Check out these stylish options to spruce up kitty’s litter area this holiday season!

Kitty a Go Go
Designer litter boxes, six styles to decorate your home.
KittyAGoGo.com

Automated Pet Care Products Inc.
Litter-Robot self cleaning litter box. Never scoop poop again.
Litter-Robot.com

Modern Cat Designs Large Litter Hider
A stylish way to hide large and electronic litter boxes
ModernCatDesigns.com
Use coupon code HolidayCat and get $50 off!

Designer Pet Products
Hide Your Litter Box is Style!
DesignerPetProducts.com

ModKat
The award winning modern cat litter box that keeps litter in its place.
modko.com

Litter Spinner
Litter box that cleans in less than 15 seconds
LitterSpinner.com

PetFusion SmartGrip Cat Litter Mat
Soft material, SmartGrip design, and large surface area keeps cat litter off your floor
PetFusion SmartGrip Cat Litter Mat

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Make sure to check out all the other fabulous finds in our Holiday Gift Guide!

Here’s a whole new kind of cat litter scoop with some truly unique features. It’s the SmartCat Big Mouth Litter Scoop from Pioneer Pet Products. I came across this little gem while attending the SuperZoo Pet Product Expo. It was another of those stop-in-my-tracks moments. The display showed the scoop hanging on the side of a litter box — one of my favorite features in a litter scoop, I love having a place for the scoop to go! The scoop also stands up all on its own, another awesome feature. And finally, it has a nice wide mouth and a really comfortable handle to make scooping easy. I love this thing!

The SmartCat Big Mouth Litter Scoop comes in dark green and blue. Both are available on Amazon for less than $6.

This litter box isn’t as stylish as some that I’ve shared with you, but the pure functionality has me giddy! This is the Feline Pine Self-cleaning Litter Box, and it is fabulous! I’ve been wanting to try this out for a while now, so the company sent me one to test, and I’m hooked. I’ve used pine pellet cat litter in the past, but I was always frustrated because as the pellets breakdown into sawdust, the whole box becomes a mess and the sawdust tracks all over the place, then you wind up throwing out good pellets when you dump the whole thing. Ugh!

The Feline Pine Self-cleaning Litter Box takes care of all those issues. It’s a 2-part box, as you can see above. The top compartment has a slotted bottom, allowing the sawdust to fall into the bottom tray. You simply scoop solids from the top, add a few more pellets, and dump the sawdust out of the lower tray as needed. Brilliant!

This litter box can be used with Feline Pine pellets or any other pine pellet cat litter, or as discussed in our Budget-saving Cat Litter Tips post, wood stove pellets work great, too.

Purchase the Feline Pine Self-cleaning Litter Box at felinepinelitterbox.com for $21.99 plus shipping.

I came across this line of stylish cat products from Dutch company Curver. They specialize in plastic home goods and also have a line of litter boxes, beds and carriers that look like rattan but are made of easy-to-clean plastic. They also make sleek storage containers decorated with cat photos, like the litter storage box pictured above.

The Curver website says that their products are available in the US at HomeGoods, Marshall’s and TJMaxx, but I can’t find them on the store websites. Some of the products are available in the UK through AmazonUK and in the Netherlands through PurrFectDesign.

via coolforcatsuk

If you’ve been reading Moderncat for a while, you know that I try to avoid clay litter for a couple of big reasons. First, it is not bio-degradable nor is it a renewable resource, making it an environmental nightmare. Second, silica, found in all clay litter, is a known carcinogen when inhaled (by both cats and humans), and sodium bentonite found in clumping clay litter, may cause serious health problems for your cats when ingested by grooming after using the litter box.

Clay litter is, however, still the most commonly used cat litter and it’s tough to find non-clay alternatives that 1) are available everywhere, 2) are affordable, and 3) perform well. Performance features I look for in a good cat litter include:

• Clumpability – Is it easy to scoop?
• Odor control – How well does it control odor?
• Texture – Do the cats like it and will they use it?
• Dust – How much dust is produced when pouring and scooping?
• Scent – What does the litter smell like? Natural smell or chemical perfume?
• Trackability – Does the litter track easily out of the box or is it heavy enough to stay contained in the box?
• Longevity – How long can you use the same litter (scooping and adding a little new litter) without needing to dump the entire box and refill?
• Weight – How heavy is the bag to lift and get home from the store?

