page_title: Litter box
section_title: Hooded litter boxes
hierarchical_section_title: Litter box / Types / Hooded litter boxes
caption_attribution_description: Kattenbak
context_page_description: A litter box, sometimes called a sandbox, cat box, litter tray, cat pan, or litter pan, is an indoor feces and urine collection box for cats, as well as rabbits, ferrets, miniature pigs, small dogs, and other pets that instinctively or through training will make use of such a repository. They are provided for pets that are permitted free roam of a home but who cannot or do not always go outside to excrete their metabolic waste. Many owners of these animals prefer not to let them roam outside for fear that they might succumb to outdoor dangers. On average, indoor cats have a lifespan of 16.8 years while outdoor cat's lives are much shorter, only 5.6 years. These outdoor dangers include weather, wildlife, traffic or diseases such as the feline immunodeficiency virus.
  In the wild, cats naturally excrete in soft or sandy soil for easy burial. They use their paws in a backward sweeping motion to cover their feces. To stimulate this instinctive desire, a litter box's bottom is typically filled with 2 inches or less of cat litter. Litter box filler is a loose, granular material that absorbs moisture and odors such as ammonia.
context_section_description: A variety of covered litter boxes exist that are commonly available and moderately priced. Many are constructed out of plastic and feature a plastic hood or dome that covers the litter pan and litter. The pet enters through an opening in the cover, these may be open or have a swinging door. To clean, pet owners lift the cover off the tray to scoop and change the litter. Covered litter boxes may help reduce the amount of litter that is tracked outside the box, may help address issues of pets eliminating waste over the walls of a litter pan, and may help reduce odor.
caption: An enclosed litter box
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