Comments on: BRAND NEW! Introducing the Cat Quarters from Inspired Pet Designs

By: Brook

Brook — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 05:28:42 +0000

I’ve decided to make my own cat litter furniture. I bought a primative (simple) pine (made from 1″ x 12″ lumber) chest which is 45″ long and will go at the foot of my double bed. It will have an entry area within the chest where litter falls before kitty walks out the circular doorway. The litter box itself will be a plastic tote which is about 16″ high and it’s fairly long to accommodate a larger cat and ensure that all poo and pee will be despited IN the box because the litter isn’t long enough for a large cat.

I will make a wooden frame 4″-5″ high with a wooden peg on each corner area of the bottom which will slide into holes in the top of the chest. That will provide an area for a cushion and will keep it from sliding off. If I no longer want a cushion on the top I can remove it and put decorative wooden plugs in the holes.

TO FINISH IT OFF I’ll be staining it a dark color and buying ORIENTAL HARDWARE so it will ultimately look like an antique Korean blanket chest. ( http://www.ChineseBrassHardware.com )

Note: My Dad was career Army and I grew up in Japan, then later I was an Army wife for 30 years and we were stationed in Korea. I have a collection of antique Korean cabinetry. In fact, 4 of my 6 children were adopted from Korea. The litter cabinet I make should blend nicely with my decor.

By: honk

honk — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:22:28 +0000

I have to agree with the majority of comments here – my cat would not like to smell his waste right next to his food and water, bleh! Also,

By: Tina

Tina — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:20:52 +0000

I would rather spend $500 on a Litter Robot and automatic pet feeder. When I read the name of the product Cat Quarters, I thought it was from CatQuarters.com where I bought my kitty condo.

By: jess

jess — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:17:36 +0000

I was about to ask if my cats were just cleaner than most (re: food near the litterbox), but I see I am not alone in this regard. Our cats are pretty tidy – we use an automatic litter box (which they and I both love – nothing like not having to scoop poop for me, or step in poop for them…) I dont even know if this unit would FIT an automatic litter box, and if having to choose between illogical cat furniture and my automatic litter box, I pick the litter box any day! (For 500+ bucks, you would think they would realize cats dont eat near where they poop… I mean, whens the last time you had a bowl of cereal on the toilet?… Dont answer that.)

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:44:24 +0000

Wow. Expensive! And I’ll have to agree with keeping the food away. I can’t put my cat’s food anywhere near her litterbox – she’ll bother you to ‘feed her again’.

By: m.

m. — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:02:02 +0000

It’s pretty and my cat might go for it but I am uncomfortable with my cat eating and pooping so close together. I like cat bowls to be near the kitchen and wouldn’t want the litter there. If it was cheaper I agree that it would be good for a shelter.

By: Carolina Niebres

Carolina Niebres — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:48:04 +0000

It does look nice but I agree with the rest. My cat would not like it since the litter box is right there.

By: JoAnne

JoAnne — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:13:32 +0000

I know my cats (all4) would like it very much.Although I don’t really know which one would claim it for their own.

By: lentilki

lentilki — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:14:00 +0000

“In Sweden, the law says that the cats toilet has to be ATLEAST one meter from its food.”
Emilie, is this really true? That’s very interesting to me, would you be able to find the paragraph in the internet somewhere official, even in Swedish if not in English, I would appreciate it! (Please use my e-mail for the response because this is a bit off-topic ) Thank you! Regards from the Czech republic.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:24:48 +0000

I agree with alot of the negative feedback on this item. Cats don’t like to use the litterbox where they eat or sleep for that matter. I hear the defense that this is a nice item for someone who has a small space and not enough room for all the items. 1. How much room does a litter box, two bowls and a small bed take in total? 2. If you are cramped into a small place it probably means you aren’t budgeted for anything bigger which would count out the idea of paying nearly $600 for the price of what would maybe cost $50 for all three of those items separately. Conclusion: Beautiful looking item but terrible design for cats, and way overpriced.

By: Marina

Marina — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:29:21 +0000

The design is very nice, but no cat would use such a thing, everybody knows that. I am amazed they did not take it into consideration. Perhaps with another sleeping area instead of the litterbox it would be better.

By: tonka

tonka — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:49:57 +0000

@ Kathryn Schroeder, it’s not a question of whether a cat would appreciate eating, sleeping, eliminating in the same area. It is not a part of their psyche to do so. In the wild a cat (or a feral cat), would not eat, sleep and eliminate in the same area. To force, no matter how you put it, a cat to do this isn’t healthy and is asking for trouble.

By: rtown

rtown — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:56:06 +0000

For over $500 this should have been made from a nice bamboo or another green material or real wood not wood alternative, also the design looks dated for such an expensive piece. Where do you put the scoop when you are done scooping, is there even a scoop included? I recommend checking out the modkat litter box, http://www.modkat.com, for apartments and it is much more affordable.

