If you were getting a litter box enclosure...

[ktgrok]

Which would you get?

I'm looking at two main options. One has cabinet style doors, one has a lifting top. I'm THINKING the lifting top would be easier to scoop, but the cabinet one probably looks better and is better at keeping litter from being tracked out. 

What do you think?

 

[sassenach]

I think cabinet. The lift top will be harder to get the stray little out of and I think would get gross over time. The cabinet could be more easily wiped out. I also think the scratch pad are will really help contain stray litter. 

Edited September 2, 2021 by sassenach

[WildflowerMom]

1 minute ago, sassenach said:

I think cabinet. The lift top will be harder to get the stray little out of and I think would get gross over time. The cabinet could be more easily wiped out. I also think the scratch pad are will really help contain stray litter. 

I agree.  Plus, they call it a "cat washroom", which is hilarious.    I'm picturing a hook with a hand towel so he can wash up afterwards.  
I didn't get much sleep last night.  

[ktgrok]

2 minutes ago, sassenach said:

I think cabinet. The lift top will be harder to get the stray little out of and I think would get gross over time. The cabinet could be more easily wiped out. I also think the scratch pad are will really help contain stray litter. 

hmm...I was thinking opposite, that I'd vacuum out stray litter, but when you say that I realize it is way easier to get crumbs out of a cabinet than out of a drawer. Which would be the same with litter, now that I think of it. 

I've also seen DIY ones made out of dresser drawers, but I'd be afraid a kitty would accidentally start to open the drawer by kicking hard and hurt themselves. 

[WildflowerMom]

Oh wait, the 2nd one is called a washroom also, but you can't use it unless you have a "fat orange cat."   🤷🏻‍♀️  Their rule, not mine. 

[ktgrok]

2 minutes ago, WildflowerMom said:

Oh wait, the 2nd one is called a washroom also, but you can't use it unless you have a "fat orange cat."   🤷🏻‍♀️  Their rule, not mine. 

Well, I have a skinny orange cat that used to be fat....and a currently fat grey cat. And perhaps a one eyed tiger kitty. (fostering, sort of...she needs her very swollen/damaged/blind eye removed before we make a decision as the gross eye freaks out my younger son)

[WildflowerMom]

Just now, ktgrok said:

Well, I have a skinny orange cat that used to be fat....and a currently fat grey cat. And perhaps a one eyed tiger kitty. (fostering, sort of...she needs her very swollen/damaged/blind eye removed before we make a decision as the gross eye freaks out my younger son)

I hate to break it to you, but none of those cats are qualified to use that washroom.   😞

[WildflowerMom]

Make sure you can scrub those walls well.   I had a cat when I was little who liked to kick his litter all over the place.  🙄

I wonder if you can put one of those motion-activated tap lights above the box just in case they get nervous to go in?   

[Katy]

I would prefer the lift top for scooping, but I wouldn't get either because IME the smells are more concentrated in tight spaces like that and it makes cats more likely to go someplace else.

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, Katy said:

I would prefer the lift top for scooping, but I wouldn't get either because IME the smells are more concentrated in tight spaces like that and it makes cats more likely to go someplace else.

They already are used to using a covered litterbox, and don't mind even when I forget to scoop. Part of this process is getting something I can get to to scoop more easily - currently we have a big covered box in a corner between a bookcase and the heavy cat scratching tree, and it is a PIA to pull it out where I can get to it to scoop. Switching things around so litter box is more accessible (but still dog proof) and cat tree is in the corner would be WAY easier for me to scoop religiously. 

But either way, I'd think the smell wasn't really worse than in a covered box?

[ktgrok]

I will say, this one seems awesome...but at nearly $400 is not an option! https://outofsightlitterbox.com/

[Katy]

4 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I will say, this one seems awesome...but at nearly $400 is not an option! https://outofsightlitterbox.com/

That looks super easy to make yourself if any of the Home Depot or Lowes stores near you offer in-house cutting. 

[ktgrok]

4 minutes ago, Katy said:

That looks super easy to make yourself if any of the Home Depot or Lowes stores near you offer in-house cutting. 

