Litter Box Sizes and How Many Boxes You Need
Pick a litter box your cat can turn around in with low sides to step over, and keep one box per cat plus one extra, spread around the home.
By Elissa SanciContributing writer.
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The short answer
Buy a box that is large enough for your cat to turn around in comfortably and low enough to step in and out of easily. Then count your cats and add one: that is how many boxes the home needs. The ASPCA and the Humane Society both give that rule.
What size litter box do I need
Most commercial boxes are smaller than cats would choose. The ASPCA notes that most cats prefer large boxes they can enter easily, and it suggests a plastic sweater storage container as a roomy alternative.
A 2025 study in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Science gave indoor cats several boxes to choose from. The cats preferred boxes measuring 50 cm (about 20 inches) or more, and clumping clay litter. When owners combined a large box with that litter, house soiling went down.
A practical check before you buy:
- Room to turn: your cat should fit inside, nose to tail, and still have space to turn.
- Side height: low sides suit kittens, older cats and cats with stiff joints. The ASPCA warns that high sides and top-entry boxes can be hard for these cats to use.
- Litter depth: about 2 inches, the depth the Humane Society says most cats prefer. The ASPCA gives one to two inches.
How many litter boxes per cat
| Cats in the home | Boxes to provide |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 5 |
Put the boxes in different spots, not side by side, so one cat cannot block every box at once. The Humane Society also suggests at least one box on each floor of a multi-level home, in a quiet place away from food, water and loud appliances.
Covered vs uncovered litter box
| Box type | Upside | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Uncovered (open) | Cat can see around it and leave fast | More litter scatter |
| Covered (hooded) | Less scatter, odor held in | Smell stays inside, less view out |
| Top-entry | Very little scatter | Hard for older or stiff cats |
The Humane Society says some cats feel trapped in a covered box, especially in homes with other cats. The ASPCA lists a hood or a liner among the things that can make a cat stop using its box. If your cat avoids a covered box, switch to an open one. Self-cleaning boxes can also scare some cats.
Keeping the box in use
Scoop every day. The ASPCA suggests a full wash of the box once a week with unscented soap or baking soda, and both groups advise against strongly scented litter. If a cat suddenly stops using the box, the Humane Society's first step is a vet visit to rule out a medical cause.
How we count
The chart applies the one-box-per-cat-plus-one rule to homes with one to five cats. On October 26, 2026, a read-only query of our listing data found 132 litter boxes in the pet supplies department on Wiki Shopping, including 37 listed as standard boxes and 15 as disposable boxes. The counts change as listings are added or removed.