This is a specific conversation about Cat litter boxes — size, type, and placement — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Persistent odour from a plastic litter tray is one of the most common reasons people switch — and it's almost never about the litter itself. Plastic scratches over time, and those micro-grooves harbour bacteria and ammonia that no amount of cleaning fully removes. Stainless steel is non-porous, so smells genuinely don't cling to it. Before I point you to the right size and setup, a couple of quick questions: how many cats do you have, roughly how big are they, and what's been the main issue — smell, your cat avoiding the box, or both?
Just one cat, she's a fairly large domestic shorthair, maybe 5kg. The smell is the main problem — I clean it every day but by evening it already reeks. She's been using it fine, no avoidance issues.
inparticular.ai
That daily smell despite regular scooping is classic plastic degradation — the surface has just absorbed too much over time and you can't scrub it out. A 5kg cat is solidly large, so you'll want a box with good interior dimensions, at least 50cm long ideally closer to 55cm, so she can turn and dig comfortably. Is your current tray covered or open, and do you have any preference going forward?
It's open at the moment. I'd be happy to keep it open — she seems to prefer that anyway.
inparticular.ai
Open is the right call for a cat her size — covered boxes trap odour inside anyway, which defeats the purpose here. For a large cat switching to stainless steel, I'd recommend the Delomo Stainless Steel Cat Litter Box. It's a proper open tray with high sides to contain scatter, the interior is around 55cm long which suits a large cat well, and the non-porous steel means a quick wipe genuinely gets it clean rather than just moving bacteria around. It's available on Amazon UK and holds up for years. One thing to note: switch her litter at a different time, not simultaneously with the new box, so she's not adjusting to two changes at once.
That makes sense. Do I need any special cleaner for stainless steel, or will my usual one work?
inparticular.ai
Avoid anything with bleach or strong disinfectants — they're harsher than needed, and the residual smell can put cats off using the box. Warm water and a small amount of washing-up liquid is genuinely all you need for daily maintenance. For a deeper weekly clean, white vinegar diluted in water works well and neutralises ammonia without leaving a scent that bothers cats. The real advantage you'll notice is that a quick rinse actually works now — you're not scrubbing porous material.
Great, that's really helpful. I'll order it today.
inparticular.ai
You'll notice the difference quickly — most people find the smell is significantly easier to manage within the first week. Just give the new tray a rinse before first use and let it dry fully so there's no residual manufacturing smell. If she hesitates at all with the new box, put it right next to the old one for a few days and remove the old one once she's using the new one consistently. Good luck with it.
