apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Is there going to be a contest for best DIY pet projets?

I got so excited I ran over to Home Depot already with plans!

First gardens, now pets. 2 things I want and don't have. Why do you do it to me, AT?! What's next, "good relationship month" :)

My most favorite place to browse for pet supplies over the last year has been www.PostModernPets.com

They carry items that are really well-designed and stylish. Unfortunately, they are moving right now, so you can't buy from their website. It is still worth checking out though. They are supposed to be shopping operational again very soon.

Great idea. Look forward not only to style and DIY, but also tips on selecting furniture and fabrics that are durable to pet use and abuse.

I hope you include a post about toilet-training cats, which was covered in a Weekend Therapy video a while back. When successful, it's THE thing for cats in small apartments. My own cat hasn't quite mastered it yet, after 2 months with the CitiKitty trainer. He's so close, though. So close and yet so far.

You should definitely do a section on how to hide the litterbox in small spaces - the smallest coolest, pet edition. While the bathroom or the basement is the suburban solution - for those of us with teeny bathrooms and no basement, this is a major challenge. I am looking for someone to build me a good looking piece of furniture that could hide the litterbox in the bottom, store cat supplies in the top and double as an entry hall mail "landing strip".

m, here is something I've found for hiding the litter box: http://www.kattbank.com/ I'm dying to get one. Right now my litterbox is in a closet with the door propped-open.

As a catsitter in Manhattan, I've seen (and cleaned!) hundreds of litter boxes. This is my favorite design that serves to hide the mess:
http://www.catsplay.com/harris012.php3

Some of the other models are cheesy ("stained glass cat on a pillow" looks as bad as it sounds), but the above is simple, sturdy.

I desperately need good ideas about housing my various parrots.

I can't remember if it was on this site or another that I learned about www.hidnlitter.com , which makes large planters for hiding the kitty litter.

Personally, I'd be happy to hear about any puppy potty training tips for us poor saps who live in walk-ups.

The kattbank is gorgeous! The price tag is a little too high for my budget, though. Sigh. We'll probably be going with something like the cat condos in the next post.

Re Kattbank: You know how to tell when you've really made it in the world? When you can afford a $2,000 cat box. Just you and your $2,000 cat box sitting in a room counting gold doubloons...

Seriously, the price of the Kattbank elicited an "Omigod" from me that caused my cat to jump in the air and leave the room. Can the company really have thought their business plan through?

www.cathole.com

I left off the ridiculous name plate and the tacky brush when installing. The cat box is discretely hidden in a small hall closet. I painted the frame to match the door, and people rarely notice it.

my favorite things for my dog this year are roll up beds from george, they wash well and keep their shape, a metal folding set of wall hooks from moss, to hang leashes and doggie rain coats by the front door, and basic stainless steel bowls with rubber bottom rims to grip the floor, from fetch. also toys have become part of the decor since they are always on the floor,this is an array of plush flowers,crowing rooster,rope toys and squeaking aliens, they look great on sisal carpeting and in his mouth.

That kattbank thing is basically the same idea as the enclosed litterbox we have, but over $1500 more. Here's ours:

http://www.pfprivy.com

The purr-fect privy really does help with litter tracking as the vertical entrance forces the cat to walk over the grid before jumping in the box. It's actually a slightly cleverer design than the kattbank since the litter from the cat's feet falls back into the box rather than a tray that has to be cleaned.

I admit, it's a bit of an eyesore (we keep ours in a closet), but on the other hand, the kattbank reminds me of the benches at my niece's preschool. Ick!

We've lived with the "privy" for a couple of years now, and it's been great. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, I highly recommend it.

Love the tubes attached to the wall. How did they do that? I want to create a climbing wall for my kitty from 1st floor all the way up staircase to 2nd floor ceiling - that's 16ft. - without it being too conspicuous and/or tacky. Suggestions?

I really liked the blue ultra suede ottoman dog bed at postmodernpets.com ... until I got to the bottom and read the part about dry clean or hand wash only! That got a laugh out of me, as my dog eats things like apple cores on her bed, and not even bleach can get that thing perfectly pristine again.

