Covered vs Open Litter Box: Which One Is Best for Your Cat?

Most cats don’t care whether their litter box has a lid. In the best-known study on the question, 28 cats got a covered and an uncovered box side by side, and as a group they used both about equally. Owners are a different story. We have strong opinions about litter on the floor, smell in the room and how much waste we’d rather look at.

That’s why the covered vs open litter box question comes down to fit. I compared the Amazon Basics Covered Litter Box, a 21 x 16 x 15 inch hood with a swinging door and a carbon filter, against the Petmate Open Cat Litter Box, a 16 x 12 x 4 inch pan with nothing on top. Below you’ll find how each handles scatter, odor and scooping, what the research says about cat preference, a size check, a step-by-step switching plan and a cleaning checklist.

Last updated September 2026. This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If your cat’s bathroom habits change suddenly, call your vet.

Jump to: Pros and cons at a glance | What the research says | Amazon Basics covered box | Petmate open box | Size check | Best box by situation | Switching guide | Cleaning checklist | FAQ

⚡ Quick Verdict

Pick the Amazon Basics Covered Litter Box if litter on the floor and smell in the room bother you more than they bother your cat. The hood and swinging door keep kicked-out granules inside, and the pre-installed carbon filter takes the edge off odor. Pick the Petmate Open Cat Litter Box if you have a kitten, a senior cat or a cat that hates tight spaces. Its 4-inch sides are easy to step over and you can scoop it in seconds. One catch on size: this Petmate listing is the 16 x 12 inch Medium, which suits kittens and small cats. Bigger cats need the Large or Jumbo, and the standard Amazon Basics hood gets snug on any cat longer than about 14 inches.

Covered vs Open Litter Box: Pros and Cons at a Glance

Before the product breakdowns, here’s how the two designs compare in general. These rows apply to any hooded box versus any open pan, not only the two we review.

Do Cats Prefer Covered or Open Litter Boxes?

Owners tend to assume cats hate lids. The best-known test says the picture is more mixed. In a 2013 study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, researchers gave 28 cats a covered and an uncovered box side by side and weighed the waste in each. As a group, the cats used the two styles about equally. Eight individual cats did pick a side: four favored the covered box and four the open one. (Read the abstract on PubMed.)

Two caveats matter before you treat that as a green light for any hood. The test boxes were modified storage tubs roughly 32 inches long, far roomier than a 21 inch retail hood, and every box was scooped daily. Cat behaviorists, including Dr. Mikel Delgado, have pointed out that a small retail hood is a different proposition.

A 2019 field study points the same way. It counted feces in single-cat homes over two 4-week trials and found cats chose covered boxes more often when the covered box had 17% more floor space than the open one. With equal floor space, the lean toward covered boxes was weaker. (Study summary on ScienceDirect.)

So size and cleanliness carry more weight than the lid. The 2013 authors said as much: with boxes scooped at least once a day, most cats won’t show a preference.

What to Do With That

• Scoop at least once a day, whichever style you buy.
• Buy the largest box that fits your space, not the smallest one your cat can squeeze into.
• If your cat has a strong opinion, believe it. Individual cats in both studies did.
• If you’re not sure, put an open pan next to the hood for a week with the same litter and see which one your cat picks. The researchers call this offering a “cafeteria” of box styles.

Are Covered Litter Boxes Bad for Cats?

Not by default. A covered box becomes a problem when it’s too small, not scooped often enough or badly placed, and a few cats refuse one no matter what. These are the failure points worth knowing before you buy a hood:

• Trapped smell. A cat’s nose is far sharper than yours, and a hood concentrates odor inside the box. Scoop daily and swap the carbon filter on the maker’s schedule.
• Not enough room. If your cat can’t turn around and dig without bumping the walls, it may perch on the rim or go somewhere else.
• The door flap. Some cats dislike pushing through a flap. On the Amazon Basics, the listing gives the opening as about 7 by 7.5 inches.
• One way out. In a multi-cat home, a cat inside a hood can get cornered by another cat waiting at the only exit.
• Heat and humidity. A closed shell holds warmth, so a hot summer can make it stuffy.

Signs Your Cat Dislikes the Hood

• Perching on the rim without stepping in.
• Digging at the hood or at the floor outside the box.
• Going right next to the box.
• Skipping the box after you switched from an open pan.

Any of these can mean the door needs to come off or the hood needs to go. Try that first, using the steps in the switching guide below.

Analysis: Amazon Basics Covered Litter Box

This enclosed box is for owners who want the litter area tidy and the waste out of sight. It works best for cats that like a little solitude while they go, and for homes where scattered litter and dust are a daily fight.

The Amazon Basics Hooded Litter Box puts a snap-on hood and a swinging plastic door between your cat and your floor. Kicked-out granules mostly land inside the hood instead of across the room. Some cats also feel safer with a roof over them, which counts if yours startles easily.

Odor gets attention too. A carbon filter comes pre-installed, and replacements are sold separately, so plan to buy them. Amazon describes the plastic as stain and odor resistant, and the pan wipes clean with a damp cloth.

