After researching for about 48+ hours, we have listed and reviewed the best covered cat litter boxes for your feline to enjoy her shedding business in privacy.
Did you know that cats can have anxiety and stress-related issues just because of their litter box? It may sound insignificant but your feline may refuse to use the litter box if she finds it unsuitable. One of the major problems with her refusal is the privacy that she needs while peeing and pooping.
As per general feline tendencies, constant movement and disturbance around their litter box can make them feel nervous and anxious. This can lead to grave hormonal imbalances and major health concerns in the long run.
To help you deal with your kitty’s privacy and litter box concerns, we have reviewed the best covered cat litter boxes to keep your cat’s shedding business and waste enclosed inside her litter space.
A Glance of Our Favorites in 2023
Best Overall
AmazonBasics Hooded Covered Cat Litter Box
- It can be cleaned easily with a damp cloth
- Comes with replaceable carbon filter to reduce odor
- Box is made of stain and odor resistant
Editor’s Pick
IRIS Top Entry Covered Cat Litter Box
- Ridges on the top prevent litter tracking
- Comes with non-skid rubber feet
- Available in various colors and design
Affordable Pick
The 7 Best Covered Cat Litter Boxes of 2023 (Reviews)
1. AmazonBasics Hooded Covered Cat Litter Box
The AmazonBasics Hooded Cat Litter Box is one of the best covered cat litter boxes that provides a front flap entry making it suitable for felines of all life stages. It ensures maximum privacy and keeps the waste inside the box effectively.
Best Hooded Covered Cat Litter Box
The enclosed cat litter box is quite large and has a snap-on hood that can be lifted for easy cleaning. The flap door provides easy access to your pet in and out of the box. The box is made of stain-resistant and odor-resistant propylene plastic.
Features
- Size: 23.7” x 17.8” x 16.7” (L x W x H)
- Type: Front – entry (flap door)
- Material: Polypropylene Plastic
- Shape: Rectangular with soft edges
- Odor Control: Replaceable Carbon Filters
The product comes with replaceable carbon filters for reducing odors and can be purchased separately. It also has a top handle for ease of lifting and carrying. The product is quite easy to clean with a damp cloth.
To conclude, we think this is the best covered cat litter box.
- Made of BPA free plastic which is stain proof and odor resistant
- Comes with replaceable carbon filters to reduce odor
- Top handle for ease of carrying and lifting
- The crevices are too large and not easy to clean
- The design is not suitable for certain cats
2. IRIS Top Entry Covered Cat Litter Box
The IRIS Top Entry Covered Cat Litter Box is one of the best covered cat litter boxes which is stylish and of premium quality. It offers optimum privacy to your feline and is made of BPA-free materials. The enclosed litter box also comes with a scooper.
Best Top Entry Covered Cat Litter Box
The ridges on the top prevent litter tracking and the high walls prevent the dirt from spreading around the house. The round corners make for a compact design and give an aesthetic appearance to the product. It also comes with non-skid rubber feet to keep the box firm in one place.
Features
- Size: 20.47” x 16.4” x 14.56” (L x W x H)
- Type: Top-Entry
- Material: BPA free plastic
- Shape: Oval
- Odor Control: Not Mentioned
The box ensures privacy and keeps other pets and dogs from messing with your feline. The top of the box is wide and the bottom is narrow for ease of entry. The enclosed kitty litter box is available in various designs and colors to suit your interiors.
- Scooper included with the box
- Round corners provided for ease of cleaning the box
- Anti-skid rubber feet to keep the box in place
- The box is too high and not suitable for small kittens or injured and senior cats
3. Van Ness Odor Control Giant Enclosed Cat Pan
The Van Ness Odor Control Giant Enclosed Cat Pan is big enough for multi-cat households and offers premium odor control by keeping the dirt enclosed within the pan. It also has a Zeolite Air Filter to absorb odor particles easily.
Best Covered Litter Box Under A Budget
The high walls eliminate scattering of waste and the material is plastic which is highly polished. This also makes it odor and stain resistant which makes it easy to clean. The high walls also prevent dirty litter from spreading and scattering. The enclosed cat box features a front side entry and has a flap.
Features
- Size: 21.5” x 17.5” x 18” (L x W x H)
- Type: Front – entry (flap door)
- Material: BPA free plastic
- Shape: Rectangular
- Odor Control: Zeolite air filters
The top and bottom of the pan are secured with a plastic tie and 4 clips. You need to detach the four clips in order to open and clean the box. It also has a handle on top for ease of lifting and carrying.
- Large enclosed box for optimum space and privacy
- The pan is too deep which provides space for digging litter
- Smooth, polished, and non-sticky surface for ease of cleaning
- The plastic material is too thin
- The box is not leak proof
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4. Catit Hooded Large Covered Cat Litter Box
The Catit Jumbo Size Hooded Covered Cat Litter Box is best for multi-cat households as well as large cat breeds as it gives your feline all the privacy she needs.
