Cat boxes are total ripoffs, and they usually don’t contain litter particles effectively. Instead, you can make your own superior litter box in about 10 minutes:
- Get any big cheap plastic bin from your friendly neighborhood big box retailer. The bin pictured has handles for easy maneuvering. If I did this again I’d use translucent plastic so I’d be able to see how much litter is in there without opening it.
- Cut a cat-sized hole. A dremel would make this easy, but I used a sharp pocketknife. BE CAREFUL!!!*
Tip: make the hole as high as possible. Your cat will be able to get in just fine and the height will help keep litter in the box and off your floor.
Option: You could also cut the hole in the top, but I wanted to keep things simple for my cat. - Cut off front flap, or don’t: I left the front flap on and duct taped it down because I wanted a smooth lip. Cats can be touchy about change and I wanted my cat’s first time using this box to go, uh, smoothly.
- Smooth out the rough door edges: I duct taped the edges so they’d be smooth since I had no idea where my sandpaper was.
- Tape some paper or folded strips of duct tape to the inside of the box to help keep the litter inside. My cat overdoes the litter flicking and this step really helps contain it.
There, isn’t that better Leela?
* BowersDyne Global Systems Inc. is not responsible if you dremel your thumb off.
3 Comments ↓
Nice work. I should have tried that before I spent $23 on a Tidy Cat top of the line litter box. Your cat is the best.
Nathan, thank you for submitting this to the Carnival of the Cats I hosted on my blog yesterday. It’s a terrific idea. I have numerous cats in my house, and for litter pans I use giant plastic storage bins, about 1′ x 3′ and a foot tall.
Your photos are beautiful! I’m an artist, too. I’ve never done photography, though, mostly pen & ink drawings, greeting cards and unusual things like gourd art! You can see some of it on my blog.
Sharolyn
Thanks Sharolyn, I’m glad you like them. I like your pen and ink greeting cards.