Build Quality & Design

The hood snaps firmly onto the base, so it stays put even when a cat jumps in and out with energy, and a built-in handle lets you lift it off for scooping. The standard size measures 21 x 16 x 15 inches, small enough to tuck into a corner. Inside, that’s snug for a big cat. The size check below has the math.

Performance & Speed

The swinging door works like a wall. It stops most litter from flying across the room during a post-bathroom dig, so a high-traffic room stays cleaner between sweeps. Paws still carry some granules out, so a small mat by the door earns its space.

Features & Functionality

The carbon filter helps most in an apartment or shared space, where the box sits close to where you live. Carbon wears out, though. Replace it on the maker’s schedule. The stain-resistant finish also holds less odor between deep cleans, which cuts down on scrubbing.

User Experience

A hood makes the corner look tidier. The door is light, so most cats won’t have to push hard. But the opening is small: the listing gives it as 17.8 cm wide by 19 cm high, or about 7 by 7.5 inches. And scooping is a two-step job, because you unlatch the hood before you reach the pan.

Size & Fit

Amazon also sells a Large version at 24 x 18 x 17 inches under a separate listing. If your cat measures over about 14 inches from nose to base of tail, start with the Large Amazon Basics covered box instead. The size check below explains why.

Value for Money

You’re paying for a hood, a door and a filter, and the filter is the recurring cost. If containing scatter matters to you, that trade makes sense. If your cat refuses the hood, none of it earns its keep, so test with the hood off first (see the switching guide below).

Analysis: Petmate Open Cat Litter Box

The Petmate Open Cat Litter Box is for owners who want a no-frills pan that works. It suits kittens, senior cats and any cat that gets anxious in tight spaces, and it is quick to keep clean.

The Petmate drops the lid and the door. It’s a low pan with rimmed sides, and that simplicity is the appeal. A kitten or an older cat can step in without pushing through anything, and air moves freely over the litter.

Petmate sells this pan in four sizes: Small at 14 x 10.5 x 3.5 inches, Medium at 16 x 12 x 4, Large at 18.5 x 15.5 x 5 and Jumbo at 22 x 16.5 x 6.5. The listing we link to is the Medium. And because nothing covers the litter, you can see at a glance when it needs scooping.

Build Quality & Design

Petmate makes the pan in the USA from plastic it calls durable. The rim around the top gives you a grip for lifting, moving and rinsing it out. Petmate’s own advice on its litter boxes is to replace them about every 12 months, since odor soaks into plastic and scratches build up, so plan to swap it every year or so.

Performance & Speed

Speed is the point. With no lid or door, you scoop in seconds. That suits owners who want to spot changes in clumps or stool quickly and keep upkeep short.

Features & Functionality

The sides are only about 4 inches tall, so an enthusiastic digger will throw litter over the edge. The wide base helps, and a litter mat catches the rest. The payoff is airflow: nothing traps odor inside the pan. Nothing filters it out either, so daily scooping does the job a carbon filter would.

User Experience

Your cat gets a full view of the room while she goes, and some cats need that before they’ll use a box at all. You see the litter’s condition instantly. The tradeoff is that everything is on display, including in a living room.

Size & Fit

At 16 x 12 inches, the Medium suits kittens and small cats, which matches how the listing describes it. By the 1.5x length rule, it covers a cat up to about 10.5 inches long. For an adult, pick the Large or Jumbo from the size options on the listing.

Value for Money

There’s no hood, door or filter to buy or replace, so beyond litter and maybe a mat, you’re paying only for the pan. Petmate suggests swapping it about once a year. Plan on it as a routine replacement.

Major Factors to Consider

Picking a litter box means matching your cat’s behavior to your own habits. These seven factors help you weigh the trade-offs so the box you choose makes daily life easier for both of you.

Feature Comparison

This table compares the core differences between the two boxes. Use it to decide whether clean floors or open, low-stress access matters more to you.

Specifications Comparison

Check these physical attributes to see which box fits your space. Measure your corner or closet before you buy so the box has enough clearance, and leave room above the hood to lift it off. Dimensions come from the product listings and are outside measurements.

The last row divides each box’s outside length by 1.5. Usable interior room is a bit smaller, so treat those figures as a ceiling.

Litter Box Size, Number and Placement

A good box in the wrong size or the wrong spot still gets avoided. This is the part of the decision most buyers skip.

How Big Should a Litter Box Be?

The AAFP and ISFM, two of the main feline vet groups, recommend a rectangular box 1.5 times your cat’s length, measured from nose to base of tail. Their house-soiling guidelines also cite a study in which adult cats preferred a 34 x 15 inch box over a smaller one. Most retail boxes are smaller than that, including both boxes here.

1. Measure your cat from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail. Skip the tail itself. Many adult cats land between 16 and 20 inches.
2. Multiply that number by 1.5. The result is the minimum interior length of the box.
3. Compare it to the box’s interior length. Listed sizes are outside measurements, so the usable floor is a little smaller.
4. Check entry height if your cat is a kitten, a senior or has stiff joints. A 4-inch rim is easy. A hood with a flap is harder.

