This Splurge-y Cat Litter Box Is Almost Too Pretty to Hide

I love my cats, but I’m not going to pretend like every piece of their furniture is great to look at. The cat tree in my living room is unobtrusive enough, but some things are simply going to be form over function in order to keep Holly and Olive happy and healthy. Case in point: The litter boxes, which I’ve always kept tucked away in corners to minimize their appearance, and to give my cats privacy while they do their business.

That is, until I came across a side-entry litter box by MS, which is both splurge-y and a little space-age. In short, it might be the prettiest cat litter box I’ve ever seen?

The litter box retails for $139.88 — and before you ask, I agree that such a price can be eyebrow-raising, especially if it’s for your cat’s toilet. But its sleek lines and enclosed side-entry more than make up for the price. It comes in four colors, though I opted for basic white to match my walls and decor. Not only is it less of an eyesore to look at as I pass it in the hallway, but the litter box is also designed to minimize the amount of litter that gets tracked or kicked outside of its confines. (Some reviewers have noted that the litter can still leak out of the seams, so your mileage may vary; I still keep my litter box on top of a litter mat to stay on the safe side.)

Its assembly is pretty straightforward: You simply screw the four wooden dowel-style legs onto the bottom of the pre-fabricated shell, fill the removable tray with litter, and allow your cats to explore their new bathroom. The box opens via a pull-down hinge, and the interior of the side door features a space for both an included scoop and to stash litter bags as needed. As for space, the cavity is roomy enough for the larger of my two cats, who weighs about 13 pounds.

The only caveat I’ve found so far is that the removable pan where you actually store the litter is pretty shallow; this isn’t that much of a hindrance if you clean the litter box every day. (You might even use this as a reason to establish this habit, if you haven’t already, to help keep your cat healthy and your home from smelling like… well, a litter box.) And while my two cats seem plenty happy to use the box, some reviewers have noted that their cats simply refuse to enter the structure. If your cat is picky about where they do their business, you might encounter a similar issue.

Most surprising is that my friends — with and without cats of their own — always ask where I got it, and a few have even purchased the box for their own feline friends. At the risk of speaking for my pets, the purchase was certainly worth the splurge. After all, isn’t the fact that I’m waxing poetic about a litter box proof enough?