We've rounded up two kinds of stylish pieces for your kitty's private business — litter box enclosures, which are furniture-based pieces designed to disguise the box, and litter boxes so stylish they need no disguising.
LITTER BOX ENCLOSURES
• The Circa50 from Modernist Cat takes a Paul McCobb approach to disguising the litter box. There are holes on both sides of the box for easy kitty entry as well as a hinged door for convenient human (scooping) access. $449 - $615
• The Designer Catbox from All Modern takes a more traditional approach to the litter box enclosure. It features side access for the felines and a hinged top lid for human access. $140
• Meow Manor from Kippy's Krystal Kreations is a dollhouse inspired litter box enclosure. The house is made with painted wood and then coated with urethane for easy clean up. The roof is hinged for quick access to scoop the litter. $100
• The Kattbank, which is handcrafted in Portland, Oregon out of hardwood plywood, is a combination modern design bench and litter box enclosure. Openings on both ends of the Kattbank allow for kitty's easy access to the box and an integrated plastic grid inside helps keep litter tracking to a minimum. $1750 - $2000
• From Modern Cat Designs, this simple litter box hider is constructed with a high pressure laminate finish and is available in 3 finishes. $197
• It might take a sizable bathroom but with its white wooden cabinet and wainscoting paneling details the Cat Washroom from Petco is styled to appear as traditional furniture. $98
STYLISH LITTER BOXES
• Mungo & Maud's Cat Litter Box is a stylish and minimal way to contain your cat's waste. It features a rectangular acrylic frame with an easy to remove stainless steel insert. £650
• The Kitty a Go Go is a fashionable litter box available in 6 styles — polka dot, black, leopard, wood grain, flower print and metallic. $130
• Molitli makes this felt cover that fits over a standard plastic litter box with lid. €159
• The Mox Litter Tower, also from Modern Cat Designs, is a top-entry litter box stylish enough to keep people guessing about its true purpose. The top entry will help keep nosy dogs out and the grated top helps keep the cat's paws clean of excess litter. $129
• The Deluxe Litter Pod from My Cat's Heaven is made of molded plastic covered in a faux bois finish. The top lifts off to reveal an enclosed litter pan. $98
• Another top entry litter box, the ModKat is offered in 5 colors and includes an ergonomic scoop with incorporated brush that stows neatly on the side. $180
• The Pet Loo is the closest thing to giving your kitty access to the great outdoors. Made from a specifically sourced material, The Pet Loo "is resistant to the acidity of urine and the accompanying smell which ensures a long-lasting and hygienic product." $99
MORE KITTY LITTER POSTS ON APARTMENT THERAPY
• Hiding the Litter Box in a Closet
• Death to the Litter Box
• Wine Case Recycling Use #37: Litter Box
• Ikea Hack: Contemporary Litter Box
• My Design's Dreamy!: Niko and Macy's Shoji Litter Box
(Images: As linked above.)
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this is the ultimate phase of kitty pampering
We use the Petco white wainscoting thing. Ugly, but it works. Bought a tray to stick on the shelf to put all the cat stuff in. The only place with space for it is in the hall so you have to be insane about cleaning it out or the first waft visitors get is stinky cat pee.
It's slightly better if you tape a buttload of charcoal to the inside.
Is the Pet Loo only for cats who do not poop?
This is when I'm actually glad to have a scary cave basement. I can just use a regular plastic box and not care how it looks
Not as pretty, but Clever Cat! I love it.
I agree, the CleverCat is wonderful. The litter spread around my apartment has decreased probably by 80%.
I've got litter pans sitting in giant rubbermaids (with holes cut on the sides) in the garage. It's a much cheaper solution but really effective at keeping the litter contained.
Unfortunately one of my cats absolutely refuses to use a box with a cover, so a fancy- schmancy box is out of the question. I just hide the pan in a small closet on the floor (thankfully our apartment has ample closet/storage space). We put a long hook-and-eye latch on the door so it stays propped open enough for the kitties, but stays shut and keeps my toddler out. Jumbo litter pan = $6.... latch= $3. :)
I've also had great success with the Clever Cat. My cat got used to the new box immediately, and there's way less litter on the floor. It's not very cute, but at $35, it's a great option. Funny--most people would think $35 for a litter box is excessive, let alone $400.
