this litter box is out of sight
Super Cool Pets caught my attention with a cat box that recently won an Editor’s Choice award from Cat Fancy magazine. The Out of Sight Litter Box is slightly similar in idea to a litter box we wrote about here before, but with a very cat-person-friendly twist: a built-in ramp helps get stray litter off the paws before kitty returns to your rug, an elevated platform means no leaning for cleaning, and a door not only hides an unsightly box, it keeps it away from curious pooches! Read more about it here, or purchase it from outofsightlitterbox.com, $200-220. — Mary T.
January 6th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I dream of having something like this to hide the cat liter, but $200 is just too steep for me. I guess I need a “live in handyman” like the lucky DIY Pot Rack reader to make one for me out of one of my many vintage finds. Hmmm, not such a bad idea – off to the drawing board!
January 6th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Tyna, if you do, please share with us! : )
January 6th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
I love this, but I wonder how it actually works for the cat though… Do they naturally go up in there and find the box? I have a cat who really doesn’t enjoy enclosed spaces. I really wonder if she or other cats would even go up the ramp and then turn up into it to get to the liter box….
It would be nice if someone had one and talked about it on their website.
January 10th, 2010 at 7:39 am
I just purchased this and it should be here in a week or so. I have a 12 year old large cat who is finnicky about her litterbox. It has to be in our bedroom or else she starts to have problems. Gross, I can’t wait to get this and get her box hidden. I am worried about her not using it. If she doesn’t, at least there is a money back guarantee.
January 15th, 2010 at 8:01 am
My older cat probably could not do this. Just put a shaggy rug in front of your litter box.
March 12th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Clevercat Top Entry Litterbox: A less expensive alternative that works for me and my 2 cats. I have very little tracking and I can keep this in the guest bathroom without feeling bad for my guests! It basically looks like a small storage bin and the cats wipe their feet on the top before they run all over the rest of the house.
March 13th, 2010 at 6:41 am
I have 5 cats. I don’t know if it would be economical for me to use one this size. I need one the size of a desk.
March 13th, 2010 at 10:17 am
(a) one of my cats won’t use a box in any enclosed space;
(b) both cats kick huge amounts of litter out of the box and certainly would with this one
(c) I don’t want a cat box in any public spaces, so it doesn’t need to look stylish.
A big dishpan in the far corner of the laundry room works best at our house.
March 14th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
you’re just begging for bad litter box habits with this thing. cats need to see around them when they go to the bathroom…it’s a territorial thing. ask any legit cat behaviorist. get ready for pee outside the box, and it won’t be your kittys fault. but, if sacrificing another living beings comfort and security so your pretty little eyes don’t have to gaze on a box is your thing, go ahead.
March 14th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
I love the idea but $200. are you serious. I have 5 cats and 3 litters. It will be nice to hide but like I said $200 is just two much for 1 box.
March 14th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
The best litterbox I have ever bought is the Omega Paws Roll Away. It makes scooping a breeze. My 2 cats love it! $35 retail
March 14th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
i realize that if you can’t spend $200 on a litter box, you probably won’t spend $300 on one, but….
i got the cat genie in november after thinking about it/researching/reading reviews for months. it’s over $300 but worth every penny!! hooks up to your plumbing. all you have to do is every couple months, buy new cleaner and 4-6 times a year, do a thorough cleaning – which doesn’t involve you touching anything gross!
i have 3 cats and one cat genie is enough for us. the biggest benefit is having no cat litter smell. the 2nd biggest is never having to clean it – i haven’t cleaned a litter box in like 3 months. the biggest negative, after you get over it and save up to handle the costs, is that the cat litter gets tracked on the floor… so you sweep a lot. but that’s true with most litter boxes….
http://www.catgenie.com/
March 14th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
You can build a cabinet for much cheaper or order a cheap kitchen cabinet from IKEA. Check out http://www.litterboxsolutions.org for DIY litter box solutions.
