Top Entry Litter Box Pros And Cons

Have you recently adopted a cat and need suggestions for buying the best litter box? Or if you have a lot of mess and bathroom issues and your cat doesn’t like the litter box you’re currently using? In such a case, you could consider utilizing a top-entry litter box.

Top-entrance litter boxes and enclosed litter trays are becoming more and more popular. Many cat owners like how effectively they keep messes contained, stop unpleasant scents from escaping and function well in tight places. Most cats don’t like enclosed litter boxes, so top-entry litter boxes are preferred for them. 

Here are the benefits and drawbacks mentioned so you can decide if this litter box would be ideal or not for you and your cat.

Top Entry Litter Box Pros And Cons: Advantages of Top Entry Litter Box

1. Does Not Leak

The fact that top-entry litter boxes are leak-proof is fantastic news if you have a cat who likes to spray high and who you have to clean up after all the time.

Open litter boxes are obviously a concern for sprayers since they could pee outside of their tray on the ground. Since the base and the sides of the litter box are one, the top entrance litter boxes do not have this problem.

2. Decreases Noise

Although it’s often not a big deal, some cat owners dislike the sound of their cats kicking and scraping the litter about in their litter pans. Top-entry litter boxes are fantastic at limiting trash and odors and also assist to decrease noise because they are entirely enclosed.

3. Protecting Against Dogs Entering

Top entrance litter boxes are a smart choice if you have additional pets in your home, such as dogs. Excrement is delicious to dogs and smells amazing. Additionally, they will be drawn to the litter box out of instinct if they can smell your cat’s excrement. 

4. Keeps Litter Odours Contained

The best litter box for filthy cats is one with a top entry since it offers several benefits, including the capacity to easily contain all of your cat’s messes. If your cat digs and buries as much as they like, no cat litter will escape. Top-entry litter boxes also aid in preventing litter from spreading around your home. Most of these litter boxes feature lids that are textured or grooved. Your cat must leap through the opening in order to exit the litter box.

5. It’s Safer for Kids

Do your small children play in the cat’s litter box instead of a sandbox? It’s horrible, but young kids try to learn everything about the world through touch, which unfortunately might include the things in your cat’s litter box!

Even though you’ll be keeping a careful eye on them to prevent this, it only takes a few seconds for your focus to wander for them to act inappropriately. You may relax knowing that your youngsters won’t get into any trouble that might be highly hazardous to their health since a top entry litter box is completely protected.

6. Space Saving

Do you feel cramped in your home? If you reside in an apartment or a tiny home, it could be challenging to choose the right location for your cat’s litter box. Because top-entry litter boxes are accessed from the top, having enough space surrounding your litter box is no longer a concern. As a result, they are the ideal solution if your home is small.

7. Easy to Clean Unlike Other Enclosed Designs

For obvious reasons, an open litter box will be the easiest to keep clean, while enclosed litter boxes can occasionally be difficult to keep clean. 

To begin with, the majority of top-entry litter boxes are constructed with a lid that can be removed. You can effortlessly do your daily scooping activities since you’ll have plenty of room to move about and a good view of the entire tray.

8. Stunning Design

The fact that top-entry litter boxes keep your cat’s poop and waste concealed from view makes them among the most aesthetically beautiful litter boxes. Nobody likes seeing their cat’s waste, but thanks to its covered design, it is completely hidden and is only seen when you are scooping or cleaning the litter box. 

Also Read: How Do Cats Know Where the Litter Box Is?

Drawbacks of Top Entry Cat Litter Boxes

1. Disgusting Smells

Owners also prefer top-entry litter boxes because of their enclosed design, which helps keep poop odors inside the box and stops them from spreading throughout your home. Our houses will continue to smell fresher for a longer period of time since the stench of cat urine won’t linger in the air.

2. Make Cleaning Neglected

Top-entry litter boxes have the disadvantage of being easy to forget. For owners who tend to forget things easily, this can be a problem. If your litter box is left neglected for a long time, it may cause behavior issues and accidents. Again, this may be readily fixed with a cleaning schedule.

3. Unlike Open Designs, Closed Designs are more Difficult to Clean

Furthermore, compared to open litter trays, top-entry litter boxes are more difficult to maintain. Compared to conventional open litter trays, they do have a cover that has to be removed, and because of the high edges, a lot more surface area needs to be cleaned each week. 

4. Not Suitable for Senior Cats

If you have an elderly cat, you should not use top entrance litter boxes since they are inappropriate. Cats’ muscles deteriorate and their joints become stiff as they age. Additionally, arthritis can make moving unpleasant and difficult for certain people. Older cats may find it difficult to jump on top of the lid and enter via the top, thus a top-entry litter box is required.

