I turned a $700 bench into my cat’s litter box and have no remorses

• I was desperate to discover an option for my cat’s unattractive litter box.

• I understood I desired something with storage that was long enough for her to track litter.

  

• I wound up discovering a pricey bench with the measurements I required, and I have no remorses.

Since 2017, my hubby and I have actually been the happy owners of a sweet tuxedo cat. Unfortunately, that likewise indicates we’re the not-so-proud owners of her litter box.

Any cat owner will inform you that having actually a box filled with (I’m sorry) feces and urine isn’t precisely terrific for your home decoration. Some services I’ve seen online consist of putting it in a visitor restroom, an extra closet, or in your garage, however as a New York City resident where every inch of space is essential, those choices were not available to us.

And while self-cleaning litter boxes might be all the rage, they didn’t fix my storage concern.

I understood what I required — a long storage bench that I might cut a hole into

So that caused hours invested looking for a stylish option. I desired something with storage, that might function as a furniture piece and would still offer her sufficient room to do her business.

I had a ready-made side table meant for this exact purpose, however her litter got all over given that she would leap out of the hole, spreading those dirty little kernels. Putting a tracking pad down in front of it assisted, however it was really apparent that this was a litter box and an eyesore when I went into the room.

But I had a concept. If I might discover a long and deep sufficient storage bench and cut a hole in the side, it would make her a runway to track the litter prior to she hopped out. There would even suffice space for all of her accoutrement, like additional litter boxes and scooping equipment.

I discovered my dream bench on CB2, however it was pricey

The alternative I discovered was deep and broad enough for a litter box. The just issue was it was over $700 plus shipping and taxes.

As somebody not convenient sufficient to build something comparable myself, I saved for months and waited on the bench to go on sale, however no dice. In completion, I not just spent lavishly on the long bench I initially found, however a short bench to go with it to make ourselves a dining nook. (Yes, we actually did consume here, and no, there was no odor.)

Story continues

Before we developed the bench, we cut a hole huge enough for our cat to climb up in and out of. Once we developed the bench, we lined it with odor-absorbing garbage bags — the secret, in my viewpoint, to why this does not make our home odor.

While this may be the most dissentious thing I’ve ever placed on TikTok, we still utilize this bench all the time. I like that it’s a practical part of our decoration and has storage so we do not squander valuable closet space on housing additional cat litter.

Most significantly, our cat appears to like it, too.

I have a couple of suggestions (and a caution) for anybody seeking to do something comparable:

1. Make sure to get interior measurements of the piece prior to you purchase it — Not all storage furnishings is broad or deep sufficient to house a litter box. I understood I required something a minimum of 15 inches deep and 14 inches high.

2. We utilized an electric jigsaw to cut our hole, very first drilling 2 pilot holes with a circular saw drill bit. We didn’t do a great deal of preparing around this, however we attempted to make certain it was huge enough for our cat without tinkering any of the existing drill holes to put the bench together.

3. Over time, through a relocation and great deals of litter dust, the system of the bench’s cover has actually ended up being unsteady. While I can still open and close the top of the bench, it no longer sits tight, so I require to prop it open whenever I clean up the litter box. (I would do it all once again, however 3 years of wear and tear have actually taken their toll. For what it deserves, I blame the litter since the smaller sized bench still works completely and we utilize it typically.)

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