I did mention to DH about building one....I'm not handy with wood but he is. 

This is a video 

 

[Kanin]

I have a cabinet style. I like it b/c I can easily pull the box out to scoop, then slide it right back in. I can also easily sweep/vacuum. 

[Carrie12345]

I think that specific cabinet one will reduce tracking because of how it’s shaped and the scratcher. I had a cabinet one that just had a raised hole and did nothing for tracking, since it was a direct leap out of the litter.

One drawback for me was that my cat, no matter what I did, would frequently stream over the lip of the pan, making a wet cabinet. I swear it was intentional, because I tried pans of all sizes and heights as well as various litter depths. THAT’s what made clean up a pain. And I still feel it was totally worth it.

[Cat-man-doo-doo]

Hello Ktgrok, and others...

Crazy I know... but I noticed this website pop up on my Google Analytics... yes us "little guys" don't have much else to do. HA!

I invented the cabinet and own Out of Sight Litter Box, Inc (it's just me, and my manufacturer) ... and the cabinet system you have been discussing. Thank you for having me being a part of your choice. Mine is the best. And not because I invented it.... it just is, and it works. YES, it is expensive I know, my largest sales issue, price. You can purchase the "Kitty Washroom" for $99. or less, and see that it is made with painted press board that will fall apart as soon as your cat missed the first time inside it... or note that when your cat jumps out of the front entrance it leaves a trail of litter on the floor for you to clean up... BUT! You can hang a hand towel on it, for what that is worth.

Please take a read of this link to my Blog on the "Price Comparison and Value" differences between all other cabinets out there and mine, the Out of Sight Litter Box cabinet system. You will read about all that mine includes... like the TraxTurf pads, and 2 Wax Saturated cardboard litter boxes (you don't get a box or pan with any other cabinet... you have to go shopping)... plus my holder for a box a baking soda for odor control and a scoop. LINK: https://outofsightlitterbox.com/price-comparison-and-value/

As for the costs... yes, high-quality and Made in the USA costs much more. But, I'm all for the USA. Also... if the $338 plus the shipping cost is too much all at once... look at the PayPal banner on the order page... they offer 6 months of payments with no interest if paid off over those 6 months. A great deal, and easier way to pay. As for my Profit Margin... well. just ask my wife... I am NOT getting rich on this. I've been selling since 2003... and can not sell on Amazon because they want more then I make in profit. So I only sell off my little website.

THANK YOU ALL for talking about my cabinet, the options it offers and the others out there... but, once you really do some "Well Trained Mind" research... you will conclude that the Out of Sight Litter Box is truly the best and it solves all your litter box issues. https://outofsightlitterbox.com

All my best, Blessings to you all... "Cat-man-doo-doo" ... Paul I. Pettys

[ktgrok]

8 minutes ago, Cat-man-doo-doo said:

Hello Ktgrok, and others...

Crazy I know... but I noticed this website pop up on my Google Analytics... yes us "little guys" don't have much else to do. HA!

I invented the cabinet and own Out of Sight Litter Box, Inc (it's just me, and my manufacturer) ... and the cabinet system you have been discussing. Thank you for having me being a part of your choice. Mine is the best. And not because I invented it.... it just is, and it works. YES, it is expensive I know, my largest sales issue, price. You can purchase the "Kitty Washroom" for $99. or less, and see that it is made with painted press board that will fall apart as soon as your cat missed the first time inside it... or note that when your cat jumps out of the front entrance it leaves a trail of litter on the floor for you to clean up... BUT! You can hang a hand towel on it, for what that is worth.

