Do you like cats? Do you have cats? Want cats? Yes? Then this post is for you. I have had cats all my life and the only down side to living with cats is where to put that stinking litter box. It’s gross, unsightly, smells, and the litter tracks everywhere. Well, if this is your problem I have a solution for you.
I remember seeing for sale some hidden litter box furniture that was obscenely expensive and I thought to myself, ” I could just buy a used cabinet and cut a hole in it.” Aaaannnnnddd that’s exactly what I did. The first time I did this was when I got my first apartment after graduating. I needed space saving solutions and so my first cabinet litter box was also…my TV stand. Now I have two cats and so, two litter box cabinets. One is in my office in front of the window so it acts as a plant stand and the other in my entryway so I can throw keys on it.
What I love about this is that I’m hiding something so unsigtly….in plain sight! People who visit my home have no idea it’s a cat box unless I point it out for some reason (usually bragging). But the perks of a cabinet litter box aren’t just cosmetic. You might be wondering about smell, and while yes, the occasional poop can penetrate past the cabinet barrier, generally speaking, it contains most smells. And litter tracking? Almost nonexistent. The inside you do have to vacuum occasionally because it contains most of the litter being flung out.
In my cabinets I actually took the shelf that came inside the cabinet and cut it down, put it on drawer sliders so I can slide the box in and out for easy cleaning. I also added an old car mat to help catch any additional litter being tracked.
In my first cabinet I did not account for space for the litter genie (if you don’t have one, get one, its like a diaper pale but for litter). I thought through this design more, moved the entry hole to the side (not center) and so the litter genie fits inside the cabinet too! This has been my favorite solution to the litter box problem by far. I encourage anyone with a cat to do the same!
A side note if you do decide to do this for your cat. I love cats and know too much about them (both my parents are veterinarians so I can’t help it). I would recommend first getting a covered litter box and seeing if you cat will take to it. Some cats just won’t go to the bathroom in a covered space. So before you spend all your time and money making one of these things – make sure your cat will like it! ok, that is all 🙂
Rachel Williams
Artist | Designer | Educator
Making mistakes and fixing them, so you don’t have to