7 Best Sifting Litter Boxes – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

A sifting litter box is a step between a self-cleaning litter box and a “regular” litter box. That said, they typically cost the same as your average litter box. So, if you like the concept of sifting the solid waste from the litter, there is little reason not to purchase one of these litter boxes.

That said, not all sifting litter boxes are made the same. Some aren’t actually very good at sifting, for instance. The shape and number of holes in the sifter matter a lot.

We’ve listed some different options below so that you can find an option that works well for you.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

The 7 Best Sifting Litter Boxes

1. Arm & Hammer Sifting Cat Litter Pan – Best Overall

We love the Arm & Hammer Sifting Cat Litter Pan for a few different reasons. The 3-pan system allows you to sift the litter without scooping at all, and the number and shape of the sifting holes allow the litter to fall through fairly quickly. There is no shaking required, either.

The antimicrobial coating on the litter box is also exceptionally helpful in fighting litter stains and odor-causing bacteria. Often, litter boxes can become stinky as the bacteria start to grow on the box itself. This litter box helps combat that a little bit. You can even use heavy clay litter with this litterbox, as it has a reinforced bottom to withstand the force of sifting heavy litter.

The only downfall of this box is that the sides aren’t as tall as we’d like. It leads to a bit more tracking and spreading of the litter. Despite this, it’s still the best overall sifting litter box available.

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2. Frisco Sifting Cat Litter Box – Best Value

The Frisco Sifting Cat Litter Box is cheaper than most of the competition while also being larger. Therefore, it works great for those who want a bigger litter box without paying tons for it. It’s easily the best sifting litter box for the money, considering its larger size.

It features two trays and a sifter so that you never have to scoop. Instead, you can just rotate the trays around as you use them. The plastic is high-quality and BPA-free. It’s recycled plastic (so you can feel good about using it), and it’s relatively easy to clean with just soap and water.

That said, we did find that the pellet litter tends to get stuck in the grates, which can be a bit of a problem. Still, it works better than most other options on the market, and it’s cheaper to boot.

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3. Van Ness Enclosed Sifting Cat Litter Box – Premium Choice

If your cat will use a covered litter box, you may want to consider the Van Ness Enclosed Sifting Cat Litter Box. It’s a bit more expensive than others due to the cover, but it’s sifting mechanism is very effective. It works with many clumping cat litter, which can be said for all sifting litter boxes. It’s also huge, making it a great choice for those with several cats or just one really big cat.

The door swings in both directions and also comes off (just in case your cat doesn’t like the door). The hooded top combined with the door effectively eliminates litter scattering, assuming your cat will use it.

The plastic used is also completely BPA and eco-friendly. We also love that it’s made in the USA, which may be one reason why it is more expensive than most of the competition.

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4. Petmate Large Sifting Litter Box

The Petmate Large Sifting Litter Box is a rather simple litter box. It includes one sifting section and two litter pans, allowing you to sift the litter from one pan and into the other. There is absolutely no scooping necessary, and the sifter works well with most kinds of litter, including those that clump. It even works with crystal cat litter and most kinds of pellets.

The box is covered with a microbial layer that helps prevent the litter box smell from sticking to the trays. Therefore, this box should last longer than most. It’s also made with eco-friendly, recycled materials, which is always a plus.

That said, this litter box does seem a bit tougher to clean than some others. Some clumps inevitably stick to the side of the pan, which can be a pain to get off.

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5. Van Ness Large Sifting Litter Box with Frame

While not being hooded, this Van Ness Large Sifting Litter Box with Frame does have higher sides thanks to the frame. It comes with the usual two pans and a sifter, allowing you to pour the litter through the sifter from one pan to the other. However, it also comes with an extra frame top that snaps onto the trays, making the sides higher and preventing litter from ending up outside of the box. One side is lower than the others, so your cat can still get in and out easier.

We recommend this box for those who want less litter on the floor to clean up but whose cat won’t use a completely hooded litter box. This version is a nice in-between option. The high-polish finish does make this box pretty easy to clean, and it isn’t terribly expensive, either.

That said, the sifting holes are just the right size to trap pellets, so it doesn’t work with all kinds of cat litter. It’s designed to work with clay cat litter. The pans also aren’t the sturdiest, which is a big reason it didn’t end up in the top three.

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6. So Phresh Lift-to-Sift Cat Litter Pan

The So Phresh Lift-to-Sift Cat Litter Pan is widely popular for use with pellets. The grate holes are larger than other brands, so the pellets successfully fit through the holes. However, it doesn’t work with pine pellets or other pellets that produce sawdust. Again, the holes are too big, and everything will just fall through!

However, it is more expensive than most, largely because it is huge. If you have many cats or very large cats, this can actually be pretty helpful. That said, you do need to consider the large size when it comes to actually picking up and sifting the box. It’s pretty heavy when full of litter, and there aren’t any handholds to make the process easier.

