Choosing A Litter Box For A Maine Coon (What Actually Works)

Choosing A Litter Box For A Maine Coon (What Actually Works)

Although it’s not the most exciting of topics, selecting the right litter box for your Maine Coon can save loads of trouble.

They are large cats, and it’s not as simple as just picking the first one you see on the shelf.

I took 3 different types of litter boxes and tested them out to find what works and what doesn’t?

So what kind of litter box should you get for a Maine Coon?

Although Maine Coons are a large breed of cat they don’t need a special litter box for them. A Maine Coon litter box should be large in size, have high sided walls, and have plenty of cat litter in it.

I’ve never felt the need for particularly expensive litter boxes, and find just a simple box like shape with high sided walls does just fine.

If your Maine Coon has access to the outdoors then you probably won’t need one at all.

Alita, my own Maine Coon is an indoor Maine Coon, and does just fine with a high sided litter box.

Maine Coon Litter Box Considerations

When purchasing a new litter box for Maine Coons, there are some things to take into account first.

Size

The Maine Coon is a large cat, and even if you have still got a kitten then they will grow much bigger.

Probably a good idea to get a litter tray that your kitten can use as it grows.

The kitten can only leap and jump so far, so high sided litter boxes may be a little taxing at this stage.

A Maine Coon will maneuver in the litter box before using those giant scoop like paws to deposit some of the litter on the poop and some on the floor.

It’s worth getting an extra large sized box from the outset.

Are High Sided Litter Boxes Needed

A fully healthy adult Maine Coon should probably have a high sided litter box.

However, they may not suit every Maine Coon.

Kittens might not be able to get in, so a high sided litter box would defeat the purpose of one.

Some Maine Coons can be really shy about going to the loo. A high sided litter box may actually work better for these anxious cats.

Or at least place the litter box somewhere discreet.

Injured or senior Maine Coons might not welcome a high sided box as the leap into them might be painful or require too much dexterity.

Something else to consider is that some cats can really bury their feces. And I mean REALLY bury it.

As such, there’s a lot of kitty litter movement.

A high sided litter box can alleviate small sandcastles building up in your utility room.

Litter Box Placement

Does a large litter box mean limited space to locate it in your property or apartment.

Would a high sided litter box be just too intrusive and you’d end up tripping over it.

Also, what about emptying it? Is it convenient?

Might be worth taking a few measurements if it’s a little too close for comfort.

Do You Need An Expensive Litter Box For A Maine Coon?

Many owners put a lot of time and effort into their Maine Coons.

The amount you spend on a litter box can vary from a few dollars to much more as you head towards the rather grandiose ones.

Personally, I decided to do a little experiment.

I bought 3 styled litter boxes and tried them out with the same amount of cat litter.

Alita, my Maine Coon didn’t mind any particular one and switched easily between them all.

I wanted to see if there really was any difference.

I got 3 litter boxes, each of a different size.

• the 1st was 18 x 12 x 3 inches deep (large litter tray)
• the 2nd was 20 x 14 x 8 inches deep (washing up bowl)
• the 3rd was 22 x 15 x 16 inches deep (small carry box)

I put the same amount of litter in each time, and waited 24 hours before taking a photo.

I started with the smallest one first, which was actually described as a large litter tray.

It was actually OK in terms of size for a small Maine Coon.

However, take a look at the photo.

After 24 hours there’s a large amount of cat litter all over the floor.

Although it’s a large litter tray, the shallow sides means that those big Maine Coon paws scoop it all over the place and stick in the paw when they go out.

Time for the washing up bowl litter tray

This was better, and the photo doesn’t seem to capture it but there was still some litter about.

Not nearly as much though.

Time for the small container dubbing as a litter box

This one was much better.

Alita was energetic enough to leap in and out without much effort and there’s a lot less cat litter on the floor.

Much less cleaning up to do.

So, if you can get away with it, pick a litter box with really high sides to prevent the spreading of cat litter all over the place.

Conclusion

Buying a cat litter box for your Maine Coon isn’t as exciting as getting a load of toys, or a walking harness.

Nevertheless, going to the loo is a function your Maine Coon will do 3 to 6 times a day.

So it’s kind of important.

You don’t need an expensive litter box, your Maine Coon will do fine in a large one.

The one thing I would recommend is getting one with high sides. It really does limit the cat litter mess.

By high sides I mean high enough that your Maine coon needs to take a peak over the lip and then leap into.

You have to clean them regularly, but at least there will be a minimal mess on the floor.