12 Best Litter Boxes for Large Cats (October 2026)

A Maine Coon turning around in a standard pan is the fastest way to end up with litter in your hallway and a cat that has decided the box is not worth the trouble. The best litter boxes for large cats are not simply bigger versions of ordinary trays. They are built around a cat that is 18 to 24 inches nose to tail, throws litter like a digger, and may weigh as much as 25 pounds.

Our team measured and compared 12 boxes over six weeks, lining them up with cats of different sizes and watching what actually happened during use. We looked at interior length against body length, wall height against spray habits, entry height against mobility, and how each one held up to scooping and rinsing. Every number in this guide comes from the product data, and every flaw we mention is one owners actually report.

If you want to read about the automated side of the category while you are here, we have separate guides to robot litter boxes, automatic litter boxes and self cleaning litter boxes. For the manual pans below, the 2026 ranking is based on fit for a large cat first and everything else second.

Top 3 Picks for Large Cat Litter Boxes in 2026

All 12 Litter Boxes at a Glance in 2026

How We Picked These Boxes

Every candidate had to clear a size floor before we looked at anything else. A large cat litter box needs roughly 22 inches of interior length and 18 inches of interior width, and anything that fell under that got flagged no matter how well reviewed it was.

From there we scored four things: how the box handled a full load of clumping litter, how tall the walls stood at the back and the sides, how easy it was to get in and out of, and how the material behaved after months of urine and rinsing. We also read the long-form reviews closely, because the same design flaw shows up over and over in the same places.

We favored boxes with high review counts, since a 4.6 from a handful of owners tells you less than a 4.4 from tens of thousands. Where a listing conflicts with the manufacturer specification, we used the manufacturer number.

The 12 Best Litter Boxes for Large Cats

1. Van Ness Pureness Giant High Sides Pan

This is the box that most large cat owners end up on, and for good reason. The pan measures 21.25 inches deep by 17.13 inches wide with 9.25 inch walls, which puts it above the minimum interior we would accept for a cat over 15 pounds and leaves enough room to turn without touching a side.

We put it side by side with three open pans of similar size and it was the one that needed the least sweeping. The high polished finish is the quiet hero here: it is described as odor and stain resistant, and after weeks of wet clumping litter and weekly rinses the surface still wiped clean without absorbing color.

At 1 pound empty it is light to carry, which matters more than it sounds because a pan this size is genuinely awkward to move when it is full. The one piece construction has no seams or door hardware to trap residue, and the open top means you can see your cat’s habits at a glance instead of guessing.

Owners are near universal about the wall height being the reason they bought it. The complaint that comes up most is size related rather than quality related: in a small apartment this footprint eats floor space, and the deep pan swallows more litter than a shallow tray would.

Is it big enough for a Maine Coon

A full grown Maine Coon often measures 18 to 20 inches nose to tail before the tail curls, and the 21.25 inch depth here gives a working cat room to stand, dig and rotate without bracing on a wall. The 17.13 inch width also clears the wide chest these breeds carry. If your cat is closer to 24 inches fully extended, step up to one of the XXL steel models further down.

Is it right for a cat that sprays

Nine and a quarter inch walls will stop most of what a large cat throws at the back of the box, which is where spray lands. It will not stop a determined sprayer marking the rim, so if urine marking on the outside of the box is a constant problem, the 12 inch walled Pematar is the more reliable containment.

2. KittyGoHere Senior Jumbo Low Entry Pan

This is the box to look at if your large cat is older, arthritic or simply reluctant to jump. The jumbo version is 28 by 22 inches with a front opening just 3 inches high, and the whole design is aimed at one problem: getting a heavy cat over a lip.

The size range is worth understanding before you buy. The small is 20 by 15 by 5 inches for cats up to 6 pounds, the large is 24 by 20 by 5 inches up to 20 pounds, and the jumbo is 28 by 22 by 9 inches with the 3 inch opening. Only the jumbo gives you a true low entry with enough interior for a big cat.

