20 Essential Cat Litter Box Accessories to Get You Started
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A litter box is one of those necessary evils for cat ownership. Though no one particularly enjoys having a box of pebbles that their cats defecate into in their home, it’s just one of those things you need to make peace with as a cat owner. Thankfully, the right accessories and tools can make dealing with your pet’s litter box much easier. Read on to find 20 of the supplies you should consider splurging on to make dealing with kitty litter much more convenient for you.
The 20 Essential Cat Litter Box Accessories
Litter Boxes
1. Standard Litter Pan
- Our Pick: Frisco High-Sided Cat Litter Box
There are countless litter boxes out there, but if you want one without all the bells and whistles and inflated price tag, the Frisco High-Sided Cat Litter Box is worth considering. The high sides of this box are designed to keep litter tracking to a minimum, while its lower front wall allows your kitty to come and go easily. The pan is made of BPA-free plastic to appease environmentally-conscious pet owners and to make cleaning a breeze. All you need is some soap and water to keep this litter pan clean.
2. Covered Litter Box
- Our Pick: Â Catit Hooded Cat Pan
Some cats prefer to use a covered litter box versus one with an open top. Not only will the Catit Hooded Cat Pan make these cats feel more comfortable while doing their business, but it can also prevent litter from tracking throughout your home while keeping scents to a minimum. This litter box has a large opening, ideal for bigger cats, and a built-in bag anchor to make scooping your pet’s waste easy.
3. Top-Entry Litter Box
Like the covered litter box, top-entry styles are preferred by some cats. The IRIS USA Round Top Entry Cat Litter Box & Scoop is likely to be preferred by cats who require a sense of privacy and like an enclosed space to do their business. The benefit of the top opening over the front opening style is that your cat cannot kick litter through the door as easily. The grooved lid of this box can capture litter particles from your pet’s feet before they have a chance to scatter throughout your home.
4. Litter Box System
The Purina Tidy Cats Litter Box System, BREEZE System Starter Kit Litter Box is an easy-to-maintain all-in-one system that makes changing your pet’s litter a breeze (pun intended). This system uses litter pellets to catch your cat’s feces while allowing liquids to pass through to the absorbent pads below. The pellets ensure fewer litter tracks throughout your home while also providing powerful odor control. Please note that this system requires the use of pellets, so it is not ideal for cats who prefer clay-based litter.
5. Automatic Litter Box
If you have the funds, we highly recommend investing in an automatic litter system, such as the Litter-Robot 4 Automatic Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box. While this bad boy does come with a very high price tag, its unique design ensures you never have to scoop again. This system minimizes litter tracking thanks to its fence and step and allows you to monitor your pet’s litter box usage from your smartphone. It doesn’t get any more high-tech than that!
6. Litter Box Enclosure
There’s no denying how much of an eye-sore traditional litter boxes are. If you don’t want your home to look like you share it with cats, a litter box enclosure is worth the investment. The Sweet Barks Designer Enclosure Hidden Washroom Bench Ottoman Cat Litter Box doubles as a piece of home furniture while enclosing your pet’s litter box inside. This piece is heavy-duty and securely constructed, as it can safely hold up to 200 pounds.
Litter Options
7. Health Monitoring Litter
Cat owners looking for a health monitoring litter should check out the Tidy Cats Tidy Care Alert Unscented Non-Clumping Cat Litter. This crystal litter is outfitted with pH-detection technology that changes colors to alert you to changes in your pet’s health. It provides great odor control and is low dust when compared to traditional clay litter. Because it is so lightweight, however, it does have a reputation for tracking easily.
8. Clumping Litter
Research shows that most cats prefer clumping cat litter, so if your kitty is part of this statistic, consider using Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Ultra Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter. This product is 99.9% dust-free and offers superior odor control to keep your home smelling fresh. It can be used in sifting and mechanical litter boxes, but for old-school people who prefer to scoop, it forms into hard clumps that scoop nicely.
9. Lightweight Litter
Some cat owners prefer lightweight litter as it is easier to lift and pour into your pet’s box. Tidy Cats Lightweight Glade Scented Clumping Clay Cat Litter is a low-dust litter made with natural clay. It has odor-absorbing activated charcoal to keep your home smelling fresh and forms into tight clumps for easy scooping. As easy as scooping and pouring this litter is, it is important to remember that all lightweight litters are notorious for tracking.
10. Multi-Cat Litter
If you have a multi-cat household, you need a litter designed to handle the high traffic your litter boxes surely encounter. The Arm & Hammer Litter Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Scented Clumping Clay Cat Litter is a low-dust and low-tracking option that provides great odor control. Its baking soda crystals work overtime to eliminate smells on contact, providing up to seven days’ worth of odor control.
