I have a love/hate relationship with our cats. Their litter box and all that goes with it definitely falls into the ‘hate’ category. We had searched previously for a cabinet to hide the litter box, and couldn’t find anything we liked the look of, or that looked like it would still be standing after a few months of use, so we decided to make our own.
We used an IVAR cabinet from Ikea, since it had the ability to fit a full size litter box in it. We had searched for other cabinets that we liked the look of, but didn’t have the right dimensions to fit a litter box big enough for two cats. The cabinet itself was $90, and then we used some interior trim paint that we had on hand.
Under the placemat, I put a piece non-slip rug pad, since our cats have a tendency to be less than graceful, especially when they’re hungry.
The cabinet from Ikea didn’t come with any hardware, and since I was already in the process of ordering hardware for our mudroom from Rejuvenation, I ordered these Cowan Cabinet Knobs from there.
For the opening to the litter box, we wanted it to look as seamless as possible, allow the cats easy access, and keep a curious toddler out of the litter box. We found this cat door opening on Amazon, and it even comes with its own stencil to trace out on the cabinet prior to cutting.
This project took us a weekend (to allow for ‘toddler help’ and paint dry time), and was well worth it.
We are still searching for better cabinet feet- we currently have very small ones on the bottom, but need a bit higher clearance for the doors to open since the cabinet is sitting on carpet.
The cabinet not only holds their litter box, but also backup litter, food, extra bowls, and toys.
While the cats were a bit confused for the first few days, everyone is now very happy with the cat cabinet. All things cat are now out of sight, contained, and safe from curious toddlers and dogs.
I hope this tutorial helps any cat lovers looking for a solution to an unsightly situation.
