As the owner of 5 cats, I feel I have a vast wealth of knowledge on this subject. Over the years we tried everything, including one attempt to toilet train a kitten. Funny for about 3 days but it didn't take. I've purchased the automated litter box that is supposed to clean itself. Possibly this would work for a household that only has 1 cat but not for my crew.

The problem I ran into is two-fold. One cat is a giant beast at 18 pounds. He overflows a normal box with the length and girth of his body. He also has long legs and does not like to squat when he tinkles. So, number one rule- the box must have high walls.

Rule number 2: the box must be affordable. After three months, bleach water doesn't seem to do the trick anymore for getting the "aroma" out. I refuse to pay $10-20 for a litter box because I have to have 2 or 3 of them at all times with 5 kitties.

As I discussed this dilemma with an old friend one day, she let me in on the world's best litter box: Rubbermaid tubs. The blue or purple tubs that you store gear in out in your garagee? Yes, those are just what I'm talking about. They can be had for $3-5 per tub, have high walls and a lid, PLUS they are big enough for the biggest cat. The secret to making them work is to cut a door for the cats to enter. Grab a serated knife. You will proceed to cut a door on  one end of the box where the handle is. If you go 1-2 inches on either side of the handle,  then start  at  the top edge of the tub, cut down in a straight line until you are about 4-5" from the bottom.  Do the same thing again on the other side of the handle. The connect the two cuts across the bottom. You will remove a section big enough for a cat to get in.

I've personally been using these Rubbermaid tubs for years now and would suggest you at least give it a try. Then let me know if you like the results.