That’s why we took the time to track down and create reviews of 9 of the best cat litter boxes for small apartments. We also have a buyer’s guide to walk you through everything you need to know to help you get the right one the first time.
In this article
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2026
| Image | Product | Details | ||
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Best Overall
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Frisco Covered Cat Litter Box |
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CHECK PRICE |
Best Value
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Frisco Flip Hooded Cat Litter Box |
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CHECK PRICE |
Premium Choice
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Whisker Litter-Robot |
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CHECK PRICE |
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Nature’s Miracle Hooded Litter Box |
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CHECK PRICE | |
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PetSafe Top-Entry Auto Litter Box |
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CHECK PRICE |
The 9 Best Cat Litter Boxes for Small Apartments
1. Frisco Multi-Function Covered Cat Litter Box — Best Overall
| Entry Style: | Side |
| Size: | 29.73” L x 17.5” W x 17.64” H |
If you’re looking for the best cat litter box for small apartments, look no further than the Frisco Multi-Function Covered Cat Litter Box. It’s a little large, but it makes up for that by doubling as a storage container.
We all know that space is at a premium in a small apartment, so having a litter box that can store things saves you a ton of space and makes life easier. It also has a sleek and modern design to help it fit into your décor and is easy to clean.
The entire box is enclosed, so you don’t have to worry about your cat spraying or digging and making a mess everywhere. While this might be our top choice, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.
It is still large, so you’ll need to find somewhere to put it. Second, it’s a little expensive. It makes sense because you’re purchasing a litter box and a storage container, but it costs more than a traditional litter box.
But considering its multifunction design, it’s not hard to see why it topped the list.
- The enclosed design helps contains the mess
- Doubles as storage
- Sleek and modern design
- Easy to clean and care for
- Large
- Slightly expensive
2. Frisco Flip Top Hooded Corner Cat Litter Box — Best Value
| Entry Style: | Flip door |
| Size: | 21.9” L x 17.8” W x 15” H |
If you don’t have much cash, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a top-notch litter box for your small apartment. The Frisco Flip Top Hooded Corner Cat Litter Box is an affordable litter box that does everything you want and more.
It’s a smaller corner litter box, and you can tuck it into just about any room. However, it needs to be in a corner to look right. Still, it comes with a charcoal disposable filter that helps control the smell, which is another concern if you’re in a small apartment.
The litter box is fully enclosed to prevent messes from spraying and digging. When you pair all this with the lower price, it’s not hard to see how it earned our nod as the best cat litter box for small apartments for the money.
- Affordably priced
- Fits in smaller areas (corner design)
- Charcoal disposable filter helps control the smell
- The enclosed design contains the mess
- Only looks right in corners
- The smaller design is tight for large cats
3. Whisker Litter-Robot — Premium Choice
| Entry Style: | Front entry |
| Size: | 24.25” L x 27” W x 29.5” H |
If you want the best of the best and don’t care how much it costs, you can’t beat the Whisker Litter-Robot. Before we dive into the specs, let’s get this out of the way: it’s expensive.
But it is a self-cleaning litter box, which means no more scooping! It cleans the area after every use and puts the waste in a separate enclosed and carbon-filtered drawer. Once it’s time to empty the drawer, all you need to do is pull it out, take out the bag, and put a new bag in!
Even better, you don’t need to check the drawer to see when it’s full. You can install the supplementary app, and this Wi-Fi-enabled litter box will send an alert to your phone when it’s time to replace the bag.
Each litter box supports up to four cats, and its self-cleaning design reduces litter usage.
- Self-cleaning design
- Wi-Fi-enabled features
- Reduces litter usage
- Supports up to four felines
- The waste drawer contains the smell
- Easy to use
- Expensive
4. Nature’s Miracle Hooded Corner Cat Litter Box
| Entry Style: | Front entry |
| Size: | 23” L x 26” W x 11” H |
If you’re looking for a litterbox for your kitten, you want something with a lower entry, and it can’t be self-cleaning (until they’re at least 6 months old). Nature’s Miracle Advanced Hooded Corner Cat Litter Box checks both marks.