March 15th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Out of sight but not out of smell…
March 15th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
They should make the upper floor a screen instead of a solid floor so the litter drops down into the lower area. I am either buying or making one of these immediately: http://j.mp/cNdxBh
March 16th, 2010 at 5:15 am
You could just make one of these. Looks like about 7 pieces of pressure treated board, a little time with a router if you want it to look nice and decorated/cut some hand holes, a staple gun, and some 1/4 size hinges.
STOP BUYING THINGS YOU CAN MAKE!
March 16th, 2010 at 8:57 am
With 10 cats indoors I could use a different idea for a litter box, but since I’d have to purchase 4, don’t guess this is it1
March 17th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
“Why does your lamp stand smell like cat crap?”
March 17th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
A fantastic idea! Very creative. It’s something that would come in handy for my 17 year old tom
March 18th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Hasn’t anyoe heard of Littermaid? It costs less than half of this outrageous $220+ prices at Walmart and it scoops the litter every use electronically and deposits the “scoops” into a sealable plastic box. It comes with a fabric covered “ramp” that cleans the cat’s paws upon exit. It also has an optional “privacy tent” if you just want to hide it. If you have a bad back and can’t bend over to pull the little plastic box out and replace it with a fresh one (instread of scooping which requires alot more bending more often), you can do as a friend of mine did….She put her Littermaid on a table she got from a garage sale – bigger than the box so place for cat to wipe feet on fabric/carpet cover she placed on table first. The cat loves being able to jump on her own table without any reprimands and my freind uses a “tent” she bought from the Littermaid catalog to hide the box/table in the spare room. She also placed a coat hanger on the top of the door so it can never accidently closes, keeping “Darling” out. My cat’s Littermaid is on the Lanai (a screened outdoor room) and my baby goes out through the “kitty door” to her fun room to use the box. No box in the house!
March 18th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
I have 3 cats and 3 boxes. I use large storage bins and put rugs in front of each. then you just shake the rug off outside periodically…oh, and have a mini shop vac handy so you don’t mess up your vacuum.
$200 is insane.
March 19th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
psh. I like my cats self cleaning rolley litter box WAY better. all you do is roll it and all the poop goes into a compartment then you take it out and throw it away. there on ebay for like 20 bucks
March 19th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Okay, I gotta ask: where are you all coming from? I posted this back in January and this week we suddenly keep getting comments! Thanks to whoever referred you. (I agree that the handy among us could make this box.)
March 19th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
^stumbleupon
March 19th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
We have two cats a huge Mainkoon and a very slim shorthair positive_negative. They use the cream/white Bubble type with self clumping litter. Its made by “BOODA”. http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-1909 It is excellent. All sort of biometric and rounded inside. I invested in an aluminum scooper MUCH better than these crappy plastic ones with a longer handle. Just wish they would make one with a matching curve to the kidney shaped inside. There is like an inside wall that makes it impossible for gravel to shoot out when they are digging .Price around 31C$. The access ramp has a textured path. I cut up one of those rugged plastic carpets to increase that ruggedness and put one of these rugged carpets in front … There is sort of in inside center top chimney where you place carbon filters that work very well.
A friend has the self cleaning/washing ones it is a A PAIN ..as it never dries up in time and the cat hates the wet gravel and it sticks to their paws. etc. I love the one within the box one floor up and that should be easy to DIY for a 1/10s of the price. and inside one could place any type of litter. As long as there is light I had cats all my life and they do NOT need to sit and look around. Its us humans who think they like that. Actually cats like privacy as we do. As long as there is some filtered light it’s good enough. Thanks for reading this far, for your reward visit our cats at
http://visualsenses.smugmug.com/PRIVATE-GALLERIES/Chanel-Kouture-Kitty/9029737_vfcYb#600864612_FVWk2
March 20th, 2010 at 6:57 am
Mary, someone tagged this in stumbleupon.com, and all of us stumblers are now being sent to it.
