Would this be gross? (litterbox question)

[Kate in Arabia]

We're planning to get a cat. Actually, we had a cat that we let outside and it was chased off by the feral cats living on our property. So we're planning to adopt an indoor-only cat from the local cat rescue.

 

Before I had the litterbox in the kitchen on the floor, but it was awkward placement-wise; I had rigged a kind of cover for it (looked like a covered wagon, lol), but it never really worked well. So I've been trying to come up with an alternative.

 

We have one tall cabinet in the kitchen, tall enough for an ironing board or mops, etc. Right now I have a tall plastic cabinet with drawers that fits perfectly inside, but has a lot of extra space above before it hits the top of the cabinet. I was thinking I could put a kind of shelf for the plastic drawers that would leave a good 1.5-ish ft below and the litter box would fit very well underneath. The door of the whole thing is already in bad shape, I could just remove it and have this plastic set of drawers with a litter box at the very bottom.

 

Would this be gross? I use the drawers for all my plastic storage stuff (Tupperware, etc.) and garbage bags. So no food items, but food storage items. The door of the cabinet would be off, and obviously I would keep the box clean, but I don't know if that would be weird or people visiting would think it gross or something? I could attach a small curtain across the front so the cat could go in and out but it wouldn't be so visible?

 

Otherwise, how do others handle the litterbox, where do you keep it?

[newbie]

If the drawer is closed off from the cabinet , I guess its okay.

 

We used to have a litterbox in a hall closet. I think that was the best locale ever.

 

Now we just have it in a hallway we hardly ever use. But, I would like to do what you are doing and take out a shelf in a cabinet and put them in there. It just keeps things contained.

[Aunty Social]

Hmm...

 

Litter boxes are so dusty, that (from a purely lazy, I don't want to have to rinse perfectly clean dishes standpoint)I don't think I would want it near my food storage containers - just pouring fresh litter creates quite a cloud of dust.

 

We keep ours in the downstairs half bath right now. If I had a basement, it would be there. I know people who keep them in the kitchen, and it doesn't gross me out, but it just doesn't seem logical to me....I mean, would you want your toilet in the kitchen?

 

It really depends on the layout of your home and the space available. It's got to go where it will fit, and be cleaned regularly. I'd rather have a box in the kitchen that is cleaned daily than one in the basement that gets forgotten.

[Chris in VA]

Yeah, kinda gross. My mil has a fake plant that has a big pot--if you turn it around, it's really a litterbox!

My sil put a cat door in a closet door and set the litter pan inside the closet. She can keep the door closed all the time if she wants. I think it's her coat/jacket closet.

We have ours in the basement. It has a cover that came with it. I recommend some sort of mat or laying down a towel in front of the box as the litter gets carried out by little kitty paws.

[katemary63]

I wouldn't do this. I do think it's gross. A litter box in the kitchen is gross period if you ask me. Sorry.

[lea1]

We have two cats and I have found our litter box puts out a lot of litter dust that would be very unsanitary if it was located in a kitchen. Maybe you have a different kind of litter that is not so dusty. Our box is in the laundry room and I am always having to clean the dust off of anything that stays in there for very long. We have one of the large boxes that comes with a lid that is has an opening on one end and I keep the opening pointed towards the back wall of the laundry room, as far away from the door that leads to our kitchen as possible.

 

I have a niece who dedicated a hall closet to the litter box. They even put in a kitty door so they could keep the closet door closed.

 

I have yet to find a perfect place to put a cat box. Good luck!

[Impish]

I'm agreeing with the litterbox in the kitchen being gross. We keep ours in the basement, and ensure that the door is open. I know that friends have had theirs in the bathroom.

 

Sorry, but my cat is big, and I can't imagine his litter box where food is made or consumed :ack2:

[Kate in Arabia]

If the drawer is closed off from the cabinet , I guess its okay

The box would be in the bottom of the cabinet, the drawers would be suspended above. The drawers I have are similar to this:

 

 

So imagine a tall cabinet, with these drawers inside mounted high enough so there's 1.5-2 ft beneath it. The litterbox would sit on the bottom.

 

I know people who keep them in the kitchen, and it doesn't gross me out, but it just doesn't seem logical to me....I mean, would you want your toilet in the kitchen?

