Everyone who owns a cat wants to make sure the pet does its business in a litter box. With so many models and features in the market, how does one know which type is the best?

Let’s start with the mechanical, so-called “self-cleaning” litter boxes. These litter boxes are enclosed and some feature essentially a box within a box. They are not geometric boxes but are more ovoid sort of like a cement mixer shape.

Once kitty has done its business, the mechanism senses the animal has left and one barrel rotates and cleans the waste out of the other. When the cat comes back, in theory, they are welcomed by fresh litter and a relatively clean box.

Models vary but all brands operate to in some way to scoop soiled litter out of the box and make the place for waste elimination clean again. The waste is typically collected in a third chamber for proper disposal with less handling.

Some work great and some people love them. Others, not so much. Those with sensors for the presence of a pet are perhaps best if one wants this style of box for their cat. Others feature an arm that sweeps through the litter collecting the waste on a timer, whether a cat is in there or not.

In fact, there have been instances where a cat that lags behind a bit too long may become trapped. Most cats are very startled by the sounds of mechanical litter boxes. Many will start eliminating in unwanted places as a result.

There are an increasing number of reports citing cats that died in their mechanical litter boxes, too. Beside the noise and dangers from any mechanism, there is also the fact that most cats hate eliminating in an enclosed box as it tends to trigger their innate sense of vulnerability to being preyed upon.

The first question most folks ask about enclosed litter boxes, mechanical or otherwise, is why would that not be preferable to a cat if they feel vulnerable? Aren’t they inherently safer from attack if most sides are protected?

Intuitively that’s true but it overlooks an important point. While it is protected everywhere but at the door, the animal is in a really vulnerable position because of the confined space and with only one way out.

Also, cats dislike concentrated waste odors often found in a litter box that is enclosed and most often is not cleaned as frequently. So that’s the first big piece of advice: If you want your cats to use a litter box of any type, make sure it is cleaned out at least once a day.

The same holds true for people who like to get the smallest litter boxes they can find. Bad idea. Cats, like old men with the Sunday newspaper, need some space and time to eliminate. If they dislike the space or if the kitty’s business end hangs outside of a too-small box, the result is failure.

One cannot get a litter box that is too big for cats. Litter boxes can only be too big for the owner. When our household had cats, we had really good luck with some of those see-through plastic boxes meant for domestic storage.

Such boxes come in a variety of sizes, so keeping higher walls on three sides surrounding an entrance cut out will solve most of the scatter factor. Don’t use the lid; kitty won’t use the box. And put the box somewhere secluded. Like people, kitties like to do their business in private, unless they have a need to show you how much they hate you.

Powell, of Pullman, retired as public information officer for Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Pullman. This column reflects his thoughts and no longer represents WSU. He may be contacted at charliepowell74@gmail.com.