How to Choose a Litter Tray: Size, Access, Cleaning and Dog Proofing

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Blue litter tray with a white rim containing tan litter pellets.

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By Dr Duncan Houston

The best litter tray is the one your cat can use comfortably and you can keep consistently clean. Brand names, decorative cabinets and automatic features matter less than those two practical tests.

Quick Answer

Choose enough usable space to turn and dig, an entrance your cat can manage and a quiet location with a clear escape route. Compare open and covered designs using your cat’s preferences, and exclude dogs without blocking the cat. If your cat repeatedly tries to urinate but passes little or no urine, seek immediate veterinary care rather than changing trays first.

Measure the cat and the usable tray

A common husbandry starting point is a tray around one and a half times the cat’s length from nose to tail base. It is a starting point for choosing equipment, not a clinical threshold or a guarantee of acceptance. Check the actual internal dimensions, particularly under a sloping cover.

The cat should be able to turn and position normally without balancing on the rim. If using a modified storage box, make any entrance smooth and secure with no sharp plastic. Large trays can still need a lower doorway for a cat with limited mobility.

Choose an entrance your cat can manage

High sides can help contain scatter, but the doorway should still be easy to step through. Kittens, older cats and cats with restricted movement may need a lower entry. Check the approach as well as the tray itself: slippery flooring, a wobbling mat or a raised cabinet can create an obstacle.

Consider how you will lift, empty and wash the tray. Smooth, intact surfaces are easier to inspect and maintain than damaged edges or awkward crevices. Choose practical access for cleaning as well as enough space for your cat.

Open, covered and top-entry designs

An open tray is easy to inspect and gives the cat a view of the surroundings. A covered design may contain some scatter, but it can also trap odours and restrict space. The lid does not make a dirty tray acceptable.

Top-entry models require climbing or jumping and are not suitable for every cat. When testing another design, leave the familiar tray available. A neater floor is not a success if the cat avoids the replacement.

How do you keep dogs out?

Do not assume a covered or top-entry box is dog-proof. A separate room or a securely fitted barrier with an opening your cat can use may work better. Test whether your particular dog can still reach the tray and whether your cat can get in and out without squeezing, jumping or being cornered.

Keep the route available whenever the cat needs it. A closed door that excludes both animals solves the wrong problem. Scoop promptly and supervise the arrangement while you check that it works.

Location and resources in a multi-cat home

Use quiet, accessible places away from food and water and from noisy appliances. Avoid making the cat pass another animal in a narrow corridor to reach the tray. Where several cats live together, separate tray locations are more useful than a row of trays guarded from one position.

One tray per cat plus an extra is a useful starting arrangement, then adjust to the household and the cats’ actual use. Ensure a cat spending time on another floor can reach a suitable tray without a difficult journey.

Litter choice and cleaning

Start with the litter your cat already accepts. A plain, low-dust, unscented product is a sensible option to test if a change is needed. Keep the existing choice available while offering the alternative, rather than replacing every tray at once.

Remove waste at least daily, inspect the tray each day and follow the litter maker’s maintenance instructions. Wash with a suitable mild unscented detergent, rinse thoroughly and dry before refilling. Do not use perfume to disguise accumulated waste. Inspect edges, scratches and fixings, and replace damaged equipment.

How worried should you be?

Low concern: Your cat toilets comfortably, passes their usual waste and has a familiar digging pattern. Review the setup and monitor at each daily clean.
Needs a veterinary check: New accidents, difficulty getting into the tray or an unexplained change in toileting. Contact your veterinary team promptly rather than assuming the tray is the only cause.
Emergency: Repeated attempts to urinate with little or no output. Seek care immediately.

When is this an emergency?

If your cat repeatedly tries to urinate but passes little or no urine, seek immediate veterinary care. Do not wait overnight or test another litter first. Urinary obstruction can be life-threatening and may be mistaken for constipation. If you cannot tell what your straining cat is passing, call an emergency veterinary service now.

Painful urination, blood in the urine or frequent small wees also need prompt veterinary assessment. A clean tray cannot treat a urinary problem.

Make one useful change at a time

Start by recording which tray is used, whether waste is being passed normally and when scatter or accidents occur. Photograph the setup without disturbing the cat. Change one feature such as size, location or substrate so you can judge the response.

Keep a familiar option accessible during the trial. Check whether another cat or dog approaches the tray, because an apparent design problem can also be an access problem. Never punish toileting accidents or trap the cat inside a tray to force use.

Common mistakes to avoid

Choosing a tray for appearance rather than usable space
Changing every tray and litter type at once
Punishing accidents or forcing the cat to stay inside
Using a difficult entrance merely to contain mess
Treating straining as a reason to try another tray first

Frequently asked questions

Do all cats prefer an open tray?

No. Preferences vary. Offer a roomy, clean option and compare your own cat’s use without removing the familiar tray immediately.

Is a covered box dog-proof?

Not reliably. Use a secure room arrangement or a suitable access barrier that still lets your cat enter and leave easily.

Should I buy a taller tray to stop scatter?

Higher sides may help, but keep a comfortable entrance and enough floor area. Accessibility matters more than containing every granule.

When is straining an emergency?

A cat trying to urinate with little or no urine needs immediate veterinary care. Do not wait to see whether another litter solves it.

The practical takeaway

Choose the tray from your cat’s point of view: enough room, an easy entrance and a quiet route that stays available. Keep it clean and offer choices when changing designs. New toileting problems still need a health assessment, even when the equipment could be better.

Related reading: litter training a kitten.

Sources and further reading

For everyday guidance, visit ASK A VET™. If your cat has urgent signs, contact an in-person veterinary service immediately.