Cat litter boxes can be quite expensive. Most cat owners want to please their cats by purchasing a fancy litter box and believe that these litter boxes will be ‘better’ for their feline friends. There are so many different litter box options available for cats, but the most important question for most cat owners, is what are some good litter boxes that do not break the bank?
Well, we have reviewed some of the best budget cat litter boxes available that are budget-friendly and affordable for most cat owners. While keeping in mind the cost, design, and pros and cons of each litter box so that both you and your cat can be satisfied.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Litter Genie Cat Litter Box
Easy to handle and clean
Blends into environment
Unique design
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Best Value
Van Ness High Side Litter Box
Cheap
High rimmed design
Smooth polished finish
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Premium Choice
Petmate Booda Cat Dome
Charcoal filter included
Affordable
Non-tracking
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Arm & Hammer Litter Box
Easy to clean
Strong, durable material
Simple yet stylish design
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Pawsayes Foldable Litter Box
Includes scoop and cleaning brush
Attractive design
Easy to fold and travel with
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The 8 Best Budget Cat Litter Box
The Litter Genie Cat Litter Box is the overall best budget litter box has integrated handles which makes it easy to carry and transport to different areas. The simple design allows this litter box to blend into the environment while still providing a stylish and elegant appeal. It is constructed of flexible plastic which allows this litter box to fit into tight spaces and adapt to the space provided. The high walls help to prevent litter from being scattered when your cat digs to cover their waste, but it still falls under the tracking litter box category. The lightweight design allows you to easily dispose of your cat’s waste by emptying the litter box into the trash or pouring it into a trash bag.
Dimensions: L 22.3 × W 16 × H 17.6 inches
Features: Flexible, high walled, integrated handles
Type: Flexible litter box
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Pros
Easy to handle and clean
Blends into environment
Unique design
Cons
Difficult for cats to jump in and out
Tracking
The Van Ness High-Sided litter pan is simple and plain in design, yet affordable and convenient for both you and your cat, making it our best budget cat litter box for the money. The design is rimmed, and the surface is smooth. This litter box can easily blend into a household without standing out. It is ideal for multiple cat households or cats who like to dig without having the litter box enclosed as the high rims prevent litter scatter. The high polished finish is odor and stain-resistant, but the surface may scratch easily.
Easy to handle and clean
Blends into environment
Unique design
- Easy to handle and clean
- Blends into environment
- Unique design
Difficult for cats to jump in and out
Tracking
- Difficult for cats to jump in and out
- Tracking
Dimensions: L 20.5 × W 17 × H 10 inches
Features: Simple plain design, smooth surface, rimmed, tracking
Type: Litter pan
Pros
Cheap
High rimmed design
Smooth polished finish
Odor and stain resistant
Cons
Not scratch resistant
The premium product in this review is the Petmate Booda Dome Clean Step Cat Litter Box. This litter box is enclosed on all sides which provides the cat with privacy while containing any odors from your cat’s waste. In addition, this litter box has a fancy design for an affordable price. The steps leading into the entry hole have grooves engraved into the plastic which removes any litter from your cats’ paws, making this a non-tracking litter box. The litter pan features a charcoal filter that further contains litter box odors while keeping the surrounding environment odor-free.
Cheap
High rimmed design
Smooth polished finish
Odor and stain resistant
- Cheap
- High rimmed design
- Smooth polished finish
- Odor and stain resistant
Not scratch resistant
- Not scratch resistant
Dimensions: L 22.5 × W 22.5 × H 19 inches
Features: Dome lid, non-tracking steps, enclosed, front entrance
Type: Front entry litter box
Pros
Ideal for cats who value the privacy
Charcoal filter included
Non-tracking
Affordable
Cons
Bulky design
- Arm & Hammer Rimmed Wave Cat Litter Pan
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Dimensions: L 18.7 × W 15.5 × H 10.6 inches
Features: Long-lasting reinforced design, simple, non-tracking, rimmed
Type: Litter pan
The best product for the value of money is the Arm & Hammer Rimmed Wave Cat Litter Pan. This litter box is simple yet stylish and perfect for cat owners on a budget. The litter box features a strong reinforced design, which extends the durability of the litter box and makes it long-lasting. The overall design has a detachable rim, and the inside is grooved to remove any litter that may get caught on your cats’ feet. This litter box is easy to clean and scoop, due to the open-top design. Furthermore, this litter box has built-in antimicrobial protection, a low front design for easy entry, grip handles along the rim to make transportation easier, and the rims help to control litter scatters that would otherwise mess on the floor.
