Small homes and litter boxes

[Zevida]

I have about 750-800 square feet which is two small bedrooms and one bathroom. I’m currently catless after losing my three elderly cats over the last two years. I think I’m ready for another cat, or at least fostering, and I’m wondering how others place and manage litter boxes in small homes.

I have a very small walk in closet and the last few years I kept the litter box(es) in there. That mostly worked but the downside is that everything in the closet ends up covered in a fine layer of litter box dust (despite using 99% dust free litter - yeah, right). It’s mostly just boxes/containers so not the end of the world, but kind of yuck. I guess I could dust in my closet more frequently (!!!) but that seems kind of ridiculous. I don’t want a tightly enclosed litter box because I know some cats don’t like that, but I wondered about putting it inside a large cardboard box or something that might prevent some of the dust some spreading up and out.

At various times I had a litter box in my bathroom which was ok except for having to stay on top of sweeping up the litter they tracked, and since I mostly walk around in bare feet not my favorite. I also had one in my bedroom at one point which was also ok but my bedroom is really tiny (barely wide enough for a queen bed and a night stand) so it just feels in the way.

The second bedroom I use as an office and once or twice a year it is a guest room. It’s already a bit crowded with my desk, a bike, a couch, etc., so the only good floor space for the litter pan is right by the door where I’d have to see it from the living room and I kind of prefer them to be a bit more out of sight. I have a corner of my living room that it could go in but then I’d want one of those fancy pieces of furniture that hide a litter box as I do not want to look at it.

Would love to hear strategies and tips for how you manage litter box placement in a small home.

[Zu_Zu]

Putting down a tarp/ waterproof and top with pee pads that can be rolled up and pitched - then a washing machine tray ( plastic ) and set the litter box in the middle - * litter box with a top type.
The tarp should be affixed slightly up the sides of the walls with painter’s tape that can be removed without damaging the paint - this method has worked nicely and efficiently in my various cat rooms closets.

If this is not clear🤪 I apologize - I use multiple layers of protection - a PITA to set up but very worth it for years !

and Enjoy your new cat !

This method works especially well for a small closet.
But this,wherever, requires consistent maintenance to keep the litter (any type) dust down.

[Scribbler]

I have never visited a Condo with Indoor Cats where there wasn’t a pervasive odor of pee and the added scent in modern litter.

I have seen the electronic enclosed self scooping boxes.

Maybe having a roof on the box would help. I like the idea of tarping the whole closet. But I can’t imagine having a closet with room!

[Kinda_Kooky]

Thinking in alternatives, do you have a porch or a small portion outside you could make as an outdoor cat bathroom?

I had a friend who did this with a balcony location and it worked well. She bought a chicken/rabbit enclosure IIRC and had a cat door to it.

[Zu_Zu]

The closed/ topped litter boxes have charcoal inserts on the hood - to be replaced consistently • help with odor control • IMHO

Guests have not commented / noticed any feline odors in our house • several have asked if we had rehomed our cats ~ “NEVER” replied ZZ

• but it’s a spacious house / cats located on different levels and not all roaming - as I have some * “derals” = domesticated ferals ~ relocated / stolen from barns

[NancyM]

Buy expensive cat litter…it makes ALL the difference. No smell, no dust, pick it often. And use a litter box that has a roof (enclosed). I have not had a cat who doesn’t like an enclosed litter box.

[Foxglove]

My GD had that problem until she moved to a bigger apartment --I bought her something similar to this. the top opening kept the litter from spreading. :

I use SLIDE cat litter --says 99% dust free. Seems to be but my boxes are in the basement with a door cut so cats can go in and out as they choose.

[CanadianTrotter]

@Foxglove

My GD had that problem until she moved to a bigger apartment --I bought her something similar to this. the top opening kept the litter from spreading. :

I use SLIDE cat litter --says 99% dust free. Seems to be but my boxes are in the basement with a door cut so cats can go in and out as they choose.

This or something similar to this is what I would strongly recommend. Before moving recently I had an old Bell Canada office desk and kept a large storage tub litter box under it. I couldn’t bring the desk with me so now I’m going to buy the materials to build enclosures like the one above to house my litter boxes. I think they work well at keeping dust and litter tracking down to a minimum, are easy to clean and they aren’t an eyesore.

[JanM]

On “No Demo Reno” from HGTV, episode title was “More Money, More Pressure” there was a litter issue for one adorable cat, Sophie. They did a pull out drawer in a cabinet, it had a big circle cut out that was the drawer front. So when you needed to scoop, or change the litter, the owners (OK, she’s a kitty, so they were her servants), they pulled the drawer out, and changed the litter, and either cleaned the pan or swapped it out. I’m not sure which one works better, since I’ve never had cats. Sophie was not a fan of the camera crew either.