Hey guyz I found the best cat litter box cover EVER it's called the first floor. That's right I put cat's litter box in the basement.
Funny...I just posted about my own cat litter box situation this week. I live in a tiny condo, and don't have a garage (or extra space) so I had to get creative. Here's my solution: http://www.addicted2decorating.com/yes-this-really-is-a-post-about-a-cat-litter-box.html
I go the other way. I buy disposable pans. They are $3, and I throw out the cheap filler that comes with them. Instead, I use the pearls that absorb liquid and odors. I have one cat, so every 30 days I throw away the dirty pan, and start fresh. No fuss, no muss.
Totally okay with hiding my hideous $20 one in a corner behind the bedroom door.
None of these will work when your cat becomes a senior and starts having balance problems.
$400 for that first one?? I'll let you in a little secret: There is absolutely nothing special about any of those 'furniture style' litter boxes. They're just overpriced crap quality furniture-esque boxes with cat and person entry points.
An old wood toybox, ceder blanket box (will help with the smell!), or small dining room buffet cabinet (MCM, natch) would work very well for this purpose and you can find all of these on Craigslist for well under $100. Put your $10 litter pan in there, cut a nice entry hole in one side, slap on some paint and BOOM - fancypants litter box.
For the record I also have a clever cat - it works very well but my big kitty wishes it was bigger. I'm thinking about just rigging a large, heavy duty Rubbermaid container. It's pretty much the same thing.
IMONFIRE: With the Pet Loo, you simply scoop the feces from the top of the unit and dispose of it in a garbage bin, just like you would in a normal backyard or park. The Pet Loo also has a line of enzyme based cleaning solutions specifically for cats: http://www.thepetloo.com/products/kitty-care/
The pet loo looks like it would be a terrible idea if you had kids..or dogs..or more than 1 cat.
I did the same as jess13. If you want to save even more money make a trip to a thrift store. I found my cabinet/box for 10 dollars.I just cut a hole in the one side for kitties to go in and I use a shallow Rubbermaid container as a litter pan.Some of the shallow Rubbermaid containers are about the same measurements as a standard litter pan..but only 4 dollars or so and you cant tell its a Rubbermaid once it is in the fancy catbox.
I switched to this one and love it. Its great to not have to scoop the litter - and then I just dump the drawer into a diaper bag and toss.
http://www.omegapaw.com/products/roll-clean-litter-box.html
It may not be as beautiful as the ones above, but the Litter Robot is one of the best investments I've ever made!
If anyone has a cat like my dear old soul, he's getting up in age and a tad overweight and misses the litterbox on occasion. I don't think he'd enjoy any of these boxes.
He's a pretty big boy (not just because he's a tad over weight - he's just got a really big frame etc) and I don't think he'd fit in any of those very well. I've switched his box probably 4 or 5 times now trying to find the perfect one that will keep his "misses" inside the box.
It doesn't matter how big it is or how fancy the box is it's still a fact that when he pees towards the front of the box it goes over. He doesn't mean to pee out the box, I know it's an accident. He's handsome but not that smart :)
If I had a fancy box it would constantly be soaked in urine and smelling to high heaven!
So if anyone has this issue, I've recently opted for buying puppy pads, they work fantastic! I place them just under the box and infront. If he misses then it's easy to switch out the pad for another one without having to contantly clean up urine from the storage room floor. It's not ideal but I love him to much to give up on him.
Oh a side note.... not all cats like covered litter boxes. It has to do with their instincs about being caught unaware. So most of these solutions wouldn't work well.
No mention of the Booda Dome? Slightly futuristic looking, and the "stairs" help cut down on the amount of litter that gets tracked around. http://www.amazon.com/Booda-Dome-Cleanstep-Cat-Titanium/dp/B0002DH8L4
I've been really happy with the Breeze system by Tidy Cats.
I used to have the one nicolson mentioned above and it was great for my cat who was the messiest litter box user ever! I recently bought one for my 2 kitties that looks like a potted plant. It's not stylish like the examples above but nobody that has seen it in the hall thinks it's a litter box.