Ideal for cats who value the privacy
Charcoal filter included
Non-tracking
Affordable
- Ideal for cats who value the privacy
- Charcoal filter included
- Non-tracking
- Affordable
Bulky design
- Bulky design
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Dimensions: L 18.7 × W 15.5 × H 10.6 inches
Features: Long-lasting reinforced design, simple, non-tracking, rimmed
Type: Litter pan
Pros
Easy to clean
Strong, durable material
Simple yet stylish design
Cons
Small product design
- Pawsayes Foldable Enclosed Cat Litter Box
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Dimensions: L 16 × W 15 × H 13.4 inches
Features: Enclosed, non-tracking, lavish design, scoopable
Type: Enclosed scoopable litter box
If you are on a tight budget but still willing to spend a bit more for a lavish, attractive, and multi-purpose cat litter box, then look no further than Pawsayes Foldable Enclosed Cat Litter Box. This litter box has a lot to offer your feline friend and features a top entry design that helps to increase air circulation, dispel unpleasant litter box odors, and provide your cat with privacy while they do their business. This litter box includes a scoop, pull-out drawer for easy cleaning, a high polished finish, a cleaning brush, and molded hooks so that you can hang the scoop up when it is not in use.
Easy to clean
Strong, durable material
Simple yet stylish design
- Easy to clean
- Strong, durable material
- Simple yet stylish design
Small product design
- Small product design
Dimensions: L 16 × W 15 × H 13.4 inches
Features: Enclosed, non-tracking, lavish design, scoopable
Type: Enclosed scoopable litter box
The attractive design not only looks good in your home but also good for your cat. This is one entry, one exit litter box which helps keep litter tracking at a minimum. However, this litter box is on the smaller side, and the medium or large size is still pretty small in comparison to competitor products.
Pros
Includes scoop and cleaning brush
Easy to clean
Attractive design
Easy to fold and travel with
Cons
Small design
Slightly more expensive, but still budget-friendly
- Van Ness Corner Enclosed Cat Pan
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Dimensions: L 21 × W 19 × H 20 inches
Features: Enclosed, corner, high polished finish, hooded
Type: Enclosed hooded litter box
The Van Ness Corner Enclosed Cat Pan is cheap, space-saving, and odor-controlling while remaining affordable for cat owners on a tight budget. This litter box features a hood, fully enclosed sides and top, litter pan, and an odor door with a replaceable zeolite air filter. This cat litter box is great at eliminating odors and the high polished finish is stain and odor resistant. You can easily fit this litter box into corners or enclosed spaces without taking up unnecessary space. Keep in mind that your cat may need to get used to the fully enclosed hooded design, as they may not understand how the doorway flap works.
Includes scoop and cleaning brush
Easy to clean
Attractive design
Easy to fold and travel with
- Includes scoop and cleaning brush
- Easy to clean
- Attractive design
- Easy to fold and travel with
Small design
Slightly more expensive, but still budget-friendly
- Small design
- Slightly more expensive, but still budget-friendly
Dimensions: L 21 × W 19 × H 20 inches
Features: Enclosed, corner, high polished finish, hooded
Type: Enclosed hooded litter box
Pros
Cheap
Space-saving design
Odor controlling
Replaceable zeolite air filter
Cons
The doorway flap may be stiff
Tracking
- Nature’s Miracle Oval Hooded Flip Top Litter Box
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Dimensions: L 25.13 × W 19.13 × H 11.75 inches
Features: Odor control, top entry, easy to transport
Type: Odor controlling litter box
The odor-controlling Nature’s Miracle Oval Hooded Flip Top Litter Box comes with built-in odor neutralizers and a snap latch and flip-top opening to make cleaning easy. The enclosed design helps to prevent leakage and litter spills; however, it is still tracked. The overall design is bulky and spacious which makes it ideal for larger cats who enjoy space while they do their business. The non-stick surface makes cleaning easy, and you just have to wipe down the surface during cleaning. The odor neutralizer only lasts for three months and uses charcoal for odor filtering.
