There are some obvious downsides to using cat litter box liners. Liners aren't durable enough to withstand the sharpness of a cat's claws, which means that your kitty may poke holes in them or accidentally tear them. This can causes issues during clean-up, but a litter box liner can also save you from other litter box problems. With a liner, the litter won't get stuck to the tray when it's weighed down, and it's easier to tip the litter box's contents into a bin bag when there's a litter box liner keeping the litter contained.
In this guide, you'll find 10 different cat litter box liners, which are available for purchase on Amazon and/or Chewy. The great thing about these websites is that you check also check reviews from other buyers. No matter how you decide to deal with your cat's waste and soiled litter, we hope this guide opens up some options for you.
Key Takeaways:
- Jumbo and heavy-duty liners are more expensive, but the features are worth the price.
- Sifting litter box liners will help you avoid scooping litter so much.
- There are eco-friendly options, such as liners made from recycled plastic.
- Using a liner will make cleaning litter boxes easier and less time-consuming.
- Households with multiple cats will need to change their litter box liners more regularly.
The 10 Top Rated Cat Litter Box Liners
1 JONNY CAT Heavy Duty Litter Box Liners
- Tear-resistant plastic
- Heavy duty
- Drawstring litter box liners
Jumbo litter boxes need jumbo litter box liners! These heavy-duty liners are one of the thickest litter box liners in the U.S.A., and they’ll make the annoyance of cleaning up non-clumping kitty litter a thing of the past. The other great thing about Jonny Cat Heavy Duty Litter Box Liners is that they feature a convenient drawstring tie. Drawstring litter box liners are great because you can simply gather the tie together and dispose of your cat waste as normal, without needing to mess around with knotting the bag or worrying about it splitting.
- Made from thick plastic
- Easy to dispose of
- Great for large litter boxes
- Only five per box
- Expensive for the number of liners
2 Fresh Step Drawstring Cat Litter Box Liners
- Heavy duty
- Scented or unscented
- Tear-resistant
There are two variations in size and scent for this product. There are jumbo and large litter box liners, and both can come scented or unscented. The scented versions of this product from Fresh Step help with odor control, which is something that standard liners for your kitty’s litter box won’t do. To keep your cat litter boxes clean and help with the stretch of your cat’s waste, you can employ the use of these drawstring litter box liners by fitting the bag over the edge of the litter box and tightening it with the drawstring.
- Affordable
- Available in bulk
- Thick, tear-resistant liners
- Only 7 liners per box
- Might not stand up to your cat’s claws
3 Nature’s Miracle Odor Control Cat Litter Box Liners
- Anti-bacterial
- Controls odors using a fresh scent
- Durable design
For more affordable drawstring liners, Nature’s Miracle offers their Odor Control Cat Litter Box Liners in a box of 27 jumbo liners. What makes this product stand out as one of the best litter box liners is how the liners are specially treated to be anti-bacterial, helping keep your cat’s litter box more sanitary and reducing the risk of harmful bacteria spreading. Kitty litter can have all kinds of nastiness in it once your cat has used it as a bathroom, so an anti-bacterial liner will keep that to the minimum until you change your cat’s litter box again.
- Good price
- Odor control
- Good for jumbo litter boxes
- Only for large litter boxes
- Not tear-resistant
4 Van Ness Sifting Cat Pan Liners
- Made from recycled plastic
- Designed using no-tear technology
- Helps you reduce litter wastage
These extra-giant sifting liners from Van Ness will allow you to save more money by using less litter when sorting out your cat’s litter box. Many cat owners will simply throw away the entire box full of cat litter every day or two while scooping out cat waste between full clean-outs. This is a huge waste of cat litter because you don’t realize how much unused litter is in the box that could be topped up with fresh cat litter. With these liners, the unsoiled litter sifts back into the litter box below, where you should have another liner waiting. The pre-cut holes in the liners allow the clean litter to drop through with ease, and they’re even eco-friendly, too!