5. Not Suitable for Kittens

Young kittens will have trouble effectively jumping into and out of a top entry litter box, just like older cats. Kittens still rely heavily on their mother to feed and look after them when they are born. They do not open their eyes for the first week following birth. Following that, it might take them up to three weeks to learn how to walk before they can even start to leap.

Even while your cat may appear to be having a good time by leaping and pouncing about, they are actually still learning how to move around and need to practice accurately jumping.

How Can I Teach My Cat to Use a Top Entry Litter Box?

When educating your cat to use the top entry litter box, patience is essential. It doesn’t necessarily imply your cat doesn’t enjoy their new litter box if they don’t use it right away. Cats just don’t enjoy change, but most of them will get used to a litter box with a top entry in a few days.

It will be easy to educate your cat to use a top-entrance litter box if you follow the tips I’ve provided below.

1. All other Aspects Remain the Same

You should preserve as many of their litter box’s other features as possible if you decide to switch to a top entry litter box.

You must continue using the kitten litter you usually do. When your cat has become accustomed to using the new litter box, you can change to a different sort of litter if you so want.

2. Place the Fresh Litter Box in the Same Spot

As the old one was, your cat will recognize this as its new bathroom and know where to go. Again, you are free to relocate the litter box if you like, but you should hold off until your cat is satisfied using the litter box with the top entrance.

3. Place both Fresh and Used Litter boxes Together

Consider mixing some of their previously used litter with the new litter when you initially fill their new litter box. You are tricking them into thinking they must have already used the litter box for bathroom functions by transferring their fragrance into the newly purchased litter box. Due to how their fragrance makes them feel, your cat will be less hesitant to use the top entry litter box.

4. Remove The Old Litter box

You might want to keep your cat’s old litter box nearby in case they don’t like the new one. But be careful to move it somewhere your cat can’t access it. You can keep it in a room in your house and shut the door at all times to keep children from getting access to it. However, since cats are smarter than most people realize and have a good sense of smell, the best course of action is to completely remove the litter box from the home.

5. Show The New Litter box to Your Cat

Even if you retain the litter box in the same spot as the previous one, it is imperative that you show your cat the new one. Because they already trust you, your cat will feel more safe using their new litter box if you set them on it or next to it.

Put your cat next to or above the top-entry litter box if it’s feasible, and let them explore. Associating their new litter box with the appropriate place to relieve themselves will make it easier for them if they can smell the litter and their fragrance.

6. Give Them a Chance to Figure it out

Cats are not naïve, but they are finicky and loathe change. You undoubtedly worry about your cat’s new litter box, so you may try a number of techniques to urge them to use it, such as luring them with treats or accompanying them there regularly in case they forget.

The best course of action is to let your cat use their new litter box on their own after showing them where it is. Since they won’t have somewhere else to go, your cat will almost always happily utilize the new top entrance litter box on their own within a few days.

7. Remove the Lid

If your cat still shows hesitation or trepidation after a few days, try taking off the lid so that the litter box is completely visible from the top. After three days, you could attempt reinstalling the lid while keeping an eye on your cat’s behavior. They should have felt comfortable using their new litter box because they should have understood that it is secure after all.

8. Make Sure Accidents are Cleaned up Thoroughly

There could be a few accidents on the floor and in other areas of your home while you’re teaching your child to use the toilet. If your cat accidentally urinates or poops somewhere unsuitable, use an enzymatic cleaner to completely clean the area.

Enzymatic cleaners were developed specifically to get rid of odors and stains. By choosing one of these over a typical cleaner, you should be able to completely get rid of your cat’s odor as well as any stains on your carpet. Your cat could begin utilizing this region of your carpet as their new bathroom if they have the capacity to sense their own body odor. 

Conclusion

There are benefits and drawbacks to top-entry litter boxes, of course, but overall, in my opinion, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. They are the easiest enclosed litter boxes to clean, feature one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs, and do an excellent job of containing smells and dirt. They are also by far the best choice if you have a dirty cat, a cat that loves to spray, dogs, or young children.

However, not everyone favors litter boxes with top entries. If you have a young kitten, an elderly cat with restricted mobility, or a very fat cat, you shouldn’t have a top-entry litter box. Cleaning regularly is necessary to prevent unpleasant odors.

However, if you use the advice provided in their articles to potty train your cat, the majority of cats will like the solitude of top entrance cat litter boxes and will quickly acclimate to their new toilet.