So, back to the cost issue, I have a lot of cats and a lot of litter boxes, so I go through A LOT of litter. At the moment, I’m most concerned with finding a non-clay litter that is affordable and I’ve been experimenting a little. I found out that chicken crumble — used for feeding chickens — is pretty much the same stuff that the commercial corn cat litters are made out of. I went to my local feed store and bought a bag and, guess what? It works! I did a little searching online and this is a common thing to use. The commercial corn litters run about $1/lb and the chicken feed is about half that.

Now, this is not a perfect solution. One thing I learned is that all corn chicken feed will have bugs living in it. They may be dormant, but in a warm and damp climate, they are likely to hatch and crawl around in the chicken feed. Yeah, gross, I know. So the chicken feed litter may not work for everyone. I happen to have all of my litter boxes out on the catio, so if there are any bugs, they won’t get in the house, at least they haven’t so far the few times I’ve noticed them. I also live in the desert, which for most of the year is ideal for using chicken feed litter. I have read horror stories about bug infestations inside, so be warned.

Other than the bug issue, the chicken feed works pretty well. Clumping is good, the texture is perfect and the cats love it. It is pretty dusty and has a “farm-y” smell, but so do the commercial corn litters. All corn litters, I’ve found, break down over time and do have to be completely dumped and replaced fairly frequently, depending on how many cats you have using the box.

As far as I can tell, the commercial corn litters cost twice as much because they treat the corn (probably by freezing it) to kill the bugs for you, plus they add some clumping and odor control agents. I suppose you could try freezing the chicken feed yourself, but I’m not sure how long it would need to remain frozen, and you’d need a really big freezer. If anyone has tips for additives (baking soda, maybe?) to help with clumping or odor, please leave a comment on this post to share your ideas.

I’ve been purchasing 40 or 50 lb. bags of chicken feed at a local feed store. Since raising chickens is really “in” right now, you can probably find chicken feed at more and more regular pet supply stores. I bought a sturdy plastic bin on a rolling card with a lid that seals for storing the feed. The feed stores also have nice big scoops that work well for transferring the litter to the box. I’ve been saving quite a bit of money on litter and I’m happy with the results.

Another budget-friendly clay litter alternative I’ve read about, but I haven’t tried myself, is to use wood pellets made for stoves. These are apparently similar to the wood pellet litters available in pet stores. Others have reported excellent results. I would say that you want to look for wood pellets that are not treated with any chemical additives.

I know I’m always posting designer litter boxes that cost hundreds of dollars, but sometimes you just need plain old utility. I’ve found that cement mixing tubs, available at any home improvement store, work REALLY well for litter boxes. They are designed for easy mixing and scooping, so they have a cuved bottom and no sharp corners inside — perfect for easily scooping litter. They come in different sizes, the small tubs are around 24″ x 20″ x 6″ and cost $6 or $7 and the large tubs measure 24″ x 36″ x 8″ and only cost about $13. I have a large one tucked away on the catio and it is absolutely perfect for a multi-cat household.

So there you have a few budget-friendly cat litter ideas. Maybe not so stylish, but in this economy, we sometimes need to focus on function. Please feel free to leave your own cost-saving litter ideas in the comments!

The Kitty a Go Go designer covered litter box is on sale this week at LeLePets.com. Regularly $130, save $20 with this special deal. Offer ends Sept 13, 2012. Visit LeLePets.com to take advantage of the savings!

This modern litter box cabinet is from German pet product design company Julinka. Simple clean lines and beautiful details make this one of the nicest litter box enclosures I’ve seen. The doors open and close with magnetic latches, so there are no handles. Constructed of high-quality laminated plywood, each cabinet is handmade in Hamburg.

The litter cabinet sells for €655, or about $800 US. It looks like they are presently only shipping to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Here’s another stylish option for concealing the litter box that’s neutral enough, and comes in a variety of finishes, to match every decor. It’s the Designer Catboxand it has a simple design that could work equally well with a range of decorating styles, from traditional, to casual, to modern. The hinged top allows for easy access, and I like the two-part interior, including a separate entrance with offset openings. This requires kitty to navigate her way through the entrance area, helping to capture tracked litter before it exits the enclosure.

Of course, you’d need to be careful with this kind of litter box enclosure in a multi-cat household because it could be a potential ambush area. I’d like the design even better if there were two entrances/exits.

