IRIS Top Entry Cat Litter Box Review

Editor’s rating: 4.4 | Avg. rating online: 4.6

I decided to make a review of the Iris top entry litter box because it offers the same functionality as other more expensive brands, such as the Modkat litter box, so I was wondering if it worked the same. So I came to conclusions that you will appreciate if you are thinking of getting Iris top entry litter box.

Top entry litter boxes are designed to keep the litter contained, provide cats privacy and help to reduce odors, but one of the best advantages is the design that allows people to place them in corners of any living area. An additional advantage is to deter dogs from trying to access the litter box.

Iris Top Entry Main features

• A nice design can be placed anywhere in the house
• Grooved (or filtered) top lid removes the excess of litter from the cat’s paws
• The enclosed design provides your feline privacy and keeps dogs away
• Made of BPA-free polypropylene resin
• It contains litter scattering
• Non-skid rubber feet prevent sliding when cats jump
• It comes with a litter scoop
• With a hook on the side to hang the scoop
• Colors: White/Beige and Orange/Brown
• Types of lid: Filtered and Grooved
• Sizes: Medium and Large
• Made in the USA

Dimensions & weight

Medium size general dimensions: 17.32″L x 13.39″W x 12.20″H
Inside dimensions: Widest point 19.12″L x 13.75″W x 14.25″H / Bottom narrowest point 17.0″L x 11.5″W
Weight: 2.87 lbs

Large size general dimensions: 20.47″L x 16.14″W x 14.56″H
Inside dimensions (Widest point): 20.0″L x 16.0″W x 14.0″H / Bottom (narrowest point): 17.5″L x 13.5″W
Weight: 4.85 lbs.

How IRIS Top Entry Litter Box works

The cat needs to jump onto the top lid and access through the lid’s opening located on the right side. Once the cat has done its business, it will jump onto the grooved lid to exit which will get its paws cleaner from the excess of litter, avoiding litter tracking from going onto the floor. To scoop, just lift the lid off and scoop like a regular litter box.

Interesting facts about this litter box:

⇒Cats don’t take to top entry litter boxes right away. You need to make your cat use the litter box without the lid for at least a week before putting the lid on. Place your cat inside the litter box without the lid to make sure your feline knows its new litter box. Then, after a week put the lid on and place your cat gently inside the litter box through the opening to teach it how to get inside.

⇒Iris top entry litter box comes with two types of lids: Filtered and Grooved. What are the differences? The filtered lid features small holes in it, allowing the litter to fall back inside the litter box. The grooved lid has grooves all along the top and the litter just sits on the lid and you need to dump it back inside the litter box. The grooves make a better job removing the excess litter from the cat’s paws than the filtered lid. Plus, cats whose claws are large could get them caught in one of the small holes of the lid, creating a panicking situation for the cat.

How to clean the litter box?

The lid can be easily removed by pressing the two tabs on the top of the base to make the lid pop off. Dump the dirty litter and wash the plastic container with a soft detergent and hose it off or wash it in the bathtub if you live in a small apartment. It’s really simple.

Differences of Iris Top Entry Litter Box vs Modkat

1. Modkat has a more sleek stylish design, Iris has a nice design as well, just not as elegant.
2. The plastic quality of Iris is lower than Modkat’s.
3. Modkat works with liners. The unit comes with a durable tarp liner that gets hooked to the base of the litter box. Iris doesn’t work with liners nor comes with it.
4. Iris lid’s grid (grooved lid) is much more effective in removing litter from the cat’s paws than Modkat lid’s grid.
5. The price. Modkat price tag is much higher than Iris top entry litter box.

What are the pros & cons of Iris Top Entry Litter Box?

The following pros and cons will help you better decide if this unit will work for your type of cat:

Pros

• Nice modern design, doesn’t look like a litter box
• Good price
• Large size accommodates larger cats
• A good option for high spraying cats
• It contains litter spillage at about 80%
• Grooves or grid on lid reduces litter tracking
• The lid comes off easily for cleaning
• No need of using or buying liners

Cons

• It doesn’t contain odors very well
• It doesn’t work with liners (you can place your own though)
• Plastic is not premium quality
• The curved shape of the litter box makes scooping litter hard if you use a square or rectangular scoop.
• Some cats don’t adapt to top entry litter boxes or it takes them weeks to adjust.
• Larger cats can only stand upright below the opening to use the box more comfortably so they don’t have a litter in front to dig, only the wall.
• The lid’s tabs that connect the lid to the base are not deep enough to keep the lid secure for heavy cats.
• The filtered lid doesn’t work as well as the Grooved lid in removing litter from the cat’s paws.
• A dog still can stick its snout in the opening

Tips

• Pay attention to the dimensions of the large size, it’s is bigger than it looks in the pictures so it takes up a good amount of space.
• You can line the large size Iris litter box with a standard outdoor trash bag
• To force your cat to step on the lid and not jump right out of the box into the floor, make sure to put the box in a corner with the opening against the wall, this way the cat will be forced to step on the lid, getting its paws clean.
• If you get the version with a filtered lid make sure your cat has its claws cut.
• If you use a premium clumping litter, like Arm & Hammer you won’t really need liners.
• Don’t overfill the litter box to avoid possible plastic breakage of the bottom.

Conclusion

Iris top entry litter box is a reasonably priced solution for your messy cat. If your feline friend creates a lot of litter scattering or if you have a high spraying cat, this could be your solution. However, consider that the durability of products is related to the price tag, and the Iris litter box doesn’t escape this.

It’s important to mention that the Large size of this litter box uses quite a bit of room, make sure you have enough space before getting one.

The good thing about the Iris top entry litter box is that you can place this unit anywhere in your house and it doesn’t look like a litter box. Also, you don’t have to pay an expensive price to get a nice designed top entry litter box.

Bottom Line

I recommend Iris Top Entry litter box:

• For kittens over 6 months age
• If your cat is small or medium size (Medium size suitable for cats up to 8 lbs, Large size suitable for cats up to 13 lbs)
• If you need a solution to contain litter scattering
• If you have a high spraying cat

I don’t suggest getting this unit:

• If you want to use it for multiple cats
• For large cats (they may fit in it, but it won’t be comfortable for them)
• If you notice that your cat is too shy or afraid of everything
• For elderly or disabled cats