Moderncat reader Sari is at it again! Last time she showed us her awesome DIY cat tower, that was based on Colin’s Kitty Catsle. This time she used her signature green and white to create a stylish and functional litter box hider with a good old IKEA Besta shelf unit. By cutting two holes in the shelf — one in the side and another in the divider panel — Sari created a little runway for her two Egyptian Maus, Mauno and Eppu, to enter and exit the litter box. Some carpeting on the walkway shelf helps trap the litter and a motion actived LED light over the box sheds some light on the subject. There’s even room to store a few bags of clean litter. With a sleek wall mural and coordinating sculpture by Eero Aarnio, this is a Moderncat-worthy litter center!
I couldn’t resist sharing a few more photos of Mauno and Eppu that I found on Sari’s blog.
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:50 am
The other day while browsing through this site, I fell in love with the idea of this first hack, although I immediately thought of using a higher piece for my cats’ comfort. I have the furniture at home ready to assemble, I’ll probably do it this weekend. And now I see this post with an even better idea, instead of just one door the piece uses two and has a sensor light above. I’ll just dash to Ikea and get the extra door!
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:28 am
simple and perfect, I cannot wait to live in a larger apartment and build all this stuff for my cats!
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:36 am
Love this! Simple, beautiful!
July 22nd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Interesting concept. IKEA + creativity = perfect Moderncat style! Mauno and Eppu are lovely, btw.
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:29 pm
What a clever idea. Stylish and doesn’t scream “I’m a catbox”.
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
my husband and i love this! any way to get some instructions on how to make it? (we’re trying to remedy litter scatter and not having to see the plastic bin the kitties use)
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Kitties are SO contemporary so why wouldn’t they love the design and privacy. Mine are already BEGGING me to go get them one!
July 23rd, 2009 at 4:49 am
Thanks for the compliments!
Annie, there isn’t much instructions to give, just to make the two entrance/exit holes with a lock saw. I have covered the sawn edges with white plastic film but if I can find, I will add suitable rim.
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:12 am
Hello…
Loved the idea and I’ll try to make one for my cats!
But… won’t they feel trapped inside a cabinet like that?
Anyone has anything like this to tell me if the cats really use it?
Thanks
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:59 am
How clever!!!
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:26 am
Luciano, my cats prefer this one, even though there is an open box (just like the one in the cabinet) in the bathroom as an alternative option.
Even when Mauno had a sore paw and had to wear a collar he stumbled inside the cabinet when I thought he’d rather use the open box.
Mauno has a funny habit meowing loudly when he’s doing poo-business (pee is silent) and that’s really hilariuous when he also does it behind the closed doors.
July 24th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
That’s great to hear Sari!
I’m alreadylooking for a nice cabinet to build Freya and Odin’s new secluded bathroom!
Thanks for answering!
July 25th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Yes to the litter box, yes to the mural !!!
I still have a questions: do the cats have to jump to enter the entrance, or did you build a stair of ome kind ? How did you do to explain to them that ther was a litter inside that cabinet ?
July 25th, 2009 at 5:59 am
Genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 25th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
ha, i just bought a besta unit at ikea yesterday to turn into a hidden litter box! unfortunately i only have room for the single unit, so there will be more tracking and no room for litter storage. after seeing this i can’t wait to get started. great job!
July 26th, 2009 at 3:33 am
Loora,
yes, they have to do a little jump to get in, but that’s no trouble for at all, they run and jump all the time anyway and the jump is only about 30 cm. Both my cats are young (Eppu is just a 4 months old kitten and Mauno is only one year older than him) and Egyptian Maus are very athletic and muscular anyway. Of course some kind of stairway can be built if your cat is old or very heavy.
As for the doors, I had the box in there without the doors for a couple of days, and when the doors were installed, the natural curiosity did the trick in about 10 seconds and they found their way to the litter box in no time and started using it right away.
I think they like the privacy of the cabinet, as said there is an open alternative also available, but they seem to prefer this more private option.
July 27th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
LUUUV This! A modernist designer, myself, and ikeamaniac having spent lots of time in scandinavia. simple, elegant, brilliant!
July 31st, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Sari,
How did you get the holes cut like that?? Also where did you get the doors where they also from Ikea?
