Pros and Cons of Using a Cat Litter Pan Cover

Having felines in your home and as part of your family is a pleasurable and gratifying experience. Although cats are extremely independent creatures, having them indoors requires certain accommodations including a reliable litter pan with a cat litter pan cover.
Reasons for Using a Cat Litter Pan Cover
One of the main reasons for using a cat litter pan cover is to keep the litter inside the pan. Whether you’re using clumping, crystal, clay, pine or standard gravel, the cover will help keep the litter inside and not outside scattered all around the floor. Cats are vigorous diggers and when digging in the litter at the beginning or at the end of their pan session, many times the litter becomes airborne and the floor becomes a mess. Using a cat litter pan cover will help prevent this from happening.
A cat litter pan cover will keep the litter pan and its contents out of sight and this can be important especially if the litter pan is kept in a visible or well trafficked area. The cover also helps to control odor by keeping the odors confined within the enclosed pan. Keep in mind cats can be very picky about using a pan that is overly soiled, so even though a cover can be placed on the litter pan to control unpleasant smells, it is vital that the litter pan be kept clean with fresh litter and liners so the cat will use it.
The cat litter pan cover offers the feline a quiet private place and it’s not uncommon to find a cat curled up in a litter pan that has been cleaned and filled with unused litter.
Reasons Against Using a Cat Litter Pan Cover
There are a couple of reasons for not using a cat litter pan cover. The first reason not to use a cat litter pan cover is if you have a large breed of cat and the cover won’t allow room for them to either dig in the litter or sit inside the litter pan comfortably. To accommodate larger cats, purchase a jumbo cat litter pan which will provide extra space in both width and height.
The second reason for not using a cat litter pan cover would be if you have an older cat or cats that are arthritic and have hip or leg problems that would prevent them from climbing through the small entrance of the pan cover. To override this problem, the cat litter pan cover can be removed and set aside until the cat has used the litter pan and then the cover can be replaced atop the pan.