Comments on: Antonio’s DIY Cat Spot

By: ryumama

ryumama — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:19:32 +0000

it’s very beautiful, but it’s better to separate the food space and the litter space…

By: Antonio Rosa da Silva

Antonio Rosa da Silva — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:56:44 +0000

Hey Lisa

Thanks for the tips on Norwegian names.

By: Emilie

Emilie — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:43:15 +0000

I do not like this design. A cat should not have to eat that close to the toilet! In Sweden this is against the law to have the food closer than one meter from the toilet.

Other than that, it looks nice

By: lisa

lisa — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:48:49 +0000

Hey there-
I have an uncomfortably named 5 month kitten, so I know your dilemma.
I try to find something that’s easy to call them with.
here are some Norwegian names-
Birgitt-(means splendid)
Elena-(pure)
Finna -) (fair) she is quite beautiful
Svanna-(Noise) is she talky?
Thora-(thunder) does she purr loudly?

check somewhere for the correct pronunciation, I believe that the r’s are rolled
which makes Birgitt and Thora sound like purring….
best L.

By: Antonio Rosa da Silva

Antonio Rosa da Silva — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:05:00 +0000

Lexi sounds nice! Initially i was looking for a Norwegian – Viking like name, but I guess the way it sounds is more important. Thanks for the suggestions

By: stephanie

stephanie — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:54:36 +0000

I’ve always liked the name Bella for big fluffy female cats. It means beautiful in Italian.

By: steven

steven — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:25:03 +0000

Name her Lexi. Then you will have Taxi and Lexi ..just a thought. Looks pretty interesting.

By: Antonio Rosa da Silva

Antonio Rosa da Silva — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:52:42 +0000

I appreciate the feedback, thanks. For me this is a work in progress, i tried different setups, having the cats reaction in mind, and this one is what worked best. They like to know every minute what the other cat is doing, and they don’t seem to mind eating next to the litter (is not that close in cat distance and they eat a lot), in fact, i believe, is what works best.
All the wood came from a couple of recycled doors and is varnished, so it´s easy to clean, in front of the spot and around the food and water trays there’s a linoleum mat (linoleum is a natural anti-bacteriological material), and as Stephanie suggested i’m going to cover the interior with it too(work in progress).
Near the cat spot there´s a place where the two kitty’s can sit and look outside, level with the window (they have access to all the flies they can get).
The two cats are 1,5 years old, the male (white feet) is called ‘Taxi’ the female, sadly after all this time doesn’t have a name yet (any suggestions?)

One thing i learned, and i lived with cats all my life, is that cat behavior is different from us humans. Take for instance the way cats give a bath to each other… with a good licking and… humans don´t catch flies as a dessert.

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:59:02 +0000

I’d also have to agree, you shouldn’t keep their food near their litter boxes. I’ve read that it can actually put cats off their food and cause them stop eating altogether. Could ultimately be dangerous to their health just to save some space. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. That’s not to say I can’t appreciate their effort and workmanship, it’s well done.

By: jmuhj

jmuhj — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:53:49 +0000

Add me to the nay-sayers, Kate. It looks lovely, but honestly.

By: stephanie

stephanie — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:56:13 +0000

For some reason outdoor cats seem to want to go to the bathroom near their feeding spot. Maybe that is their outdoor mentality and if indoors they would chose not to eat near it. I think there should be something underneath the litterbox and on the walls since accidents are inevitable.

It does look like they have a great view out the window but not a lot of room to sit on the windowsill. Maybe something attached to it for them to lay on would be nice. We are so bossy about this guys cats ha ha sorry!

By: Taqah

Taqah — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:33:04 +0000

I love how indignant some of the posters get. No, he might not be living every moment of his life without the cats’ interest at heart. his comfort and style may have come into the picture. He might be a normal person who knows he has to live with the annoyances of cat hair and cat litter, and accepts that the cats may have to live with having what is perhaps not a perfect eating arrangement either–i suspect that they aren’t too upset. Animals tend to let you know when they are upset. (By the way my cat’s ideal eating arrangement isn’t permitted because it consists of stealing prosciutto out of my hands while sitting while purring maniacally and kneading into my favorite sofa.)

By: Reb

Reb — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:38:36 +0000

I agree with the majority of posters thus far – - this is just wrong. It is clearly more for the human’s sense of how things should go, than the cat’s health, happiness and well-being. The food and water should go nowhere near the litter. I agree with tonka that just because the cats are making do so far with this, doesn’t mean it is good for them and it may lead to behavioral glitches in the future.

By: tonka

tonka — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:42:27 +0000

Nice wood but I think it takes more than a divider to honor a cats “behavioral need” to not eliminate, eat and sleep in the same place. I mean, not to get anthropomorphic but, would “you” eat in your bathroom with just a divider separating you from the toilet? I mean really! That the cats have accepted this situation does not make it right nor with their best interest at heart.

By: Babs (formerly Kush's Human)

Babs (formerly Kush's Human) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:24:29 +0000

Those kitties must be blissed out from the view out the wrap around window! Sweet.

By: Katy

Katy — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:17:26 +0000

I would not like my food bowl next to my toilet, and would not place my animal’s food bowl near their litter box. Not a very well thought out idea. If space was the issue, then put a panel on the front with a porthole in. Build up the top edge slightly, and place their feeding station near the window. They could look outside whilst they eat.