The home shopping checklist, for cats and for dogs.

For cats — litter, scratching, carriers, water

What will I be cleaning, how often, and where will it all go?

Litter boxes and litter

• Count boxes before choosing boxes. The commonly repeated guideline is one box per cat plus one; if your space cannot hold that, plan for more frequent scooping instead. Decide where each box goes — a quiet spot with two approaches — and measure that spot before you shop.
• Litter type sets the cleaning schedule and the recurring cost. Clumping clay, silica crystals, pellets and plant-based litters differ in scooping frequency, full-change frequency, weight per bag, tracking and disposal. Pick the schedule you will actually keep, then the litter that supports it.
• Litter is heavy. Delivered cost matters more than shelf price; see the delivered-cost section of the everyday guide.
• Self-cleaning boxes are a subscription in disguise. Liners, filters, proprietary litter or waste drawers are recurring; there may be a warranty or service cost, and returns on a used unit are restricted. Put the consumables into the cost worksheet before you buy the machine.

Scratching

• Vertical or horizontal? Watch what the cat already scratches — the sofa arm (vertical) or the rug (horizontal) — and buy that orientation first.
• Height and stability. A vertical post should let the cat stretch fully and must not tip. Check the stated height and base dimensions rather than the photo.
• Material is a consumable. Sisal rope, cardboard and carpet wear at different rates and are replaced at different prices. Ask whether the scratching surface is replaceable separately.

Carriers

• Measure the cat lying down and standing, then read the carrier’s interior dimensions, not the exterior.
• Top-loading, front-loading or both changes how easily you get a reluctant cat in and out at the vet.
• If you will fly, check the airline’s current rules yourself — under-seat dimensions vary by carrier and aircraft. We do not publish airline rules because they change.

Fountains and feeders

• Filters and pumps are recurring. Note the replacement interval and price; a cheap fountain with expensive filters is not cheap.
• Every part that touches water needs washing. Count the parts and ask whether they are dishwasher-safe before buying.
• Automatic feeders with portion control vary in accuracy claims and app dependence; check what still works if the app or Wi-Fi is down.

For dogs — beds, crates and the shared home

What size, what washing routine, and where does it live in the house?

Beds

• Measure the dog stretched out, nose to tail base, and add some margin. Beds are sold by nominal size names that do not match between brands; use the stated dimensions.
• A bed is a washable cover plus a fill. Ask whether the cover is removable and machine-washable, whether replacement covers are sold, and what the fill is. This decides how the bed smells in six months.
• Orthopedic and heated beds add cost and, for heated ones, an electrical component; check the maker’s own documentation for that, not a listing summary.

Crates and gates

• Crate size is a standing-and-turning measurement. Measure height at the top of the head and length nose to tail base; read the crate’s interior dimensions.
• Where will it sit? Measure the floor space and doorways it must pass through, especially for wire crates that fold flat but are wide.
• Gates need a measured opening and a mounting type your walls or stairs allow. Check the product’s own instructions on where a pressure-mounted gate may be used, particularly near stairs.

Shared households

• Cat food and litter away from the dog. A gate with a cat-sized pass-through or a raised feeding spot keeps the dog out of both.
• Water is shared; a larger fountain or two stations avoids a queue.

Returns on home equipment

Can I return it once it has been used, and who pays to ship a bulky item back?

Beds, crates, fountains and litter equipment are bulky and often sold as “final sale once used” or with a restocking fee. Before ordering: find the returns page, look for the words used, opened, restocking and return shipping, and note the window in days. If the item cannot be returned once a pet has touched it, measuring carefully is the whole game.

The home checklist

Printable. Work through it before you open the merchant page.

1. Cleaning schedule decided. Scooping and full-change frequency for litter; cover-wash frequency for beds; part-wash frequency for fountains.
2. Locations measured. Where each box, bed, crate or gate will sit, and the doorways it passes through.
3. Pet measured. Cat lying and standing for a carrier; dog stretched out for a bed; standing height and length for a crate.
4. Interior dimensions read. Not the exterior, not the nominal size name.
5. Consumables listed with prices. Litter, liners, filters, pumps, scratching surfaces, replacement covers.
6. Recurring costs entered in the worksheet. Especially for self-cleaning boxes and fountains.
7. Return rules for used or opened items read. Window, restocking fee, who pays return shipping.
8. Delivered cost checked for heavy items. Litter and large beds ship expensively to some regions.