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Pet-Stuff-Hidden-Litter/dp/B000MPR2GI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330637489&sr=8-1
It's like all but one or two of the comments here assume the post was titled, "The Cheapest Litter Box Solutions For People Who Live In Houses With Basements & Have Cats With Psychological Toileting Issues." Those of us trying to make a box of poop fit into 450 square feet kind of appreciate these sort of solutions.
I wanted to mention the litter locker for disposing of the poops to those who have cats. I have no affiliation with the product (yes, I realize saying that makes you think I probably do, but I really don't), but it's freakin awesome. No smell and no mess. It's not attractive though. I wouldn't want it out next to a nice box disguised as furniture, but in a closet or basement it's fantastic.
Thank you, TheModernMan. I like the guy that assumed everyone has a basement. It is Apartment Therapy after all, not House-with-a-full-basement Therapy. I actually didn't get a cat although I missed having pets until I moved into an apartment with a laundry room.
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw the $2000 cat box. WTF?
The giant plastic bin I got from the Goodwill for $3 is all the designer touch cat box my furpersons need. I'd much prefer to save my bux for a fab dinner out with my husband than on a pee 'n' poo bucket.
my fav hands down is automated and smell free. it
is https://litter-robot.com/
You left out the amazing, beautifully designed modkat. Unfortunately, my maine coon is too big. I'm selling a white modkat--practically new for $150. contact me if you're interested at nwoloshin@rubenstein.com. We are back to gigantic booda box. Sigh.
The Mungo & Maud's model at 650 pounds really takes the cake for the price-usefulness ratio. I don't care how solid it is, it still is just a white box with a stainless tray with absolutely no value added compared to the 3$ disposable ones! Oh, and it looks worse, not better, than a litter box: I would imagine this in a hospital janitor's closet for collecting things far worse than cat poop. Basement or no basement, 100 square feet or a gazillion square feet, smart kitty or stupid kitty!
I personally don't like a top-entry type of cat litters. It's really not that cat-friendly, especially for bigger or older cats. I understand people want neat-looking litters, but you have to see it from a cat's perspective more than anything. Com'on, who wants the hassle when you simply need to take care of the potty business?
That being said, #1, 5, & 6 are beautiful! I would love that for my kitty!
@LGS, why is a price tag an issue? That's an American hand making a product. It's very expensive to do so, and it's a very good thing to do. The irony is that that person, and I can practically guarantee this, is making less money than the company that's selling 200 plastic bins at PetCo every day. The companies who are making those are also costing the environment far more and almost always importing (thus exporting labor costs). Shame on YOU for poo pooing small independent business. If everybody supported the small guy, their costs wouldn't run so high.
Price aside, I think most of these designs are missing the point of apartment living. They take up too much space. I came up with the perfect solution when I had a cat. I had your basic tiny New York City bathroom with a sink set into a cabinet with one door on the front. Less than a foot away was the toilet. I emptied out the cabinet, and had my handyman cut a round hole in the SIDE of the cabinet on the toilet side. Voila. At the cost of some under-sink storage space, I had a completely hidden litter box. Cat entered from the side. When it was time to empty the box, I'd open the cabinet from the front and scoop the poop right into the toilet. I figured the only way to improve on it would have been if I could have trained the cat to sit on the toilet.
These are all way out of my budget, but I can imagine how you can use these ideas to DIY a cheaper option. So I'm glad AT posted these items so I can visualize a litterbox as something other than a big plastic box. I love my cat, but her litter box is always a struggle and my apartment isn't that small. Now when I'm at goodwill and garage sales, maybe I'll find some furniture that can help me in the kitty litter battles.
Top-entry litter box?? With 'grated top'?? Do these people know anything about animals??
Stock or cattle grids are used to prevent animals from crossing over. Cats hate to walk over a grid let alone to jump on one in this position. With this 'designer' litter tower a poor cat is forced to do its business in an extremely unnatural way. That is cruelty.
I agree with Duckling, LOVE the Tidy Cat Breeze System.