- Will help you save money on cat litter
- Eco-friendly product
- Easy to use
- Requires more effort than just throwing away old litter
- Could be messy
5 Pettiny 20 Cat Litter Box Liners
- Drawstring liners
- Strong polymer formula
- Scratch and tear-resistant
The cat litter box liner that Pettiny produces is an extra-large liner that measures a whopping 38.2 x 17 inches. They’re perfect for large and jumbo-sized litter trays, which are often used in multi-cat households. These cat litter box liners are made of a special polymer density blend that makes the plastic of the liner harder for your cat to accidentally break through. Cat owners often have trouble getting standard-sized liners to fit on most litter boxes, but the size of these tray liners ensures that they’ll fit over any litter box you own with ease!
- 20 liners in a box
- Leak-proof
- Made of extra strong material
- Not recommended for top-entry litter boxes
- Weak drawstring ties
6 Cat’s Pride Jumbo Litter Box Liners
- Tear-resistant material
- Drawstring closure
- Stops soiled cat litter from sticking to the box
Take pride in your cat’s litter box with these jumbo litter box liners from Cat’s Pride. This box of 15 disposable liners is perfect for homes that have multiple cats. Multi-cat households often find themselves having to scoop cat litter daily, and other litter box liner products of a poor quality usually results in torn bags and a lot of frustration. For one of the best cat litter box liners that can stand up to cat claws, switch to Cat’s Pride Jumbo Litter Box Liners and keep a clean litter box for your kitty.
- Made from a thick material to prevent it from being torn
- Drawstring ties make litter box cleaning a lot faster
- Huge liners to fit bigger litter boxes
- No odor control
- May not fit all jumbo-sized litter boxes
7 Alfapet Kitty Cat Elastic Premium Pan Liners
- Elastic liners
- Strong rubber band
- Secure fit
Certainly not a common type of cat litter box liner, we added these unique elastic litter box liners to our review because they could be exactly the solution that you’re looking for. Ditch the trash bag and try a solid liner that uses a rubber band to keep the edges of the bag on your cat’s litter box. The bane of many cat owners is owning cat pan liners that simply won’t stay over the rim of their cat’s litter box. With Alfapet’s elastic litter box liners, you can be sure that your liner is securely fitted to the litter box, and is extremely unlikely to come off.
- Stays put, even when your cat is covering their waste
- Tear-resistant
- Fits medium to large litter boxes
- Pricey at more than $1 per liner
- Thin plastic
8 Fresh Kitty Super Jumbo Thick Litter Box Liners
- 100% leakproof
- Built-in grip strips
- Drawstring ties
Designed to fit even the biggest cat litter boxes (including Petco’s Jumbo Enclosed and Petmate’s Giant litter box), these super jumbo litter box liners from Fresh Kitty are the biggest cat pan liners that the brand offers. When you’re looking for the best litter box liner for your cat’s litter box, you really should take into account the dimensions of the litter box and how destructive your cat is with their claws. There’s little point buying a cheap bottom liner for your cat pan if the first thing your cat is going to do is rip it up and leave a mess. Thankfully, these cat pan liners are designed to be leak-proof and they can stand up to the typical digging that cats do when burying their waste.
- Super thick plastic
- Leak-guard technology
- Effortless clean-up
- Expensive
- No odor control
9 Catit Clean Jumbo Biodegradable Liners
- Biodegradable
- Designed for Catit jumbo hooded cat pans
- Quick clean-up
Just because it’s a liner for your cat’s litter box doesn’t mean it can’t be biodegradable! The Catit brand has changed the way pet owners look at litter box liners by creating a liner that fits their jumbo hooded cat pans and will naturally degree in an organic or regular landfill. Instead of adding to the world’s plastic problem, you can become part of the movement to change it by switching to a liner that will break down instead of ending up where it shouldn’t be. For cat lovers and friends of the earth, these are litter box liners for you.
