-kitty cats- – HEART in CRAFTS

Kitties are the best. Kitty litters are the worst. But fortunately, lots of great hidden litter boxes have hit the market in the past few years. Some are actually affordable and some are what I would consider aspirational 😉 Here are some of my finds. And if you’re interested in making your own hideaway litter box, check out this Kitty Hack post.

hidden cat litter box — Way Basics Eco Friendly Cat Litter Box

And this photo shows what’s going on behind the scenes:

The Way Basics Eco Friendly Cat Litter Box is currently listed under $100 and comes with a lifetime warranty. It’s made from zBoard, a patented sustainable material that the manufacturer is billing as a better, eco-friendly, non-toxic alternative to particle board and MDF. Interesting. At time of this post, the list price is $89.99.

Sweet and simple. Besides looking good and having a minimal footprint, this hidden litter box from Philociety seems like it’s made to last. It’s constructed from thick solid natural wood. The manufacturer says the wood is treated with an odor and moisture resistant paint inside and out to minimize traditional litter box smell. And where does the cat enter to use the litter? There is a side opening, as shown in this product photo.

side entry to the Philociety Solid Natural Wood Cat Litter Box

hidden cat litter box side table from Black Velvet Pets

Made by a husband and wife team in Estonia, this hidden litter box side table is constructed from humidity-proof birch plywood and finished with high-quality oil wax. This option is a bit pricier than the other roundup items, but I love that it’s made by a small independent business with adorable Facebook pics like this one:)

This photo cracks me up! The cat in this photo looks like he’s not quite finished with the restroom… Anyhow, the current list price on Amazon is $108.99, which is steep for a litter box but not so bad if you think of it as a side table with a hidden bonus feature 😉

And lastly, for those with a more generous budget, there is the Modular Cabinet Set from Modernist Cat.

hidden cat litter box from Modernist Cat

This stylish hidden litter box was inspired by the design and function of classic mid 20th century storage credenzas. The entrance shape (rectangle or circle) and side (left or right) are customizable as are the door colors.

hidden litter box

While you’re here, you may also want to check out my post on cozy cat caves!

-kitty cats-, -needle felting-, other

Cozy Cat Cave Collection

January 5July 19 heartincrafts

Have you seen the latest in cat habitats? These comfy wool hideaways are made using a wet felting technique that relies on soap, water and agitation to bind the wool fibers together. Not only do cats (and tiny pups) love them but owners also love them because they actually look good! So many pet products have such bad design but not these felt cocoons. Another plus is that wool has natural antibacterial properties, so it doesn’t get stinky. Check out these amazing cat caves.

Cat bed - cat cave - cat house — by AgnesFelt

You can also make a felt cat cave at home. Here and here are two great tutorials.

-diy-, -kitty cats-

kitty hack

May 15July 20 heartincrafts

When you don’t have $100 for a hidden litter box…Above is the inspiration for my Ikea kitty hack– it’s the Petsfit Pet House Litter Box Enclosure Night Stand.

Note: Since publishing this post, many reasonably priced (and decent looking) hidden kitty litters have hit the market. Check out the latest hidden kitty litter roundup here.

Unimpressed by the steep prices and terrible designs of hidden kitty litter boxes available for purchase, I decided to take matters into my own hands and went straight to Craigslist. I found an Ikea “Corras” side table for $15 and immediately saw its DIY potential. Since I originally wrote this post, Ikea has retired the Corras table but you could do the same thing with this Ikea Rast nightstand or this South Shore nightstand.

The entire construction time came in just under 30 minutes and cost less than $20.

And this is how I made it… I removed the four casters by removing the screws fastening the casters to the underside of the table. Then I made the shelf into a door by attaching two hinges to the front of the table (see top photo for reference). Since the shelf came with the table, it was a perfect fit– no need to trim or resize. I didn’t mind the visible hinges, but you could buy hidden cabinet hinges from the hardware store.

Then I placed the litter box inside as so:

The cat accesses the litter box from the back of the side table, which rests a about eighteen inches from the wall. To clean the litter box, I can access it from the front by opening the newly installed door. So far the kitty seems to like his new digs!

SUPPLY LIST:

Ikea “Corras” side table*
2 hinges (like this one)
8 screws (for hinges)
drill

UPDATE: Since originally writing this post, I’ve ditched the traditional litter box for the the Breeze Litter System which makes me so happy. This is what the Breeze litter system looks like:

This setup is really the best thing out there if your cat is somewhat flexible with their litter situation. The pellets are a bit different from traditional litter materials, but my cat caught on immediately. The Breeze Litter box is relatively small and still fits in my kitty-hacked side table. The Amazon reviews are really helpful in deciding if this would work for your feline situation. You’ll also want to follow some or all of the recommended transition steps.

While you’re here, you may also want to check out my post on cozy cat caves!

Category: -kitty cats-

kitty litters for small spaces – the hidden litter box roundup

Cozy Cat Cave Collection

kitty hack

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