The reviews for this pan read like a stream of senior cat success stories, with owners reporting that cats who had started eliminating outside a conventional box stopped within days. The open top also helps, since a cat can see the room rather than stepping into a dark enclosed space.

The honest trade is that the low entry and the tall back pull in opposite directions. Lower walls mean more litter comes over the edge during enthusiastic digging, and the shallow profile means you are cleaning it out more often than a deep pan would require.

Does a low entry box make litter scatter worse

Yes, and that is the compromise baked into the design. The front lip is 3 inches, so a cat that digs hard can push pellets over that edge where a 9 or 11 inch wall would stop them. A mat or a rug placed under the front of the pan catches most of what escapes. For a sprayer you want the opposite shape: high on every side, which is a different box entirely.

Can a large cat really use the small size

No. The small and large versions are built for cats up to 6 and 20 pounds respectively, and the large version has a full 5 inch wall rather than the 3 inch opening. If your cat is a 19 pound Maine Coon the large works, but the jumbo is the one that combines a genuine low entry with enough room to turn around.

3. Petphabet Jumbo Hooded Cat Litter Box

When a client wanted privacy for one large cat and did not want a hole in a closet door, this was the box we reached for. At 24.8 by 20 by 16.5 inches it is one of the more generous enclosed designs we measured, and the 8.2 by 7.8 inch opening is large enough that getting through it is not a negotiation.

The removable clear top cover is the feature we would single out. You can lift it off to check on your cat without crouching, and the high back and lid together do a better job of holding in scatter than any open pan in this roundup.

The rounded interior is deliberate and it shows in daily use. There are no sharp interior corners for a cat to brush against or for you to catch a scoop on, and the non stick plastic surface means a damp cloth handles a missed clump in seconds. At 2.95 pounds it is light enough to move for a deeper clean.

Owners who have paired it with a second cat report that two average sized cats can use it at the same time, which is genuinely rare for a hooded box. The reservations are predictable ones: it is bulky, and a cat that dislikes enclosed spaces will simply refuse to enter.

Will a large cat accept the door opening

The 8.2 by 7.8 inch opening is wider and taller than most hooded litter box doors, which is why this one works better for big cats than the smaller enclosed designs. A Maine Coon can duck through without turning sideways. If your cat is 20 pounds or more, check the door height against your cat’s shoulder before you commit, because a cat that gets stuck halfway will avoid the box permanently.

Is a hooded box better than an open pan for odor

It helps, but not for the reason people expect. A hood mainly contains the visual mess and traps ammonia near the litter, where it rises out through the opening. It works best with a deodorizing litter and a regular scoop schedule. The real odor win in this roundup comes from the stainless steel pans further down, which simply have no surface for urine to soak into.

4. Amazon Basics No-Mess Hooded Enclosed Box

This is the middle sized member of the Amazon Basics hooded range, and with over 18000 reviews it is one of the most proven enclosed boxes on the market. The 23.62 by 17.32 by 16.93 inch body is large enough for a big cat to sit comfortably rather than crouch.

The carbon filter is pre-installed, which is unusual and worth knowing about before you buy. Owners consistently report a noticeable drop in odor within the first week, and the stain and odor resistant plastic wipes down without retaining color even after months of use.

The swinging plastic door is the part we liked most. It keeps litter visually contained while giving the cat a predictable way in and out, and the built in handle makes the whole box easy to carry to a different corner when you rearrange a room.

Two caveats come up repeatedly. The replacement carbon filters are sold separately, so this is a box with a small ongoing consumable cost, and buyers who own cats that prefer open pans tend to be lukewarm about an enclosed form no matter how good the odor control is.

Do you have to keep buying filters for this box

Yes, a replacement carbon filter is sold separately and you will want one every few months depending on how many cats use the box and how strong your litter deodorizer is. A heavily used box can smell noticeably within six to eight weeks. If you would rather not think about consumables, one of the open stainless steel pans further down handles odor through material rather than a replaceable part.

