apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

With such a simple design, I'd be surprised if DIY'ers all over aren't already making ones of their own. Seems like all you need is about two sheets of MDF, a table saw, wood glue, clamps, some nails, and paint. Maybe a router too if it floats your boat. $30 in materials at the most. As cool as it is (and it is really cool), it's barely worth $100, let alone $1,750.

The price! that's what, to stop me. At almost 2 grand, it's patently absurd!

I clean up the goods as soon as (or whenever I see it) the cat is done. No smell (great, safe litter: Nature's Miracle). Wiping down the box with a wet paper towel (wet with water and tea tree and lavender oils) keeps the box smelling fresh. No-top, open box -- aerated and my cat doesn't like the smelly build-up in a closed box, plus it's more parts for me to lift and move and clean. I keep a glass jar of pre-made wet paper towels and a glass jar with a steel laddle for the scoop next to the box (looks clean and pleasing). The box sits atop a sisal runner so she can scratch off the litter beneath her paws -- minimal tracking, a quick vacuum. The clean-up takes 2 minutes -- I think of it as yoga or mindfulness practice.

Kitty's happy with a clean box and I'm happy with no smell, no mess.

I still haven't figured out where it's gonna go, though, bathroom rather small ....

I also take a fairly cynical view of this price as a kind of price-gouging aimed at cat owners who love their animals but also like to socialize in their homes. It is attractive but please...I find the cost more offensive than the smell of my cat's litter!

Tea tree oil will kill your cat.

A litter box for only $1750.00?? Where do I sign up! ...in a related story, with gas prices at $3 a gallon, Big Oil is profiting - individually - as much as ten BILLION dollars every three months.

I simply cannot fathom what makes this worth nearly two thousand dollars.

Here's one for $100. Paint it to suit your space and you just saved a minimum of one thousand six hundred and fifty dollars:

http://www.woodworksbydave.com/Litter%20Box%20Hiders.htm
(in case that link gets wacky: http://www.woodworksbydave.com/ )

Here's another - finished - for $200
http://www.lovethatcat.com/cat-furniture-chest.html

Here's one more - in the neighborhood of $225 I believe, and more finished than the two above.
http://www.catlitterfurniture.com/

I only wish I knew who is buying these Katbanks. I've been trying to sell the Brooklyn Bridge for years...

By the way, that $1750.00 price tag is the base model. Their prices go up to $2,200.00.

$2,200.00!!!!!

I love this thing, but is sooooo expensive. If I took the plans to a carpenter would he/she be able to reproduce it or is that against the carpenters' code of ethics?

the tagline for the website (Kattbank - get one. or two) explains it. This is a joke!

YCH,

she's not ingesting the tea tree oil, thanks. Most essential oils are dangerous to felines.

There is a plan on This Old House for something simliar for free download. It could get you started talking to a carpenter.

http://sanfrancisco.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/071706/pets-dogs-cats-snakes-etc/how-to-build-your-own-pet-furniture-010577

regards,
trillium

I love kitties, I do, but would never dream of spending more on their litterbox then I would on my own furniture. However, I have many a friend who, pushing their mid 30's and yet to purchase a decent mattress or a real sofa, would spend this kind of dough on their beloved felines.

I should note, I could probably make this in about 4 hours with the right tools. And, if Meva's question above was serious, no, it is not against any ethical code to reproduce furniture, unless it is trademarked or patented, I can't imagine anyone would refuse you (and even then, I'm sure someone would do it).

For 2 grand you could probably enclose a small yard or patio for the cats to safely hang out in. No outdoor space? You could use the $2000 towards a deposit on a place that has one -- or just a bigger space in general. Wouldn't that be nicer than a fugly green bench? Seriously, that litter box is more than my monthly rent and it's not even attractive. Nor is it a groundbreaking new idea -- see the earlier (and cheaper) design at:

http://www.pfprivy.com/

LOL @ 2 grand!!! And it's ugly. I love the drawing, which tries to make it look complicated. A classic.

Thank you, "Nope." I just went onto the catlitterfurniture.com website and purchased a great looking (and much smaller) cat litter box for about $250 that I wouldn't have known about without your reference. Thanks again!

Cats in a household where they aren't the only pet might not use this (or any cheaper substitute). One of my cats won't go near a covered litter box, because he's afraid of being attacked by the other cat or the dog when he comes out. He started doing his business *next to* the box, on the floor, and it took us a couple of days (and a whoooooole lot of Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor Remover, which is a great product) to figure out why and replace the enclosed box with an open one.

Cat boxes don't smell much if you keep them clean. Clumping litter helps (urine just sits around in regular litter), but be careful with it. Crystal litter works very well, but is expensive, particularly if you have multiple cats.

I don't think dogs are easier than cats or vice-versa. Dogs MUST be taken outside, regardless of the weather or if you're in bed with the flu, and they need a lot of attention, and they can't bathe themselves. Cats don't need much help for anything, and they don't need the amount of active attention that dogs do, but the whole litter thing is pretty gross and can be exhausting. A small dog with a short coat is probably the easiest to take care of, between all kinds of cats and dogs. :)