I guess since my mom always kept (and still keeps) the litterbox in her kitchen that's what I'm used to? Plus the food/water bowls are in there so you sort of keep it all in the same room and get your "cat chores" done like that?

 

There are no closets in our house (not done here, you buy wardrobes) and no mud room; I kind of liked having it near the back door (in the kitchen) both for ventilation and for easier cleaning.. but I'm not married to that idea, I was just in the habit of doing it that way, lol.

[Perry]

I wouldn't want a litter box in the the kitchen. We've bought some decorative boxes large enough to hold the litter box and cut a hole in the side. We have them in the bathroom and den, and you no one even knows they're there. These are expensive, but we made ours for much cheaper.

[Kate in Arabia]

I wouldn't do this. I do think it's gross. A litter box in the kitchen is gross period if you ask me. Sorry.

Wow, I'm learning something new every day, lol. Don't be sorry, I'd rather you be honest.. I mean, I'd rather know that's how some could interpret that, than to have people visit and just think it without ever saying, kwim?

 

I did have a friend who kept theirs in a bathroom, but it was such a tiny bathroom you were almost stepping in the litterbox just going inside. I don't want to have to keep doors open, maybe I could put it on the bottom of a storage shelf in the hall.. but is that also kinda gross? Should a litter box be completely separate spacially from other items in the home, even with a cover? If I had a storage shelf in a back hallway, and had, say, wrapping paper or whatnot on the top shelves and this at the bottom, is that weird?

 

I don't really have anywhere I can just set it by itself and not have it be odd...

[tex-mex]

My cat kicks up all kinds of dust and sand particles. It gets everywhere. I'd personally keep away cat litter from food and kitchen. The smell alone of a litter box can gross you out. Do you have a corner of the house (office) to store it? The cat would like it for privacy.

[LaxMom]

Here's what I would do: get a covered litter box and put it in the cabinet, under the shelf you've built for the drawer thingy. Then, attach a curtain at the front of the shelf. The vast majority of the dust and whatnot will be contained, no one can see it, and it's physically separated from the rest of the cabinet by the cover and the shelf.

 

(I would still take it outside to change it, though, because pouring litter really does create a lot of dust.)

[Kate in Arabia]

About all I have is a back hallway that leads to the door to the pool. But it's just a hallway, I mean it would be odd to have a litterbox sitting alone in a hallway, lol (imo, of course). I had already been planning to put shelving along there for additional storage (since we don't have any closets), like extra luggage, wrapping paper and the like, so then I could put a covered litterbox there but it would be with storage stuff. From what I'm reading here that would be better than in the kitchen lol

[LauraGB]

Should a litter box be completely separate spacially from other items in the home, even with a cover? .

 

I think so. Crazy parasites found in cat feces. Admittedly, I'm kind freaky that way. We keep ours in the laundry room, and even there, I need to sweep the floor a lot because of the litter that he tracks out. If not a bathroom, even a low cupboard in there where you can maybe remove the door and put up some kind of cool looking fabric/curtain that might fit into your decor to sort of hide it, possibly a basement where you can leave the door ajar?

 

Keeping it in the area you described in the kitchen could work, but I wouldn't put any food related items in it.

[Kate in Arabia]

You know I was just looking at a website with the litterbox-shaped-as-planters:

 

http://www.petsbestproducts.com/index.htm

 

I think I could maybe make one of those -- what if I just bought a large plastic planter, used the water tray as a lid. Cut a hole in one side and put plastic plants on the top.. then I could put that in the hallway like at the end of the storage shelves... anyone make their own litterbox? Anyone have one of these planter-style boxes?

[happi duck]

When we were in a small apartment that allowed cats, our three cats used a litterbox next to the couch...yes, next to the couch! I don't reccommend this as ideal but it worked out. It was either this set-up or no cats.

 

We had a plastic tray under the box and a table over the box. To hide it and give the cats privacy, we put a dark bed sheet over the table like a long tablecloth. I scooped the box right away and washed the bedsheet/tablecloth frequently. Visitors never knew it was there.

 

In your situation, I say do whatever works...it's better than not having a cat! A privacy curtain should keep visitors from even knowing it's there.

[Scuff]

I wouldn't do this. I do think it's gross. A litter box in the kitchen is gross period if you ask me. Sorry.

