apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Put the boxes (preferably Booda-Boxes or something like them on the floor of your closet. Then, either drill a kitty door in the closet door or remove the closet doors in favor of curtains.

You can also put cat boxes in a piece of furniture (like an ottoman or such) and use the skirt to cover the kittys' entrance.

yeppers to the closet floor idea, which is what i do. i have two-way sliding door, so i just leave one end open a bit. i just know that if there's fabric hanging there, the cats will drag it into the litter box to cover their bizznizz...i've found all sorts of weird stuff in there!

my mom bought a bunch of these planters that have litter storage underneath and plant pot above. expensive and probably not as inconspicuous and she'd like.

i've seen furniture turned into litter box hiders - ottomans, trunks, even kitchen cabinets.

i'm lucky to have both a closet and a half bath for my little boxes, but in my life i've put them anywhere from the kitchen to the bedroom. it sucks! i wish they'd learn to use the toilet...

Under a console table and drape fabric.

This link is still the most attractive solution I've seen. I'd recommend pairing this type of solution with a top-entry litter box, then you wouldn't have to worry about litter migrating to your floors. Of course, you'd need to construct the lid high enough for your kitty to jum up, then back down and out.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/pet-decor-2006-entries/my-designs-dreamy-katherine-mitchells-litter-trunk-011194

Toilet train your cat. Its possible:http://cats.about.com/od/litterboxproblems/a/toilet_training.htm

There are many, many things designed for this purpose - I've even seen a crazy litterbox with an integrated lid that has a fake palmtree on it! Google "litterbox furniture" and you'll find tons of links like this one: http://www.catsplay.com/kitty_condos.php3#litter

I have something very similar to the "Bay Isle Rattan" (which, embarrassingly enough, I first saw in the SkyMall catalog) in my bathroom, it's much more attractive and less conspicuous than a plain litterbox and also provides a nice flat surface for stocking magazines - a must have for serious can time!

Thanks for all of the feed back so far!

Terry - I got the booda box and it was a total disaster. Excessive litter on the ramp gave the impression to my cats that it was another place to go. So I had to replace it...

Doug - Wow, that's a great idea! I might have to look into that. (Good thing I'm crafty!)

depending on the size of your cats and if you will have a bathroom with a vanity style sink, I'd put the litter box inside there. You can keep a door cracked for access, and closed for when you have guests...and store whatever it is you'd store under the sink elsewhere. that way you're not risking litter box odor permeating everything in your closet.

We have the litter box in the hall closet, and we are all happy with the arrangement. I put a couple wads of painter's tape between the door and the jamb, on the hinge side, so that the door can't close completely. It stays just open enough for the cats to open it when they need to.

I took out the cabinet under the sink in the bathroom, and put up a little curtain. Pleasing for me and privacy for them. Easy. Rosie

I've never understood how litterboxes are kept clean when they are tucked away in closets, furniture, and such. Don't you forget about them?

I put a plastic storage box (better sizes and higher sides than a cat pan) that fits on the unseen side of the toilet. I use name brand clay litter. Cat poo gets scooped and flushed immediately. I change the litter once a week. A tiny hand broom and dustpan keeps any litter in check. I sweep it up and throw it back in the box. I never have problems with odor.

I guess that may not help in your situation though- Before I rent a place I always check to make sure there's a little place between the toilet and wall to tuck a box.

Alanna - I am so used to cleaning the litter once every 2-3 days, it's not weird to keep it hidden.

Click on my name to see my favorite. I'm actually in the process of making something similar to this (the price tag on the kattbank was WELL beyond my means). It will serve as a much needed bench near the door for putting on shoes.

I hate to pop poo Alanna's neat routine but...
Sea otters here in California are dying off because of cat scat getting flushed.

Just something to consider.
C

I use an Ikea media cabinet- with the glass in the small window punched out- as a Cat Box cabinet. There's enough room for a litter box, the scoop thing and new bags and other cat box paraphenelia. The only downside is pulling it out to clean it, I always get litter all over the damn place.

Pic in my URL.

