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I think a depth of about 2" should be adequate. At that depth my cat always covers her's up 100% and I have to "dig" and search to find what she leaves. Perhaps it has something to do with her being the only cat using it instead of multiple cats.
I try to keep mine between 2" to 3" deep. My girls usually don't dig & bury and just go on top, so I keep it deep enough so it won't stick to the bottom of the box. It's been my experience that some cats cover better than others, and some won't cover at all, so your litter depth may not be a factor anyway.
In reality, I'm glad mine don't bury theirs very often. Saves me having to dig & hunt for it.
QuilterChick said she put a 40 lb bag in her large cat pan...that's why I was wondering if my cats might like that better. I have 3 cats and 3 boxes, no room for more boxes than that.
With most/some cats, I'm not sure it matters that much. I've never had a problem with refusal to use (the litter box) due to too little or too much litter. Watching my own cats, plus a lot of ferals doing their business, I think as long as there's at least some material there to move around and cover, they're happy.
Not sure it's possible to have too much litter in the pan, as I doubt the cats would know the difference between 3" or 6".
I went to a smaller litter than I liked (when I could get it) because I wondered what all the digging was about and watched one night. She will cover, then sniff, and I guess if she smells more than she'd like, she piles some more up on there, so the smaller crystals let her get the better coverage she wanted to pass the sniff test without spending 15 minutes scratching and piling and making a mess.
My neighbor with four cats got this idea from her cleaning woman. Get giant rubbermaid type of tubs...the kind you store sports equipment or holiday decorations in. Place them (for her it was in the garage accessed through the kittie door off the kitchen).Fill them up with litter a few inches short of the top. As the cats use the litter, scoop it. When it gets within a few inches of the bottom, fill the tubs up again.
Wouldn't do at all for ours, some being older and some being short legged. The alpha likes to wander around in boxes a bit checking out what the others have been up to now and then so that wouldn't work either.
On the other hand, we have had, although not at the moment, those that are very small, very short legged or older or ill who do great with a bankers box top/lid. What it is...2" high or so. The bigger ones don't seem to bother with the low box. They seem to know they need the regular box so the larger ones don't get in the low box and make a mess.
The regular litter box I fill about half way up.
As Catdad7X says, some will dig and hide. Some just do their business and step out. I had one that did No. 1 in one type box, no. 2 in the other.
Go by the height and health of the cat. Then the size of the box. Maybe start with medium height full and see who needs it higher for their excavation proclivities.
My neighbor with four cats got this idea from her cleaning woman. Get giant rubbermaid type of tubs...the kind you store sports equipment or holiday decorations in. Place them (for her it was in the garage accessed through the kittie door off the kitchen).Fill them up with litter a few inches short of the top. As the cats use the litter, scoop it. When it gets within a few inches of the bottom, fill the tubs up again.
Wouldn't do at all for ours, some being older and some being short legged. The alpha likes to wander around in boxes a bit checking out what the others have been up to now and then so that wouldn't work either.
On the other hand, we have had, although not at the moment, those that are very small, very short legged or older or ill who do great with a bankers box top/lid. What it is...2" high or so. The bigger ones don't seem to bother with the low box. They seem to know they need the regular box so the larger ones don't get in the low box and make a mess.
The regular litter box I fill about half way up.
As Catdad7X says, some will dig and hide. Some just do their business and step out. I had one that did No. 1 in one type box, no. 2 in the other.
Go by the height and health of the cat. Then the size of the box. Maybe start with medium height full and see who needs it higher for their excavation proclivities.
Think I'll add more, half the box and see how it goes. As it is, they scrape the pan bottom when covering up, so not deep enough.
QuilterChick said she put a 40 lb bag in her large cat pan...that's why I was wondering if my cats might like that better. I have 3 cats and 3 boxes, no room for more boxes than that.
XXX
Oooh, whoops, you may have misunderstood I buy the Dr. Elsey's litter in the 40 lb. bag. I only put about 3" or less in the actual litter pan which is a nice large covered "Nature's Miracle" black bottom/white cover with the cutout front opening. I only have one kitty and she takes advantage of having that nice large box (which I clean out at least twice a day).
What I keep the litter in after opening the 40 lb. bag (oomph my back!) …. is a Sterilite medium size clear plastic box with the cover lock on it and it is in the laundry room which has a cool little area that is like a closet w/no door. That is Miss BeBe's private 'bathroom', and if the house is nice and quiet, I can hear her digging to the next town.
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I buy the Dr. Elsey's litter in the 40 lb. bag. I only put about 3" or less in the actual litter pan which is a nice large covered "Nature's Miracle" black bottom/white cover with the cutout front opening. I only have one kitty and she takes advantage of having that nice large box (which I clean out at least twice a day). 
