Enclosed Sifting Cat Litter Box

Cleaning the Cat Box

Let's take a very unscientific poll. Raise your hand if you love your cat. Now raise your hand if you love cleaning your cat's litter box. It's a reasonable bet that far more hands went up for the first question than the second.

Unfortunately, cleaning the litter box is one chore most of us can't escape, so the issue becomes how to make it easier. Luckily, cat boxes are going high tech, and for those who can afford one, an enclosed sifting cat litter box can cut the job in half.

Benefits of an Enclosed Sifting Cat Litter Box

Most cat litter boxes are spartan models devoid of any modern convenience. You simply fill one with litter and wait until your cat fouls it sufficiently to provoke you into cleaning it. You sift with a scoop when you can get away with it, and when the job can't be put off any longer you dump the entire litter contents and give the box a good scrub. Fill it up with litter again and you're ready to repeat the entire messy process.

An enclosed sifting cat litter box can take some of the pain out of the routine.

• First, an enclosed or hooded litter box helps contain smells close to the litter where they belong.
• Second, the enclosure also keeps unsightly droppings hidden from view.
• Third, an enclosed litter box offers sensitive cats a place to conduct business away from prying eyes. This can sometimes be beneficial in persuading a cat to use his box rather than spray secretively around your home.

The sifting feature has benefits of its own. A simple sifter is a layered system consisting of a bottom pan, and a fitted sifting grid that sits inside the pan. You fill the box with litter, preferably a clumping litter that seems to work best with sifters, and wait until it's time to clean the box. When cleaning time rolls around, you simply lift up the grid to remove the soiled clumps and droppings, and leave the unused litter behind for future use.

While this type of enclosed sifting litter box can handle a major sifting in one move, it's still not the ideal model because in order to reuse the sifter you need to pour the leftover litter into a different container, replace the grid and pour the litter back into the set up.

For true convenience, you need an automatic sifting litter box. The automatic sifter has a distinct advantage over the manual model because it can sift and resift without needing to replace the litter. The sifter is operated by an electronic sensor that activates the rake approximately ten seconds after your cat leaves the enclosure.

Popular Models

Here are a few of the best selling models on the market for you to compare.

• Van Ness sifting enclosed litter box: This box is the classic example of the manual sifter. It comes with a bottom pan, sifting grid and hooded top. The price averages $25.00.
• ScoopFree covered automatic cat litter box: Sold with or without the hood, this box is advertised to maintain your cat's litter for up to 30 days without human intervention. The attached rake pushes soiled particles in the litter cartridge into a covered container at one end of the box. Truly a case of "out of sight, out of mind." The price of convenience runs about $140.00 for the original set up and $50.00 per set of three replacement litter cartridges.
• Petmate Purrforma XL Self-Cleaning Litter Box: This self-sifting enclosed litter box is probably a better value than the ScoopFree model because the waste container is reusable, so instead of purchasing replacement litter cartridges you only need to purchase plastic trash liners. The box also features a paw cleaning ramp to keep Kitty from tracking litter out of the box. You can own this litter system for approximately $200.00.

Day of Reckoning

Regardless of sifting capabilities, there still comes a day when it's time to completely empty the litter box and wash the entire assembly, hood included. Even so, it's still a far cry from the old-fashioned way of maintaining the box on your own, and it's a healthier environment for you and your cat.