I took an unused TV stand and put the box on the bottom shelf and then draped a piece of fabric that matches other fabrics in the room over it. It gives psycho cat some privacy and you do not see the box. It also has the advantage of having some real ventilation. I'm pretty wary of those enclosed units. I bet they become pretty stinky even if you clean the litter pan many times a day.

I have a litter robot, which reminds me of a monochromatic Kenny from South Park. Anyone who comes over stares at it for a while trying to figure out exactly what it is, until they see it rotate. I've had it for almost a year now and it is probably the best money I've ever spent (after two broken littermaid automatix boxes).

For you diy-ers, I found a thread on expanding the waste capacity of the litter robot on another forum (with pictures) that is pretty neat:
http://www.litterbox-central.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=450
(I'm waiting until my warranty runs before trying this myself).

Also, the litter robot fits perfectly in the Markor TV storage unit from Ikea, you just have to cut a door on the side of the unit so the cat can get in and out.

I absolutely guarantee that NO ONE ELSE has my litterbox solution. No one.

And that's because only I -- Holly in Yorkville -- live in such a funky old apartment.

30 years ago I lay in bed on the West Side pondering my move back East and wondering what in the heck was I going to do with that stupid cabinet next to the kitchen sink?

Hmmm. How to describe it? When the tub was removed from the kitchen (sometime before WWII) and the bathroom was created, someone took a very deep, janitor's-type sink and laid it on its side INSIDE a cabinet. Yes, that's right, it can't be removed without demolishing the cabinet. There's a door to it, as well.

And as I thought about this wasted space--- can't build shelves there, so odd, too high--- it occurred to me that perhaps my cat's litterbox would fit inside. PURRFECTLY!

And that's why my cat litter is in my kitchen. But the cat can open the door herself and the door hides the box. All I have to do is clean it and sweep up the litter that tracks. It's not bad at all.

And I must say that I have been complimented by visitors that there's no animal smell. And I am proud of that.

CAT SHELVES--- I just saw a recent SSBS episode in which a couple with four cats installed metal shelves on which they attached carpet in step fashion on the wall and the cats seemed to love them.

DOG BEDS--- I have made two of them out of old wooden wine boxes, creating pillows with washable covers myself. Very successful and not bad-looking at all. How can I post photos?

I am so excited about pet month-
Does anyone have any good ideas about making a dog crate not a major eyesore? I have a black wire crate in my relatively small apt, and it really is obvious- any ideas on how to hide it.

Also, any ideas on where to put wee wee pads?

http://stores.ebay.com/Wood-Works-by-Dave

I ordered a cat-house from this guy on ebay. It's great, very sturdy and he'll customize the size, where you want the entrance, etc. It comes unfinished and looks just like a storage trunk. It's been a life saver in our tiny apartment, doing double duty as an end table.

the wee wee pads we don't use (we've got a 70lb-er.) but my god, the dog crate issue is a pressing one.

the dog crate is SO UGLY, and SO LARGE, and every "cover" for the crate I've seen uses some kind of horrifying chintz fabric. So then your giant hideous dog crate in the living room looks like a Jo-Ann Fabrics' reject cube.

advice readily accepted.

Ditto to the dog crate issue a million times over.

RE: the puppy house training issue. If he's really a pup, then just carry him out to do his thing. Hopefully by the time he's not easily carried he'll be able to hold it a bit better.

I'd love if someone figured out a nice looking dog crate, I've pretty much given up on that. We keep the crate in the bedroom, so it's not visible to guests. If they do see it, I tell them it's for my wife.

I just had one of those ideas where, if I wanted to invest the time, I bet it would make me a million bucks-

A dog crate Murphy Bed.

...and I've got a pretty good idea for how to make it work.

i am so excited for pet month! i have a 123-pound golden retriever, "ed," and i'm trying to find a stylish dog bed for him. any suggestions for cute dog beds for large breeds with owners on a budget? must be round as square beds with corners are much too tempting to chew. thanks!

I have been working on the dog-crate thing. I found soft-sided crates that look so much better, and go up to dane size, but I am told that until your dog is an adult, and no longer chews everything, the metal crate is best. Dang it!