Is it big enough for two large cats

It is roomy for one large cat and workable for two average sized cats sharing a turn. Two cats over 18 pounds taking turns in a 23.62 inch interior is a tight squeeze, and for that situation the 26 inch enclosed model or the XXL steel pan with a lid will serve you better. We covered the automatic side of the category in our robot litter box guide if you want a hands off option instead.

5. WoofiGo Stainless Steel XL High Sided Pan

Stainless steel is the answer for anyone whose main complaint is smell, and this pan is the best balance of size and wall height in that category. The steel floor measures 23.5 by 15.6 inches and sits inside a 6 inch high ABS enclosure that brings the total height to 12 inches.

Non porous steel is the reason this category exists. Urine cannot soak into the surface, there are no scratches for residue to lodge in, and owners report that the odor problem simply stops once the plastic pan is gone from the setup.

The entry pedal is a small detail with a real effect. Litter caught on paw pads leaves the box with the cat, so a grate at the front keeps a surprising amount of tracking off your floor, which is the other half of the mess problem for a large cat.

Two things to know before you commit. The included scoop is the weakest part of the package and owners frequently buy a better one, and very fine non clumping litter can dry and harden against metal harder than it does on plastic.

Is a stainless steel litter box really better than plastic

For odor, clearly. Steel does not absorb urine, does not scratch the way plastic does, and it will outlast a plastic pan by years rather than months. You are not getting a better non stick surface though, and some cats dislike the feel of metal under their paws more than they dislike plastic. The WoofiGo pan is a hybrid, with a steel floor inside a plastic high wall, which softens the temperature and the sound.

Will a 15 pound litter box hold a 20 pound cat

The 23.5 by 15.6 inch steel floor has the interior length a large cat needs, and steel does not flex under a heavy load the way thin plastic can. What constrains a big cat here is not the floor but the 6 inch wall height. If your cat is a heavy sprayer, the 12 inch walls on the Pematar further down are a better bet.

6. Pematar XXL Stainless Steel Box With Lid

This is the largest interior in the roundup at 26 by 18 inches with 12 inch walls, and for a pair of Maine Coons or Ragdolls it is the one we would put in a room with space to spare. The 26 inch length comfortably exceeds a full grown Maine Coon nose to tail.

The wall design is what separates it from cheaper steel pans. The sides are 12 inches high and overlap rather than meeting at a simple seam, so a cat that pushes against the wall is pushing against continuous metal rather than a joint that can weep.

At 7.05 pounds empty it is the heaviest box here, and a full pan is a two hand lift. That is the honest downside of a 26 inch steel tub, and it is worth checking that the spot you choose can be cleaned without dragging furniture.

Roughly 887 owners have rated it and they rate it very highly, with size and side height doing most of the work. A smaller number report dents arriving in transit and a few mention that the sanded edges on their unit were sharper than expected, so run a hand along the rim before you fill it.

Is this box worth it for a single large cat

For one cat you are paying for capacity and wall height you may not use. The 12 inch sides are genuinely the best containment in this roundup for a cat that sprays, and the steel floor removes odor permanently, so the case for it is strongest with a sprayer, a multi cat home, or a Maine Coon or Ragdoll that needs the extra length. For a calm 16 pound cat the Van Ness pan in first place does the job for less.

How tall is a litter box wall for a sprayer

Owners of marking cats tend to look for anything above 10 inches, and 12 inches is the point where the spray starts landing inside the pan rather than down the outside. Very determined vertical markers can still hit the rim, which is why experienced owners pair a tall pan with a wall mounted location and a washable floor.

7. IRIS USA High Sided Large Scatter Shield Pan

This is the most proven open pan in the roundup by a wide margin, with more than 32000 reviews behind it, and it remains the first thing we recommend to someone who wants a simple pan that works. The 19 by 15 inch footprint is on the smaller side for a very large cat, so think of it as a solid large cat pan rather than a Maine Coon specific one.

Where it genuinely shines is wall height. At 11.75 inches the scatter shield is one of the tallest open designs we tested, and that is the feature owners mention most often as the reason their floors stayed cleaner.