It’s effortless for kittens to enter, and its small size is perfect. Better for you is that the surfaces are non-stick and anti-microbial. This makes the box easier to clean and reduces the chances of you or your kitten getting sick.
The built-in charcoal filter that helps contain the smell is another notable perk. However, it’s not perfect. Heavy sprayers and diggers can easily make a mess out of the opening.
Second, it only looks right in the corner of a room. While this takes up less space, if no corners are available, it can be a problem. Still, if you upgrade to a bigger box when your kitten turns into a cat, the low price of this litter box is nice.
- Affordably priced
- Easy to enter
- Non-stick anti-microbial surface
- Charcoal filter helps contain the smell
- Smaller size
- Sprayers and diggers can make a mess
- Only looks right in corners
5. PetSafe Ultra Top-Entry Auto Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box
| Entry Style: | Top entry |
| Size: | 26.5” L x 19” W x 16” H |
PetSafe Ultra Top-Entry Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box is an outstanding self-cleaning litter box that you can put in your small apartment. It’s not nearly as expensive as other models, but it doesn’t come with cool features either.
It’s still a pricey choice, but that makes sense, considering how much it makes your life easier. It’s easy to use but requires special litter crystals. The crystals help contain the odor and last longer than clay litters. As a final feature, it tracks the number of times that your cat comes to visit.
While you might not notice if those numbers are abnormal, it’s great to have concrete data to give your cat’s vet a proper diagnosis for a possible health condition.
- Self-cleaning design
- Litter crystals are easy to use
- Tracks the number of visits by your cat
- Easy to use
- Expensive
- Not as effective as some other models
6. Good Pet Stuff Hidden Cat Litter Planter
| Entry Style: | Front |
| Size: | 36” L x 19” W x 19” H |
The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Cat Litter Planter has a unique design that will blend in with your home décor. Depending on how you position it, your guests might not even be able to tell that it’s a litter box!
It’s a great way to hide the litter box in plain sight, which is a big deal if you live in a smaller apartment where space is tight. Even better for your cat, it’s a large litter box with plenty of space. You don’t have to deal with a large litter box in plain sight, and your cat has room to do their business!
Since it utilizes a filtered vent system, the odor is well-controlled, which is another advantage if you put the litter box in a common area. Still, this litter box only works if you like the pot design and it fits in with the rest of your décor. If it doesn’t, you’re stuck with a massive litter box you don’t have anywhere to place.
- Blends in with home décor
- Filtered vent system helps control the odor
- Large pot design is great for large cats
- Hides the litter box in plain sight
- Large pot design
- Does not fit in with all home décor
- Slightly expensive
7. ScoopFree Original Automatic Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box
| Entry Style: | Pan |
| Size: | 27.56” L x 19.1” W x 6.25” H |
The ScoopFree Automatic Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box is one of the most affordable self-cleaning litter boxes available. It’s an open-top design, and if your cat sprays or digs, you’ll have a mess. Since it only cleans 20 minutes after your cat leaves, you’re stuck with unsightly cat droppings for that long.
There are two color options for you to choose from, and it is easy to use. But you’ll want to locate it somewhere out of sight, and that’s not always possible in a small apartment.
- Self-cleaning design
- Does a great job at eliminating odor
- Extremely durable and long-lasting
- Two color options
- Easy to use
- Expensive
- Open-top design
- Cleaning happens 20 minutes after your cat uses it
8. Booda Dome Cleanstep Litter Box
| Entry Style: | Front |
| Size: | 22.5” L x 22.5” W x 19” H |
The Booda Dome Cleanstep Litter Box is likely the litterbox that your cat would choose if you left it up to them. It’s sm enclosed litter box that gives them a little extra privacy to relieve themselves. It also contains any spraying or digging.
The Cleanstep design actively cleans their paws off before they exit the litter box. Another feature that you’ll love is the carbon filter. Paired with the domed design, it does a great job of containing the odor.
While it might be a litterbox that your cat will love, you may not be as enamored. First, it takes up a great deal of space. In a small apartment where space is a premium, that’s a big deal. Second, it’s not nearly as easy to clean as some other litter boxes.