The check marks use outside length, which flatters both boxes. If your cat is 16 inches or longer, size up: the Amazon Basics Large (24 inches) or the Petmate Large (18.5 inches) or Jumbo (22 inches). None of these reach 27 inches, so for a big cat, take the roomiest one that fits your space and watch whether your cat can turn around comfortably.

How Many Litter Boxes Do You Need?

The AAFP and ISFM environmental guidelines call for one box per cat plus one extra. Two cats means three boxes. Spread them across different rooms where you can. Boxes lined up side by side work like one big box, which defeats the purpose if one cat is avoiding another. (AAFP/ISFM Environmental Needs Guidelines.)

Where Should You Put the Box?

• Pick a quiet, low-traffic spot where your cat can see who’s coming and has more than one way out.
• Keep it away from food and water bowls.
• Stay clear of loud appliances such as a washing machine or furnace, which can startle a cat mid-visit.
• Don’t shut a covered box in a closet with the door closed. A hood plus a sealed room traps smell and heat.
• For a hooded box, leave room above and beside it to lift the hood off. For an open pan, put a mat on the floor around it.

Which Litter Box Is Best for Kittens, Senior Cats, Large Cats and Multi-Cat Homes?

Your cat’s age, size and household matter more than the box brand. Use this table to match the design to the situation.

The Middle Ground

If you can’t decide, split the difference. Petmate also makes a Hi-Back open pan (19.25 x 15 x 9 inches) with high sides meant to cut scatter and spray, plus a lowered entry for older cats. And it makes a Basic Hooded pan (18.8 x 15.2 x 14 inches) with a removable privacy door. Neither is one of the two boxes reviewed here, but both sit between the extremes.

How to Switch Your Cat From an Open to a Covered Litter Box

Cats notice change. A sudden swap from an open pan to a hood can trigger accidents. Go in stages and let your cat set the pace.

1. Set the covered box next to the current open one and leave both out. Don’t take the old box away yet.
2. Start with the hood off, so the new box works as an open pan. Use the same litter at the same depth in both.
3. When your cat uses the new pan on its own for several days, snap the hood on with the door flap propped open.
4. Once your cat walks in and out of the open doorway without fuss, let the flap swing.
5. Keep the old box available for another week. If accidents start, go back one step.

To go the other way, from covered to open, remove the flap first, then the hood, one step at a time.

Litter Box Cleaning and Odor Control Checklist

Cleanliness beats box style. The 2013 study’s authors tied the lack of preference to boxes being scooped at least once a day. This routine works for either design.

Every Day

Every Week

Every 2 to 4 Weeks

Once a Year

Cut Litter Scatter From an Open Pan

• Put a textured litter mat under and in front of the box.
• Don’t overfill. Litter piled near the rim ends up on the floor.
• Size up or choose a high-sided pan such as the Petmate Hi-Back.

🏆 Winner: Amazon Basics Covered Litter Box

The Amazon Basics Hooded Litter Box takes the win for most homes because it balances scatter control and odor control. The open box is quicker to scoop, but keeping litter in the pan and smell out of the air makes the hood the more practical choice for indoor living. It is a conditional win. It assumes your cat accepts a hood, and that your cat is under about 14 inches long if you buy the standard size. If your cat is longer, take the Large.

Choose Petmate Open Cat Litter Box If…

🎯 Final Recommendation

Go with the Amazon Basics Covered Litter Box if you want floors that stay clean and odor that stays put, and your cat is happy to push through a door. Choose the Petmate Open Cat Litter Box, in the right size for your cat, if you’re raising a kitten, caring for a senior or living with a cat that dislikes enclosed spaces. If you’re still unsure, set an open pan next to the hood for a week and let your cat vote.

Summary

• Cats as a group show no clear preference between covered and open boxes when size and cleanliness match, though individual cats do pick sides.
• The Amazon Basics Hooded Box does best at keeping litter off the floor and smell out of the room.
• The Petmate Open Box gives the easiest access, which suits kittens, senior cats and cats that dislike tight spaces.
• Check size first. A box should be about 1.5 times your cat’s length, and neither standard size here fits a large adult cat.
• Scoop at least once a day, whichever you choose.
• A covered box hides the litter area from guests. An open pan is quicker to clean and shows health changes sooner.
• Use one box per cat plus one extra, in different spots.
• If you can’t tell which your cat prefers, test an open pan and a hood side by side for a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and Further Reading

• Litter box preference in domestic cats: covered versus uncovered, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2013.
• Field assessment in single-housed cats of litter box type (covered/uncovered) preferences for defecation, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2019.
• AAFP and ISFM Guidelines for Diagnosing and Solving House-Soiling Behavior in Cats (litter box size, 1.5x rule).
• AAFP/ISFM Environmental Needs Guidelines (number and placement of boxes).
• Product dimensions and features come from the Amazon and Petmate product listings and may change.