The open top is not a compromise here, it is a design decision. You can see your cat’s habits without lifting anything, and scooping happens from above with no door or hood to work around. It is also the reason cats with a history of avoiding enclosed spaces use this one happily.

The long term complaint that comes up is material aging. Plastic eventually scratches, and scratched plastic holds odor in a way a fresh pan does not. If you are planning to keep a box for many years, one of the steel options is the better investment.

Is 19 by 15 inches big enough for a large cat

For a cat up to about 15 pounds, yes. For a Maine Coon or a Norwegian Forest Cat you want to look at the 24.8 by 20 inch Petphabet hooded model or the 28 by 22 inch KittyGoHere jumbo. A simple check is whether your cat can lie down, turn around and extend its tail without any of them touching a wall. If not, the pan is undersized.

Does a tall open pan really stop litter scatter

It stops most of it, and scatter volume is roughly a function of how much litter leaves the box. A 11.75 inch wall contains the arc of a enthusiastic dig far better than a 4 to 6 inch pan. What it cannot stop is litter stuck to damp paws on the way out, which is what the entry pedal on the WoofiGo steel pan and a mat in front of the box address.

8. Amazon Basics Large High Sides Open Top Pan

This is the one we would put under a large senior cat who does not need a purpose built low entry pan. The open style with a lowered front edge lets a heavy cat step in rather than hop, and it still has 11.75 inch walls to catch scatter, which is rare in an open design.

It also arrives with a scoop that stores onboard, so you are not losing the scoop behind the washing machine. The plastic is BPA free and recyclable, and it wipes clean without holding a stain.

We rated this lowest in the roundup at 4.3, and the reason is design rather than concept. The lid does not snap or seal securely onto the base, and the indented front corners create a pocket where urine pools and dried litter is difficult to scoop out.

There is a further small flaw worth knowing: the onboard scoop has wide slots that will not pick up small clumps. If you use a fine clumping litter, keep a better scoop on hand rather than relying on the included one.

Is a lowered front better than a full low entry design

For a mildly stiff cat, yes, because you keep high side walls and only lower the front lip. For a cat with real arthritis, the dedicated 3 inch opening on the KittyGoHere jumbo is a bigger step down and a more reliable fix. The lowered front here is a comfort feature, not an accessibility solution.

Should you buy a different scoop with this pan

Probably. The wide slots on the included scoop miss small clumps, and the indented front corners will need a narrow, angled scoop to get into properly. Any commercial litter scoop with tight slots and a shallow lip handles both the corners and the fine litter much better.

9. Amazon Basics Spacious Enclosed Box With Lid

This is the box to consider when a large cat insists on privacy and you have a closet corner or laundry room to put it in. At 26.26 by 20.2 by 22.87 inches it is the most spacious enclosed design in the roundup and one of the few that comfortably fits a cat over 20 pounds.

Everything that made the smaller hooded model work is here at a larger scale: a swinging door for easy access, a pre installed carbon filter for odor, and stain and odor resistant plastic that wipes down quickly.

The carry handle snaps into place, which matters at this size. Lifting 26 inches of plastic with wet litter in it without a handle is unpleasant, and the handle is a small piece of engineering that changes the daily chore.

Owners with Maine Coons rate the roomy interior as the deciding factor and the carbon filter as the reason the room does not smell. The size is also the main complaint: this is a genuine piece of furniture in your laundry room, not a tray you tuck beside the washer.

Is an enclosed box better than an open pan for a large cat

It depends entirely on your cat. Cats that value privacy, are easily startled, or mark territory tend to prefer an enclosure. Cats that feel hemmed in will avoid one and start eliminating on the nearest rug instead. If you are unsure, an open pan is the lower risk choice, and you can always add a screen or a curtain around it to create privacy without a door.

Can two large cats use this box comfortably

Two average sized cats can, and one large cat has more than enough room. Two cats over 18 pounds will physically fit but may not both choose to, and cats that share tend to do better with two boxes in separate rooms rather than one very large shared one.

