Closed/lidded cat litterboxes - workable?

volenti

Apologies for what's probably a daily question -- I searched and didn't find a post, but will happily take a link to one if someone has one.

My brother would like a cat, but lives in a place that's basically one big great room with small bathrooms.  No obvious place to put a litterbox that's out of the way and not in his bedroom.  He'd like to be able to have company over without having them walk into a room with a litterbox sitting out in plain sight.

I've heard some cats don't like the lidded/covered litterboxes.  Are there some that are more generally tolerated than others?  We've been googling and found everything from something that looks like a potted plant to something with a "paw cleaning ramp" that looks like a space ship.

Thanks for any suggestions or experiences.

mainerocks

From the reading I've done recently, covered boxes are supposed to be a bad idea... but I used them for 11 years with my two cats without incident. 

Now I'm having issues due to bringing new cats in and open boxes aren't solving it either, so I still think they aren't the worst idea if you have a cat that doesn't mind and you scoop and clean a lot so that it smells fine. Two main issues are 1. smells like a portable potty if you don't clean well enough and 2. the cat can feel unsafe in a multi cat home.

So I think your brother might be able to make it work. I always like the look of the ones that are furniture too.

One thought... at the shelter I volunteer at, the people who give up their cat fill out a form and one question is regarding what kind of box they used and if there were accidents... so if your local shelter has info like that, you might find one that likes that kind of box.  Or a cat that is fostered... you could find a fostered one from a home that uses covered boxes? 

+v+

They are not at all MM, but a few of my friends in similar situations have Modcat boxes and really like them.  They are a little more cat-friendly in that the cat can hang his/her head out instead of having to be inside with the smells, and tracking is less of an issue because cats enter from the top.  And while they don't look like planters or whatever, they are sort of design-y and don't look like litter boxes.  http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/05/17/test-post/

We have this litter box, which looks like a litter box: http://www.tidycats.com/Products/Accessories/LitterBox.aspx

I like it though because the front cover flips up, so we keep it up when it is just us but close it when company comes.  And even when it is closed, it is pretty open and tall for the kitties.   

Kaiene

There is a box called the Clever Cat box.  It is not stylish, but my cats use it (and a few are not covered box fans).  It looks like a large plastic tote with a lid on it.  There is a hole in the lid for the cat to get into the box.  We do have other boxes that are uncovered.

Kaiene

Also, I used to live in a small one bedroom apartment and has one small litterbox in the bathroom.  If your brother feeds a good food, and cleans the box daily, he shouldn't have a problem with smell.  Most people probably won't notice the box.

kaylynne

Kaiene:

There is a box called the Clever Cat box.  It is not stylish, but my cats use it (and a few are not covered box fans).  It looks like a large plastic tote with a lid on it.  There is a hole in the lid for the cat to get into the box.  We do have other boxes that are uncovered.

We used this one when we had a temporary cat.  It was great, and really doesn't look like a cat box, so you could easily stick it in a corner someplace and no one would pay attention.  Plus, the bag made it really easy to clean.

volenti

Thank you for all the suggestions and comments!  I really appreciate it.

Female Indiana Jones

We had a similar situation where the only logical place in our apartment was in the kitchen where a washer and dryer were supposed to go, but we didn't have one.  I bought a desk from Target and fashioned a curtain out of fabric from JoAnne's to hang down and hide the litter box (we had two open ones).  I literally just used two sided tape to affix it to the underside of the desk. Then we bought a fan that clipped to the side of the box with a charcoal filter and cleaned them one-two times a day.  There are also a lot of "disguised" litter boxes available for sale. 

acbparker

I had issues with my cat throwing litter out of an unclosed box.  My husband had a friend with a topped box and thought they were amazing so we got one.  I think my cat really enjoys it because he used to love scratching the side after he did his business.  In my opinion, it is much less of a mess than an open litter box.  Mine is in the den also so I understand not wanting it open.  I throw a little Pet Arm n Hammer in there and never have an issue with smell!  Good luck!