 

Yup.

[sbgrace]

Cats track litter on their feet as they come out of the box. All ours have--long hair/short hair, big/small, old/young--it doesn't seem to matter. I'd hate to have litter on my kitchen floor. Cats do carry parasites and bacteria in their feces. I'd locate it in a bathroom or living area instead.

 

My parents kept ours in the kitchen too. I think it probably wasn't the best idea.

[5KidzRUs]

:iagree: I think it is very gross. I have only had (in my adulthood) one cat.

She poops large and frequently. I tried every kind of litter and litter box I could find - even the expensive ones.

If the poop was not cleaned out immediately she would poop NEAR the box and not in it. I even tried the electric self-cleaning litter box.

Finally, I tossed all the litter boxes and litter and she trained us to know that when she sat in front of the door and looked at it - that meant she has to go to the bathroom. She never goes to the bathroom in the house - neither do our two indoor dogs.

Is it possible do away with the litter box and to train your family to know when she needs to go out?

[Pretty in Pink]

Yeah, I think it's kind of gross. Hope you can figure something out. I do kind of like the artificial plant/litter box combo.

 

My mom keeps hers in her bathroom. It's under a countertop and she has a decorative curtain up that hides it. Imagine you're in the middle of peeing and you hear a scratching noise, see the curtain flutter, and then a giant hairy beast of a cat comes swaggering out and rubs agains your leg! Oh my. Not cool.

[Kate in Arabia]

Is it possible do away with the litter box and to train your family to know when she needs to go out?

No. There are a lot of feral cats who live around here (this is a problem in this entire geographic region, not just my neighborhood). We have a female one who has litters often, she's been here since we moved in, and there are a few males who stick around.. one of them is so huge I thought it was some kind of dog. We had a small cat before and let it outside, but unfortunately it was run off by the feral cats. Our next cat needs to be indoor only.

 

I'm pretty sure I could go with one of the later ideas, having something in a hallway.. I'm just not comfortable with one in a sitting room and our options are limited...

 

Thanks for everyone's comments, and I truly appreciate the honesty, lol. The cat I grew up with actually trained herself to use the toilet in our bathroom, there's an idea!

[Janet in WA]

 

When we were in a small apartment that allowed cats, our three cats used a litterbox next to the couch...yes, next to the couch! I don't reccommend this as ideal but it worked out. It was either this set-up or no cats.

The actually make end tables with litter boxes concealed inside.

[newbie]

About all I have is a back hallway that leads to the door to the pool. But it's just a hallway, I mean it would be odd to have a litterbox sitting alone in a hallway, lol (imo, of course). I had already been planning to put shelving along there for additional storage (since we don't have any closets), like extra luggage, wrapping paper and the like, so then I could put a covered litterbox there but it would be with storage stuff. From what I'm reading here that would be better than in the kitchen lol

 

That is where ours is, the only problem there is an art room over there , so when we go to art room, we have to walk thru litter, if dh hasnt cleaned it.

[DesertDweller]

I wouldn't put one in the kitchen. We have one in a bedroom and used to have one in the laundry room. You mentioned a linen closet? Could you put a pet door on the closet door so the door could remain closed but still allow the cat access to the litter box?

 

If you want to keep the smell down, I recommend Fresh Step Scoopable. We have had two cats using the same litter box, and it was one of the only cat litters I found that reduced or eliminated odors. My mil always comments when she comes to visit that she can't believe we have four cats and no cat smell.

[2cents]

I would only do it if that cabinet was used for storing non-food items and items that are not a contamination danger. Cats don't always hit the mark and you wouldn't want to risk getting sick. It sounds like a better location than the kitchen but just be sure you can get at it easily for cleaning.

[LaxMom]

You know I was just looking at a website with the litterbox-shaped-as-planters:

 

http://www.petsbestproducts.com/index.htm

 

I think I could maybe make one of those -- what if I just bought a large plastic planter, used the water tray as a lid. Cut a hole in one side and put plastic plants on the top.. then I could put that in the hallway like at the end of the storage shelves... anyone make their own litterbox? Anyone have one of these planter-style boxes?

Wow! Those are cool! Um, why are there dogs in some of them, though? :001_huh: