The best sifting litter box consists of multiple pans (two or more) with a sifting pan in-between.
To clean out the mess, simply lift out the sifter (and along with it the poo or wet/clumpy mess) while the clean litter falls through the sifter into the pan beneath.
Imaging how easy litter box cleanupcan become thanks tothe best sifting cat litter box! It can completely eliminate messy scooping!
In this guide, we are discussing 5 of the best sifting litter boxes – with different options like extra-large, covered, and top-entry – so there is something for every cat.
Just in case you are in a hurry, click on our short summary below to view our top 5 reviewed products for the best sifting litter box:
- PetMate Arm&Hammer Large Sifting Litter Box
- Van Ness CP5 Sifting Litter Box
- SpeedySift Cat Pan with Disposable Sifting Liners
- Catit SmartSift Cat Litter Box
- Luup 3-Sifting Tray Cat Litter Box
Best Sifting Litter Box – 2022 Top 5 Picks
1. Our Editor’s Pick: Arm & Hammer Large Sifting Litter Box Scoop Free Cat Litter Tray with Microban, Made in USA
Pet Mate from Arm & Hammer large sifting litter box eliminates the need for scooping or shaking out cat litter.
The sifting layer can keep your litter box and your home fresh and clean longer than when you use regular litter boxes.
The dimensions of the Pet Mate are 19 x 15 x 8 inches which is wide and comfortable enough for cat breeds weighing up to 10 lbs.
Pet Mate litter box also has a reinforced bottom which means you can use several inches of heavier litter.
It also comes with an antimicrobial (patented Microban® layer) that reduces odors and prevents sticky messes as well.
The durable and sturdy litter box can help you save a lot of time and hassles on backbreaking litter cleanup.
You can use any clumping litter with this versatile box.
What we like about it
- Easy to remove litter due to the sifting layer
- Antimicrobial Microban® layers keeps odors low
- Sturdy and reinforced bottom holds several inches of litter
- Fits in small spaces
What we don’t like
- It cannot accommodate larger cat breeds over 10 lbs. since the litter flies outside the box. You might have to place mats underneath the box to contain the mess. Check out our guide on the best extra-large litter box.
- Lift to Sift, No Scooping Required: Easy to clean, large cat litter box comes with 1 sifting box and 2 regular boxes. When cleaning, the patented sifting technology lets cat litter pass through easily, leaving clumps behind; no cat litter scoop needed
- Maximum Smell Control: Built-in Microban protection inhibits litter box smells. It is recommended your cat litter box be 1.5 times longer than your cat. Replace your cat litter box every 12 months to maintain freshness
- Made with Recycled Materials: Arm & Hammer is not just a friend of furry family members, but the environment too. We produce eco-friendly, sustainable pet supplies for cats and dogs from kennels to high sided litter boxes to cat litter scoops
- Use Your Favorite Litter: Great for pine litter, crystal cat litter, pellets for cat litter box and clumping cat litter. We suggest Arm & Hammer Slide. Litter maintance boxes like this are an affordable alternative to pee pads
- Arm & Hammer Pet Litter Maintenance: part of a line of pet supplies for cats like cat litter mats, cat litter & housebreaking, litter box with lid, cat boxes for indoor cats, kitty litter box, sifting litter boxes and more
2. Van Ness Pets Large Sifting Cat Litter Box with Frame, High Sided, CP5
The best sifting litter box from Van Ness measures 19 (L) x 15.13 (W) x 18 (H) inches which is ideal for cats weighing up to 10 lbs.
Your regular 15-minute task of cleaning your cat’s litter box will come down to a few minutes thanks to this well-designed best sifting cat litter box.
Its unique design is further protected by framed walls to contain the litter and prevent it from falling outside the box.
Van Ness litter box is made in the USA with eco-friendly and FDA-approved materials and its highly polished surface prevents sticky messes.
It is best to use this box with pine or wood litter. Avoid small pellet-based litter and clumping litter which tends to stick in the sifter’s holes.
It is also perfect for dusty litter since the dust falls through the holes, saving you tons of money on buying litter again and again. This also prevents tracking.
What we like about it
- Ideal sifting litter box for people who hate scooping out cat litter
- Reduces cleanup time considerably
- Saves a lot of litter
- Easy to use
What we don’t like
- You cannot use clumping litter with it, because it tends to get stuck in the grate making a mess. Use non-clumping/pine/wood litter.
- Ideal for owners who want the benefit of scoop-free litter maintenance
- High polish finish is stain resistant and easy to clean
- Framed pan provides added height, reducing litter and urine spill outside the box
- Outer dimensions of litter box measure 19 L” x 15.125 W” x 8” H
- Designed to work with most clumping litters (not ideal for use with pellets or powder litters)
3. SpeedySift V1 Open-Top Litter Box Starter Kit, includes 56ct Disposable Sifting Liners, Plastic Cardboard Box
The top entry sifting litter box from SpeedySift is slightly different than traditional sifting litter boxes. It uses several layers of stacked liners and each liner acts as a sieve.
