The Hardworking Laundry Room: A Spot for the Litter Box
These clever solutions help keep the cat’s restroom out of the way
The one thing we cat lovers don’t completely adore about our precious kitties is taking care of the litter box. It’s hard to find a good out-of-the-way spot for this necessity. The laundry room is a good candidate, but you’ll also want to contain odors and kicked-up litter.
Let’s start with the basics. This is the kind of laundry setup many of us have — just a closet. When you stack your appliances, you leave room for a litter box. But it’s likely you’ll want to leave those closet doors closed — how will kitty have access?
What’s so great about this project is that the designer installed a VIP cat opening on the side of the closet, so that the doors can conceal the appliances and litter box but kitty can still have access.
Here you can see how it works from the other side.
This is such a cute trend — some cat owners are opting for a customized cat silhouette-shaped opening in the litter box cabinet door.
Another detail worth noting here is the mat outside the opening. If you have a kitty that likes to kick up litter, it’s a good idea to put one outside the box so you don’t step on those little granules while you’re doing laundry and then spread them around the house.
Another detail worth noting here is the mat outside the opening. If you have a kitty that likes to kick up litter, it’s a good idea to put one outside the box so you don’t step on those little granules while you’re doing laundry and then spread them around the house.
In this larger laundry room, the space in the corner provides a good spot to tuck a covered box out of the way under the countertop. Kicked-up litter will stay contained in that area.
Concealing the cat box is not only better for containing odors, but also solves another problem we don’t really like to think about — when the dogs like to get into the litter box. In this clever customization, the builder left a space open on the bottom of the right cabinet door so Bubba can slide in and out of his private bathroom.
The box sits atop a sliding drawer that makes cleaning easier. There’s even enough room for extra litter and the scooper behind Bubba’s entrance.
See Bubba the cat demonstrate how he slides right out of here
See Bubba the cat demonstrate how he slides right out of here
A cutout in a cabinet door is another good solution to this problem. This laundry room also has a pet-washing station atop the litter box.
This sunny built-in bench provides a cozy spot to sit and sort, get organized and fold. Or maybe even escape a busy household for some stolen moments with the latest issue of People under the guise of doing laundry.
Underneath it has a little Tom and Jerry style going on — a big mouse door leads to a litter box underneath the bench. The top of the bench lifts up for easy access to the litter box.
Oh, let’s get a closer look at this little cutie.
This laundry room makes the most of the under-the-staircase space with a recess shaped like a doghouse. It’s the right size for a litter box or a cozy dog bed.
In this fairly compact laundry room, a skirted sink provides a hidden spot for the cat box underneath. If you use a solution like this, make sure the skirt is easy to remove and washable so that you can keep it clean and fresh.
This is one of the more high-tech solutions — a self-cleaning litter box. This laundry room has enough space for it to be placed in the corner and out of the main laundry zone. The box has a built-in sifter that separates waste and deposits it in a waste drawer in the bottom.
Another high-tech solution is an automatic cat door. The custom cat opening here is outfitted with an electromagnetic door that responds to an opener on the cat’s collar.
Your turn: Have you come up with a clever litter box solution? Please share it with us in the Comments section.
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