- Tear-resistant
- Environmentally-friendly
- Easy to fit to your cat’s litter box
- Designed for a specific brand of litter box
- Thin liners
10 Alfapet Kitty Cat Sifting Premium Pan Liners
- Extra giant size
- Quick sifting action
- Easy to use
Make that kitty litter last longer with these sifting liners from Alfapet. Alfapet’s Kitty Cat Sifting liners are designed with small holes that allow unsoiled litter to fall back into the litter box, without the need to throw the entire box of litter away. If you’ve seen the automatic litter boxes that help you save litter by raking away waste, think of these liners as a more manual version. You can keep your litter box clean and avoid spending a few hundred dollars on a litter box robot.
- Uses elastic for a better fit on your litter box
- Save money on litter products
- Quick disposal
- Expensive
- Only works with clumping litter
Best Litter Box Liners: Buying Guide & FAQs
What is a Cat Litter Box Liner?
A cat litter box liner is a disposable bag that you can fit over your cat’s litter box to have a more sanitary way of containing and disposing of soiled cat litter once it needs to be changed.
By using a cat litter box liner, you can prevent soiled litter and waste from sticking to the plastic of your cat’s litter tray, which makes clean-up faster and easier. Gone are of the days of constantly having to wash out your cat’s litter box. Instead, simply replace the liner when needed and remember to scoop out the waste between liner changes. Most litter boxes are the same shape, so if you have the correct size of liner, it should fit without any issues.
You may also like our guide on Low Dust Cat Litters.
What to Look for in a Litter Box Liner
When you’re looking for the best cat litter box liners to buy for the litter box you have at home, there are a few things you should consider.
Size
The first is the size of the litter box. Not all litter box liners will fit all litter boxes. Standard-sized liners, for example, aren’t going to fit over a jumbo litter box. Though a jumbo liner will have no problem fitting over most litter boxes. The issue there is that jumbo liners are often the more expensive litter box liner products available.
Cost
Speaking of costly litter box liners, do you have a budget for how much you can spend on liners? Some pet owners buy them in bulk because they can work out cheaper that way, but that’s not saying that you have the ability to do that. Buying in smaller boxes is cheaper at the moment, even if buying in bulk cuts costs in the long run.
Cheaper liners are often thin and prone to ripping, so it’s best to find tear-resistant ones where you can. They can be affordable, so shop around for the best heavy-duty liners for you.
Reviews
Though big guides like ours are helpful when it comes to narrowing down the better products on the market, we would always suggest reading the reviews from recent customers who have brought any product you’re considering. By switching to recent reviews over the featured ones, you can see responses from people who have, well, recently purchased and used the product.
Type
Once you know the size of your litter box and the price range you’re happy with, you’ll need to consider the type of litter box liner that would be best for your cat. Liners feature different pros and cons, depending on the type of liner. Some have a light-scented smell to help with odor control – such as Nature’s Miracle Odor Control Jumbo Litter Box Liners – while others are better suited for eco-friendly households or homes with cats that need something a little more heavy-duty.
Different Types of Cat Litter Box Liners
We covered a few major types of cat litter box liners in this review guide, but let us break them down for you in this section and include a few more:
Biodegradable Liners
An eco-friendly option for the cat owner who is trying to reduce the amount of plastic in their life. These liners are marketed as being biodegradable, which means that they will naturally degrade over time when put in a landfill. Do not compost cat litter and waste. It’s full of bacteria that you don’t want anywhere near your garden and especially not in soil that you use to grow your own food.
Drawstring Liners
One of the most common types of liners. These liners feature a drawstring tie that is easy to pull together and will make a pet owner’s life easier for a few moments when they’re cleaning out their cat’s litter box. You can find some of these liners in scented versions – scented prevents odor-causing waste from making the area of your home that houses litter trays from having an awful scent.
