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
A self-cleaning box is one of the most common triggers for litter box avoidance in sensitive, reserved cats — and Chartreux are exactly the type to quietly decide they're done with it and never look back. Before we sort out a replacement, let me give you one piece of context: most standard trays are too small. Cats need a box roughly 1.5 times their body length to feel comfortable squatting and turning. Covered boxes are out for obvious reasons given what just happened. How big is your Chartreux, roughly — and is he currently going elsewhere in the house, or just holding on and avoiding the box?
He's a decent size, probably 5kg, quite stocky. He's been going in the box but very reluctantly — sort of perching at the edge. He had one accident near the back door. Just the one cat.
inparticular.ai
That perching-at-the-edge behaviour is a classic sign the tray is too small — he's trying to avoid stepping fully in. At 5kg and stocky, a Chartreux needs something genuinely large, not a standard supermarket tray. What did the self-cleaning box look like — was it enclosed with a lid, or more of an open design with a motor underneath?
It had a full dome over it, and the motor would spin the whole thing. He'd be sitting nearby when it went off and just bolted. Haven't used it in three weeks now.
inparticular.ai
That makes complete sense — a sudden mechanical noise from something he was supposed to climb inside is a lot to ask of a reserved cat. The good news is that switching to a plain open tray with no moving parts, no lid, and proper dimensions usually resolves this quickly. Chartreux are methodical cats; once he trusts the tray is just a tray, he'll use it reliably. One thing worth confirming: is the tray in a quiet spot, away from appliances, foot traffic, or anything that makes unpredictable noise?
It's in the utility room, next to the washing machine. Could that be a problem?
inparticular.ai
Yes, genuinely — for a cat who's already been rattled by a mechanical surprise, the spin cycle is likely making him wary of the whole area. Move the tray to somewhere low-traffic and quiet, even temporarily, and you'll probably see an immediate improvement. For the tray itself, I'd go with the Savic Nestor Giant open litter tray. It measures 56 x 39cm, which is a proper fit for a 5kg stocky Chartreux — he can step fully in, turn around, and crouch without touching the sides. It's low-sided at the front for easy entry, high-sided at the back to contain scatter, completely open, and there's nothing on it that moves or makes noise. Simple, robust, and the right size. That's the one I'd get.
That sounds ideal. Should I put it in a completely different room, or just move it away from the washing machine?
inparticular.ai
Start by moving it within the same room but as far from the washing machine as possible — ideally a corner where he has a clear sightline to the door. Cats prefer not to feel cornered when they're in a vulnerable position. If he's still reluctant after a few days, try a different room entirely. Don't move it repeatedly though — pick a spot and commit to it. Once he's using it confidently for a couple of weeks, you can gradually shift it a foot at a time if you need to relocate it long-term.
