We are in the process of possibly adopting a cat or two for the first time. Wondering if anyone has any litter box recommendations. Looking for some combination of easy cleaning, not too complicated, and will keep the dog from snacking.
If you have the money, I would recommend a Litter-Robot. They also sell refurbished/older models for cheaper. I have the LR3 but I think now they are on 4. It is amazing! Haven't had to scoop since we got it. It serves all 4 cats in my home just fine. For me, it was TOTALLY worth the money.
Before that though, I used those big plastic storage bins with the lid. I would cut out a big hole in the lid for my cats to enter/exit. This cut back on litter getting tracked around the house like with an open box/tray type box. Plus it offers a little more privacy.
For litter I use Dr. Elsey's! Good luck to ya!! Cats are beautiful, funny, fantastic creatures.
Litter Robots are great, but one does still need to remove the waste frequently. At least on the older machines, there was not much space and waste would start to stick on the outside of the tumbler.
I like covered litter boxes with the door flap. If you've never had cats before, one thing to keep in mind is the number of cat boxes that you'll need. Typically people recommend N+1. For two cats, I would have at least 2 litter boxes. Besides, cats like having options. With respect to the kind of litter, avoid lavender-scented litters as lavender is a natural cat repellant. Also avoid silicone-based litters as it dries out their coats.
You could also try a top-entry litter box to keep the dog out of it. I've had success with using baby gates to bar the dog from the catbox area.