Litter Box Solutions for Every Cat

By Darcy Lockman

When you brought your cat into your home, you committed to providing love and care forever. But one thing you didn't promise is to sacrifice your aesthetic sensibility and keep a drab plastic box in your kitchen until the end of time. And now you don't have to. These days, there are a slew of attractive alternatives to the standard litter box. Finding the right one for your home is simply a matter of your taste -- and your cat's.

Uncovered Boxes
Portland, Oregon-based feline behavioral consultant Mieshelle Nagelschneider says 70 percent of cats prefer uncovered boxes. "Covered boxes tend to trap odors and keep the litter moist longer, and both of these are a big deterrent for cats," she explains. "Escape potential is also important to them, especially once they reach social maturity, and a covered box doesn't allow for an easy out." Most litter box solutions do come in the form of covered boxes. If your cat insists on an uncovered box (and it will make its preference known), you can get creative and decorate your own box, or try something like Sittin' Pretty Cat Products' litter basket -- an acrylic-lined willow basket that can be stained or painted to suit your style.

Flummoxed about what to do with her own cat's unsightly litter, Boston cat owner Lindsay Potter bought an all-purpose tub at a hardware store, and a large piece of canvas from an art supplier. "I painted the canvas to contrast nicely with my bathroom. I used a staple gun to attach it to the tub. It looks a lot nicer, and the tub has high walls, perfect for my male cat."

Faux Furniture
One innovative and attractive type of covered litter box looks more like a cabinet than a restroom for kitty. The Refined Feline, for example, offers a closed wooden cabinet with a hidden side-door. Another option comes from Felinerina, featuring a white bathroom cabinet with wainscoting panels, shelf space and towel bars -- the litter box goes inside, your cat enters through a space carved from the front of the cabinet. And another style, made by Pet's Best Products, hides the litter box in a faux plant pot, complete with the fake plant of your choice sprouting from the top.

"Some cats will use a box no matter what its design, and that kind of cat would do well with a box that falls into this innovative category," says Nagelschneider. "If you choose this design, make sure it's roomy and kept clean. Also, bear in mind that it may be better tolerated by felines in single-cat homes."

Kitty Cabanas
You don't have to buy an entire piece of furniture to hide an unsightly box. The most common (and least expensive) type of litter concealer is simply a cover placed over the box. NYC Dog & Cat suggests that you hide your cat's litter box under a high gloss laminate design (a palazzo, a country manor, an antique bookcase, or a plain damask cover). Petaroo offers simple basket-weave covers that blend into any space. Top-loading boxes, available at most pet supply stores, come with their own covers (with openings in the top for your cat's entry), and are good for male cats that aim high.

"The litter box cover saved my relationship," laughs Austin, Texas cat owner Brian Nash. "My girlfriend didn't want to move in unless I could offer her a closet, but the extra closet was where I kept Paul's litter box, and I didn't want the box out and exposed in my apartment. The cover helped us both get what we wanted." With a little bit of trial and error, you and your feline friend can get what you want, too.