In many user’s experiences, it can be a pain to sift due to its sheer size. That said, this litter box is pretty effective. The sifting portion works with practically all kinds of litter, and cleaning should only take about 30 seconds.

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7. Tom & Sora Creations Large Sifting Litter Box

The Tom & Sora Creations Large Sifting Litter Box is easily one of the most expensive sifting litter boxes on the market. However, it is also practically the only sifting litter box that works with pine pellet cat litter. When your feline uses the pine pellets, the pellets turn to sawdust. This sawdust can be sifted out through the very small holes (while the bigger, fresh pellets cannot fall through), and you can then remove the soiled dust through the drawer on the bottom. You will still need to scoop the solids, though, as they won’t fall through.

The box does come with a rim that helps keep the pellets inside the litter box instead of all over your floor. However, there isn’t an option to purchase a hood.

If you use pine pellets, this litter box is easily the best option to use with it. However, for other types of litter, you’re better off using something else. This litter box doesn’t have enough grates to work well with clay litter, and the holes are too small to work with other types of pelleted litter.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Sifting Litter Boxes

A sifting litter box can be an effective solution for cat owners who simply don’t like to scoop their cat’s litter box. It makes cleaning and maintaining the litter box a bit easier. However, you need a quality, effective litter box for any of this to be true. Otherwise, you may just end up making more of a mess!

When shopping for a sifting litter box, there are many factors you need to consider to make an informed purchase. Here are some of the more important ones:

Size

Larger cats need a larger litter box. Otherwise, they may be unable to fit into the box well enough to use it! On the other hand, smaller cats may be able to get away with a smaller litter box. Households with several cats probably need a larger box and likely even several different boxes.

When in doubt, bigger is usually better. However, if you live in a smaller space and have one cat, you may be able to get away with a smaller box. Just keep in mind that smaller boxes almost always need to be maintained more, as there is less room.

Material

Sifting litter boxes are often made from plastic. However, the exact quality of the plastic can vary. Because you’ll be moving litter from one pan to another, it’s important that each piece is strong enough to hold heavy litter while you’re sifting. A litter box that breaks in the middle of cleaning can make a massive mess.

It can be hard to determine the quality of each litter box before purchasing it. However, you can check reviews like ours to give you a good idea.

Sifting Mechanism

There are several different types of sifting mechanisms that fall into the “sifting litter box” category. The most common is manual sifting, which involves physically sifting the litter in some form. Litter boxes with built-in sieves in the middle are very common. For these, you simply have to lift the sieve to sift the cat litter.

Others may require shaking or tilting the box, though these mechanisms are becoming less and less common in today’s world.

Automatic models are also available. However, these can be pricey and may not be much more convenient. They often include more moving parts, which also means that there are more things that can break.

Litter Compatibility

Sifting litter boxes are typically only compatible with certain cat litter. Most are built to be used with clay litter, but they may also work with pellets. If you do use pellets or another kind of litter, be sure it is compatible with the litter box you’re looking at before you purchase it.

You also have to consider whether or not you prefer clumping or non-clumping cat litter. Most sifting litter boxes will work with non-clumping cat litter. However, most only work so-so with clumping cat litter. The sieve may catch most of the clumps, but the clumped litter is also likely to jam up the holes (and even get stuck in the sieve, which can be a mess).

Generally, we recommend using non-clumping cat litter if you want to make the most out of your sifting litter box.

Entry and Exit

Adult cats tend to be rather nimble, so they should have no problem using your average litter box. However, older and younger cats may need a litter box with a low entry—or at least not one with a high entry. If your cat has any sort of mobility problem, be sure that they can use the litter box you’re considering purchasing. Otherwise, they may suddenly start having accidents outside the litter box.

Sadly, because there aren’t many sifting litter boxes available, you may have a harder time finding one with a low enough entry for your feline. However, getting a litter box that your feline cannot use won’t do you much good.

Price

Your budget will at least partially determine what litter box you’ll get. Some litter boxes are far more expensive than others. However, some are relatively cheap and may be similarly priced to your average litter box. Manual sifting litter boxes tend to be the cheapest, while automatic options are often more expensive.

You may imagine that larger boxes are more expensive than smaller ones. However, in our experience, this isn’t necessarily the case. The brand tends to have a bigger effect on the price than the size of the box. Therefore, don’t shy away from getting a larger box just because you think it’s out of your budget.

Conclusion

A sifting litter box can make cleaning up much easier. However, you need to choose a high-quality option, or you may end up with an even bigger mess on your hands.

We recommend the Arm & Hammer Sifting Cat Litter Pan for most cat owners. It simply works well and isn’t terribly expensive. The sides are a bit lower, but this means that it also works great for kittens and senior cats.

The Frisco Sifting Cat Litter Box is a good fit for those who need a larger litter box. It is cheaper than most big litter boxes while still being very effective. Hopefully, one of these options works well for you and your feline!

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Featured Photo Credit: Yuriy Golub, Shutterstock