Just the other day I was lamenting about the lack of well-designed litter boxes and lo and behold, I find one at Ikea’s site. This green molded plastic tray is only $5, and to me looks prefect for our country house (where our city cat has yet to go). I’m not sure if it’s one piece or two, or the size, but I’ll let you know. We’re doing an Ikea stop later tonight to pick up a few things. In the meantime, if you’ve seen or used please let us know what you think! — Angela M.

I know there’s been lots of baby talk here at Shelterrific lately, but that doesn’t mean we’re neglecting our four-legged roomies! Design*Sponge wrote about modern pet furniture company Hepper the other day, and it’s just about the coolest pet site I’ve seen ages. Their slogan is “pet furniture that will make you jealous” and it’s fitting — though I think the way they’ve styled their minimalist felt pods among swan chairs and other enviable pieces really helps. I’m eyeing the the nest, $95 — but would our cat really appreciate a new bed before the new baby arrives? That’s a whole ‘nother post! What I’m really searching for is mod cat litter box — with a cover. Why is no one making those?? — Angela M.

Kitty furniture is one of our favorite things at Shelterrific, and we’ve written about a few pieces of mod cat trees before. But this clever piece at SkyMall, $100, is pretty damn ingenious. We love that it’s not modern or frumpy, but has a pleasant cottage feel, and comes with a bit of storage on top and a towel rack. Something tells the sophisticated feline in your life will like it to. (Via outblush).

Don’t you always feel a little sorry for goldfish stuck in one small bowl their whole life? We know you would want your pet to have a nice home, so consider getting Nemo a Fish Condo $85 from Realm Dekor. Instead of the monotony of one bowl, the little guy can swim throughout this three room living space. It’s like going from a studio to a one-bedroom with an eat-in-kitchen. Sweet!

Friends of ours are planning on bringing home new baby kitties soon, so naturally our brunchtime conversation the other day ventured towards exciting topics like kitty litter and boxes. Inevitably, the subject of toilet training cats came up. But aside from a scene or two in Meet the Fockers, none of us have ever witnessed this miraculous training in action. Have any of you? There’s a company called Citi Kitty that makes a toilet training kit for cats. How wonderful would it be to not have an ugly litter box taking up space in our small apartments? If you visit their website, you can see the wonders for yourself! Watch the video! It’s highly amusing, but we can’t picture our cat doing this. What do you think? Is this a smart thing, or a waste of time? — Angela M.