Cats make wonderful pets. They are fairly neat, warm and affectionate, and need little care compared to other pets such as dogs. However, even cats can be a hassle to clean up after if you do not have the right litter box. It is important to know what to look for in a litter box before going out and buying one so that both you and your cat are pleased with the results. There are various kinds of litter boxes that serve different purposes. Litter boxes may be referred to by a variety of names such as a sand box, sandbox, poop box, litter tray, litter pan, cat box, or catbox, but they are all referring to the same object, which is a cat urine and feces disposal tray designed for indoor use. Here is a list of the different kinds of litter boxes and what to look for.

Traditional Litter Boxes:

If you are the traditional and simple type and don't like to bother with the fancy and complicated products that are on the market today, you are better off sticking with these traditional litter boxes. After all, the great thing about cats is that they clean up after themselves. Having a litter pan handy is enough for most cats and cat owners. However, if you find that your cat is unusually messy, relives itself extremely often, or if you are not around much and don't have the time and the patience to deal with cleaning the box, you may want to consider other options such as automatic litter boxes.

Automatic Litter Boxes:

Unlike traditional boxes, automatic ones require only premium filler and are much pricier than the simpler traditional cat pans. Automatic litter boxes are electric and therefore need to be placed near an outlet. It is up to the user to decide whether or not the box is always on or not. Most cat boxes are extremely safe and there is no reason to worry for the cat's safety, however if you want to be extra cautious you can turn on the litter box to run a cycle only after the cat has relieved itself. Most automatic cat boxes require that the cat be at least six months old.

Brands:

Just like practically every other product on the market, there are various brands that manufacture cat lboxes. Some of the most popular brands include LitterMaid, Omega, Petree, Genie, Dome, Doskocil, Rubbermaid, and United. Each brand has different models of both types of kitty boxes in different price ranges.

Whether you choose to go automatic or traditional when it comes to litter boxes all depends on what you and your cat need. If it is simplicity, go with the traditional. If however you want something that will save you the trouble of cleaning up and provide your cat with a private and clean place to relieve itself at all times, automatic litter boxes are the way to go.