Litter Box Love -- Cat Litter Boxes Have Gotten Cool!

I grew up with cats in the household, and I love the furry guys, but guess whose chore it was to clean out the litter box? And let's not forget sweeping around the litter box, since our cats liked to turn around in there and kick the grit out the door after they'd done their business...

Needless to say, I love the idea of self-cleaning litter boxes.

Some of them are completely automated (a few minutes after your cat gets out of the box, a motor will kick on and move the nasty stuff to a collection bin), and some have you tilt the box in order to activate the cleaning mechanism. There's even one that hooks into your sewer system and flushes the waste down the drain!

You can find all those types of litter boxes at Amazon (yup, these guys sell a lot more than books these days!).

While cleaning the litter box is no fun, there's another problem cat owners face: where to put the litter box.

Chances are, you don't want it where guests are going to see it when they come over, and you probably don't want to look at it all the time either. Fortunately, there are some great litter boxes out there that let you "hide" them in plain sight.

These boxes are either hidden via covers or clever designs, or they're made to look like perfectly normal pieces of furniture.

Of course, my favorite is the one that looks like a potted plant!

Check out some of the options below:

Maybe you're not in the market to buy a whole new state-of-the-art litter box right now, but you'd still like to make the current tray or box a little less noticeable.

You can pick up covers that are designed to attach to the top of--or go over--a standard sized box, and these cost a lot less than buying a whole new kitty sanitation system!

Again, take a look below for some cover ideas.

If you can't find the litter box of your dreams (only true cat lovers have "litter boxes of their dreams") at an online shop or pet store, then perhaps what you need to do is have one custom built.

Just as with any piece of furniture, this can be done if you're willing to pay the higher price of custom work.

Find a woodworker who builds pieces from scratch, and he/she probably won't be above designing pet furnishings. Whatever you can imagine, they can probably do.

The handsome cedar chest style box in the picture here was done by the folks at Hawks Will Custom Woodwork, and it's one of several you can browse on their site.

Not only is it attractive in its own right, but when the lid is down, it looks just like a regular cedar storage chest. Only the inquisitive guest will notice the little cat hole at the bottom (and this could easily be hidden from view behind a potted plant).

With a piece like this, you could put your litter box right out in the living room! Gone are the days when you need to be embarrassed by your cat's leavings. :)

You may associate litter boxes with cats, but it's possible to train dogs to go in a special indoor area too.

Why would you want to do this, you ask?

Just because folks live in apartments or condominiums doesn't mean they don't want to keep a dog. It can be pretty darned inconvenient to have to take your dog down multiple floors of stairs or in an elevator every time Fido has to potty (trust me, I've been there!). And if you're in an urban area, it can be quite a trot to get to some grass (nobody wants to see your dog whizzing--or worse--on the sidewalk).

What does a dog litter box look like?

Most "dog litter boxes" are more like large sandboxes than traditional cat boxes. They don't have a cover and usually aren't enclosed. They are a little box that is filled with synthetic grass or some kind of pad.

How does the cleaning work?

The exact inner workings will vary a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer, but here's what you can expect:

The wet stuff percolates through the grass, sand, or pad, and is captured beneath where you can drain it on a regular basis. Solid stuff sits on top (the same as at the dog park!), and you can scoop it up and dispose of it when you get home.