The Designer Catbox measures 29.1″ x 20.6″ x 20.8″ and comes in white, espresso, and black finishes.

If you use a larger litter box or one of the automatic boxes, then most decorative litter hiders won’t work for you because they are too small. Well, the folks at Modern Cat Designs have something new for you! It’s their new Large Litter Box Hider, deigned to accommodate over-sized litter boxes and automatic litter boxes.

The new Large Litter Box Hider measures 32″ x 21″ x 27.8″ and doubles as an attractive end table with two levels of storage. Double doors open to allow easy access inside for cleaning and there’s even a built-in hook for storing the litter scoop. Chrome plated details and a faux mahogany laminated finish give it a sleek modern look. You’ll love the design and your cats will love the extra room!

The new Large Litter Hider is available directly from moderncatdesigns.com for $269 US.

FREE SHIPPING FOR A LIMITED TIME!

Modern Cat Designs is offering free shipping to US addresses now through August 31, 2012. Shipping is regularly $40, so that’s a good savings. Just enter coupon code SHIPFREE at checkout.

Here’s a brand new way to add a touch of whimsy to you kitty’s litter box. It’s the Litterfish designer litter box from IOVO Designs. This covered creation transforms the litter box into a modern fish with a sleek cover. The Litterfish measures 18″ wide by 25″ deep and 18″ tall, not including the fins.

It looks like the Litterfish will come in a handful of different finishes, including premium glossy black and white finishes. The premium finishes apparently use automotive paint to create that high-end look, but these will run you $550. The regular plastic finish in white or orange will retail for $200.

PRE-SALE DISCOUNT

IOVO Designs is offering a special pre-sale discount on the orange and white plastic models of the Litterfish. They need 1000 people to purchase a Litterfish in order to go into production so they are offering a 15% discount on pre-sales. Get a white or orange regular Litterfish for just $159. If you change your mind before production starts, they will refund your money entirely. Visit the IOVO Designs website for more details.

Thanks to Moderncat reader Lucrecia for the find.

If you’ve been searching for an attractive and functional litter box, then you’re going to love Kitty A GoGo. This line of designer covered litter boxes has some innovative features and a variety of patterns and colors to suit many different styles.

The box features a unique slide-out litter tray, which makes it very easy to clean. No lifting the lid off, just pull out the tray and scoop. There is also an optional rake that can be used to pull clumps to the front of the box. They sent us one to test and we’re using it without the rake. It’s getting a lot of use, the size seems to be perfect for my smaller and average size cats. The inner litter tray measures 13″ wide by 17.5″ long by 4″ deep.

My favorite feature (this is actually one of my all-time favorite features, I completely freak out over this!) is the built-in hanger for the litter scoop. I absolutely hate having a separate litter scoop floating around the box, so this solves the problem and it does it in an attractive way.

ENTER TO WIN! WINNER’S CHOICE!

One lucky reader is going to win a Kitty A GoGo designer litter box! The winner will get to choose any of the six available styles. To enter, please leave a comment on this post telling us which style you’d choose. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on August 10, 2012. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to US addresses.

Modernist Cat has been designing and manufacturing exquisite mid-century modern style cat furniture for a couple of years, but this redesign is the best yet. The line now offers pieces that are beautiful, functional and flexible.

The new version of the Circa50 Collection includes three cabinets that can be stacked, set side by side, or used as standalone pieces. These cabinets are designed to be litter hiders or hideaway beds. The Standard cabinet has double doors in front and a side entrance, and the Compact I and Compact II have one or two side entrances. All the styles have ventilation holes on both sides. I love the configuration below, which could house the litter box in the upper cabinet, making it very easy to scoop.

Modernist Cat handcrafts all of their cat furniture out of 3/4″ walnut hardwood veneer Europly. The walnut veneer definitely adds to the mid-century modern look. There are options to customize your cabinets by adding colorful grass cloth panels, fleece interior beds, and exterior lounge pads. You can create exactly the look you want.

All of the cabinets double as regular furniture and can be used as side tables or for storage. I really love how these designs integrate seamlessly into a modern home, proving that cat furniture doesn’t have to stand out.

In addition to the cabinets, the Circa50 Collection includes a stylish raised feeder, the Circa50 Diner, also made from walnut veneer Europly with your choice of colorful water-resistant laminate finishes on top for easy cleaning. The feeder holds two washable stainless steel bowls and coordinates beautifully with the other pieces in the collection.