Cheap
Space-saving design
Odor controlling
Replaceable zeolite air filter
- Cheap
- Space-saving design
- Odor controlling
- Replaceable zeolite air filter
The doorway flap may be stiff
Tracking
- The doorway flap may be stiff
- Tracking
Dimensions: L 25.13 × W 19.13 × H 11.75 inches
Features: Odor control, top entry, easy to transport
Type: Odor controlling litter box
Pros
Odor controlling
Prevents leakage and litter scatter
Non-stick surface
Cons
Tracking
Bulky
- Van Ness CP5 Sifting Cat Litter Box with Frame
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Dimensions: L 19 × W 15.13 × H 8 inches
Features: Framed pan, non-tracking, sifting design
Type: Sifting litter box
The Van Ness CP5 Sifting Cat Litter Box with Frame has a framed pan that provides the litter box with height to help reduce litter spills and holds pan liners securely in place. The high polish finish makes this litter box stain resistant, but it still scratches easily. The overall design is simple and comes in three different parts that connect to form a functional sifting litter box. The plastic may be slightly flimsy, so care should be taken when detaching and reattaching the litter box. This litter box is easy to clean, and any waste and soiled litter can be sifted and disposed of effectively.
Odor controlling
Prevents leakage and litter scatter
Non-stick surface
- Odor controlling
- Prevents leakage and litter scatter
- Non-stick surface
Tracking
Bulky
- Tracking
- Bulky
Dimensions: L 19 × W 15.13 × H 8 inches
Features: Framed pan, non-tracking, sifting design
Type: Sifting litter box
Pros
Easy to clean
High polish finish
Non-tracking
Cons
Delicate design
Material scratches easily
Easy to clean
High polish finish
Non-tracking
- Easy to clean
- High polish finish
- Non-tracking
Delicate design
Material scratches easily
- Delicate design
- Material scratches easily
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Budget Cat Litter box
What makes a cat’s litter box budget-friendly?
For a cat litter box to be considered budget-friendly, it should be fairly priced for what you get. This means that the litter box may not be as fancy or include certain inclusions that you would see with a more expensive litter box.
Although budget-friendly litter boxes are affordable for many cat owners, the design and quality should still be desirable so that you do not have to buy litter boxes in bulk or purchase replacements if the litter box breaks, as this can cost more in the long term. Let’s discuss what makes the best budget cat litter box.
What types of budget-friendly litter boxes are available?
Enclosed
This type of litter box is suitable for cats who like to dig and spill litter everywhere. Enclosed litter boxes can also help retain odors that may otherwise cause the household to smell and provide privacy to shy cats.
- Recommended: Pawsayes Foldable Enclosed Cat Litter Box
Litter Pans
Litter pans are open, plain, and usually made of polished stain and odor-resistant material. These litter pans do not have the same benefits as other types of litter boxes due to their simple and standard design.
- Recommended: Arm & Hammer Rimmed Wave Cat Litter Pan
Framed
Ideal for cats who like to dig but refuse to use enclosed litter boxes. The high walls prevent your cat from spilling litter from the box, while the high walls also help contain leakage.
- Recommended: Van Ness CP5 Sifting Cat Litter Box with Frame
Odor Controlling
This type of litter box will typically have a charcoal filter built into the hood of the litter box. The charcoal needs to be replaced every few months which adds to the cost factor, but the odor-controlling abilities are ideal for smelly cats.
- Recommended: Van Ness Corner Enclosed Cat Pan
Factors to consider before purchasing a litter box on a budget
The litter box should fall below your budget and be comfortable enough to afford.
The litter box must be worth the price, so you should consider the overall design, features, and product inclusions before making a purchase.
You should know what type of litter box your cat prefers so that you do not have to test out multiple designs which can be expensive.
The durability and material should be strong and durable to ensure that the litter box will last for a long time to save you from having to replace the litter box frequently and exceed your budget.
Conclusion
Out of all the products we have reviewed, our top picks in the category of best budget cat litter box are the Litter Genie Cat Litter Box for its unique and attractive design, affordability for what it has to offer you and your cat, as well as the convenience of this litter box during cleaning or traveling. In second place we have chosen the best overall product, the Van Ness Giant High Sides Cat Litter Pan for its affordability and feline-friendly design.
The litter box should fall below your budget and be comfortable enough to afford.
The litter box must be worth the price, so you should consider the overall design, features, and product inclusions before making a purchase.
You should know what type of litter box your cat prefers so that you do not have to test out multiple designs which can be expensive.
The durability and material should be strong and durable to ensure that the litter box will last for a long time to save you from having to replace the litter box frequently and exceed your budget.
The litter box should fall below your budget and be comfortable enough to afford.
The litter box must be worth the price, so you should consider the overall design, features, and product inclusions before making a purchase.
You should know what type of litter box your cat prefers so that you do not have to test out multiple designs which can be expensive.
The durability and material should be strong and durable to ensure that the litter box will last for a long time to save you from having to replace the litter box frequently and exceed your budget.
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