Elastic Liners
Featuring a nifty rubber band instead of the typical drawstring finish, elastic liners fit snugly against the outside of any litter box. This snug fit is designed to stop liners from being pulled off the tray by your cat when they’re covering their waste. Best for households with cats that aggressively dig after using the bathroom.
Heavy-Duty Liners
If you’re particularly worried about your cat’s paws turning their litter box liner into nothing but shredded plastic, give heavy-duty liners a try. These are thicker liners that are usually tear-resistant and can stand up to the claws of a little domestic feline. Some liners of this type can be leakproof, too.
Jumbo Liners
These are the best cat litter liners for the largest litter boxes on the market. You’ll want to check the size of the liner against the size of your jumbo litter tray because not all liners are made the same and some aren’t as “jumbo” as they perhaps should be. There’s little point in buying one if you don’t know whether the litter box liner fits your litter box. Check for dimensions on the product page.
Reuseable Liners
These are pretty rare to find but they do exist. One brand that sells reusable liners is modkat, which makes their liners out of commercial-strength tarpaulin. They’re extremely strong, rip-resistant, and can be reused until they’re damaged. When you empty these liners, you simply clean them with a little soap and water and then let them air dry. The downside to modkat’s liners is that they only fit properly in their own litter boxes.
Sifting Liners
Sifting litter box liners are created to help cat owners waste less litter. They work best when you use them in tandem with another liner that doesn’t have holes. To use, put the standard liner on your cat’s litter box first, then the sifting liner. When you want to change your cat’s litter, pick up the sifting liner, give it a bit of a shake, and watch the unsoiled litter fall back down into the pan.
Top-Entry Liners
These liners are for use with top-entry litter boxes. A top-entry litter box is exactly what it sounds like – a litter box where your cat enters from above, rather from the side or the front like other litter boxes. There are benefits to using these litter boxes, including the reduced amount of litter scattering. Adding a top-entry liner will boost the cleanliness of your cat’s litter box.
FAQs:
Cats use the bathroom multiple times a day. Without the use of a litter box liner, the soiled litter will clump together and solid waste can stick to the box in unsightly ways. When you have a liner, it’s easier to pick the whole thing up and tie it to dispose of it than to empty the soiled litter into a trash bag from an unlined litter box.
Your cat doesn’t mean to do this! After a cat finishes their business, their instincts tell them to cover it up. That means that they use their paws and claws to move fresher litter from one part of their litter box to the other part where they’ve pooped or urinated. During the process of digger up litter to move it, their claws can get stuck in the plastic of weaker liners.
This heavily depends on how many cats you have using the litter boxes in your home. With just one cat, you can get away with changing the liner once a week and scooping out used litter during the time between changes. If you have more cats, we would recommend fully changing the litter every two to three days, depending on the number of cats in your home and their bathroom habits. Multi-cat households may benefit from sifting liners in addition to regular liners to help reduce the amount of wasted litter.
Reuseable litter box liners can last for up to three months. Like regular liners, their usage and the need to replace them will depend on how many cats you have roaming around your home. You also need to factor in how aggressive your cat gets when covering their waste because torn liners will need to be replaced faster than others. Reuseable liners are pretty hardy, though, so it’d be surprising if your cat did manage to rip through one.
Litter box liners are definitely worth using, even when you’re using clumping cat litter. Cheap climbing cat litter, especially, has a habit of sticking to the inside of litter boxes. Even when this kind of litter clumps, it can be weighed down by cat urine which turns it soft and makes it all stick together. It can be really difficult to clean this out. With a litter box liner, you’d just need to pull up the bag, tie it, and dispose of it.
To-entry litter box liners do exist, they just aren’t as common as others types and aren’t typically sold in many stores. They often look like very deep plastic bags because they need to go up the entire wall of a top-entry litter box to be able to fit the box properly. They may look a bit silly, but there’s no other way to line this type of litter box without getting incredibly creative.
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