If you share your home with a Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Norwegian Forest Cat or any other substantial breed, you'll already know that most litter trays on the market were designed with an average 4kg cat in mind, not a 7-9kg one. Choosing between an enclosed (hooded) tray and an open tray is one of the first real decisions a big-cat owner has to make, and the honest answer is: it depends on your cat, your space, and your tolerance for cleaning routines. Here's a genuine pros-and-cons breakdown.
Enclosed litter trays
Pros
- Odour containment. A hood traps smell far more effectively than an open tray, which matters a lot with a larger cat producing larger deposits.
- Privacy. Some cats, especially timid or older ones, prefer to do their business somewhere enclosed and low-traffic.
- Litter scatter control. Big paws kick a surprising amount of litter around; a hood or high walls keep most of it inside the tray.
- Tidier look. An enclosed unit reads more like a piece of furniture than a litter box, which matters if it's living in an open-plan space.
Cons
- Entry size is the deal-breaker. Most enclosed trays are built around standard cat dimensions, and a large-breed cat can genuinely struggle to fit through the entrance, or has to duck and squeeze in a way that puts them off using it at all.
- Odour builds up inside if not scooped often. Containing the smell means it concentrates inside the hood between cleans, so lapses in scooping are noticed fast.
- Harder to clean. Lifting a hood off, reaching into corners, and manoeuvring a bulkier unit takes more effort than wiping out an open pan.
- Bigger footprint. An enclosed tray sized properly for a large cat takes up meaningfully more floor space than an open one of equivalent internal capacity.
Open litter trays
Pros
- No entry restriction. A cat can walk in, turn around, and dig without navigating a doorway, which matters when full-grown Maine Coons regularly exceed 40cm nose-to-tail-base.
- Easy to scoop and clean. Open access means you can see and reach every corner in seconds.
- Cheaper generally. Fewer moving parts and less material usually means a lower price point.
- Easier to supervise. If you're watching for health issues (straining, frequency, stool changes), an open tray makes observation simple.
Cons
- Odour and visual exposure. Nothing is hidden, which is a real drawback in small flats, studios, or if the tray lives near a kitchen or living area.
- Litter scatter. Without walls or a hood, litter (and larger cats dig with more force) ends up further afield.
- Less privacy for the cat. Some cats, particularly nervous ones, are reluctant to toilet somewhere fully exposed.
What actually matters for a large-breed cat
The single biggest factor that gets overlooked is entry-opening size relative to the cat's shoulder width and standing height. A hooded tray marketed as "jumbo" or "extra-large" by volume can still have a cut-out entrance sized for a standard cat. Before buying any enclosed unit, check the actual entry dimensions against your cat's measurements, not just the tray's overall footprint. Our size guide walks through how to measure your cat properly so you're not guessing.
If you want the odour control and privacy benefits of an enclosed design without the cramped-entrance problem, look specifically for trays built for large breeds from the ground up. The Dome is an extra-large enclosed manual litter box built for large breeds, offering roughly 30% more interior space than standard designs, at £89.99.
For owners who want enclosed and want to remove daily scooping from the equation, it's worth comparing manual enclosed options against enclosed self-cleaning trays, which we cover in a separate guide. Our self-cleaning litter trays collection includes enclosed options sized specifically for large breeds.
Our take
There's no universally "right" answer here. A confident, uncomplaining cat in a well-ventilated, spacious home may do perfectly well with an open tray, and you'll thank yourself for the easy cleaning. A more private cat, or a household where odour control in a compact space is non-negotiable, will do better with an enclosed tray, provided the entrance is genuinely sized for a large breed rather than a standard-size cat. The worst outcome is buying an enclosed tray that looks big on the outside but forces your cat to squeeze, because that's how litter tray avoidance (and accidents elsewhere) starts.
FAQs
Will my Maine Coon fit through a standard hooded litter tray entrance?
Often not comfortably. Standard hooded entrances are typically sized for cats under 5kg. Large-breed cats need trays with a wider, taller cut-out entrance, so always check entry dimensions rather than just overall tray size.
Do enclosed litter trays smell worse than open ones?
Enclosed trays actually contain odour better overall, but the smell concentrates inside the hood between cleans, so they need scooping just as often, if not more diligently, than an open tray.