Mack A. Damia mybaconbutty hotmail.com wrote:

John Doe jdoe usenetlove.invalid wrote:

I saw some very wide and long but shallow Sterilite containers
with smooth and shiny clear sides at the local megastore
recently.

My cats have no problem jumping into (and out of) them, no
matter how high they are. The first time, I used a block of
something so that they could step up. With my current rescue, I
didn't bother and she jumps into it just fine (even though she
has sometimes jumped up onto the side first).

It beats a covered litter box. Besides not needing cleaning (for
some pleasantly strange reason), they're huge, too, giving the
cat lots more room. When exiting, the impact of hitting the
Astroturf probably removes more litter from their paws, too.

It's weird that stuff just doesn't stick to the sides of them,
at least not for long. They look shiny smooth after about a
year. I doubt that the Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural cat
litter helps keep them clean, but who knows. I think it's the
type of plastic.

What's the problem with the covered boxes? I have one, and my
two sweetie pies have no problem with them.

Also, I think the covered ones help hide any odor, and, of
course, they are more aesthetically pleasing.

I used a covered litter box for a while. I didn't say that covered
litter boxes were necessarily bad for everybody. If you have an
extremely old cat, perhaps it won't be able to get into a tall
litter box. In that case, I might not use them.

Another benefit of a covered litter box is the privacy. But a tall
sided box might provide some privacy. Having the litter box in a
closet appears to be a good thing. Currently, my rescue's kittens
are in that closet, and I miss having the litter box there. Having
the huge litter box in the closet solved most of my feral's litter
box problems. I knew I shouldn't take it for granted. Hopefully it
can be put back that way again within about two months.

As for hiding odors. I'm not sure about the benefit of that. I
usually scoop the litter when it stinks. And speaking of... I
thought skunks stink. But have you ever smelled the doo-doo from a
a mother cat that eats its kittens' excrement? The smell of
secondhand poop...

Thinking about it... Having high sides seems to help with scooping
litter. I lean the box very slowly and far as possible in one
direction as I carefully look for stuff to remove as the box is
leaned. Then turn the box around and repeat. I don't really recall
how I used to do it. I guess by leaning the box, but you can't lean
a low sided box very far.

But, again, I mainly wanted to point out how clean Sterilite
containers remain when used as litter boxes. I mean really, how
cool is that?