Short answer: yes, almost always
If you share your home with a Maine Coon, the litter tray marketed as "standard" or "large" on most pet shop shelves is very likely too small for them. This isn't a marketing line — it comes down to three concrete, measurable things: body length, digging behaviour, and the size of the entry opening.
1. Body length
A fully grown Maine Coon can measure up to 40 inches (just over a metre) from nose to tail tip, making them one of the longest domestic cat breeds. A cat needs to be able to turn around, squat, and position itself comfortably inside a tray without their tail or back end hanging over the edge. Most "standard" trays are designed around an average shorthair cat roughly 18 inches long — barely half a Maine Coon's length.
2. Digging behaviour
Maine Coons tend to be enthusiastic diggers — many owners describe them as excavating rather than just covering. This behaviour needs floor space and headroom. In a cramped tray, vigorous digging throws litter over the sides, and a cat that can't dig properly may become reluctant to use the tray consistently.
3. Entry opening size
For enclosed or self-cleaning trays specifically, the entry opening matters as much as the internal size. A large-breed cat has a proportionally bigger head, shoulders and rib cage, and a doorway sized for an average cat can mean squeezing through, ducking down, or avoiding the tray in favour of somewhere else in the house.
What this means practically
- Measure your cat nose-to-tail before buying, and check the tray's internal (not just external) dimensions against it.
- Prioritise trays explicitly designed or sized for large breeds rather than "jumbo" versions of standard designs.
- Check the entry opening height and width, not just the tray's floor area.
Our Bothy Enclosed Self-Cleaning Litter Tray was built with exactly this brief in mind — sized for cats who don't fit standard trays. You can browse the full range in our self-cleaning litter trays collection, and if you're unsure what size your cat needs, our size guide walks through how to measure properly before you buy.