SpeedySift’s dimensions are 20 (L) x 17.9 (W) x 4.9 (H) inches making it suitable for cats weighing up to 15 lbs.
The box has an innovative design that lets you clamp multiple liners to with ease – no need to use rubber-bands to hold them down.
Your cat won’t be able to tear up or remove the liners too since they are firmly clamped to the pan.
This best sifting litter box is made from sturdy and durable corrugated plastic which can withstand heavy-duty use.
Another great feature of SpeedySift litter box is that its sides are replaceable.
Many cats pee on the sides and you can easily replace those messy walls from time to time with SpeedySift’s side wall replacements available easily.
The brand recommends using 1-2 inches of slightly heavy clumping litter with their sifting litter box.
What we like about it
- Easy litter cleaning without the need for scooping
- Prevents wet and sticky messes as well as slitter-tracking
- Durable and sturdy plastic boxes with replaceable side walls
What we don’t like
- Liners are slightly larger than the pan and you need to fold them to set them right.
- 5-YEAR WARRANTY ! The box is made with corrugated plastic board which is very lightweight yet sturdy.
- NO MORE SCOOPING– Just lift, sift, and toss! Keeping the litter box clean & odorless has never been easier!
- INNOVATIVE DESIGNS– (1) Offset-stacking liners: Preventing cat urine from leaking to the bottom. (2) Patented litter box structure: Clamping multiple liners in one second, eliminating the use of drawstrings or rubber bands!
- Box-like design that every kitty loves. Optional replacement side-walls available for messy cats.
- 4 packs (total 56 counts) of Standard Liners included in the package, each pack has 14 sifting liners and 1 bottom no hole liner. Liner size: 35"x31"x1 mil. Heavy Duty Liners available for additional purchase.
4. Catit Smartsift Automatic Sifting Cat Litter Box
Some pet parents simply prefer covered cat litter boxes. The Catit SmartSift is a covered automatic sifting litter box with levers that automatically sift out the mess and prevent need for scooping.
Its dimensions are 26 x 19 x 26 inches which also makes it the best extra-large sifting litter box.
This great litter box also has a large entrance (swinging door) to allow larger cats to enter and exit it with ease. Users with cats weighing about 20 lbs. have successfully used the Catit SmartSift box.
The swinging door is safe and won’t scare cats. It also keeps odors and litter dust inside.
The main feature of the Catit SmartSift is its Pull-n-Refresh lever system that eliminates the need for scooping completely. Simply use the lever and the clumps of poop fall in a pullout-tray below for convenient and hassle-free disposal. You can literally throw away the scoop!
SmartSift takes away the hassle of litter box cleaning and also helps you save cat litter. The box comes with a convenient storage space to keep liners in.
Depending on the number of cats you have, Catit SmartSift can hold cat-waste of up to 2 weeks. Worry not, your house won’t stink because the box comes with carbon pads that absorb odors.
Do not worry about the box’s sturdiness as well.
You might think that the lever system might give in some day, but that isn’t the case. There are no mechanical/electronic/motorized parts, so there are no chances of the lever failing. The entire operation is manual.
Also, there are no loud noises to scare your pet – the makers of Catit SmartSift have thought about everything!
Catit SmartSift works well with all kinds of clumping litters – simply avoid using more than 11 lb. litter.
What we like about it
- Automatic sifting operation
- Quiet, safe, cat-friendly, manual operation
- Feature-rich
- Extra-large size
What we don’t like
- Not easy to assemble and use. Instructions ought to be clearer. You can use some user videos to learn the process.
- Cat-Friendly Design: Smartsift Litter Box is comfortably spacious for cats of all sizes. It is hooded for your cat’s optimal privacy, and its wide entrance comes with a paw-friendly swinging door, which can be removed as needed.
- Smartsift Technology: Noiseless Pull-and-Refresh process to refresh the cat litter pan and collect waste. The litter clumps fall into the cat litter tray’s pull-out waste drawer for easy disposal.
- Easy Monitoring: Easy access maintenance door assists in adding new litter while preventing litter tracking and dust. Clear view window on the top helps you monitor the amount of litter inside.
- Odor Filter: The filter on the top door effectively traps and removes odor. Replacement filters sold separately
- Included Accessories: Smartsift includes 2 tight-fitting cat litter liners to keep the litter box and the waste drawer clean. These liners are suitable for all clumping cat litter.
5. Luuup Litter Box - 3 Sifting Tray Cat Litter Box- Easy to Clean with Non-Stick Coating - Stylish, High-Sided Design with Spill Guard (15.4"x20.2"x7.5")
Luup litter box will eliminate the need for scooping and lining the litter pans!