Then the covers are the next best thing. Many dogs like the den aspect that a cover gives a crate. So why couldn't I get an old quilt, or some type of fabric to cover the crate with? I just threw out a bed-sized piece of white fake fur that would have been fabulous!! I guess that would be too chewable though. Maybe a nice colored movers quilt?

Holly, what about those round futons from Pier One that go in the "papason" chairs, or whatever they're called?

I had no idea there were so many kattbank-esque products. Well, given that I don't have the funds to drop on it, I'm continue to continue forward with making a similar device for my soon-to-be-moving-in girlfriend's cats.

Hopefully I'll win style points for the matte silver hardward and Danish orange finish :)

we ended up un-crate-training the dogs
because the black wire monstrosities are so ugly!

now we just have a bedroom floor covered by dog beds
(two)
which is better, marginally

chris(nyc), pls do it!

Bow Haus Dog crates are cute and have a microsuede cushion. Don't have dogs so I don't know if there are enough holes when closed, but I have thought about getting one to leave slightly open as a kitty hiding place/cocktail table.

http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/bhaus.html

Sorry chris (nyc), it's already out there. (Click my name.)

Obviously, someone could do it much better, so go for it.

DC Christine, I think that we are kindred souls.

chris...

do a modern version of it. agree you'd make a mint of it!

Ugh, I third or fourth the ugly black wire dog crate thing! Need help with that in a major way.

Holly, I saw that SSBS too, and they used Ikea shelves. (Their apartment was an Ikea shrine, but I digress)

Here are the brackets:
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15561&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=56760&langId=-1&categoryId=15649&chosenPartNumber=60071527

Here is the shelf, you can cut it to whatever measurement you need.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15561&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=60916&langId=-1&categoryId=15648&chosenPartNumber=20094187

We're actually going to try this. We dispair of finding an attractive climbing solution for our cats. Scratching posts/trees are so ugly and expensive, but I don't want them attacking the furniture.

I can't believe I'm the first to post this:
http://www.dwr.com/category.cfm?category=132&CMP=EMC-6NG241581170

Oh DWR, annoyingly great too many times!

Just use your computer (mac :))

http://www.flickr.com/photos/illmethinks/182620742/

g

I have seen the kattbank in person and this piece of furniture is way more than a litter box storage. It is a fantastic piece of furniture that is every bit worth the price. I am concidering the purchase even though I do not have a cat. It is one of the finer benches that I have seen on the market, cat or no cat.

guido, i'm glad you live without a crate. i don't use a crate either and had no problems training my dog. there must be a lobby for crate companies that has everyone saying crate training is the only way. well before crates were used this way well adjusted dogs were trained in apartments and homes all over for decades.

Anyone have a COMPLETELY inedible dog bed that could go in a crate? My dog has ruined several reasonably sturdy beds, so I put a towel in there because I felt guilty. He ate it, and puked up red fluff for days.

FYI, he can puncture a AA battery with his teeth, so what I'm looking for is something that your dogs just haven't been interested in ripping up (yet isn't just the pan at the crate bottom). Help!

Renee -- maybe you could try making one out of heavy-duty camping fabrics (gortex? I forget all the various names) or the kind of material used for protective motorcycle gear.

renee, i stopped into a great pet shop on ninth avenue this evening. i don't remember the name but it is between 19th and 22nd st. the have a tough nylon fabric dog bed that seems it might fill your needs. the price for a medium size bed i asked about was $135. good luck

Thanks for the great ideas--hopefully I can make him more comfy now!

check out the Bowhaus for a funky and beautiful dog crate http://www.bowhaus.ca

If you are looking for a good solution for your dog wire crate problems take a look at my website www.Cratecoversandmore.com, we specialize in custom tailored crate covers for your dog wire crates. We have 4 styles to choose from and 19 fabrics to select. We use Ralph Lauren and Laura Ashley along with other high quality fabrics.

We also make waterproof dog beds and sofa covers. In 2 months we will offer Polka Dog (William Wegman, Crypton) fabric for crate covers and dog beds, also look out for our Organic Crate Covers and dog beds coming shortly.