By: joan

joan — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:35:45 +0000

A great use for this would be for intake of rescued cats in shelters or foster homes. Most foster caregivers need to keep new cats separated from their own until they have been vaccinated and tested for FeLV and FIV. We normally keep kitties in an extra bathroom, bedroom, or office and this would help to keep the bowls from being tipped over when kitties play in a small area. The enclosed cat litter box would also help to keep the box from being tipped over again during play and thus help keep the cat litter out of the bowls and to provide a nice spot to take a nap.

In a shelter setting this would also work well in a small intake room or in a large kennel to again keep bowls from tipping and keep them clean.

Great design!

By: Jen Henry

Jen Henry — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:10:41 +0000

i could see this idea working really well when fostering cats and you end up with a different cat, litterbox, and food bowls in each room of your house. could make it a lot easier for setting up a nice temporary spot for a kitty with everything he/she needs.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:00:10 +0000

I love the design! It looks well-made, and I like how the bowls are elevated and tucked in the side.

By: Daniela Caride

Daniela Caride — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:58:14 +0000

Hmmm. My three cats would like to stay away from their bathroom where they eat. Don’t know if this would work at my place. Here is a pic of my cats’ favorite piece of furniture: http://www.thedailytail.com/?p=803

As you can see in the pic, they wait in line to lounge there!

By: jmuhj

jmuhj — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:46:19 +0000

I think it’s very ingenious and extremely stylish and yes, there is proper separation of each function, so it looks cat-friendly, not just aesthetically pleasing to humans. It is pretty pricey for a small apartment dweller, but I’m sure there would be some who could afford it and appreciate it.

By: tricia

tricia — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:51:22 +0000

No, sorry. It’s not great design if the cat has to eat next to his litter box. For me it’s not a matter of litter getting into the food, it’s the fact that litter boxes smell, no matter how clean you keep them–and a cat can smell at least as well as a human. Why does it seem like SO many products designed for pets are designed by people who don’t know anything about animals? And why should an attractive litter-box-concealing piece of furniture cost $525? Sorry–the lack of smart, attractive items for pets (and people) really frustrates me.

By: Maya

Maya — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:46:40 +0000

i agree with Amy (comment number 12) and some others.

though this is a good idea in general, cats do not like it when their food and water bowls are close to their litter box this is something i have learned the hard way after having foster many cats over the years the ones who were unfortunate enough to receive my bathroom (cause the other rooms were already taken by other foster cats) as their living quarter all showed signs of distress and strong desire to not be in the bathroom for long period of times after only a couple of weeks, they usually tended to end up as the most “crazy” ones.
as Amy said put a nice soft pillow inside the litter box and you get a nice bed for you kitty (or even for any small dog).
mipmup (comment number 14) idea is also nice put a nice plant instead of the bowls (maybe some grass for the cat to munch on after taking care of business ).
personally i like Amys` idea better.

any how even if i would have thought this is a brilliant idea i wouldn’t buy it, 500$ for something i can build myself or ask a carpenter to build in less then 150$ (and that’s after changing the currency to my local currency), is a tad too much for my liking, i think they are simply overpricing it, even more so since they don’t seem to disclose from what it is made of i searched the entire website and found not one word which clarify what kind of wood or any other natural or man-made replacement they might be using, personally when i buy something i like to know what it is made of and if it is wood then which kind of wood, it’s age and so on to know how strong what i buy is, espicially if i am paying over 500$.

By: stephanie

stephanie — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:15:24 +0000

I also can’t imagine trying to clean this thing when the cat misses the litter box which all cats do from time to time. They might even hit the bowls, YUK!

By: stephanie

stephanie — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:10:15 +0000

If someone did buy this I would hope they use pine litter because it is going to get in the food and water bowls. Just because a cat eats/drinks in this thing doesn’t mean it would be a healthy thing to do. It would make a nice little private retreat for kitties minus the litter box and bowls.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:41:55 +0000

I thought this was a great product. It’s obvious that when you look at it there is a wall between the food section and the litter box which the cat has to access from another side. The litter can’t possibly get into the food. People who humanize cats, and we all do, seem to think that cats have the same distinctions as humans but when I lived in a small Philadelphia apartment with a cat I can tell you that the cat had no concerns about eating or sleeping near the litter box.

By: JB Traynor

JB Traynor — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:53:07 +0000

Neat idea for cramped spaces. My only objection is the food/water area. Some cats may not mind, but mine would. Also, some litters are quite dusty, so not sure this is the best idea for those. But for litters that are not dusty….

Good-looking piece of furniture, though!

By: mipmup

mipmup — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:40:15 +0000

it *is* a great-looking product, but my cats wouldn’t be fond of eating near their bathroom . i would probably put some plants where the food and water are supposed to go.