Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cats

Why you should consider getting a litter box for your outdoor cat

Paige Cerulli
By

Do outdoor cats need a litter box? You might think not, but an outdoor litter box can actually have many advantages. From minimizing mess to helping transition outdoor cats indoors, you have plenty of reasons to consider training your outdoor cat to use a litter box. Even barn cats can benefit from a litter box. An outdoor box can be even more helpful for your indoor-outdoor cat, reinforcing those good litter box habits while outside. While having another box around to clean isn’t the most convenient, you’ll probably find that the advantages of the box justify the bit of extra work that’s involved in maintaining it.

White cat sitting in a garden of purple flowers
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Keep the mess in one spot

Outdoor cats tend to go wherever they feel like it, which can mean a mess in your shed, your garden, or even your neighbor’s yard. Providing them with a litter box can encourage them to do their business in that one location instead of all over the place. It can make for a cleaner, healthier yard and means you’ll spend less time cleaning up after your cat.

Recommended Videos

When cats do their business, they tend to dig, which can leave holes and bare patches in your yard or landscaping. A litter box can help eliminate this issue, too.

Let your cat stay indoors during bad weather

If your cat is a totally outdoor cat, he probably prefers to hunker down in a barn or shed during bad weather. Making a trip outside to go to the bathroom isn’t at all tempting in those situations. If you can offer your cat a litter box in the barn or shed, you’re giving him a convenient and much more comfortable bathroom location, particularly during bad weather.

This is also important if your cat is ever injured or ill and needs to be confined to one of these spaces or even brought into your house. When the cat is already familiar with using a litter box, it’s much easier to confine him as needed so you can care for him.

Transition your outdoor cat indoors

Training your outdoor-only cat to use a litter box can make it easier to transition him into being an indoor-outdoor cat. Once your cat has this skill down, you can start to welcome him into your home without worrying so much about his having accidents. This can be a real benefit as your cat ages and you need to start bringing him indoors for his comfort and safety.

Grey and white cat sitting outdoors
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to train your cat

  • To create an outdoor litter box, you really just need a basic wooden frame. There’s no need to create a bottom to the box, but make sure that the frame is low enough so that cats can easily get into it. In this case, bigger is better for the box dimensions — you want cats to have plenty of space to turn around and dig.
  • Set the box in a spot your cat prefers to use as his bathroom area. Chances are, this spot is quiet and somewhat sheltered, since cats like their privacy. You should make sure that it’s located away from where your cat’s food and water dishes are located.
  • Next, fill the box with sand. When the box is outdoors, rain will cause clumping litter to clump up, so avoid using traditional litter. Sand is soft, easy to dig in, and feels natural to cats. You might need to mix some leaves and dirt into the sand initially to help it feel like just another part of your yard to your cat. With time, your cat will get into the habit of using the box, and you should be able to just replenish it with sand on occasion. You can get sand cheaply at your local hardware or big-box stores.

Establishing an outdoor litter box for your outdoor cat is beneficial in many ways, and it’s fairly easy to train your cat to use the litter box. Once your cat is using the litter box, you’ll need to scoop it and keep it clean. If it gets too dirty, your cat may decide to leave it and do his business elsewhere. With good litter box habits established, though, your cat will be better prepared if he ever does need to move indoors. When he knows how to use the outdoor box, you can add a more traditional litter box to your barn or shed, giving him a place to go when he wants to stay out of bad weather, too. Maintaining an outdoor box requires a little extra work from you, but it’s well worth it.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Paige Cerulli
Paige Cerulli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…
Why do dogs hate cats? The truth behind this age-old grudge
Find out what's behind the dog and cat rivalry that's been around forever
A black pug and a tabby cat sit on a table

Even if you've never been around dogs or cats, you've probably heard about their rough relationship. Cats and dogs are rivals at best and enemies at worst -- right? It sure seems that way when there are thousands of stories and even videos of dogs and cats not getting along. Whether you've witnessed a dog-cat chase with your own eyes or have heard your pup barking at the neighbor's cat at all times of the day, it's only natural to wonder, "Why do dogs hate cats?"
Some dogs couldn't care less if a feline friend stopped by for a visit -- that's true -- but plenty of other pups would go positively bananas. So what's the difference?

Why do dogs hate cats?
While it's easy to assume that dogs and cats "hate" one another because of their vast differences, it's a bit more complicated than that. Even dogs that regularly chase cats don't do so out of malice or hate. It's an instinctual thing!

Read more
How often should I feed my cat? Here’s what to know about cat feeding schedules
There's a lot more to think about than just what cat food to buy
Cat licking lips over food bowl

Trying to find the perfect food for your cat can be difficult -- just ask any cat owner with a picky eater at home. The shops and internet are home to endless delicious and nutritious options to choose from, but buying the best food for your cat is only half the battle — your cat's feeding schedule is another code to crack. If you've ever wondered, "How often should I feed my cat," you're not alone.

You can feed cats anywhere from one to five times a day, depending on their individual needs. After all, it's no secret that every cat has a distinct personality, right? No matter how often you feed your cat, their feeding schedule can impact their digestive system, energy level, and overall happiness, so finding the perfect balance for them is essential. Like many other animals, cats love routine, and once they learn their feeding schedule, they'll happily remind you of it.

Read more
Why do cats have 9 lives? The origins of the saying
Here's what we found out about cats and their many lives
A tabby cat looks up eith blue eyes

Whether you've lived with cats in your home all your life or have never even gotten close enough to pet one, there are a few feline facts, myths, and stereotypes that you're bound to have heard. Cat characters in TV shows and movies are great at perpetuating this knowledge, though no one can confirm or deny these feline fun facts and generalizations quite like the pets we know and love.

It doesn't take long to learn that cats can have a huge attitude, for example, or that they don't always get along well with other animals like dogs do. It's easy to understand why cat owners and feline fans alike can get caught up in these stereotypes. But at the same time, other feline fun facts -- like why cats are said to have 9 lives -- remain shrouded in mystery.
Until now! We've done some digging into the origin and accuracy of the old saying: "Why do cats have 9 lives," and here's what we uncovered.

Read more