I too don't understand how y'all keep those boxes in the closet, unless you're not using clumping litter. When my cat scratches, it kicks up dust that I see on my bathroom counter (box is in the spare bathroom), so I can't imagine what it would be like on my clothes - yecchh!

I also have something similar to the "Bay Isle Rattan" choice in the link that eeeck posted above-- it was relatively inexpensive and it doesn't get damp or stinky. It's also very easy to open and clean. It's much more attractive than just having a big exposed litterbox. The other ones on that site were pretty nice also.

1. Buy two new cabinet doors for something.
2. Cut a cat door into one of them.
3. Throw them away when you move out.
4. Reinstall old doors.

Click on my initials for a really attractive and practical solution. I'm considering buying one for the new house I'll be moving into. (It's smaller than my current home and lacks space for a box.)

Does anyone know where to get the potted plant/litter box? i've been looking for one for like 2 years.

Our litter box gets cleaned (scooped and raked) twice a day. Our two cats will not use a dirty catbox. After all, what is staff for?

shalom, see here: http://www.petsbestproducts.com/


rocknrope, mine's in the 'hall' closet, so my vaccuum doesn't mind the dust...i wouldn't put it w/ my clothes, uhuh.

what's annoying for me are the specks of litter alllll around outside the closet. but when i used that litter-catching-rug, the cats just thought of it as an extension to their box. messy stuff, that.

Shalom, you can click on my name for the link to order it online from SkyMall.

Alanna, once the cat poops on your bath mat because of a dirty litter box, you don't forget about it being tucked away in the closet.

I use the Tidy Cat covered litter box from Target, which seems to keep the dust to a minimum. That, and I don't have enough clothes to go all the way down to that end of the closet.

I have our cat's litter box in the living room behind a folding screen. No one ever knows it is there. Click on my name to view a picture.

In our last apartment, we used a japanese folding screen to create a kitty boudoir in the corner of our kitchen. When closed, kitty only needs a tiny space to fit through, but you can easily move a screen panel aside and walk right in to clean the box. In addition, you can store a dustpan/brush, a scoop, catfood, litter, etc. within the space, along with the litter box. We liked having the box on a smooth floor so we could easily sweep up escaping litter. It seems like this could work in a bathroom as well. Personally I think it is gross when I visit someone's home and the litter box is in the bathroom, unhidden.

i have a WEIRD CLOSET. it has a place to hang coats, a built in desk, a built in mirror, & a window.
so, i put the booda box in there w/ a rubber thing to catch litter. maybe the rugs catch the scent more & that's why so many people are having issues w/ them. i keep all the litter supplies in there too. the nice thing is that i can open the window if needed.
i can't deal w/ having a litter box in a main room. i ALWAYS smell it, even after i cleaned it i can smell the litter. maybe i just have a good nose. yes, it sorta wastes a closet, but if i have the option of keeping that smell away, i'm doing it.

I keep my cat's litter box in my bathroom. Not the most glamorous solution. I've seen cabinets that double as litter box storage. They have a cat size opening in the front but otherwise look like a regular cabinet/credenza. I know Domestications has one.

for ages we kept the box under the bathroom sink since it was the only non-carpeted location other than the kitchen. eventually i just couldn't stand having litter stuck to my feet anymore. we were tracking it around the house worse than the cat!

our solution -- switch to pine litter and move the box into the hall closet lined with a sisal rug.

the pine litter is flushable, contains no clay or dust so it's easily vacuumable. i scoop every other day and vacuum once a week.

oh, and the pine gets rid of odors better than any litter i've ever tried.

http://www.kattbank.com/html/thebank.htm

This is a great thing for an apt where u don't have a place for your cats to go. I built something similiar myself because I prefer to see the woodgrain and drew on this for ideas.

I would add that it's important to use clumping litter -- the best you can afford. That and frequent cleaning are nice for both people and cats. I don't have any problems with "sand paths" and such nor do I notice odors.

I did caulk the bottom of the shelf that is above the cat box in the closet so that odors would not permeate upward.