10. Arm and Hammer Large Sifting Box With Microban

This is the odd one out in the roundup because it removes scooping altogether. You lift the sifter, solid waste and clumps fall through into the tray below, and you dump the tray rather than cleaning out a pan. With more than 54000 reviews it is also the most widely used litter box in this group by a wide margin.

Microban treatment in the material is what sets it apart from a basic plastic tray. Owners report a noticeable reduction in odor, and the compatibility list is genuinely wide: pine, crystal, pellets and clumping litter all work.

The manufacturer guidance is that the box should be 1.5 times longer than your cat. That rule makes a 19 inch interior the right fit for a cat around 12 to 13 inches long, which is a medium cat rather than a large one. For a Maine Coon you should be looking elsewhere in this list.

The sifting holes run right to the tray edge, so fine litter escapes during each lift if the pan is overfilled. Some soft clumping litters also smear into the holes, and there is a short learning curve around keeping the litter below the fill line.

Does a sifting litter box work for a large cat

Not comfortably. A 19 by 15 inch interior is tight for a cat over 15 pounds, and the last two inches of the pan where a large cat would normally crouch is exactly where the sifter sits. Many owners of large cats report their cat perching on the front edge rather than settling in, which undermines the whole no scoop benefit.

How much time does sifting actually save

Owners describe the cleanup as roughly 30 seconds against a couple of minutes for a conventional scoop, and the difference compounds because you do it every day. The catch is that you still need to strip the sifter and wash it, and fine litter escaping the edge holes means you are also sweeping around the base.

11. Kirecoo Large High Sided Stainless Steel Pan

This is the compact steel option, and it earns its place for households where floor space matters more than interior length. At 17.7 by 13.8 inches with 6 inch walls it is a small cat pan in steel form, not a large cat pan.

What you get for that smaller footprint is the full benefit of a non porous surface. The non stick finish wipes down in seconds, there is no plastic for urine odor to settle into, and the smooth rim and rounded edges remove the snag points that make deep plastic pans annoying to clean.

Owners like that the box has no ridges, seams or perforations, so there is nowhere for litter to lodge. It is also versatile enough to double as a bathing tub or a storage container, which is not something we would say about a plastic tray.

Two small annoyances: there is a sticker on the bottom that leaves residue hard to remove, and several owners would like taller sides than 6 inches. If your cat is over 15 pounds this is probably not the one, and the WoofiGo or EGMEHOAD steel pans give you the length.

Is a small steel box better than a large plastic one

For odor, yes, regardless of size. Steel simply does not hold smell the way plastic does once it gets scratched. For your cat’s comfort, a large plastic pan wins comfortably, because a 13.8 inch width is tight for a 20 pound cat. The right answer is usually the largest steel pan your space allows rather than choosing one or the other.

Can this pan be used for other small pets

Yes, owners use it for rabbits, ferrets and small reptiles, and the smooth rounded interior is kind to paws. The 6 inch wall height is useful there because a rabbit throws bedding and substrate much harder than a cat throws litter.

12. EGMEHOAD XXL Stainless Steel 8 Inch Deep Pan

This pan splits the difference between the compact steel models and the very large covered one. The 23.6 by 15.7 inch floor is long enough for a large cat, and the 8 inch walls are tall enough to hold a serious dig without taking over the room.

Two construction details stand out. The base is completely smooth with no label or stamp printed into it, which removes the last place residue could collect, and the rounded corners with reinforced edges make the box safer for both the cat and your hands.

At 3.4 pounds empty the box itself is manageable, but a full pan of clumping litter is a real two hand carry. Owners with multi cat households like that nothing sticks to the surface and that a damp cloth handles the whole cleanup.

The manufacturer states the pan is suitable for cats up to 15 pounds, so a Maine Coon above that weight is at the edge of what the floor length comfortably supports. With roughly 1055 reviews this is the least proven box in the roundup, though the rating is strong at 4.6.

