The Edit — Pets
How Many Litter Boxes Per Cat, and Where to Put Them
One box per cat, plus one, in different parts of the house, away from food: Cornell's rule, what it means for a home with 2 cats, and 5 boxes owners rate, open and hooded.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page sets out how many litter boxes a home needs and where they go, from the Cornell Feline Health Center’s guidance. Then come 5 boxes chosen by rating, read on 20 October 2026, as How we choose describes, with the open boxes first. The rule is short; the placement is where homes go wrong. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Kirecoo Large High Sided Stainless Steel Cat Litter Box, Non-Stick
Good fit A large cat, and an owner tired of scratched plastic
Not for A kitten or an older cat that needs a low entry
IRIS USA High Sided Cat Litter Box, Large, Scatter Shield
Good fit A digger that sprays litter over the floor
Not for A cat with stiff joints, given the high sides
Nature's Miracle Advanced Hooded Corner Cat Litter Box with Charcoal Filter
Good fit A cat that already uses a hood, in a small room
Not for A cat that wants to see out while it goes
Amazon Basics No-Mess Hooded Enclosed Cat Litter Box with Odor Control, Large
Good fit Room for a big cat, with the mess kept inside
Not for A cat that dislikes pushing through a door
Nature's Miracle Hooded Flip Top Cat Litter Box with Charcoal Filter
Good fit Daily scooping without lifting off the whole hood
Not for Rough handling, as owners split on the lid's sturdiness
Keep 3 boxes for 2 cats
Cornell’s rule is as many litter boxes as there are cats, plus one. 1 cat needs 2 boxes, 2 cats need 3, and 3 cats need 4. The extra box means a cat always has a clean one free, and in a home with 2 cats, a box that the other cat is not guarding.
Put boxes in different rooms, away from food
Cornell asks for boxes that are quiet, private, away from the feeding area and reachable 24 hours a day, and for several boxes to sit in different parts of the house. A laundry room with a washer that bangs on spin is not quiet. A box behind a door that closes at night is not reachable. For a cat that struggles on stairs, keep one on the floor where it spends its day.
Buy open first: cats like to see out
An uncovered box lets odours escape and gives the cat a 360-degree view, and Cornell says most cats prefer one. That is at odds with the ratings: 3 of the 5 best-rated boxes here are hooded, rated by the people who clean them. Buy open first.
The Kirecoo stainless steel box is open with high sides and rates 4.6 across 2,988 ratings. Owners prefer it to plastic, say it suits cats over 20 lb, and call it heavy-duty, easy to clean and resistant to smells. No complaint recurs.
Kirecoo Large High Sided Stainless Steel Cat Litter Box, Non-Stick
An open, high-sided stainless steel box that owners use for cats over 20 lb.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Open, high sides |
|---|---|
| Material | Stainless steel |
Owners say it beats plastic, suits cats over 20 lb, and cleans easily. No complaint recurs.
Buy it if
- A large cat, and an owner tired of scratched plastic
Don't buy it if
- A kitten or an older cat that needs a low entry
The IRIS high-sided box is open plastic with a tall scatter shield and rates 4.4 across 32,369 ratings, the most here. Owners say the high sides keep litter in. Size, value and cleaning divide them, and some find the shield flimsy.
IRIS USA High Sided Cat Litter Box, Large, Scatter Shield
An open plastic box with a high scatter shield to keep kicked litter inside.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Open, scatter shield |
|---|---|
| Material | Plastic |
Owners say the high sides keep the mess in. Some find the shield flimsy.
Buy it if
- A digger that sprays litter over the floor
Don't buy it if
- A cat with stiff joints, given the high sides
A hooded box suits the owner more than the cat
A hood keeps scattered litter and smell away from the room, which is why owners rate these boxes well. If your cat already uses a hooded box happily, stay with it. The Nature’s Miracle hooded corner box rates 4.7 across 5,084 ratings, the highest here. Owners say it gives a cat room to turn while fitting into a corner, keeps litter and odour in, and scoops without taking the lid off. Getting the lid on and off divides them.
Nature's Miracle Advanced Hooded Corner Cat Litter Box with Charcoal Filter
A triangular hooded box with a charcoal filter that fits into a room's corner.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Hooded, corner |
|---|---|
| Filter | Charcoal |
Owners like the room inside, the corner fit and the odour control. The lid divides them.
Buy it if
- A cat that already uses a hood, in a small room
Don't buy it if
- A cat that wants to see out while it goes
The Amazon Basics hooded box measures 24 x 18 x 17 inches, per the listing, has a swinging door and rates 4.6 across 18,541 ratings. Owners describe a roomy box that suits 2 cats and controls odour. Some report the top not attaching well.
Amazon Basics No-Mess Hooded Enclosed Cat Litter Box with Odor Control, Large
A large hooded box with a swinging door, 24 x 18 x 17 inches, per the listing.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Hooded, swinging door |
|---|---|
| Size | 24 x 18 x 17 in, per the listing |
Owners call it roomy enough for 2 cats and easy to clean. Some report the top not seating well.
Buy it if
- Room for a big cat, with the mess kept inside
Don't buy it if
- A cat that dislikes pushing through a door
The Nature’s Miracle flip-top box rates 4.6 across 13,261 ratings, and its top opens for scooping. Owners find it big enough for several cats and good value. The lid’s sturdiness divides them.
Nature's Miracle Hooded Flip Top Cat Litter Box with Charcoal Filter
A hooded box whose top flips open for scooping, with a charcoal filter.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Hooded, flip top |
|---|---|
| Filter | Charcoal |
Owners like the size and the value. The lid’s sturdiness divides them.
Buy it if
- Daily scooping without lifting off the whole hood
Don't buy it if
- Rough handling, as owners split on the lid's sturdiness
Scoop daily and keep litter 1 to 2 inches deep
Cornell asks for clumps and waste to come out daily with clumping litter, topped up with clean litter as needed, at a depth of about 1 to 2 inches. It recommends an unscented, finer-textured litter. Cat litters compared ranks 8 litters against that advice, and why a cat avoids the box after a change covers what to do when a cat stops using one.
Cats over 20 lb need room; old joints need a low step
The Kirecoo and IRIS boxes above both have high sides, fine for a heavy cat and hard on a stiff one; Kirecoo owners use theirs for cats over 20 lb. Cornell says large and overweight cats need bigger boxes, and that kittens, older cats and cats with mobility problems need low sides, so for an arthritic cat, choose a box with a low entry instead. Automatic litter boxes explained covers the self-cleaning kind.
What did not make the list
The Petmate basic open pan rates 4.4 across 35,569 ratings, but the one read here is the Small size. Owners describe it fitting kennels and tight spaces, which is the opposite of the bigger box Cornell asks for a large cat.
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Keep reading
Explainer
Why a Cat Suddenly Avoids the Litter BoxStraining, blood, or repeated trips that produce little urine mean a vet today, not a new litter.
Compared
Cat Litters Compared: Clay, Silica, Pine and TofuThe litter owners rate highest is not the one most cats prefer. Clay, crystals, pine and tofu, compared.
Explainer
What Is Clumping Cat Litter? How It Stops the SmellWhy does a litter box smell, and why does the scoop matter more than the scent?