The Pros and Cons of Hooded Litter Boxes
Cat litter can easily be tracked outside the litter box and all over the house. Mats and newspaper should be placed around the cat litter box to help grab some of the excess cat litter. Since cats like to bury their waste elimination in the cat litter, they will kick excess cat litter outside of the box. Cats also like to have some privacy where they can go for waste elimination. The hooded box is one of several cat litter boxes that have been designed to give the cat privacy and cut down on the excess cat litter around the litter box.
A hooded box is the same size as a normal cat litter box, but does not give the cat the ability to extend their head beyond the height of the box. Large cats may have a difficult time entering the litter box because the doorway may be too narrow for them. Another problem with hooded boxes is that the cat doesn't have enough room to move. The cat will contort their body into strange positions to eliminate waste and may have a harder time burying their waste. The cats are actually very upset if they step in their own waste, and it will get tracked all over the house.
While a hooded box gives the cat some privacy, it may cause them to become claustrophobic. Some cats will feel trapped in the litter box, especially if you have another cat or a dog. The cat is very vulnerable in the litter box and they do not want to be surprised while they are eliminating waste.
A hooded box also traps excess dust, forcing the cat to breathe it in. While it is normal for cats to breath in some dust when they are kicking up the litter, the hooded box will trap excess dust and the cat may have a harder time breathing.
One of the reasons people prefer a hooded box is because they feel it cuts down on the smell from the litter box. A cat litter box needs to be cleaned often and if it smells, the cat may not even like going in there and may start eliminating waste in other areas in the home. A litter box needs to be scooped on a daily basis and the cat litter needs to be changed weekly.
Hooded boxes do provide advantages for cat owners. One of the biggest advantages of the hooded box is its ability to trap the cat litter inside the box. Some cats like to stand up high when they urinate, and the hooded box will keep the urine from spraying all over the carpet.
When the cat digs around to bury their feces, the hooded box will be able to catch all the cat litter and keep it from flying onto the carpet and around the home. A hooded box does need to be cleaned frequently, especially if the cat does urinate on the walls.
Cats like their cat litter to be about 2-3 inches deep, just deep enough for them to scratch and dig around in. Cats are very picky about the texture of cat litter that you use, so once you find one they like, stick with it.
New hooded boxes are being created that have open tops with tall walls to trap in the cat litter. The top will allow the cat enough room to stand and move, and the walls will stop the urine and cat litter from getting outside the box. Hooded boxes with doors are helpful for older cats that cannot jump in and out of the litter box due to their arthritic joints.
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