take your time, see which type of litter your cat likes, then do your research to find the best litter box on the list for you and your cat. Keep in mind that no matter how much you like a certain litter box, if your cat doesn’t like it or approve, then that litter box isn’t going to do you any good at all.
- See Also: 10 Best Litter Boxes for Picky Cats – Reviews & Top Picks
Final Thoughts
This concludes our top reviews of the best litter boxes for picky cats. Our best overall pick goes to Kitty Poo Club. The best litter box for the money goes to the Pet Mate Basic Cat Litter Pan for its affordability and simple design.
Sometimes, all you need is a basic box to please your finicky cat. Finally, our premium choice of the Smarty Par Leo’s Loo Covered Automatic Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box for its easy-to-set-up design and digital capabilities. These reviews should help you choose the best litter box for your picky cat, so both of you can be happy in the days to come.
Featured Image Credit: Chewy
