Hello All,
We have a small house (1200sq ft 1896 Vic two closets) and two indoor only cats. They both share one litter box. Here is the problem…there is really no where to put the dang litter box that is out of the way.
I would love to figure out something where the cats could get to it but neither I or my guests could see it or smell it. Like in the one closet in the entire front half of the house put a wooden box with the litter box inside-cut a small hole in the wall (non-original drywall) for the cats to get in and out and maybe install a vent to the outside? That would make the box pretty dark I wonder if the cats would still use it then?
Yea I know its a little bit nutty but whadda ya gonna do.
Daniel Neuman
Oakland CA
Crazy Home Owner
Replies
I've seen litter boxes in closets, sometimes the door was just left slightly ajar, but that may not be what you want. How about a louvered door to allow some light in there? I don't know that cats would mind it being dark--may even prefer it.
In our small house just about the same size as yours we have a space under the hot water heater. This where we keep a litter box. The cats don't have a problem with the lack of light. They just need enough headroom to do there thing. look around and you may have a place that you can use to hide the box and the cats as long they have good access will use it.
We are fortunate enough to have more than one bathroom. We keep ours in the bathtub and when company comes we just pull the shower curtain so the box can't be seen. If you have an attached garage, you could install a pet door and keep the box in the garage. Another option is the laundry room.
Get a small decorative "trunk" from a craft store, cut out the end as large/small that you want for your cat to go in/out, you can open the trunk to get the litter box out OR
get a nice wood "end table" from used furniture store, etc., do same thing, but here you would have to cut the hole big enough to get the litter box in/out too, so you may have to have hinged, doors.
A design that a friend of mine came up with several years ago was put the litter box in a small blanket chest. He cut an entry hole for the cats in one end. The other end had a fan blowing out - the type of fan used in computers. A carbon impregnated funace filter was installed with the fan to remove any odors. The original was kept in a bedroom - you'd hardly notice the hum of the fan, and the filter make the odor almost non-existant. I've seen another version of it that was left in a living room - you'd never quess what it was if you didn't know.
In our half-bath, I installed a floor-to-ceiling wall cabinet. I left the bottom 18" open and extended flooring into that space. The litter box is visible, but takes up no additional floor space. Added benefit - if (when) cat drops a stink bomb, just turn on the exhaust fan.