Thanks
Amanda
August 1st, 2009 at 10:48 am
Amanda,
as said, the holes are cut with a lock saw and the edges are covered with white plastic film to make them neat and safe.
The doors are from Ikea as well, white glossy Bestå Norum doors.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Sari,
I followed your lead and built a replica litter hider. Thanks for the idea! One question though, where did you get your light? I found one at Ikea, but it isn’t working as well as I’d hoped.
Thanks again!
August 8th, 2009 at 6:14 am
Really nice work!!!! With regards to the smell of the cat boc is it redused to it’s desgin? and one last question do you blueprints of this?
Thanks a million!!!!
August 8th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Jack,
I bought the light in a hardware store, it was by Philips.
August 9th, 2009 at 5:52 am
David,
yes it keeps the smells inside the cabinet. And I don’t know what you mean by blueprints, it’s a readymade Ikea cabinet with just two holes cut to it, not a real engineering project
August 12th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Sari,
Is this the….
BESTÃ…
Shelf unit/ height extension unit
$80.00???
August 12th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Also.. where did you get that litter box? I can’t seem to find anything thats simple or that high.
Thank you
August 12th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Erica,
it’s BestÃ¥ 120 cm wide, 64 cm tall and 40 cm deep – I don’t know the price in dollars, as we use euro and here it is 60 €.
This one: http://www.ikea.com/fi/fi/catalog/products/40134050
And the box is just an ordinary storage box from a hardware store, not a special litter box from a pet store.
August 13th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
That is it.
Thank you for your help. Great idea.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:18 am
this is amazing – thanks for sharing it!
September 18th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
You’re a genius. This solves the life long ordeal of the ugly litterbox and the tracking. It’s a dream for anal retentive, design conscious, cat owners such as myself.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Hello! This project inspired me to create one of my own! I got all the same equipment, but I’m having trouble at the end. Sari – you said that you covered the rough edges with “plastic film.” What do you mean by that? I couldn’t think of anything to cover the edges on mine.
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I’m moving from Phx to Miami in a few weeks and plan on building one of these for my cat since I’m not sure if I’m gonna be letting him outside anymore. Great idea! I’d love to know where to get the motion LED light.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:46 am
This is great! I just moved into a small apartment with no real good place for the litter boxes. Saw this idea and went out and bought the Besta unit with doors $130 ish with tax, not bad. I think I am going to modify the entry part and do a ramp, one of my 3 cats might not like the jumping part. I’m still searching the hardware stores for the plastic bin that will fit in the second compartment, and can’t wait to have this all set up! Thanks for the inspiration!
January 22nd, 2010 at 5:39 pm
I want to make this for my cats but it would be to small for my Ralphie giant kitti.
Other than that its pawesome!
February 16th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Sorry I haven’t been here for a while and answered the questions!
Matt, by “plastic film” I mean ordinary, white, plastic sticky tape or adhesive tape or whatever you call it.
And Giulio, the motion detective small lights can be found in hardware stores, department stores (lighting dept) and such – at least here.
February 28th, 2010 at 9:21 am
This is a great idea, thank you for sharing !
You should be getting a rebate from Ikea with all the new customers you are sending them to buy that shelf haha
To replace your plastic sticky tape you should look for some kind of edge banding in your favorite DIY store
BTW your cat’s pictures are superb, I am looking forward to get a Mau too ^^
March 15th, 2010 at 8:42 am
Sari, thanks so much for this idea! It’s so inspiring. My husband and I constructed ours last weekend and our kitties are loving it. I had to make the holes a bit larger, as our cats are giant and fat, and I used molding around the holes to clean them up a bit. Thanks again!!
May 9th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Thanks for the compliments and feel free to copy! And thanks Mark – the boys are superb so it’s easy to take pictures, even as a non-pro like myself. Maus are superb.
June 17th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
wow wow wow beautiful!!!!
June 19th, 2010 at 4:59 am
I made a similar one for Eddy. It’s only one cupboard though with a frosted glass door so he has some light while digging about. It’s worked really well, although I think it needs some carpet to catch any stray litter. I’m so pleased to get the litter box out of the kitchen.