Please take a read of this link to my Blog on the "Price Comparison and Value" differences between all other cabinets out there and mine, the Out of Sight Litter Box cabinet system. You will read about all that mine includes... like the TraxTurf pads, and 2 Wax Saturated cardboard litter boxes (you don't get a box or pan with any other cabinet... you have to go shopping)... plus my holder for a box a baking soda for odor control and a scoop. LINK: https://outofsightlitterbox.com/price-comparison-and-value/

As for the costs... yes, high-quality and Made in the USA costs much more. But, I'm all for the USA. Also... if the $338 plus the shipping cost is too much all at once... look at the PayPal banner on the order page... they offer 6 months of payments with no interest if paid off over those 6 months. A great deal, and easier way to pay. As for my Profit Margin... well. just ask my wife... I am NOT getting rich on this. I've been selling since 2003... and can not sell on Amazon because they want more then I make in profit. So I only sell off my little website.

THANK YOU ALL for talking about my cabinet, the options it offers and the others out there... but, once you really do some "Well Trained Mind" research... you will conclude that the Out of Sight Litter Box is truly the best and it solves all your litter box issues. https://outofsightlitterbox.com

All my best, Blessings to you all... "Cat-man-doo-doo" ... Paul I. Pettys

Oh wow - very cool to "meet" you, lol. 

I really am impressed with your box, and that's what keeps me from getting something else yet, lol. My husband actually said, when I suggested a DIY version, that yours might just make more sense to buy, based on what he sees. So..we will see. We are trying to buy a house, and limiting new purchases...but it's tempting! 

I do have to ask, you aren't by chance an engineer? I'm very impressed by the way that thing is built and how everything is thought of, from sealing it with silicone to the shape of the cardboard boxes!

[Cat-man-doo-doo]

Hello Katie... nice to "meet" you too... I'm just a guy, who has a very understanding wife. HA!

Nope not an Engineer... I grew up in a very small town... and went to a "Liberal Arts" school... I should have gone to school to learn and become an Engineer or a Industrial Designer. But, didn't know what either was, back then.  My Dad was an Architect... so I kinda think that way. I was an Art Major... so I can paint a picture without being arrested. 

We had 5 cats, and new wood floors that were being "sanded" by all the tracked litter... so I started to do research. I looked at all that was out there back in 2003... not much back then. Bought some Astro-Turf... but the cats just jumped over it. Dah? While watching TV... one of out cats (we had 5 black ones then) jumped off the arm of the sofa... and upon landing left 4 piles of litter and then tracked off with paw prints behind. That was the light-bulb moment. The litter box has to be raised up off the floor, so the cats has to hop down...  which opens the paws naturally and the litter falls out. AND... when the Asto-turf is inside the cabinet... the cats HAVE to walk on it! And off to the drawing board, literally I went.

And then yes, Home Depot... I don't recommend trying copy and make one yourselves... it's a lot a measuring, cutting, edge banding and well it will in the end, cost you more... off to Home Depot I went to buy board and after three days in the garage, and a another trip back to Home Depot for more board... I figured I could make it out of one 4 x 8 sheet.... but... "measure twice, cut once" ... does not always make a cabinet fit together.

AND... all 5 cats used it... I didn't have to bend or kneel to the floor to scoop and best of all NO MORE LITTER TRACKING! My issues were solved. 

Later all our cats friends wanted one... so I made three more... then Christmas came and I got 12 orders, well, as I said I am an Artist with all 10 fingers, not a carpenter... and I love my fingers... and besides I had ruined my wife expensive iron... using it to iron on the edge banding... so... like any stupid male... though let's make this a business. Then the real learning began. I did get a few Patents... which have been invaluable and worth all the money first spent, and my wife has since forgiven me. But... "build a better mouse trap and the World will knock at your door" - not. Review the My Story page: https://outofsightlitterbox.com/my-story/

The wax saturated cardboard boxes came about when shipping costs really went up... they started charging for "dimensional weight" which is the size of the box... not the true weight. I was shipping out my custom made plastic litter pans... and the shipping was killing me. One evening while sleeping... the thought of a fold flat litter box came. PTL. I learned about the waxed board from my shipping box manufacturer... and then came the cost of the cutting dies. My wife has forgiven me for those too. So, two litter boxes fold flat, and are included within the cabinet shipping box. Winner! You are welcome "Kitty Poo Club" and all you others... that idea I didn't Patent... my wife has NOT forgiven me for that yet.

