Does your cat fling litter everywhere or seem to be aiming for your ceiling every time they pee? You may be tempted to get a top entry litter box to solve this problem. Before you do, you should be warned that these litter boxes have a lot of problems. There are less problematic options out there that can solve the problem you’re looking to fix without the same issues.
What Are Top Entry Litter Boxes?
First, let’s make sure we’re talking about the same thing. Top entry boxes are any box where your cat has to enter through a hole in the lid to do their business. While not top entry, per se, I’d also lump any piece of litter box furniture or litter box where your cat has to enter through an elevated hole and go down into the litter box into this group.
What Are The Benefits Of Top Entry Litter Boxes?
Most people use top entry litter boxes to control litter tracking. Even if your cat flings litter everywhere, they usually won’t have much that gets out using one of these litter boxes. Likewise, they also contain urine if your cat tends to pee upward rather than squatting. They may also protect your cat’s waste if you have a dog and that dog thinks your cat’s poop is a snack.
What Problems Come With These Boxes?
If the title of this article doesn’t give away my position on top entry litter boxes, I’m not a fan. Despite their popularity, there are numerous issues you should be prepared for if you pick one.
Intermittent Litter Box Usage
If your cat becomes sick or is stressed, you may notice they don’t always use the litter box if you have one of these boxes. Your cat having to climb on top of the box, drop down into the litter, do their business, climb out, and jump down again is way more work than walking into the box, doing their business, and walking out. Of course they’re going to skip the box when already don’t feel well!
Don’t make using the litter box harder than it needs to be. Litter boxes should be located in easy to find but quiet locations and should be easy to get in and out of.
Senior Cats Not Using Them
A special note about senior cats: senior cats tend to get stiffer and not have as easy of a time moving around in general. Top entry boxes are especially bad for them. Even if your cat tolerated the top entry litter box for most of their life, when it starts hurting to go in and out of it, that won’t last much longer. Go for a senior friendly litter box instead.
Territoriality
Do you live with multiple cats? Is there any tension between your cats? If there is, even a cat innocently walking by may be interpreted as a threat to a cat in the top entry litter box. You may notice aggression escalate or a new house soiling problem. In some cases, one cat may intentionally corner another one in the litter box.
Small Size
While a small size may seem like a good thing, cats prefer larger litter boxes. Your cat may (wait for it) not use the box because they don’t like it.
Encourages Bad Habits (In You!)
If the top entry litter box contains the litter box odor, you may not scoop or maintain the box as often as you need to. That may, once again, lead to your cat not using the litter box consistently. If you scoop the litter box on a regular basis (hint: get a Litter Genie to make this really easy) and fully replace the litter every few weeks, you shouldn’t have a issues with odor. If the box still smells, consider an activated charcoal satchel to absorb odors and contact your veterinarian to make sure there isn’t a medical issue.
What About “Hybrid” Entry Boxes?
Recently, someone commented on a TikTok I posted that their cats loved their top entry litter box because they had one that had both a top entry and a side entry. The cats chose the top entry over the side entry consistently so clearly, they love the top entry boxes, right?
Not so fast. There’s another explanation.
When I looked at the “hybrid” options with both a top and side entry available, there were quite a few problems with these boxes:
- The side entry had a flap which is something cats don’t like having to push through in order to use the box.
- The side entries were small.
- The cat had to go over a large ledge to get into the small hole in the side of the box.
- The boxes themselves were also small.
In other words, even if you removed the flap from the side entrance, these boxes were still designed in the least appealing way possible for the cat. Your cat preferring the top entry over the really terribly designed side entry isn’t a sign of the cat actually liking the top entry style of box; it just means it’s slightly less bad than the only other option you’re offering them. Skip these litter boxes, too.
Alternatives To Top Entry Litter Boxes
Obviously, you are considering or already have a top entry litter box for a reason. There isn’t anything unique or special about these litter boxes that can’t be solved with another style of litter box or a different solution. Some examples:
- Using a storage tub tote litter box to contain urine and reduce tracking.
- A litter trapping mat to catch wandering litter.
- A Door Buddy to easily allow your cat into a room, but not the dog.
- Elevating the litter box on a table to prevent a dog from nibbling on poop so your cat can walk right in. This still requires the cat climbing, but the deep dive and climbing out of the box isn’t required so it’s a net gain. Plus, no tiny holes to squeeze into.
There really isn’t a need for a top entry litter box. They appeal to us, but your cat probably hates them. Yes, even if your cat is using the litter box! Using the box doesn’t mean they actually like it. Choose a different style and you won’t need to spend your days cleaning cat urine off your floors.
