Do you have a furry feline friend? If you do, you know what a pain the litter box can be. I have tried several types of litter boxes over the years. My biggest pet peeve (no pun intended) is the litter that ends up tracked all over the floor. Yuck!
I have 2 kitties. One is a very neat litter box user. The other somehow manages to fling litter into all corners of the room with just one use. Over Christmas, I requested a “self-cleaning” litter box from my mother-in-law. What a nice gift, huh? I was so excited to set it up and put it to good use.
Well, this was a royal flop. The first week was fabulous, and then we quickly realized the self-cleaning litter box only created more of a mess. I bought a fancy cover for it on ebay which I thought would keep my dog out of it and contain the stray litter. Again, an utter failure.
I was completely frustrated and angry at myself for wasting such an expensive gadget. Hubby and I headed over to Petsmart to find a better solution. I was looking for some way to contain the mess, and keep my dog out. Something like this:
Eureka! I found it at Petsmart! There was just one problem. They wanted $34.99 for it. Are you kidding me? It is a piece of plastic with a hole in it! That is when inspiration struck. Walmart had the perfect solution the whole time, we just didn’t know it.
My Frugal Homemade Litter Box:
This is Oprah, isn’t she pretty?
A big Rubbermaid-type container, with a homemade hole in the top. Hubby thought I was a genius! I should have thought of this years ago. Simply pop off the top to clean it out or add more litter.
My cats love it! They get their privacy, my dog stays out, and the mess is minimal. It solved everything, and I am still using this system over a year later.
For more frugal fun, visit Life As Mom.
Hey Alyssa, I LOVE IT. I think I will have to try this. I have 2 cats too and live in DFW. Small world. Love your site.
I’m not sure words can express my gratitude right now. THANK. YOU. I have a cat and am currently annoyed by the same things you just listed. I feel like I sweep up stray litter ALL day long, but I couldn’t think of a good solution. I’m going to try to talk my hubby into going to Walmart tonight. 🙂 Muchas Gracias!
.-= Nicki at Domestic Cents´s last blog ..Meal Cards =-.
Wow thank you for this post! I am so tired of sweeping up the litter. And though I have a covered one the dog always sticks his head in it. I’ll be making a stop at Walmart this weekend.
I know you posted this before. I’ve been meaning to try it.
.-= Felicia´s last blog ..Charlotte Russe Clearance Sale =-.
Target has then on sale for $4.88
GENIUS!!!!!! Thank you so much for posting this! We have been letting our cat go out all summer onto our screened in patio. We had to put a litter box out there and it is really too small for her. This is just perfect! Thanks!
.-= Michele´s last blog ..Marble Earth =-.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I will definitely be doing this come winter! Such a GREAT idea! =)
.-= Anne M.´s last blog .. =-.
This is such a WONDERFUL idea! Way to go!
.-= Ann´s last blog ..Food Lion Deals =-.
This is great! I got the Tidy Cats Breeze litter system for free last year and found a bunch of the systems on clearance at Target (almost free after coupon) so I stocked up (kept the refills and gave away the litter boxes), but I can’t find the refill pellets and pads anywhere now. I’m in the market for a new litter box for my two cats and this looks like a very good solution. Thanks for sharing.
.-= Susan´s last blog ..My Walgreens Trip (7/31) =-.
There are brightly colored totes in the back to school section at WalMart on sale for $3.50 right now, so it’s even cheaper, and even easier to match your decor for anyone else who wants to try this 🙂
.-= Storm´s last blog ..Printable Smart Ones Pizza Minis Coupon =-.
Oh, great idea to match your decor! Thanks for the tip, Storm. 🙂
Aren’t you just clever~! love it~!
My stinkin’ cat likes to flick her litter everywhere. This is worth a try!
.-= Tami´s last blog ..Saturday Ramblings =-.
Wow! Great idea1
Susan, we have the Breeze. I ordered my litter from Pet Food Direct . I think I found a code, and I went through Ebates. I bought 4 packages, and each cost less than it did when I bought from the store.
.-= Tonya´s last blog ..5 Coupon Inserts on 8/2 =-.
Great post Alyssa!
I did a box like this back in February. You can see it here: http://nessatxmom.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-made-litter-box.html
Two words of advice on these boxes. If you are thinking of making one for yourself, and your goal is to keep dogs out of it, be sure you make a hole big enough for the cat but not too big or the dog can still get into the litter. Also, you might want to use duct tape or something else to cover the sharp plastic edges you are left with after cutting. That way kitty is protected. You can see in the pic of mine that it isn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but it works. I was using washclothes taped around the edge as a bumper, but they were hard to keep on.
Anyway, just wanted to share my experience with these type boxes. We love ours…no more litter all over the floor!
.-= Nessa´s last blog ..Any Minute by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford =-.
wow! creative idea! we had success with our automatic litter box, otherwise I’d try the same thing. What kind of automatic litter box did you use? we use the scoop free (scoopfree.com) and i would try your litter box idea, except …well, ours worked out. LOL.
I love this idea. I have to make one of these right now. This is awesome. Thanks so much.
.-= Kristin @ klingtocash.com´s last blog ..New coupons at coupons.com =-.
Wal-mart has them now for 3.50 and in some hot colors!
$3.50 is an amazing deal, thanks for the tip, Marie!
I think I’m gonna cry. This is awesome!!!!!!!!!!
LOL! Thanks, Andrea. I hope it works for your feline friend!
Hmmm…great idea! I wonder how that would work for a cat who doesn’t like to jump.
.-= Holly´s last blog .. =-.
My kitty flings his litter as well… so I got him a covered box but he hated that. I put a garbage bag under the litter box and just sweep off that.
.-= Lulu´s last blog ..How Much Do You Make? (Getting To Know Readers) =-.
Oh My Gosh…I don’t know why I never thought of doing this. I have had several cats that I would have liked to keep in the house, but eventually the litter box just became too much to handle. Mainly because I have two Boston Terriers who adore a litter box. I looked at all the covered ones, but I knew my dogs could still get in there. This would definitely work!! I have a new Siamese kitten that Hubby brought to me just a few weeks ago. The dogs have just today caused me to pick up after their scrounging and jump all over them for eating out of it….ewwwwwwwwwww. I’ll be buying a tote this weekend I assure you!! Thanks for the awesome idea!! I have a sister and a cousin who will also appreciate this idea!