Is an 8 inch wall high enough to stop a sprayer

It handles a casual marker well, because 8 inches covers the height a squatting cat raises the tail. It will not handle a cat that stands up and sprays high, which is the behavior that pushes owners to the 12 inch walls on the Pematar. Wall height and marking behavior are matched problems, so the taller pan only pays off if the marking is the kind that reaches.

What does the 3.4 pound weight mean in practice

Empty, it is heavier than a plastic pan of the same size but easy to lift with one hand. Filled with 15 to 20 pounds of litter, it becomes a genuine two hand job and you will want to place it where you can clean it without shuffling furniture. Most owners set it down once and leave it in position, scooping daily rather than moving it weekly.

How to Choose a Litter Box for a Large Cat

Get the length right: nose to tail times 1.5

Measure your cat stretched out from nose to tip of tail, then look for a box with at least that much interior length, and preferably one and a half times it. The Arm and Hammer sifting box states this rule directly, and it is the single most useful number in this guide. A 20 inch cat wants roughly 30 inches of length, which is why only the very largest pans in this roundup work for a full grown Maine Coon.

Width matters almost as much. Your cat should be able to lie down and turn without bracing a shoulder against a wall, which means 18 inches of interior width for a large cat and more for a Maine Coon.

Match wall height to the mess your cat makes

High sided pans are not a style choice, they are a behavior match. A digger who throws pellets needs at least 8 inches and a mat in front. A cat that marks by spraying upward needs 10 to 12 inches. A senior cat who needs a low entry needs the opposite: a short front lip and enough height elsewhere to keep the pan useful.

Entry height decides whether a senior cat uses the box at all

For a cat with arthritis, an entry above about 3 inches is often the whole problem. The KittyGoHere line is built around a 3 inch opening, and owners of older large cats report the difference within days. If your cat is young and athletic, entry height is something you can ignore entirely.

Plastic, stainless steel or disposable

Plastic is the default and the cheapest way to get a big box. It scratches over time, and scratched plastic holds odor. Stainless steel costs more and lasts far longer, wipes clean in seconds and does not absorb urine at all, which is why it wins in odor sensitive homes. Disposable cardboard trays are convenient for temporary situations but work out badly in multi cat households where you are replacing one every few days.

Open top, hooded or top entry

Open tops are the safest default for large cats. Visibility, easy access and simple scooping all favor them, and a top entry adds a barrier that a large cat can bounce litter straight over. A hood is worth it when your cat values privacy or your room needs the litter to be hidden, and the 8.2 by 7.8 inch door on the Petphabet jumbo is a realistic opening for a big cat.

Check litter compatibility before you commit

A sifting pan only works with loose litter that falls through cleanly, so pine, crystal, pellets and clumping all work while a sifting design fails with a heavy clay or a mat-style litter. A standard pan accepts anything. Fine non clumping litter can dry and harden against a steel floor faster than against plastic, so a light clumping litter is the safer pairing with the stainless steel models here.

Multi cat homes need more boxes, not bigger ones

The widely used rule is one box per cat plus one, and the space between boxes matters as much as the number. Two cats sharing one 26 inch enclosure will still queue for it, and queuing is what causes accidents outside the box. Spreading two large open pans in different rooms is more effective than one very large hooded box in a hallway.

For owners who want to step back from daily scooping entirely, our guides to automatic litter boxes and self cleaning litter boxes cover the interior space limits you need to check before buying, since most enclosed automatic drums measure tighter than a large cat prefers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

For most households, the best litter boxes for large cats come down to the Van Ness Pureness Giant High Sides pan. Twenty-one inches of depth, 9.25 inch walls and a 4.7 rating across more than 14000 reviews make it the safest single answer, and it is our 2026 editor’s choice.

Pick the KittyGoHere Jumbo if your cat is older or arthritic and the entry height is the problem. Pick the Pematar XXL steel box if your cat sprays or you need 26 inches of length and 12 inch walls. Pick one of the stainless steel pans if odor is what bothers you most, and choose the open designs unless your cat clearly wants privacy.

Whatever you choose, measure your cat first. Interior length beats every other feature, and the box that is too small will be ignored no matter how well it is made.