It pulls apart, but even that takes extra work. Once you get it apart, there are many nooks and crannies that you need to clean out. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s enough to be an inconvenience.
- Three color options
- Clean step design helps contain the mess
- Domed design and carbon filter help contain the odor
- Made in the U.S.A.
- Cleanup isn’t as easy as some other options
- Takes up a large amount of space
9. Petmate Top Entry Litter Pan
| Entry Style: | Top entry |
| Size: | 20.29” Lx 15.07” W x 15.2” H |
The Petmate Top Entry Litter Pan is an outstanding choice if you live in a multi-pet household. Dogs are notorious for getting into the litter box, and this top-entry litter box ends that problem for good.
It has a textured lid to clean off your cat’s paws when exiting the litterbox. Furthermore, the flip-top design makes it easy to clean, and the handles on the side make it easy to move from room to room.
The problem with this litter box and small apartments is two-fold, however. First, it’s extremely large. Since space is a premium, the size is a significant drawback. Second, there’s no odor control. You’ll need to stay on top of cleaning to keep the smell of cat droppings from overtaking your apartment.
- Keeps other pets out
- The textured lid helps contain litter
- Handles make for easy moving
- Made in the U.S.A.
- Flip-up design for easier cleaning
- Larger size
- No odor control
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Cat Litter Box for Small Apartments
You need to consider several factors when shopping for a litterbox for your small apartment. Below, we highlighted the most important characteristics you need to look into when picking a litterbox for your home.
Finding the Space
It doesn’t matter if you found the perfect litter box if you don’t have the space for it. Take a step back from your computer or phone and look around your apartment. Where exactly are you planning on putting the litter box? Measure the space and see how much room you have.
Then, skim through the size dimensions for each product to see which ones will fit your space. If it doesn’t fit, don’t waste your time looking at all its features. They won’t matter if you have nowhere to put the box.
Counting on Cleanup
It’s a fact of life that you’ll need to clean up the litter box. In fact, in a small apartment, you should probably clean out the litter every day to keep the smell from taking over your home. Self-cleaning litter boxes and ones with odor control can help.
If you buy a litter box without odor control, you might find yourself cleaning the litter box out multiple times a day
Containing the Litter
You likely want a litter box with high sides or a fully enclosed setup. Almost every product on this list has that setup for a reason. If your cat digs or sprays, you want the box to be able to contain it. Cleaning up the side of the litter box is one thing. Cleaning up everything around the litter box is something else entirely.
Finally, litter boxes with a ridged entrance or top that can help clean off your cat’s paws are a big deal. Otherwise, your cat is likely to track litter out of the box, which means more sweeping and cleaning for you.
Our Cat Litter Boxes for Small Apartments Selection Process
Catster’s dedicated team of writers and editors collaborate with expert veterinarians, considering a wide range of factors when selecting the best for cats. These parameters include customer reviews, brand reputation, veterinary experience, and in some cases, hands-on testing. Of course, our cats have a say in the process, too! We strive to select and review the highest-quality products available, to help you choose the best possible product and make the most informed decision for your and your cat’s needs.
Why Trust Catster?
Catster has been a trusted online brand since 2001, so we know a thing or two about cat litter boxes. We’re a team of cat-loving writers, editors, and veterinarians dedicated to helping you make the most informed decision for your feline. We deeply believe in providing the best information for cat owners to help their cats live their best life possible. We look at reviews from the most trusted sources available, and this, combined with our veterinary team’s experience and expertise, helps us gather the best options on the market. Our team is invested in the welfare and health of cats around the world, and believe that expert knowledge is one of the best ways to achieve this.
Conclusion
If you’re still confused about what litterbox is right for you after reading these reviews, don’t overthink it. There’s a reason that two of our top three choices are Frisco products. The Frisco Multi-Function Covered Cat Litter Box doubles as a convenient storage space and makes your life easier.
Meanwhile, the Frisco Flip Top Hooded Corner Cat Litter Box is affordable and does everything you need. You really can’t go wrong with either choice.