Best Large Covered Cat Litter Box
The hood is quite large which provides easy access to the litter box as well as makes a good entry point for cats due to the front entry. It has an inbuilt carbon filter to prevent odor and is made of BPA free materials. The hood can be detached for cleaning purposes.
Features
- Size: 22.4” x 18.3” x 17” (L x W x H)
- Type: Front – entry (flap door)
- Material: BPA free plastic
- Shape: Rectangular
- Odor Control: Replacable Carbon filters
The box can be washed very easily with mild soap and water and is also quite easy to assemble. The carbon impregnated filter easily traps and eliminates odor produced inside. It also has a litter bag anchor if you want to suspend a bag to collect the waste inside the box.
- Flap door front entry provides enough privacy for cat
- Suitable for large cats
- Has a litter bag anchor for collecting dirty litter
- Product is not very durable
- Not meant for felines who spray urine on walls of the litter box
5. Petmate Booda Dome CleanStep Covered Litter Box
The Petmate Booda Dome CleanStep Litter Box is an aesthetically designed and thoughtfully constructed dome-shaped covered litter box. It looks attractive, provides your cat with all the privacy she needs, and offers ease of entry, especially for senior cats and small kittens.
Best Covered Cat Litter Box for Senior Cats and Small Kittens
The dome lid comes with a handle and the hooded dome can be detached and fixed again for ease of cleaning. The dome also has a charcoal filter to trap odor particles and eliminate the dirty smell within the box. The steps which are grooved clean your cat’s paws effectively and prevent dust from tracking.
Features
- Size: 20” x 24” x 19” (L x W x H)
- Type: Front – entry
- Material: BPA free, Eco-friendly plastic
- Shape: Dome
- Odor Control: Replaceable Charcoal Filter
The product is large enough for accommodating two cats and comes with an inbuilt air filter and anti-tracking mat. The dome-shaped box is available in multiple colors like nickel, white, and titanium to suit your interiors.
- Suitable for multiple cats
- Inbuilt charcoal filters to control odor
- Has grooved steps to prevent litter from tracking
- Not suitable for pets who spray urine on the walls of the box
- Does not contain dirt and urine very effectively, starts leaking
6. Omega Paw Self Cleaning Covered Cat Litter Box
The Omega Paw Self Cleaning Covered Cat Litter Box is used by many cat parents and is an automatic self-cleaning cat litter box that works without electricity. Just rollover and the litter is clean in a jiffy. Cleaning your cat’s waste never got this easy!!!
Best Self Cleaning Covered Cat Litter Box
It has a front entry and a sifter present inside the box. Once you need to clean, simply topple the box, the clean litter sifts onto one side while the solid wastes get separated and collected in a separate compartment for removal.
Features
- Size: 18.5” x 21.5” x 20” (L x W x H)
- Type: Front – entry
- Material: Plastic
- Shape: Oval
- Odor Control: Not Mentioned
It has clips for detaching the hood and a built-in litter-step to prevent dirt from sticking and spreading through your cat’s paws. It offers privacy to your cat while offering you the convenience of cleaning quickly and easily.
- Easy to clean and sift litter
- Detachable hood with clips provided for ease of assembly
- Built in litter-step to prevent tracking
- Easy to clean
- Requires rolling multiple times to sift efficiently
- The product is not leakproof
7. CAT LOVE Space Saver Hooded Covered Cat Pan
The CAT LOVE Space Saver Hooded Cat Litter Pan has an ergonomic shape that fits in most corners of your house, leaving you with enough space and your feline with enough privacy she needs. The hood is detachable to offer breathability and ease of cleaning.
Best Space-Saving Covered Cat Litter Box
The colors are very attractive to match the interiors of the house. It also has a built-in bag anchor to hold litter bags inside the box. The base pan is quite deep to encourage litter digging which cats like to indulge in.
Features
- Size: 23” x 17.7” x 17.2” (L x W x H)
- Type: Front – entry
- Material: Plastic
- Shape: Compact Triangular
- Odor Control: Replaceable Carbon Filters
It also has impregnated carbon filters to effectively trap odor particles and eliminate the smell from within the box. The carbon filters are replaceable and available separately. The hood also comes with a separate handle for ease of carrying and lifting the box.
- Space-saving compact design
- Detachable hood for ease of cleaning
- Built-in litter bag anchor to collect dirty waste easily
- Not true to size
- Not leakproof
Buyer’s Guide
Cats enjoy their private space and also prefer using a covered or enclosed litter box. This keeps them away from the hustle and bustle of the house while also keeping their wastes and shedding business enclosed within the high walls of the box.
