apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

this would be nice, without the plant.

>if your cat doesn't tell!

if your cat doesn't SMELL!

Completely horrifying.

Completely brilliant.

So pretty much I'd have to tell people that I have a corpse plant because that thing is going to let a whooooole lot o smell loose.

EEEW! No matter how you disguise it, your cat is still shitting in your livingroom. Why on earth would you want to put the box there?

Now wait a sec -- lots of postings last week had the litter box in the living room and garnered tons of praise for cleverness in hiding it.

Lack of smell = frequent cleaning plus relatively non-smelly cat who buries properly. Has nothing to do with where the box is (though I'd draw the line at putting it on the kitchen counter).

just wondering. what if you have guests and your cat decides to poo? it's okay for us pet owners we love our dogs and cats even when they go, but what about cousin carol or uncle harry?

Right. YOu're sitting around, listening to cool jazz and having a cocktail, watching the kitty take a dump. That's livin'.
Seriously, who has to be told to put the litter box somewhere else? It's not a decorative feature. It's not an interactive toy. It's not a media event. It's not something that enhances your decor, no matter what sort of squalor you have.

I like the pot-plant configuration.

And despite the pic, there's NO LAW it has to be a livingroom feature, though I really don't see how having it in the living room is the end of the world, either.

It would be pleasant with a palm in the bedroom or bathroom. (as pleasant as having the litterbox anywhere, and its gotta be somewhere)

Bathrooms have windows that are good for plants, because if the palm or dwarf banana or canna screens the view, all the better.

I much prefer this one to the under-sink open-vanity configuration.

Yuck. I don't want to see my cat taking a dump. And I don't want to have to clean the litter they swipe out of the box while my guests are over. I've got my box in the bedroom behind a screen. Not great either, but at least I don't have to look at it. Plus, I think the cats prefer the privacy.

The box could be simply turned with the hole facing the wall to keep everyone from watching kitty take a dump. I don't find this any more offensive than the box under the table/desk posted last week. Both could have litter tracking and visibility issues if not placed thoughtfully.

Oddly enough, when I forwarded this link, it was the fake plant I thought was the disturbing feature. (I'd probably rip the plant out and fill the top with stones.)

And why do people assume you have to put this in a living room? I never thought that once.

Maybe other people have secret nooks and hidey-places in their apartments, but I have nowhere to hide the litterbox...I'd rather have this in my bathroom than the ugly blue plastic litter box I have now. It's not the most "design-worthy" in appearance, but it sure takes up a lot less space than one of those gigantor bench boxes. (And ironically, the only place I WOULD have room for one of those bench boxes IS in the living room. Sheesh.)

I agree - the pot would look better without the *fake* plant. If there's room for it in your bathroom, I say go for it. Looks better than a traditional litterbox.

I wonder if you could also build something like this yourself, maybe using a small wooden barrel.

i live in new york and see people's dogs taking dumps on the sidewalk every day during my commute. seriously, like 75% of all time i spend outdoors is within direct view of a shitting dog. you know what? i'm over it.

if you're so squeamish that you don't want to contemplate the notion that your cat shits, don't get this. get a smaller box you can keep in the bathroom. or better yet, don't have animals in the house.

animals shit. people shit. all living beings create waste. get over it.

People, *read the description*. You are supposed to turn it around. The pic is just so that you can see what it looks like. Therefore you will not, oh the horror the horror, see your cat "taking a dump." Obviously, the fake plant is the objectionable element and should be replaced with an ashtry ;)

I can tell that a lot of the objections come from folks who do NOT have cats. If you have a cat, or cats, you are aware that you must attend to the biological needs that come with said pets. Even the relatively apartment friendly iguana does not produce poo that smells like perfume. The vase litterbox is certainly a more attractive alternative than some. The fake plant, well, I am not gonna consign any real plant to a slow death by gassing. By the way, if you use real plants to screen a litterbox area you must use sweet gum balls or something spiky on top of the soil to keep the cats from using your plants AS the litterbox, trust me on this. Sharp crystal chunks work for a more modern look.