Dimensions of this box are 20(L) x 15.4 (W) x 5.2 (H) inches making it ideal for cats up to 15 lb.
Cleaning a litter box will be super easy thanks to this well-designed 3-pan system with a sifter layer.
The pans also come with an antimicrobial surface coating to prevent odors and reduce sticky messes.
Luup litter box has an open-top design which most cats find safer and easier to enter and exit.
Thick, well-built, and sturdy, Luup sifting litter box is fairly easy to clean and use.
You can use any clumping litter with this versatile box. Cleanup will definitely be easier with moistened newspapers or tissues to wipe the grates down.
What we like about it
- Easy to clean sifting litter box – saves time and money spent on buying litter again and again
- Works with all kinds of clumping litter
- Good size for most cat breeds.
What we don’t like
- Still needs daily cleaning since litter gets stuck in the grate. However, cleaning the box is still easier than other litter boxes.
What are the Benefits of Using the Best Sifting Litter Box?
The best sifting litter box has the following advantages:
1) Eliminates the need for scooping out cat litter
Standard litter boxes need regular cleaning where you need to use a scoop to remove clumps of pee and poop.
With a sifting litter box, the clumps of mess remain in the sifter while the unused/clean litter falls through the sieve into the pan below after you shake it out.
This reduces the need for messy scooping as you can empty out the clumped mess into the bin by removing the sifting tray.
2) Saves time spent on cleaning
Where standard litter boxes take hours of cleaning, the best sifting litter box can perform the task in minutes.
You can literally shake and toss out the clumps of cat pee and poo in half the time than would be needed with a regular litter box. (This depends, of course, on the number of cats you own).
3) Saves litter and money
When you scoop out cat litter clumps, you also invariably, toss out good (unused) dry litter.
This way, you need to buy litter week after week or at least invest in buying larger bags of cat litter.
The expenses can quickly add up if you have multiple cats.
With the best sifting litter box, you only catch the clumped, wet mess while the dry unused litter and litter dust fall down the grate into the pan below.
Over time, this can lead to plenty of savings.
4) Prevents tracking of litter
The best sifter litter boxes also reduce the dust in the topmost level when your cat uses it.
As a result, less dusty litter sticks to its paws and that eliminates tracking of litter considerably.
You can also choose covered boxes with sifters or go in for low-dust litter to eliminate tracking.
What are Some of the Types of Sifting Litter Boxes Available Today?
Today, you can choose from many different types of sifting litter boxes. Here are some varieties to choose from:
A) Basic/open type
This type of box, as the name indicates, is open.
Many vets recommend open litter boxes for cats since that is how they defecate in the wild.
The box consists of two or more pans with a sifter layer in between.
After your cat has done its business, you simply shake the pan and the unused litter falls to the bottom pan while the sifter catches the clumps of mess.
You can easily discard the clumps without the need for scooping.
B) Covered type
Some cat parents prefer using covered boxes because they help trap odors.
Covered sifting litter box also gives privacy to cats that do not like to defecate in the open.
You can choose from top entry boxes or boxes with swinging doors that let your cat enter and exit it as needed.
Some fancy boxes come with an automatic lever mechanism to perform the sifting action. The clumps of mess fall below in a pull-out tray for easy disposal.
What Are the Factors to Consider When Selecting the Best Sifting Litter Box?
Your cat’s size
Your cat’s comfort is paramount when selecting the best litter sifting box.
Select a box large enough for your cat breed to move around in.
In general, 20 (L) x 18 (W) x 5 (H) inches dimensions are comfortable for most cats weighing up to 20 lbs.
1) Open/covered
Most vets recommend open boxes for cats to prevent litter box behavior issues.
But the choice of open or closed depends entirely on your cat and your preferences.
Covered boxes reduce odors and also give your cat privacy to do its business.
Open boxes might be easier to enter and exit for cats with physical limitations.
2) Number of cats
Ideally, for multi-cat households, you must provide several litter boxes (at least one per floor of your house) for each cat.
Vets recommend keeping at least one box per kitty.
Select the best sifting litter boxes according to your price especially if you plan on buying several boxes to meet all your cats’ needs.
3) Type of litter to use
Not all litters can be used with all sifting litter boxes.
Some brands specifically recommend the type of litter to use with their sifting box.
If you have preferences in cat litter, then choose the sifting litter box accordingly.
Also Read: Best Cat Litter for Odor Control
Conclusion
The best sifting litter box eliminates the need for litter-scooping and makes cleanup much easier. It can also save unused litter and, consequently, the money spent on buying expensive cat litter again and again.
We recommend the Pet Mate Arm & Hammer large sifting litter box because it eliminates the need for scooping and also prevents odors due to its Microban® antibacterial surface.
Do check out our other recommendations as well.