I second (third? fourth?) the Clever Cat! No tracking at ALL and no kicking. Our cat has no trouble jumping in and even uses it as a perch to jump on to other things. Best of all worlds. And cheap!!
While I love the looks of all of them, and my cat isn't picky at all, I know that what works for me is a litter box with cover and a "swing door". Unfortunately none of the above have them. So I guess I'm sticking to the current plastic box that does.
we bought a square lack table from ikea and i sewed a cover for it with a round porthole entrance. $7 and 90 minutes later, we have a custom kitty box that can be changed to suit any room or decor.
harumph.
Which is not to say that the modernist cat and the kattbank are not lovely pieces, but most of the others still scream 'litter box', look cheap, are impractical (dogs plonk their turds on the ground, cats will valiantly dig to cover it, how's that pet loo going to work? the mungo and maud neither covers nor contains) and seem, well, GOOP level out of touch...
I second Nicolson! The Booda dome is attractively modern on the outside and has "stairs" within to catch litter on the feet before kitty exits. Only downside is it's rather large - takes up quite a lot of floor space in my small bathroom. Still I am very happy with it!
The first one is great, but paying $500 for something that's exclusive purpose is to be shit in by a cat? Dunno about that.
I can't believe we are still talking about fancy litter boxes. I toilet trained my cat years ago after seeing it on Apartment Therapy.
It took a couple weeks to train him and I haven't had a litter box in years. Priceless! I used CitiKitty.
I live in a 32sqm apartment. I have 2 cats, and a litterbox in the v. small bathroom. They won't use a hooded litterbox - and there isn't any space for it either.
None of these litterboxes are suitable for my apartment.
I can't see how these are the best modern litter boxes for apartments, unless we're only considering apartments larger than 1000 sq feet.
Still like my idea. We got wooden storage trunks at an unfinished furniture store to serve as window seats in our library. (We needed two that matched or I'd have gone thrifting for something second hand.) I made cushion covers for the tops, which hinge open. One holds my files since the room serves as my office as well as the book room and passage to the upstairs, the other holds two litter boxes. I cut (jig saw) a hole for the cat flap in the center front, and most people never notice unless we point it out, since what they see is cushioned window seats. We have two cats, so we have two litter boxes in the trunk, use good odor quashing clumping litter, and scoop from the open top nightly. My cats took to it immediately, not a problem.
A friend had a Booda Dome. His cat would pee against the side of it and it would leak out (and the lid was on correctly). I use a hooded box with the top of the hood cut off. This way I it has high sides but not confining. Older cats can't always squat down as much so the higher sides help keep them from peeing over the side. After having older cats with arthritis I recognize the need for a litter box which a cat can easily step into.
I have this kitty climbing tree in my apartment (which is quite small) and my cat LOVES it!!! (And so do I!!) It takes up hardly any space at all and keeps his litter box out of sight!! It also helps keep him from tracking it through the house. You would never know there was a litter box in the bottom unless you took a good hard look. It has been the perfect solution for us!!! http://www.etsy.com/listing/94681367/cat-tower-and-litter-box-combo
That first one is great but I'm not sure I could justify the cost for a littler box. Ikea needs to tackle this problem at an affordable price point!
We toilet trained our cat when she was under one years old. Just bought a kit at the pet store. Brilliant. She has passed now but I will definitely do it again when we get another cat. Easy, no waste, and god no damn litter boxes! High recommend.
I made my own litter boxes using a large tote bins. My cats have large frames and are chubbies. Plus I have one who stands while she pees, so the sides have to be high.
See link for how to:
http://reviews.ebay.com/How-To-Make-Your-Own-Jumbo-Size-Covered-Cat-Litter-Box_W0QQugidZ10000000013866361
I have the Modkat and it is amazing, it really is a life saver... 90% of the litter stays in the box and my cat loves it! I can't hide my litter box and this one looks amazing so I am glad to have this option. My 2 cents!
These definitely are amazing in design, which is why I have decided to have them in my store display. Any extra comments or reviews would be great. Post a review on my website for any designer litter box and get 10% off first purchase. http://www.modpetlife.com/designer-litter-box-s/1834.htm
My kitten's litter box is €34 and it even has a door.