We give you a brief guide on why do felines prefer covered litter boxes and how to choose the best covered cat litter boxes.
Why Choose Covered Cat Litter Boxes?
Covered Cat Litter Boxes help keep her waste inside the box and also provide a private space for your feline’s shedding activities.
There are several benefits of buying covered cat litter boxes. Here are a few:
Your Cat’s Privacy Matters!
Cats usually prefer their private space, especially while carrying out their shedding activities. Therefore, their litter boxes are usually kept in a secluded corner of the house to not disturb them while they poo and pee at peace.
Covered Litter Boxes are enclosed with high walls which makes sure that they remain secure inside their box while shedding.
Nobody wants to see an open litter box with pieces of cat poop and dirty clumped litter. Therefore, a covered litter box keeps all the dirt and mess inside, and out of your sight leaving you with a clean looking house.
Keep Other Animals Away
If you have multiple pets at home or prefer keeping the litter box in your garden or backyard, the covered litter boxes keep other animals away, while your kitty stays inside the box safely.
Odor Control
As compared to open litter boxes which can cause the spreading of dust and odor, covered litter boxes keeps all the dirt and smell inside the box and do not allow it to spread in the air. This helps to keep your house fresh in spite of the litter box being unclean and dirty.
Controls Dust and Tracking
If your cat is habituated to throwing dirt or spraying urine out of the box, or carrying litter in her paws while moving in and out of the box, then covered litter boxes, allows the dust particles to stay inside the box.
These boxes usually have hooded corners and top openings which prevent litter tracking and do not allow the dust to get out of the box if your cat is digging into the litter.
Types of Covered Cat Litter Boxes
Covered Cat Litter Boxes are available in various types and designs. A few of them are:
Top Entry Litter Box
Top Entry Litter Boxes have high walls and a small opening on the top for your feline to enter and exit the box. The high walls ensure enough privacy and keep the waste from spilling out of the box.
If your cat has a habit of spraying urine, then the high walls of the top entry litter box are effective in controlling the dust and urine spraying as well as controls odor.
They usually come with a lid on top to keep the box covered when not in use. Top entry litter boxes are suitable for young to healthy adult cats and not suitable for small kittens or felines with joint issues.
Hooded Litter Box
Hooded Litter Box ensures that your kitty does her shedding activities in privacy while all her dust and dirt remain enclosed within the box. Certain boxes have detachable hoods that can be used as and when needed.
Hooded boxes have a top or side entry. Make sure that the side entry has a flap-style door opening to ensure optimum privacy and not allow the dirty litter and urine to spread outside the box.
Self Cleaning Litter Boxes
Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes are automated and have an advanced level of functioning as compared to other manual litter boxes. They are heavily priced but offer convenience and ease of cleaning like no other. They appear to be just another private and automated room for your cat.
All they have to do is shed and leave and the box takes care of the cleaning. You may have to replace the litter once in a month depending upon the usage or type of litter and clean the box occasionally. Automated, self-cleaning boxes manage everything on their own.
Litter Box Furniture
These are the best covered cat litter boxes any household could have. If space is not an issue, and you want your cat to have a comfortable shedding space, then well carved and constructed litter box furniture is a good investment.
These are spacious, durable, and ventilated and if selected appropriately, may end up matching your furniture and interiors. Nobody would ever realize that an aesthetic piece of furniture could turn out to be a beautifully covered litter box.
How to Choose the Best Covered Cat Litter Boxes?
Here are the steps you must follow in order to choose the best covered cat litter boxes:
Size
Your feline’s litter box needs to be spacious and comfortable for her shedding activities. Covered litter boxes are less spacious as compared to open ones and hence, choosing the correct size is important.
For adult cats, you can buy a large-sized covered litter box so that they have enough space as well as privacy to remain inside comfortably.
Shape
Along with the size, we need to consider the shape of the box in order to determine if it fits well in the corner of our house. If space is an issue, there are various covered litter boxes available that have different shapes like triangular or narrow edges.
These fit well into the corners without eating much space in your house. The shapes are not only suitable for houses, but also make the litter box spacious and comfortable for your cat to use.
Depth
The base should be deep enough for ease of digging and hiding her poop within the litter. Cats have a natural instinct of hiding their waste and shedding inside the litter and prefer digging deep into the pellets.
The covered litter box should offer optimum depth with high-sided walls to ensure that your feline’s natural instincts remain alive without any spilling or spreading of dust.
Material
Except for the automated boxes and litter box furniture, most covered litter boxes are made of plastic. Make sure that the plastic is of high quality and safe for pets.
Using cheap quality plastic is risky as when it starts wearing out, it starts collecting pathogenic bacteria in its pores which can be dangerous and cause odor.
