Cats are great pets to have. They’re independent but still love to cuddle. However, they poop indoors. Litterboxes are not only smelly, but they can be an eyesore, especially if you live in a smaller space. Unfortunately, your cat has to go somewhere potty somewhere, and the odds of teaching them to use your toilet are extremely unlikely. So, where do you put the litter box to avoid it stinking up your home?
The good news is that you with a little bit of DIY work, you can put your kitty’s toilet anywhere you please. Creating or re-purposing a cover for a litterbox not only conceals it from sight. It also gives your feline friend a little extra privacy and can cut down on smells and litter-tracking.
Thanks to the rise of DIY blogs and Pinterest, there are hundreds of solutions that can be found online. The following is a list of small ways you can convert your cat’s litterbox into home decor or have it blend in as if it’s not even there.
Convert Cabinets and Wardrobes
Hiding your pet’s litterbox often operates on one very basic principle: put it in plain sight. One infamous way pet owners have achieved this is by utilizing their IKEA furniture.
The “FAKTUM kitty loo” can be created by taking the vertical wall cabinet from IKEA and turning it on its side. You can reduce the amount of cleanup you’ll have to do by placing a texture mat between the exit and litterbox. Doing this can catch any errant particles before they hit your floors.
Other pet owners have re-utilized their IKEA furniture to hide their litter boxes in different ways. One of them has converted their IKEA PAX wardrobe by cutting a cat-sized hole and adding a door-flap into the side. This entrance is low to the ground. The litterbox is placed under the bench, making the cat’s bathroom practically un-detectable.
An extra DIY tip: For those who are really tight on space, create a “cat center”. This can not only hide the kitty toilet but store the associated pet supplies.
You can make this center by re-purposing an old cabinet. Like above, you would cut a small entrance in the side. However, you would use a larger, vertical cabinet and keep the shelves to store cat litter, the pooper-scooper, bags, and a small broom and dustpan. Again, adding a textured mat will help minimize litter being spread across the floor. Plus, you’ll also have all the supplies you need conveniently in front of you when you clean.
Add a Curtain or Privacy Screen
You may not have the luxury of adding new cat furniture to your home. Some people don’t have a cabinet to re-purpose, and others don’t have the resources, be it space or funds, to buy one. However, that doesn’t mean your furry friend’s litter box needs to be out in the open.
You can hide your kitty’s toilet under a free-standing sink or under a big enough end table. To hide this space from guests and to give your pet privacy, simply install a curtain or use a cat-sized privacy screen.
The privacy screen you can easily find online. Simply put it around the bottom of a sink or the legs of an end table. However, they can tend to be a tad pricey.
For an inexpensive do-it-yourself solution, the curtain is the way to go. All you really need is a strip of velcro, or a staple gun, and a piece of fabric. With the velcro, you can simply peel it off if you need to move your litter box. Stapling the curtain on will ensure that it always stays in place, especially if your cat starts to mistake it for a toy or scratching post.
Repurpose Crates and Baskets
Crates are quite the rage in interior design right now. With the right hand for DIY projects, you can add crates to your home decor and utilize it to hide your kitty’s litter box.
If you have crates from a winery that you’re trying to get rid of or just want to pick one up from your local crafts store, you can transform it into a hideaway for your cat’s toilet. You can put two identical crates on top of each other, attaching them with a hinge. Cut a hole in the crate and use a staple gun to attach a plastic lining to keep the wood safe from cat pee. To protect your cat’s crate litter box further from your cat’s bodily fluid and to help it blend into your home’s aesthetic, you can paint and stain it.
Baskets are another popular decor item that can be used to hide a litter box. Those baskets that have a hinged top are perfect for this DIY cat litter box project, and it’s really simple to accomplish. While stylish, this litter box solution can be risky if your cats like to scratch things up. The baskets that are used are typically made of wicker. However, the material is a simple enough fix. You can replace it with any kind of sturdy trunk or box that you can install a cat flap on.
Another DIY tip: Both of these solutions are perfect for those trying to achieve a rustic look in their home. To make it even more rustic, consider using wooden pallets to customize the crate. You can do what you need to fit the dimensions of your home and your decor. Plus, wooden pallets are inexpensive and easy to configure.
Cover It with a Cute Cat House
You live in a nice house with its own bathroom; why not give your cat a miniature home to go with their bathroom?
Buy building a cat tower with a litter box in the bottom, you can give your cat her own personal space. Plus, it also compacts that space so you have more space in your home overall.
You can add little touches to this DIY cat tower by attaching strips of sisal rope or strips of carpet so that your cat can scratch as they like. You can also fit the top with a fluffy and comfortable spot for your pet to nap.
The Bottom Line
Your cat’s toilet doesn’t have to be an eyesore any longer. With the tips and tricks above, you can transform the place where your kitty goes to the bathroom into another decor piece in your home.