11. Natural Litter
If you prefer natural litter, the World’s Best Multi-Cat Unscented Clumping Corn Cat Litter is worth considering. This multi-cat litter has long-lasting odor control and is safe to flush down most sewer and septic systems, making your litter box cleaning duties much easier. This product is made of whole kernel corn and doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals or perfumes that are found in other poorer quality litters on the market. We do recommend contacting the city you live in before flushing the waste just to be sure.
Mess Control
12. Litter Mat
- Our Pick: iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper EZ Clean Mat
Litter mats are a literal godsend for cat owners with messy kitties. The iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper EZ Clean Mat consists of two layers that work together to trap the litter your cats would otherwise inevitably throw out of their box as they exit. It features honeycomb-shaped openings that feel soft under your cat’s paws and trap the litter in the second layer. The mat is water-repellent, and the bottom layer is plastic to deter odors and make it easy to clean.
13. Splash Guard
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how high the sides of your box are; your cats will inevitably throw out litter when digging a hole or hiding their excrement. The MEEXPAWS Cat Litter Box Enclosure Splash Guard is a great investment for pet owners to combine with a litter mat. Its tall walls can redirect small particles that would otherwise find their way to your carpet or hardwood to the mat, reducing how much gets spread throughout the rest of your home.
14. Â Handheld Vacuum
A dedicated litter vacuum can be your best friend in keeping your home as litter-free as possible. The BLACK+DECKER Handheld Vacuum HNV220BCZ10FF is a lightweight and portable vacuum with a bagless design for easy maintenance and clean-up. It comes with a wall-mounted base and charger and a built-in crevice tool to get around your baseboards and other hard-to-reach places.
Cleaning Supplies
15. Litter Box Liners
The Fresh Kitty Super Jumbo Thick Litter Box Liners are designed to fit litter boxes up to 21″L x 25″W x 22″H in size. The bags are super thick and heavy-duty to ensure they will not rip or tear and are 100% leakproof to keep liquid messes off your floors. They have drawstring ties to make tying and tossing a breeze and are outfitted with grips to keep them in place in your litter box.
16. Litter Scoop
Cleaning your cat’s litter box is much easier if you have a high-quality scoop. The DurAnimals DuraScoop Original Cat Litter Scoop is a cast aluminum design made to dig. Its sturdy construction won’t recoil under strain, so you don’t need to worry about making a bigger litter mess by flicking waste out of the box. This durable scoop is perfect for multi-cat homes as it’s built to stand the test of time and won’t back down from big messes.
17. Odor Eliminator
Accidents happen, and if your kitty has an accident outside of their litter box, you need a heavy-duty odor eliminator to prevent it from happening again. The Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray is formulated to bind, lift, and remove even the most offensive pet-related odors and stains. It can be used on carpets, furniture, fabrics, and flooring. Its neutral scent means no artificial fragrances will take over your home with odor-masking scents.
18. Litter Deodorizer
- Our Pick: Hepper Litter Additive
One of the worst things we have to deal with as cat owners is litter-related scents. Even if we’re on top of cleaning the boxes, there still can be a lingering smell that comes with having our pets eliminate in our homes. The Hepper Litter Additive is a great defense against bad smells as it is made with bio-enzymes to break them down instead of masking them. This fragrance-free product can be used in all types of litter and is safe for use with cats of any age.
19. Disposal System
- Our Pick: Â Litter Genie Plus Cat Litter Disposal System
Parents of newborn babies often cannot live without their beloved diaper pail, but there’s no reason why we can’t use a similar system for ridding our home of our pet’s litter waste. The Litter Genie Plus Cat Litter Disposal System is a compact, convenient, and hygienic system that seals off odors to keep your home smelling fresh and clean. This particular model has a five-layer bag and barrier technology to lock offensive smells and dangerous germs away. It comes in two colors, black or silver, and can hold up to two weeks of soiled litter before needing to be cleaned out.
20. Wipes
- Our Pick: Hepper Wash Wipes
While this is less of a litter-related accessory and more of a hygiene supply, we felt it was still important to include it on our list. If your cats are unable to fully clean themselves, there may come a time when you need to step in. They may have litter caked on their tootsies or poop nuggets hanging from their rear ends, so you’ll need a heavy-duty wipe to help clean them up. The Hepper Wash Wipes are infused with moisturizing ingredients to promote healthy skin and fur. They have a lovely aloe and cucumber smell that’ll leave your kitty smelling fresh and clean.
Conclusion
While cat litter box cleaning isn’t at the top of anyone’s favorite chores list, with the right accessories and tools, you can make the job much more bearable. If you’re new to owning cats or recently adopted a new one into your life, you may need to do some trial and error to find the supplies your pet prefers. Not all cats feel comfortable in open litter pans, while others get claustrophobic in enclosed ones. Some cats will exclusively use clay-based litters, while others prefer paper or corn-based options. If you’re a multi-cat home, you may need one or more litter box styles to satisfy all the kitties in your care.
Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock
