Does your cat spray all over your walls? Tired of cleaning up that mess? Check out our top 5 to find the best litter box for cats that spray in your household.
DISCLAIMER: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click one of these links and decide to make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps to keep the site alive and up to date. If you want more information, please review our Privacy Policy. Thank you for your support!
| Product | Rating | Why We Like It | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Petphabet Covered Litter Box | Covered | Buy on Amazon | |||||||
| 2 |  | Bundle & Bliss Secret Litter Box | Hidden | Buy on Amazon | |||||||
| 3 |  | Iris Top Entry Litter Box | Top Entry | Buy on Amazon | |||||||
| 4 |  | Petmate Top Entry Litter Pan | Top Entry | Buy on Amazon | |||||||
| 5 |  | Iris Jumbo Hooded Litter Box | Portable | Buy on Amazon | |||||||
| What We Like | What We Don't Like | ||||||||||
| 1 | |
|
| ||||||||
| 2 | |
|
| ||||||||
| 3 | |
|
| ||||||||
| 4 | |
|
| ||||||||
| 5 | |
|
| ||||||||
| 1 | | Petphabet Covered Litter Box Covered | Buy on Amazon | ||
| 2 | | Bundle & Bliss Secret Litter Box Hidden | Buy on Amazon | ||
| 3 | | Iris Top Entry Litter Box Top Entry | Buy on Amazon | ||
| 4 | | Petmate Top Entry Litter Pan Top Entry | Buy on Amazon | ||
| 5 | | Iris Jumbo Hooded Litter Box Portable | Buy on Amazon | ||
Best Litter Box For Cats That Spray Requirements
There are three basic requirements for the best litter box for spraying cats.
High Edges
The number one requirement for the best litter box for cats that spray is a high edge. It will catch your cat’s urine and prevent your walls from getting doused. Make sure the edge is taller than your cat’s bum when he is standing inside the litter box, or your efforts will have been for nothing.
An alternative to a high sided litter box for high spraying cats is a covered or hooded litter box. These are generally great at containing your cat’s messes in a single place, although they also have the nasty quality of trapping all odors inside. If you use a covered litter box, keep it clean as best you can. A dirty litter box is no joy for your cat, or her health.
Good Odor Control
All that urine can create quite the stank. You want a litter box that helps control that odor and prevent it from wafting all around your house. Different litter boxes use different ways of accomplishing this. Some use carbon filters inside the hood to absorb any stinks your cat produces. Others work with special litters for better absorption.
You can also consider self-cleaning litter boxes that remove soiled bits and feces automatically. The thing to keep in mind here is to get one with a good protective housing around the cleaning mechanism. Cat urine has a keen ability to destroy electronics.
No Leaking
This may sound like an obvious one, but it’s often overlooked by cat owners when shopping for a litter box. They end up buying a litter box that’s so cheaply made it falls apart, or one that is too small for their cat, who ends up peeing over the side. And problems get worse for guardians of spraying cats.
Choose a durable design, preferably without too many separate parts. If you go for a hooded litter box, make sure the top and bottom attach securely and have a good fit. Also measure your cat before buying a litter box. The box should be about 1.5 times the size of your cat to prevent accidents.
Let’s take a more detailed look at our top five litter boxes for cats that spray.
Petphabet Covered Litter Box
The Petphabet covered litter box is a hooded litter box that’s very high and spacious. At 25’’x19’’x17’’ it’s the biggest litter box on our list, so perfect if your cat is bigger in size. It is made from plastic with a colored bottom pan and a see through cover. The cover keeps litter, odors and spray inside the box, while still letting you check if it’s time to clean it without having to stick your head in.
The top attaches to the bottom with plastic clips and is easy to remove for cleaning. Removing the hood is also a good idea if your cat is more anxious. The cover can make an anxious cat feel claustrophobic and cause them to stop using the litter box. Luckily, the bottom pan has a high back, even without the hood, so your walls will still be protected from spraying.
Be careful when putting the hood back on after cleaning. If you don’t attach it properly, you might leave a gap between the pan and the cover through which urine can leak out.
The Petphabet litter box comes in bright colors. Whether you like lime green, turquoise or bright red, there’s a box for you. They are also perfectly suitable if you’re looking for a litter box to put in or near your child’s playroom.
The major downside to this litter box is the high edge on the front. That won’t work for older cats with arthritis, or for small kittens. The plastic can also feel a little flimsy, especially if you put too much litter in it. However, it seems to hold up well for day to day use.
| What We Like |
|---|
|
| What We Don't Like |
|---|
|
Bundle & Bliss Secret Litter Box
The Bundle & Bliss litter box is a special kind of covered litter box: it is disguised as a houseplant with a big pot. This hidden litter box is great for living rooms, offices, and any other places where you don’t want it to be so obvious that you have cats. It blends in perfectly with your interior.
The litter box itself is very roomy and tall. It measures at 18’’x18’’x20’’. The opening is wide, so even bigger breeds can use it without any problems. Spilling and tracking is minimal with this litter box when it’s in use.
However, it does become difficult to lift and dump out, if you’re using the bottom half as your litter pan. It requires quite a bit of arm strength to get this thing off the ground without spilling the contents. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a separate litter pan, but there are plenty basic pans available that fit inside. I definitely recommend that to make cleaning it easier.
The Bundle & Bliss litter box’s round shape catches everything that your cats will throw at it. The round edges do make it trickier to scoop, especially if your litter scoop is flat. But this is only a small annoyance and easily solved by getting yourself a different scoop. All in all, the Bundle & Bliss is a durable, high quality litter box that’s highly recommended for spraying cats.
| What We Like |
|---|
|
| What We Don't Like |
|---|
|
Iris Top Entry Litter Box
The Iris Top Entry litter box differs from regular litter boxes in the sense that it has its opening at the top. It’s basically a bucket with a lid. But this is a very fancy bucket. And since all sides are covered, it’s a perfect design for spraying cats!
If you need a litter box for your kitchen or another spot where hygiene is extra important, a top entry one is definitely worth considering. Tracking is minimal and spilling as good as non-existing with a litter box like this. That is, if your cat can get used to it. Some cats like to hesitate and stand on the edge, which will tip it over.
It’s also key that you clean it often. At the very least, remove any feces as soon as your cat leaves the litter box. Because they have to jump in from the top, it is harder for cats to control where they place their paws. You don’t want your cat stepping in poop and spreading it around the house.
The inside of the Iris top entry litter box is on the smaller side and has kind of an awkward shape. It is sized at 20’’x16’’x14’’, which is sufficient for smaller house cats. They will have enough space, yet still feel private. If your cat is overweight or of a bigger breed, you want to consider other options.
| What We Like |
|---|
|
| What We Don't Like |
|---|
|
Petmate Top Entry Litter Pan
The Petmate top entry litter pan is a very basic litter pan, but it does it’s job beautifully. Compared to the Iris top entry litter box, the Petmate feels a bit more spacious, even though it measures only 20’’x15’’x15’’. The rectangular design just leaves more room for your cat.
It may not look as fancy, but it is a durable pan and fits into small spaces. The lid keeps all the mess nicely contained and helps to reduce odors. Of course, any odors that you don’t smell do get trapped inside for your cat, so regular cleaning is a must.
Speaking of cleaning, this should be easy with the Petmate litter box. The straight sides are easy to scoop and the whole box isn’t too heavy to lift and dump out. The only annoyance that we encountered with cleaning this litter box was an indentation in the bottom. Clay clumping litter has a tendency to stick to this bit, but was relatively easy to chop off.
Some cat owners have reported their Petmate litter pan to have a very loose fitting lid. This would cause their cat to either fall into the litter box or to knock it over. If this happens to you, the easiest solution is to attach the lid to the box using a lashing strap.
| What We Like |
|---|
|
| What We Don't Like |
|---|
|
Iris Jumbo Hooded Litter Box
The Iris Jumbo Hooded Litter Box is rather sizable at 21’’x19’’x17’’. The square shape gives your cat plenty of space to do her business comfortably. The door closes behind her as she gets in. So no matter what she decides to do in there, your walls won’t have to suffer from it.
The litter box has a sturdy handle on top, so it’s portable. Not that you’re likely to use it for travel, because of its size. But it does make cleaning it out a lot easier.
However, I would have liked to see a transparent door with this otherwise already enclosed litter box. I personally don’t enjoy peeing in the dark and I can’t imagine my scaredy cat does either. Other cat guardians have also experienced some trouble with the door getting stuck while their cat was inside.
That might be a dealbreaker for you, especially if you are specifically looking for a litter box with a door. Otherwise, just remove the door completely. The pan is still high enough to catch most spills and the opening will encourage your cat to turn around before squatting and spraying only the back of the pan.
| What We Like |
|---|
|
| What We Don't Like |
|---|
|
Our Favorite: Petphabet Covered Litter Box
The Petphabet covered litter box takes home the gold in litter boxes for spraying cats. The clear plastic hood reduces the claustrophobic feel that most hooded or top entry can have and increases the chances of your cat using it. And if your cat does decide that the hood is too much, you can still benefit from the high back to catch your little sprayer’s messes.
Why Do Cats Spray?
Spraying is one of the most annoying habits that house cats have left over from their feral ancestors. If your cat is a sprayer, you know what a mess they can create. But why do they do it in the first place?
Territory Marking
The most obvious reason why cats like to spray is to mark their territory. The wafty smell of urine sprayed all over a litter box area, houseplant or even a piece of furniture tells other cats and predators to stay away.
Cats in multi-cat households, or in neighborhoods with lots of cats, are more likely to feel territorially threatened and may start spraying in response. If your cat suddenly starts showing this behavior, or starts doing it significantly more, try to figure out what has changed.
It can be as small as you moving a piece of furniture, or throwing away an old scratching post that was falling apart. Or something bigger like a recent move, or a new pet being introduced into the household.
Illness
Your cat can also start marking because of an underlying illness. Cystitis, for instance, is an inflammation of the bladder that can be extremely uncomfortable for cats. The pain they experience while urinating, can cause them to stop squatting down in the litter box and simply eject everything out with full force.
Cats with arthritis are also known to develop issues on the litter box. Either the box is too high for them to get in and out easily, or the coarseness of the litter hurts their paws. Not being able to go to the bathroom regularly can be a trigger for spraying for these cats as well.
Stress And Depression
The underlying factor in both territory marking and illnesses is stress. Prolonged stress can have severe consequences for your cat, both mental and physical. In fact, the main cause of cystitis is stress.
Depressed cats may start acting out in different ways to get the attention they are lacking. They will become more anxious about their territory, perhaps even obsessively retreating into one particular spot. If this anxiety gets out of hand, your cat can start spraying her own surroundings. Having her own scent surrounding her so undeniably is a desperate attempt to control her environment.
Habitual Spraying
Sometimes your cat can fall into a habit of spraying the same spot over and over for no particular reason. They sprayed it once, and now they feel the need to reinforce their scent to retain their ownership of that corner. This is a completely natural, though disgusting, cat behavior and in itself nothing to worry about.
Of course, if it’s happening inside your house, it’s a problem. Cat urine is highly acidic and prolonged exposure can be damaging to your family’s health. Read on for tips on how to get your cat to stop spraying.
Do Male Cats Spray More Than Females?
All cats can spray, whether they are male or female, neutered or unneutered. However, studies show that unneutered males are significantly more likely to display this behavior. They are also less likely to squat when using the litter box, which is a related issue.
An explanation for this prevalence of spraying in intact males is their higher levels of testosterone, which increases their need for territorial marking. Not only to establish dominance, but also to let nearby females know they are on the market.
How Can I Stop My Cat From Spraying?
You’ll be glad to know that you can actually encourage your cat to cut down on spraying, or even stop doing it altogether.
Clean
The first step in stopping your cat from spraying is to clean the targeted spots thoroughly. If any scent remains, it will trigger a response in your cat to keep spraying there. Use a non-toxic CO2 cleaning product and start scrubbing!
Add More Litter Boxes
Cats are more prone to spraying if they have to share their litter box with other felines. So if you have multiple cats, it’s important to have enough litter boxes to accommodate them. In general, you need to have one litter box per cat, plus one extra. This way, they can all claim one for themselves, if that fits their personality, and have another one to share.
Having enough litter boxes and spreading them out around your living area greatly reduces the risk of territorial friction and the spraying that comes with it.
Get Your Cat Spayed Or Neutered
Although it’s not unheard of for a neutered or spayed cat to spray, intact cats tend to do it significantly more. Their raging hormones make them more susceptible to feelings of territorial aggression and increase their need to show dominance.
If you have an unneutered cat with a spraying problem, getting them fixed should be the first thing on your todo list.
Expand Their Territory
If you suspect the problem is routed in territorial insecurity, see what you can do to build up your cat’s confidence. Add a cat tree or a scratching pole or two so she can claim more of the space as her own.
Consider building a vertical cat paradise by hanging shelves for her to climb. Some cats are natural tree dwellers and feel more comfortable looking at things from above. You know, to have that Lion King experience.
Play With Your Cat
Playing is a great medicine for many feline ailments, so it’s always a good idea to implement a consistent playing routine with your cat. If you spend 10 to 30 minutes a day with your kitty, making her run around the room chasing and jumping after a toy, she won’t have the energy to worry about who owns the litter box.
Visit Your Vet
Having trouble narrowing down the cause of your cat’s spraying? Go for a vet visit! You want to make sure there are no underlying issues at play here.
