Covered or uncovered litter box: which is better?

People tend to prefer covered boxes for the smell and tidiness. Cats often prefer uncovered ones. A hood traps odor inside where she has to stand in it, limits her ability to see around her while she’s vulnerable and can feel cramped for a larger cat. If your cat is happy in a covered box, there’s no need to change. But if she’s avoiding the box, hesitating at the entrance or going right beside it, trying a large uncovered box is one of the easiest things to test.