March 20th, 2010 at 8:44 am
I agree. there are much better ideas than this…but this idea can be modified by the average handy-person. each person has different cat needs and number of kitties. Hope each finds a working solution. PS. I find this via Stumble and pages seem to travel that network sometimes. Anyone else find this this way?
March 20th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Stumbleupon!
March 20th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
I think someone must have put this on stumbleupon because that is how I arrived.
March 21st, 2010 at 7:00 am
I don’t know how I would ever get my cat to use that. It’s a good idea but, it’s almost impossible to train cats for most people so,i don’t see this working out very well.
March 21st, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Ah, thank you, Stumbleupon person! Welcome, all! Hope you stick around. : )
March 21st, 2010 at 12:48 pm
I’m not sure putting it next to the air conditioner intake is such a good idea!
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:27 pm
$200?! Are the people who are selling this nuts??? It doesn’t hide the smell, and why would you want to set nice things on the top right above cat crap?
April 29th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I love this…pure genius. Our cat would totally use it too
May 5th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Wow, that’s a pretty neat invention. The only problem with boxes like these is that if it’s out of site and out of your nose range, then your risk forgetting to clean the box.
I guess it would be a great box if you are pretty strict in your cleaning schedule. Most people forget though. Litter boxes should be cleaned a minimum of twice daily to keep cats happy. I think everyone who owns a cat knows that if she ain’t happy with it… she’s not going to use it.
Just remember to clean daily!
May 18th, 2010 at 7:24 am
OMG! yes please! anything to keep my freakin’ DOG out of the litter box!!! G-R-O-S-S!
May 19th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Yeah, with the DOG of the picture, eating the kitty pooh…..but unfortunately, $200 is just way, way, out of my price barrier. I’m gonna have to get friendly with a handyman, handylady, or try n take my hammer, nails to some wood. Ooohhhh, now that’s a bit risky!
love the idea though. And to get the litter off their little paws, so when they jump up into bed, they are litter clean, great idea.
thanks
Dawn
May 19th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
The intent of this design is not to keep odors down. The intent is to inhibit tracking litter throughout the house. This product seems to have a good vision of the problem and a nice solution. But $200!? Really. Ridiculous.
July 1st, 2010 at 4:56 am
[...] Shelterrific I found this rad litter box hideaway. What makes Out of Sight more than just a box hiding a litter [...]
July 15th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
I just ordered the very expensive out of sight litter box. I have a Booda Ball on a very fluffy flokati rug, 3 cats. There is no odor, but the tracking is driving me mad. I have to vacuum the entire house every day. If it works as described, it’ll be worth it.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:47 am
WOW! My ears are burning! I’m the guy that invented, patented, manufacturers and sells the Out of Sight Litter Box. I do understand that $200. seams like a lot. We use the highest quality materials and we are made in America! Add up all the time you spend cleaning up tracked litter from all over your home, daily and weekly. Our price is a great value!
The Out of Sight Litter Box hides the litter pan and litter mess, STOPS LITTER TRACKING and yes, keeps dogs (and kids) out of the litter pan. As for odor… odor is caused by not cleaning any litter pan. My patented design raises the litter pan up to a second shelf, so you walk up, lift the top lid, scoop and walk away. Takes only a minute in the morning, and a minute at night. Also our cabinet has large vent holes in the back panel for good air circulation.
Take a minute and read our customer comments and look at the photos THEY sent in… our cabinets are, next to the owners bed, in the living room by the couch, in the kitchen…
What I am hoping is, if you have a cat, please don’t let a few negative comments above keep you from going to look at and learn more about the Out of Sight Litter Box. Compare it to all the “other” litter box cabinets on the market. Look at pricing and what they do… hide the litter pan… then look at the Out of Sight Litter Box – it really does work. You have to make the “value” choice for yourself.
Mary T (whoever you are)… thanks for your kind and positive write up.