Facing a similar lack of space, I bought a through-the-wall AC Sleeve without the actual AC. Since we're doing a full-bore apt renovation that involved punching windows through walls, I had the contractor put an extra opening for the AC sleeve under one window. I'll be slipping the cat pan inside it and covering the opening with an airtight hatch with a kitty door. Voila! Urban Feline Outhouse!

Assuming our contractor (Kristof Pogorzelski of K-Construction) finishes soon, you can view the, um, end results at http://ourorangeoasis.com

I am fortunate enough to have a second bathroom that I use as storage- my apartment is a "roommate plan" and it's just me and my cat here. So I put the covered litterbox in the extra shower. It's far away from the other parts of my apartment, and the tub contains errant litter. It works wonderfully. I also did this in my previous house- our guest bathroom had a bathtub that NEVER got used. Why not?

In the tub, curtain partially drawn, works great!

Hi there. It seems like you have plenty of suggestions here, and may not need another. however, I chose to chime in anyway, since I sometimes just can't keep my mouth shut.

I'm pretty sure that the solution I'm currently using i stole from someone, but I'm not sure where or from whom. I went to ikea and bought the HOL storage cube (click my name). I kept one side off for the kitty to enter/exit. As the name implies, it has a lot of holes for ventilation. I plan on painting mine white, which I think will look great in contrast with the mocha wall behind it.

I like to find nooks/crannies for the litter box. Currently, she has a nook in my second bathroom, which is used mainly by her anyway. In my previous apartment, there was a nook in my kitchen (I know it doesn't sound like a good location, but it was the best location in the apartment).

Just my two cents... Good luck!

I'm astonished by how many people don't have the litter box in the bathroom. There's too many for it to be a joke. Right? Well, the Visitor, who thinks it's gross to have a litter box in the bathroom but it's fine to have it in the kitchen-- that has to be a joke. No? Seriously, what do you people do with the poop? Carry it through the house to the bathroom? Dump it in the kitchen garbage? And you carry the pan through the house to clean it in the bathroom? Or you clean it in the kitchen sink? I can understand the need to have a catbox elsewhere if the bathroom has no room, but surely the bathroom is the preferred waste management location for felines as with humans.

Astonished -
Why are you so surprised? What do you do with your cat litter? We have a box downstairs in the kitchen (hidden in a wooden box) and 2 upstairs in the main bath. We have clumping litter and would never flush it down the toilet (it causes it to clog), so we carry a bag and the scooper. Seriously it's not that hard...

astonished: i'm not sure why you're so astonished.

this is normal and basic stuff. scoop the poop into a bag (i save the little plastic fruit/veggie bags from the grocery store) and then just throw it out. and also, who flushes that stuff? i've never heard of such a thing :) i imagine it would stop the drain pretty quick.

i think the box should go wherever it can be hidden. if it's concealed and contained and cleaned often, there's nothing wrong with having it in the kitchen or closet or living room (behind the screen,in a trunk, etc).

really, it's just a matter of keeping it clean - then you can pretty much make room for it anywhere. and keeping it clean does not mean it has to be in close proximity to the bathroom sink/toilet/tub.

We keep our open cat litter box in the bathroom.. and keep the door open when it's not in use by humans. We've switched to a non-clay litter which absorbs smells. The "trick" is that the litter gets cleaned at least twice a day!

Wet litter gets scooped into a bag for later disposal, and the stinky stuff goes into the toilet. Another benefit of using non-clay litter is that it is flushable (within reason!)

We live in a 1 bedroom apartment..

In a previous (much larger) apartment, we kept the litter box at the other end of the kitchen, with the garbage and recycle bins. Also guaranteed it was kept clean!

Cheers,

Dave

Astonished,

I don't have it in the kitchen, but there is absolutely no room for it in my bathroom unless it sits in the middle of the floor. I know lots of people in NYC who struggle with this dilemma.

Astonished -- The cats don't bathe in the bath tub, nor do they care whether they eliminate in a box beside the toilet.

Ours are delighted to have their box in the large closet that holds the W/D, and the litter they clench in their tiny paws is much easier to sweep up in a room where the floor never gets wet.

My cat's toilet trained.

I used this http://citikitty.com/