The high sides keep the litter in and the dog out. Easy to clean because the top is open and the tray bottom is smooth with no ridges to stop the scoop. I thought the top would snap on securely but it just sits on the lower tray. So far that's not a problem but it might be better to be more secure. The only other thing I disliked about this litter box is that it took a month to get here due to being on backorder. Next time I will check availability before I buy. For the price it was worth the wait.