Rachel,

Exactly. The litterbox is ugly, so why not try to find something *less* ugly. You presumably would put this wherever your current litterbox sits. I don't get all the uproar.

I think I would rip out the silk and cram a real plant in there. Something unkillable. I do not like silk plants.

I don't think this is such a bad idea, but I dislike fake plants. I'm also wondering how you'd clean it.

I do like a lot of these ideas for hiding the litterbox. When we were in our apartment, we weren't creative enough to think of anything when we kept it in the corner of the dining area we never used.

Wow. I don't understand the uproar either. I would have thought people creative enough to be interested in design would also be creative enough to visualize a product in a context slightly different than the one shown in the advertising photo. (Not to mention, if you click on the link, as I did, you can actually SEE the pot turned the other way.) Besides, why are people even assuming that pic HAS to be a living room? It could be an office or a bedroom with a chair in it.

if the plant portion is so bad, how about something living like a chia litterbox?

If you are going to spend the money and don’t want the smell I wouldn’t bother with this thing. I considered it when I sawe it in the airplane catalog but I decided against it. I eventually decided on the scoop free automatic litter box. (www.scoopfree.com) It doesnt hide anything like this but its much easier and has almost no smell. The best part is I just toss out the entire bottom cartridge once a month. I wouldnt want to have to bend down and scoop crap in my flower pot litter box.

-John

that idea is briliant, and the cat doesn't smell if you clean after it......... perfect for those bachlor appartments or very small appartment with small washroom

I like this one better than previous designs of this kind of litter box, which had more exposed "planter area" on top. I was reluctant to buy one for fear that the cats would use the "planter" as the litter box, not the lower litter box! This solves THAT problem, at least.

Oh lord, some of you people are thick! Whether you have this or any kind of litter box, as a cat owner you face the fact that your cat is going to take a dump!! Get over the living room thing...it was a pure example. In the event you have a litter box that must be exposed to some degree for anyone to see, then something like this might work for you. The fake plant is not so great....put anything on top of the pot.

I think this is inventive. Of course if you have a large place the living room is not a place to put it. But I know several people who have one bedrooms or studios that like a companion but just don't want the unsightly litter box in the corner of the room or bedroom, so this is perfect for them. I think it is great for a laundry room too!

Does anyone know if you can use a litter bag inside this contraption. I dont have enough room to have a litter box in my bathroom so this would work good for me.

Why does everyone assume that you have to put this in the living room? It could go in the basement, den, etc. and make the room look better than any typical litter box.

I have this in the corner of a one-bedroom condo. It's perfect. I use the 30 day litter crystals and clean box daily. No smell. Just looks like a plant in the corner.

This is a poorly designed litter box. The edges of the opening are sharp and can give you paper cuts. This happened to me. The response of the company to this comment was of utter lack of concern. Their customer service is non-existent They actually sent back an insulting e-mail. I would never do business with them.

If you want a better variety of this one, especially if you like the idea of using a real plant, check out this website: http://bestproductsmediaguide.info/109/product.htm

There is more than one model here for you to choose from. Get over it and let the cats go to the bathroom in peace. Please don't think you are actually above your own stinking shit when you come out of the bathroom.

We have a small house. The big catbox for our big cat takes up valuable floorspace in a high traffic area. Cat stays indoors, so options are limited. Put the box in our bathroom? Small bathrooms, wouldn't work. Put it in our bedrooms? No way. Our cat has an early morning cat box schedule. So this hidden catbox is great. We can't escape the smell no matter who comes out of the bathroom/catbox. But I would much rather look at a plant than a catbox. This is a great idea and probably only of use to people with design sense.

First, some of us living downtown have very limited area, so putting the box in the laundry room isn't an option.