My cabinet is expensive. But it is made right. I too am a customer. All the panel edges are edge banded, even the "blind" ones you don't see when the cabinet is assembled. So if your cat "misses" the edges are sealed... and yes, I do include a large tube of clear caulking to seal the inside even better. It all adds up. And I did "engineer" my shipping box to withstand FedEx... and after 7 years, I have had not one panel damaged in shipping. I am proud of that. My goal is happy customers. And as the Testimonials Page reads... I have many of them. As customer in the video you attached above says... that is his THIRD cabinet. Enough said. You don't get repeat customers if the product does not work or is poor quality. 

It is an investment. But the last one you will make for litter issues. I even forget what it does... I just scoop in the morning and then again before bed... and that is it. My customer emails make me smile and remember what the cabinet design does. OH, and it has cross ventilation front and back... which also lets light in... no "Light" needed... cat do see in the dark. And as for keeping dogs out of the litter box... my dog owning customers told me about that. Serendipity. 

It's been a busy day on Analytics with this "Social Media"... I keep seeing this link pop up... with people from all other the USA. Katie... I have a place on my order page for customers to type in how they heard about me... it usually takes a week from first discovery to purchase... I'll let you know if any of your readers purchase one... and I do "take care of" my good customers... or potential customers... you won't get that personal customer service from "Washroom China". 

THANK YOU AGAIN! This has been fun... and made the day fly bye today. PAUL - "Cat-man-doo-doo"

[KSera]

52 minutes ago, Cat-man-doo-doo said:

AND... when the Asto-turf is inside the cabinet... the cats HAVE to walk on it!

@ktgrok If you think you might go this route, trial some astro turf by your current box first. I got a fancy new litter catching mat for my cat at one point, and suddenly she wouldn't use the box because she wouldn't walk on it. My cat is mostly trouble free with the litter box, but every once in a while we've tried something new that is a no go, which means she will refuse the box, and that is a very bad situation in our household. (She does fine with the litter mat I bought from Kitty Poo Club by the way--I learned about Kitty Poo Club here earlier in the pandemic, and it has been a lifesaver for not needing to find a way to get litter and it solved the problem if cat pee odor being absorbed by the plastic litter box so that it always smelled bad, no matter what I did.)

[ktgrok]

The only time we had litter box refusal here was when I tried to use pine pellets. I love them, but one cat hates them. 

If I did go with the big expensive one the turf comes out, so could always take it out if need be and use something else. So far no issues with various mats. 

[ktgrok]

Regarding the Kitty Poo club, My dogs would have a field day with those boxes, and I'm very partial to a particular brand of litter at this point - Slide - as it doesn't stick to the box, ever. 

[KSera]

2 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Regarding the Kitty Poo club, My dogs would have a field day with those boxes, and I'm very partial to a particular brand of litter at this point - Slide - as it doesn't stick to the box, ever. 

I had a previous cat who would only use the crystal litter, so we got stuck on using that, and it was super hard to find via any of our usual delivery services during the pandemic, so Kitty Poo Club was a life saver (could they change their name, though?!). Our remaining cat actually did great with pine pellets though so that is a point. Sure was cheaper and seems healthier and lower impact on the planet. The pine pellets were a lot more work to deal with, though.

[ktgrok]

So...DH says we will buy the big expensive $400 litter box enclosure! But we will likely wait until we move, to avoid moving yet another giant piece of furniture, lol. (we'll see...I may talk him into it sooner.....the only bonus to being depressed over the state of the world is he is willing to do about anything to cheer me up...including not making a fuss about the foster kitten that will likely be permanent that came "for the weekend" and is still here a week later, lol)

He looked at it just VERY briefly and said there is no way he'd try making it - wouldn't be worth it. Especially given price of materials these days. And you could see right away the quality - and he thinks it is really neat that it is made by a furniture place in the US. (and he likely will get a kick out of the whole story - one of his goals is to patent something one day)

And since we ARE likely adding in a third cat...it is an investment, lol. I don't see us getting TWO, but one nice thing like this and one ad hoc whatever in a laundry room or DS's bathroom when we move will work.