Pillar Stone Paws

cat litter box enclosures

Litter Box Enclosures Does A Cat Litter Box Enclosure Make The Smell Worse? Only if it traps air. A cat litter box enclosure with vents and a lid you can lift smells no worse than an open box. A sealed cabinet with one small hole is a different story. This is the enclosure section of our cat l...

0 products
Sort:

No products found in this collection.

All articles →
Litter Box Enclosures

Does A Cat Litter Box Enclosure Make The Smell Worse?

Only if it traps air. A cat litter box enclosure with vents and a lid you can lift smells no worse than an open box. A sealed cabinet with one small hole is a different story.

This is the enclosure section of our cat litter furniture collection. Every piece here is judged on airflow and cleaning access before looks.

If odor is the thing holding you back, read our straight answer first: will a litter box cabinet make the smell worse? Let's be honest.

In This Collection

You'll find double litter box enclosures sized for two cats and two boxes, flip-down-door cabinets with a built-in scratching mat at the entry, a 56 inch tall enclosure with litter and scoop storage overhead, and a hidden cat washroom cabinet with double front doors and a scratch cardboard panel.

The Sweet Spot

A Hidden Litter Box That Still Works

An enclosure earns its floor space when it breathes so odor leaves, opens wide enough to scoop standing up, and fits the box you already own and the cat that uses it.

Breathes Opens Fits
Video or image slot
Airflow

Why A Sealed Litter Box Cabinet Is A Mistake

Ammonia from urine thins out in an open room. Inside a closed cabinet with one 6 inch hole it has nowhere to go, so it builds up at the cat's nose height and hits you all at once when you open the door.

Look for a second opening opposite the entry, slotted vents in the back panel, or a half inch gap under the doors. Two openings create a path. One opening creates a jar.

Why It Works

The AAFP and ISFM environmental needs guidelines note that a cat's sense of smell is far more sensitive than ours. A box that smells faintly stale to you can be strong enough to send a cat elsewhere.

  • Count the openings. Two minimum, on different faces.
  • Scoop daily. No vent design fixes a box that is scooped twice a week.
Video or image slot
Sizing

Entry Size, Step Height, And Interior Clearance

A 15 pound cat needs an entry at least 8 inches wide and 9 inches tall. The step-over matters just as much: a senior cat with stiff hips will avoid a 7 inch lip, so look for 3 to 5 inches or a ramp.

Inside, measure your box first. A large open box runs about 24 by 18 inches, and a covered box can stand 17 inches tall. Add 2 inches on every side so you can lift it out for a full litter change.

Sizing Tip

The Cornell Feline Health Center recommends a litter box about one and a half times the length of the cat. A big cat often needs a large or double model to get that length inside.

Video or image slot
Multi-Cat Homes

Why Some Cats Refuse An Enclosed Litter Box

A cat in a box with one exit cannot see who is coming. With two or more cats, the bold one learns to wait by the door, and the shy one learns to use the rug instead. This is ambush anxiety, the most common reason an enclosure fails.

The rule is one box per cat plus one. A double enclosure holds two boxes in separate compartments with separate entries, which covers a two-cat home if a third open box lives in another room. It does not replace the rule. It hides two thirds of it.

Real Talk

If a cat already avoids a covered box, an enclosure will not change its mind. Remove the doors for two weeks, then close them one at a time and watch.

  • Two cats: three boxes, at least two of them in different rooms.
  • Pick a double enclosure whose entries face different directions.
  • Give each cat its own retreat too: cat houses for multiple cats.
Cleaning And Materials

What A Litter Box Cabinet Needs To Survive Daily Use

You will open this cabinet daily for years. Urine will hit the walls and litter will reach the corners. The build has to handle all three without disassembly.

Good
Top lift or full front door
A lifting lid or wide double doors let you scoop standing up and pull the box out for a wash. A flip-down front does the same job and doubles as a step.
Good
Sealed edges and a removable floor
Laminate faces are fine. The failure point is the seam. Banding on every cut edge, or a plastic tray on the floor, keeps urine from swelling the board.
Avoid
Raw particleboard interiors
Bare board drinks urine, holds the smell for good, and crumbles within a year. Line it with a tray before first use.
Avoid
A back-only access panel
If you have to pull the cabinet from the wall to reach the box, you will scoop less often, and that is where the smell comes from.
Tracking And Placement

Where To Put A Hidden Litter Box

01
The room the cat already uses
Put the enclosure where the box lives now. A cat that has to cross the house to a new spot often picks a closer one of its own.
02
A mat in the vestibule
Two-chamber models put a vestibule between the entry and the box. A textured mat there catches most of the litter on the cat's paws; the flip-down-door models use a scratching mat for that job.
03
Away from food and water
Cats will not eat next to their toilet. A cabinet that passes for a sideboard is tempting to park in the kitchen. Keep it a room away from the bowls.
04
Furniture first, litter box second
An enclosure is furniture that hides a box. It is not a better box. If your setup already works, an open box in a quiet corner remains what most cats prefer.

Litter Box Enclosure FAQs

Does a litter box enclosure make the smell worse? +

Not on its own. Odor concentrates when air cannot move, so a cabinet with two openings smells about the same as an open box in the same room. A sealed cabinet with one small entry holds ammonia until you open it. Ventilation and daily scooping decide the outcome, not the fact that the box is hidden.

How big should the entry be for a 15 pound cat? +

Plan on an opening at least 8 inches wide and 9 inches tall, with a step-over of 5 inches or less. Maine Coons and similar breeds do better with 9 by 11 inches. A cat that has to duck or squeeze uses the box less, and that shows up as accidents nearby.

Will a large or covered litter box fit inside? +

Measure first. Standard enclosures fit a box up to about 20 by 16 inches. Jumbo boxes at 24 by 18 inches need a large or double model with 26 inches of interior width. Covered boxes need about 18 inches of height, though the cover is rarely needed inside a cabinet.

Can two cats share one double enclosure? +

A double enclosure holds two boxes in separate compartments, each with its own entry, so two cats never have to pass each other. The one-per-cat-plus-one rule still calls for a third box elsewhere in the house. Choose a model whose entries face different directions so neither cat can guard both.

Why does my cat refuse to use the enclosed box? +

Usually one of three things: the smell inside is stronger than outside, the entry or step is too tight, or another cat waits by the single exit. Remove the doors for two weeks, scoop twice a day, and watch who goes in. If use does not recover, that cat needs an open box.

How do I clean it without taking it apart? +

Pick a model with a lifting top, a flip-down front, or full-width double doors, and scoop through that opening daily. For a full change, slide the box out, wipe the interior with an enzyme cleaner, and air it with the doors open for an hour.

Will urine ruin a laminate litter box cabinet? +

Laminate faces shrug it off. Exposed edges and seams do not, and that is where boards swell and hold odor. Check that every interior edge is banded or painted, put a plastic tray on the floor, and wipe spray off the walls the same day.

Is the scratch cardboard on the washroom cabinet worth it? +

Yes. Cats often scratch right after using the box, so a panel at the door gets used, and it doubles as a tracking mat. Cardboard wears out in a few months, so keep a spare from our cardboard cat scratchers on hand.

Explore related categories: cat litter furniture, cat trees with litter box, and cat condos and enclosed cat trees.

Helpful guides: will a litter box cabinet make the smell worse and how to introduce new cat furniture without stress.