Odor Control Filters
Certain covered litter boxes may have the tendency to smell dirty due to a lack of proper cleaning which can accumulate dirt and foul odor.
Therefore, covered boxes with replaceable odor control filters are a plus if your cat’s litter box tends to get dirty and give out a foul smell too often.
These filters usually have activated charcoal or carbon which absorbs the odor molecules leaving behind a fresh environment inside the litter box.
Entry/Exit Points
The entry and exit points of the covered litter box should be easily accessible to your cat. Most enclosed litter boxes have a top or front entry.
Top entry covered litter boxes might be difficult for your cat to access if she is too small or suffers from arthritis or joint-related issues. Therefore, make sure your feline is fit and suitable enough to use a top entry covered litter box.
Front or side-entry litter boxes that are hooded, have a large opening at the side for your cat to enter or exit the box. Make sure to have a flap door at the entry point to ensure optimum privacy and not allow the dirty litter and urine to spill out of the box.
Prevents Dust and Tracking
Covered Litter Boxes keep all your cat’s shedding activities and dirty litter enclosed within the high walls of the box. This makes sure that there is no spreading of dust in the air or on the floor.
If your household or pets are prone to allergies, make sure to get a covered litter box that has high walls to cover the box appropriately, and prevent the spreading of dust.
Additionally, certain covered boxes also possess anti-track openings, which prevent the dust from sticking to your cat’s paws and leaving it inside the box.
Ventilation
Make sure that the covered litter boxes have sufficient openings for keeping the box airy and ventilated. Stuffy and suffocating litter boxes make it an uncomfortable environment.
Moreover, improper ventilation leads to the accumulation of dirty odor which makes the surroundings of the box stale and dirty. The box should have a tiny hole to allow fresh air and keep it ventilated.
Ease of Cleaning & Assembly
Covered litter boxes come in various designs with door flaps and hoods for attachment. Make sure that the detachable items are not difficult to remove, clean, and attach.
While cleaning, the surface should be smooth and non-sticky to scrape off the dirt and remove odor from the box.
The more the number of parts to be attached, the tougher is the assembly and cleaning. Therefore, choose a box, that is easy to clean and assemble.
FAQs
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Do cats like covered litter boxes?
Maybe! This depends upon your cat’s preference. Most cats prefer a private space for their shedding activities while some want their boxes to be open and easily accessible. It all comes down to experimenting and determining their choice.
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Are covered litter boxes suitable for kittens?
No! Kittens are tiny and need a box that is easy to access and use. Covered litter boxes usually have high sides and top entries, which can get difficult for your kitten to access.
As she grows up gradually, you can consider getting her a covered litter box for her privacy and keeping the dirt and odor enclosed within the box.
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How often should we clean covered cat litter boxes?
Once a week is the ideal recommended time for cleaning cat litter boxes. While the litter is scooped daily, make sure to wash and rinse the box with soap during replacing the litter weekly.
This helps in getting rid of the dirty odor and pathogenic bacteria that stay within the pores and crevices of the box.
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How much for covered cat litter boxes?
Covered cat litter boxes cost anywhere between $15-$35 depending on the material, type, size, and various other factors. The best covered cat litter box under a budget is the Van Ness Odor Control Giant Enclosed Cat Pan which is priced between $15-$20.
For a premium quality top entry covered litter box, you can opt for the IRIS Top Entry Covered Cat Litter Box which costs around $30-$35.
The best-covered cat litter box is the AmazonBasics Hooded Covered Cat Litter Box which costs around $20-$22.
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What is the best covered cat litter box?
According to us, the best-covered cat litter box is the AmazonBasics Hooded Covered Cat Litter Box which has a flap opening, front entry, and spacious design.
A premium quality enclosed litter box would be the IRIS Top Entry Covered Cat Litter Box with a plush and stylish design and high walls for keeping the dirt enclosed in the box.
A litter box that is enclosed and available under a budget would be the Van Ness Odor Control Giant Enclosed Cat Pan.
Final Note
Covered Cat Litter Boxes are preferred by felines as well as pet parents. Not only do they provide enough privacy to your kitty, but these boxes help to keep your house and surroundings clean. It ensures a secluded space for your cat’s business and keeps her away from the hustle and bustle of the house.
Choose the best covered cat litter boxes which are comfortable and spacious and offer you the convenience of cleaning the box.
Make sure to maintain the box on a weekly basis to avoid accumulating bacteria and odor. A clean litter box encourages your kitty to use the box often and keep her pee and poo activities enclosed within the box.
After all, What Happens Inside the Litter Box, Stays Inside the Box, Right?
References
- Litter Box Training— PetMD
- Covered or Uncovered Litterboxes: Do Cats Have a Preference? — Dr. Sophia Yin
- Setting your cat up for litter box success— The Humane Society of the United States