Ten years ago we had a pug dog named Bosco.  He was a great family pet, save the shedding and his affinity for “kitty crunchies.”  Not the kind in the bowl, the OTHER kind of kitty crunchies.  As if the cats tracking kitty litter out of their box wasn’t enough, Bosco would sort of explode out of the kitty litter box making an even bigger mess.  Also, I no longer wanted to kiss him, and the bits of kitty litter in his face wrinkles were sort of repulsive.  My solution?  I bought a big rubbermaid tub, about 18 gallons and 24″ tall x 18″ wide.  I put about 5

Actual box, we just cut a hole in the lid.

inches of kitty litter in the bottom then put the lid on.  From the lid, I cut a hole about the size of a plastic flap kitty door (i.e., a little bigger than a cat’s head and shoulders.)  Voila!  A pug-proof cat box!  Not only could he not get in, but the cats didn’t kick as much out.  I patted myself on the back and went on.

Fast forward ten years: I’m looking at kitty perching shelves on moderncat.net, and I come across their April giveaway, a ModKat.  Yes, it’s much sexier than my rubbermaid tub.  It’s cube-ier, shinier, and the hole isn’t all jagged, but the design’s the same.  They did make one improvement, the lid has ventilation holes, presumably so that litter will fall off the cats’ feet and back into the box when they exit.  If a pretty kitty litter box is worth a hundred bucks to you, then just buy this one.  If you’re more thrifty, the Rubbermaid tub works just fine.  We’re actually still using ours, but it’s in the garage now.  The cats can access it through a kitty door.

ModKat comes in many colors.

The ModKat still isn’t your style?  Check out these retro kitty litter box hiders from Paul McCobb.

Paul Mccobb's Retro Kitty Litter Hider

This one will set you back almost $500, but that’s still a lot cheaper than remodeling your own bathroom!  (Still, much more expensive than rubbermaid tubs.)  It has simple clean lines with a grasscloth front and hinged side door for easy access.   It can be custmized with a variety of colors and finishes.  Get your own or explore more mid-century modern kitty box hiders at modernistcat.com.

Apparantly, moderncat readers are quite creative.  Check out the DIY plans for this kitty litter hider.

Also Pug Proof

The entrance hole is unseen on the left side of the cabinet, and kitties must walk across a carpeted shelf to get to the litter on the right side of the cabinet.  That means that the litter clinging to kitty feet will be trapped in the shelf carpet before exiting.  Love it!

therefinedfeline.com

The Refined Feline also carries litter box hiders as well as beautiful kitty towers and perches.  This one is only $199, but it may not be pug-proof.

Did I mention the Rubbermaid tub was in my utility room?  If it had been more exposed, it might have needed to look nicer.  Then again, if I had had a Modkat I probably wouldn’t have wanted to hide it in the utility room!