Ten out of ten cats agree: bigger is better when it comes to the preferred size of their litter box! In my informal study conducted over the past few years thanks to my cooperative foster cats, I tested out a wide range of litter box sizes and styles. I’ve also talked to hundreds of cat and kitten adopters and fosters over the decades about what size and styles of litter boxes their cats preferred. (Different types of litter, litter depth, litter box location, and how to fix or cure litter box avoidance issues are topics for other blog articles!) My litter box size preference results are straightforward: the biggest box gets the most use. Humans may prefer a smaller box or a covered box, but cats seem to want one thing: room! Room to turn around, to dig, to comfortably stand up, squat, or put their paws on the edges and stand while they do their business. Then they want plenty of room to dig dig dig and make sure its completely covered! Or not, I’ve had a few non-cover-ers in my testing too. Smaller boxes right next to the bigger boxes were passed over – “litter-ally” for the bigger boxes. Bonus to bigger boxes too: cats can kick like crazy and most of the litter stays in the pan!
I’ve heard that some cats don’t mind covered boxes, but mine also preferred open top ones (not covered), I think they prefer the roomier feel to an open box too. Some didn’t mind jumping into ones with very high sides, while other older felines did appreciate having a lower entrance, so they could easily step in. Now that I know that my foster cats like the big litter boxes, its what I recommend to all new cat adopters too!
Don’t forget: cats are creatures of habit. If you want to see if your cat would prefer a bigger litter box, keep their same litter box available, in the same location. Offer the new litter box as an additional alternative for at least two weeks, right next to the old one if possible. Let your cat “tell” you which litter box he or she prefers. If she likes the new one, or likes both, after two weeks of consistent use of the new one, you can remove the old one.
Happy litter box testing!
Did you like this article? Click an icon below to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and more!
Adopt-a-Pet.com has been busy on 
Adopt-a-Pet.com would sincerely like to thank all those who participated in our first annual Great American Pooch Smooch & Kitty Kiss, which helped to raise $5,000 for emergency veterinary care for homeless pets. Not only was the event a huge success in raising money to help shelter pets, it was also a lot of fun! 
We love welcome home stories of an adopted pet’s happy beginning of their new life! Did you find your pet through Adopt-a-Pet.com or one of our Search Saver email alerts? Let us know! Send your adopted pet’s story and photos to info@cms.adoptapet.com and let us know how Adopt-a-Pet.com helped you welcome home your new pet. Here’s one we received recently via email, from Lacy and her husband Blake: ” 
There’s no question that cats who live indoors-only live longer, healthier lives. Since we want them to live long, healthy, HAPPY lives too, it is up to us cat caretakers to add hunting, watching, chasing, pouncing, sniffing, hiding, and listening enrichment to their indoor environment. One way to add a bunch off that checklist is to give them access to a totally screened-in porch or catio — like the cat is enjoying in the photo — or access to windows with interesting views. If you have screened windows, check if you can open them safely by (carefully!) leaning against them, to make sure they are strong enough to withstand a cat’s full weight without tearing or popping out of the window frame. Recheck screen strength regularly as screens often loosen as they age over time, or even quickly as the temperature changes. If you don’t have screens or prefer not to have your windows fully open, you can crack them open a half-inch, secure with locks, and still let the breeze, sounds, and smells easily drift in for your kitty! To increase your cat’s window enrichment, place a view-enhancing resting spot such as a cat tree, table, couch, or bookshelf right in front of the window. There are even pre-made window perches you can purchase that attach to some types of window sills. Get creative! If you only have one cat window perch and have more than one window with a view, move it around from week to week, to keep the view interesting. Your cat will really appreciate the room with a view, and you’ll have a happier cat – which means a happier you!
DogVacay Giveaway! Win $500 in Pet Care and a Tempur-Pedic Dog Bed (While Helping Homeless Pets). Ask any pet owner and they will tell you that finding care for their four-legged children while they’re traveling is no easy task. They want the safety and security of professional pet care, but they also want their furry family members to get adequate one-on-one attention and not just be one of the crowd. That’s why Aaron Hirschhorn started DogVacay.com, an online service that allows pet parents to board their dogs in the home of pre-screened and insured dog lovers instead of a kennel. We recently chatted with Aaron to learn more about DogVacay and the work they do and we found that we have a common interest and concern – shelter pets! Aaron and his team have a soft spot in their hearts for homeless pets (with some DogVacay team members even fostering multiple at a time!) and wanted to know more about what they can do to help Adopt-a-Pet.com’s cause. That’s when his team had an idea for a giveaway that would not only help shelter pets, but also give a lucky winner the chance to experience the peace of mind of DogVacay’s home dog boarding services firsthand – and even score an awesome Tempur-Pedic dog bed for Fido!
For some time I’ve been eyeing some of the amazing Ikea Stolmen pole creations creative DIY folks have been constructing for cats. But the latest discovery on the 
Kids say the cutest things. And when you mix kids and pets, there’s no telling what will happen! We thought it would be fun to create some videos with our kids talking about our pets. We came up with the following questions for you to ask your kids and video tape their answers. You can ask any or all of these, and your pets can be in the video or not. Then, either email the files (if they are not too big) to