[UrbanHennery]

I live in a 650 square foot apartment. I use my coat closet to house my cat box, my vacuum, and other things not coats. I use a coat rack by the door for coats. In there is a top entry litter box on a litter mat which my cat happily adapted to. I use the Swheat Scoop multi-cat litter and a litter genie for cleaning. Generally I don’t end up with litter everywhere and it’s not that dusty. And I don’t think that my place often smells like cat - when it does it’s always a sign that I’ve let the litter get too low or that I need to dump the whole box and start over.

[erinmeri]

I haven’t read through all the comments, but in my tiny NYC apartment, I have two - both top-entry. Profile helps with not taking up a lot of real estate, and also cuts down on the sweeping/vacuuming. Very little litter tracking.

[BlueDrifter]

I use cement mixing tubs for litter boxes – they are higher-sided and about $5 at Home Depot. They also have curved bottoms, so no clumps can get stuck in corners. I use a lot of litter, so nothing sticks to the bottom.

The biggest change for me was switching to World’s Best, a corn-based litter. I have only been using it a couple months and there is no dust and virtually no tracking. It’s particle size is similar to clay, so cats had no problem adjusting.

It is flushable, so sometimes, at night, I flush the poop vs scooping and taking the bag to the outside trash, but otherwise I scoop 1-2x a day. I have yet felt the need to dump the whole box and refill fresh.

[MunchingonHay]

When my two cats, 65lb dog and I all lived in a 500 sqft apt I used a rubbermaid tube that I cut a hole in so they boys could get in, and kept the lid on. (the hole was about 4 inches from the bottom so they had to high step in/out of it. My one boy was a high pee’er so I needed unobstructed sides.

I only used World’s Best Cat Litter, (the purple bag) and these are great: https://www.amazon.com/BlackHole-Litter-Mat-Blackhole-Cat/dp/B06XG937XC/ref=sr_1_4?crid=WJ5T6PQNFCI&keywords=blackhole%2Blitter%2Bmat%2Bextra%2Blarge&qid=1702236245&sprefix=blackhole%2Bli%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-4&th=1

I also turned the box so the opening faced the wall so they could not launch themselves out throwing fists of litter as they leaped from the box.

I cleaned it twice a day, but could go once a day, esp when I dropped down to one cat.

I also sweeped daily. I had it in my “living room”. The apt was only two rooms.

[Foxglove]

I googled “Litterbox furniture open on top” and a whole bunch sprang up. Here’s the link:

The best litter boxes that double as furniture

[Zevida]

Thank you for all the ideas!

Unfortunately no porch or outdoor space I can use to put the pan.

It seems like a covered box will be my best bet, or one of those pieces of litter box furniture. This one from Modkat is a little expensive but I like that it has a side and top opening, and the removable liners for cleaning look way easier than trying to clean a box.

I like the ideas to have the opening facing the wall so they have to get out more carefully and not track, I’ll have to take some measurements and see if I can make that work in my closet.

I don’t use cheap litter and it does advertise as 99% dust free, and it was fine in more open spaces that got cleaned more regularly, but in the closet it just settles onto all the boxes. I’ll look into some of the suggestions here. I was using a walnut based litter for a few years, Naturally Fresh, that advertises as “dust free” - and I just ended up with red-brown dust everywhere instead of light gray dust!

[Zevida]

My boys were also high peers and I used a rubbermaid tub too, but without a lid so they jumped in and out.

LOVE the tip about having the opening face the wall.

[Zevida]

What air purifier are you using?

[paint_hunter]

I use the same black mixing containers as well for litter boxes. I get mine at Home Depot. As you say, a bit taller and quite a bit bigger. Two kitties (three if they want to do a communal potty break) fit in at the same time just perfectly. Quite inexpensive and last for years.

I live in a townhouse (two stories) on the downside of a steep hill with a spectacular view. When I remodeled my place years ago, my contractor put in a small opening/cat door in the second bedroom that accesses the lower deck (have decks on both floors so the lower deck is covered/protected). The litter boxes are outside. Because I live in the SF Bay Area, I don’t have to worry about super cold weather. The decks overlook the Bay Area so the cats have a great view from their potties. I tell them they are cats with a million dollar view from their bathroom, lol.

[Bluey]

This one is a good idea if you want to have a fake plant around somewhere handy.
May be able to do something similar with other than that planter shape:

[furlong47]

I live in a 400 sq foot studio. I have a covered box and it is in the bathroom… the only non-carpeted areas are there and the kitchen and I don’t want it in the kitchen! It also allows me to easily close my cat up in the bathroom, where he sleeps at night and if I need to keep him out from underfoot for a short time. Litter getting tracked out of the box is a bit of a problem (I have a mat in front of the box that is supposed to catch it, but it only gets some and sometimes he just jumps right over it). I just have to use a hand vac or vacuum in there often to keep it from getting too bad.