Question for anyone who owns this: The whole fake plant thing seems to be part of the box's air filtration system, with the moss around the plant covering two carbon filtered vents. I'd love to nix that whole thing and put a real plant in top. Is that at all workable? Second, there are two models. The $100 model for large cats seems to be regular plastic that is textured and painted to look like pottery. The web site says they had so many requests that they came up with the $120 version that is actually coated with some artificial stone product. The question is how bad does the $100 actually look? Thanks to anyone who owns this already!

I really really think that this is a great product for someone in a small apartment. My bathroom is too small for a litter box. My living room and kitchen are one big room. This would be a great way for me to hide it in a very small space. And personally, I'd rather have the cat potty in the living room than in my bedroom. Thanks,

My cat goes in the livingroom whether I have a box in there or not, so I have to keep one in there. This is a dream come true for me.

Well I was hoping to find out if someone actually has this and how its working out. All I see is the huge debate on whether or not a cat should crap in the living room. I saw this for the first time in the Skymall catalog when I was flying to Phoenix. I found it much cheaper on Amazon. I do not see any different styles or sizes, just the one shown. Does anyone own this and do you like it? I found one review on another website and the woman complained the edges were sharp.

My roommate actually bought this last fall and liked it for quite a while. So did the cats--especially the leaves on top, which made for a fantastic ambush area. That said, tracking is still an issue, and the leaves are as tacky as they appear online. Last week, the roommate threw them away.

Overall, it's an interesting option for keeping litter in a social place, but if you have more money, much nicer, wood, furniture-like options exist (http://www.therefinedfeline.com/cat-litter-box-furniture.htm or http://www.catsplay.com/rflbox5.php3).

I used the Booda Dome (http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/booda-dome.php) for years, when it worked with space.

I think it's a great idea.

I hate fake plants, but I really like the "Contemporary" model (www.petsbestproducts.com). The "planter" is wide enough to put a nice, round, fluffy cat cushion in!

I don't know about your cats, but mine are always looking for something new to sit on. And I'm always looking for new way to hide the litter boxes (rule of thumb: one for each cat).

If I had a ton of money...
- Kattbank (http://www.kattbank.com/home.htm)
- Zen Hideaway (http://www.hardwoodhideaway.com/zen01.html)

OK geniuses. I have one of these and it's great. To start with you don't have to put it in your living room. Second, you don't watch your cat take a crap because if you have any common sense at all you would come to the conclusion that this is called the "hidden litter box" for a reason. You turn it around so the door is in the back! I have it in my office and it works well. I use a clumping litter with odor eliminator so I don't smell it if I empty it out regularly. The one thing that may be an inconvenience is that it is quite large but I have 2 indoor cats so it woks well for me. Amazon is the cheapest place you can buy this at about $60. Sharp edges? mine is fine but you can get sandpaper at any hardware store to smooth the edges. It also comes with an adapter so you can change the fake plant to one you purchase on your own. If you have cats and they use a box then you know that a litter box is usually pretty obvious and there are very few good locations for one. This provides a solution. Like I said it works great for me and the cats love it.

I had 2 of these for years. I bought them at a cat show when they were first coming out. I LOVE them although have never used them as cat boxes. My cats love them as beds- especially in the winter. I put a warm fleece or sheepskin in it for winter and in summer use an old teeshirt for cuddles. I have one cat who is intolerable unless she has a "sanctuary"- especially know that I have a toddler. We just moved and I found out my husband broke them by not padding them (I have moved many times before with no problem) so I am on the hunt to buy again. The plant I had is not offered anymore and I thought it looked great. It was really tall and full. I put in a darker area where a real plant wouldn't do well anyway. They are no way big enough to put a real plant in- way too shallow. Hope this helps somebody.

We use these as well- they are great as a bed or as a litter box. You can find them cheaper here:

http://www.safepetproducts.com/product.asp?specific=204