I always enjoy the photos from Modernist Cat featuring their lovely Sphynx cats, Jackson and Elliott!

Some of the most beautiful design for cats comes from The Netherlands. Kenzi is one Dutch company that offers very stylish, modern cat furniture, including litter boxes, scratchers, and beds.

I first spotted some of these pieces in the incredible PurrfectDesign retail store in Antwerp. Each piece is simple and elegant and appears to be made with the highest quality standards.

Kenzi offers sisal replacements for all their scratchers, as well as extra cushions and litter trays to extend the life of their products. See the whole collection at kenzi.nl.

Thank you to Moderncat reader Els for the link.

This exquisite line of modern pet furniture debuted recently at Milan Design Week. Chimère is by French design company Bloom Room and includes pet beds, a covered cat litter box, and several other pieces for small critters, all with incredible modern forms and finishes. No details on availability or pricing yet. I’ll keep you posted.

via Dog-Milk

There’s a new player in the high-end luxury cat furniture world and they have quite a lineup of beautiful items. Introducing Five Pet Place. More traditional than modern, these designs are made with fancy crown molding and high-quality craftsmanship to create the look and feel of fine furniture.

The founder of Five Pet Place, Michael Ostrofsky, was inspired to design the product line for his five cats. All products are made in the USA, because Five Pet Place refuses to support countries where cats and dogs are thought of as food.

The product line includes a 32.5″ sisal wrapped scratching post that can be easily refilled when worn, and an elegant raised scratch pad, also with replaceable sisal rope.

Litter items include a covered litter cabinet and a stylish open litter tray.

For the kitchen, they offer a 2-bowl or 3-bowl food & water server with raised ceramic dishes.

And finally, a deluxe window bed can be placed under kitty’s favorite lookout to give her a soft spot to rest. It even has an optional electric heater.

All of the Five Pet Place products can be ordered in walnut, white or honey finishes and many have options for designer accents including quartz inlays or painted panels. You can also purchase an engraved nameplate for each piece. Visit their design studio to create your own custom design.

Read all about Five Pet Place and their new products at fivepetplace.com.

The designers at Modko have been hard at working developing two new cat litter innovations that are being unveiled today a ICFF. First is Flip, their new convertible cat box. Flip gets its name from its hinged, magnetic lid which effortlessly opens with a finger and gratifyingly shuts with a snap. The top access makes it easy to clean without having to remove a separate lid like with most covered litter boxes. Flip is designed for use with a special liner made of seamless coated paperboard that is scratch-proof and liquid tight. Simply replace the liner once a month for easy clean-up. Flip measures 17” tall by 22” deep and 14“ wide and the entry opening is 8“ wide. Flip will be available in August for $90, but you can per-order now and get %20 off.

Modko is giving away 10 free Flip Litter Boxes! Visit modko.com and sign-up for their email newsletter to enter.

Along with Flip, Modko is introducing the Katch Litter Mat. Katch is made of a soft material that provides a slip-resistant surface for cats entering and exiting the litter box. The raised sides keep loose litter contained and make it easy to pour back in the box. Katch will be available in August for $20.

Looking for a great litter mat? Then you’re going to love the SmartGrip Cat Litter Mat from PetFusion. They sent me one to test, and when I took it out of the box I thought to myself, “It’s a yoga mat.” And the very next thought was, “Why hasn’t anyone done this before!”

I love this litter mat! It measures 36″ x 24″, just exactly the size I needed to go in front of my largest litter box. If you’re familiar with yoga mats, then you know what the texture is like. It’s a squishy, slightly sticky material with indentations in the surface, perfect for catching litter. They added a channel around the edge to catch even more litter.

It’s extremely easy to clean, either by sweeping or vacuuming and you can wipe it down to sanitize it as needed. The SmartGrip mat comes in neutral gray or beige and has a simple design that would look great in any home. Both colors are available through Amazon for $18.95.

ENTER TO WIN!

One lucky reader is going to get a PetFusion SmartGrip Litter Mat! The winner will get to choose gray or beige. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be selected in a random drawing and announced on May 5, 2012. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.

Everyone has been asking where to purchase the fabulous Purr & Simple nut shell litter I wrote about last year. Well, lucky for us, Blue Buffalo bought Purr & Simple and is now making the same nut shell litter available under the brand Blue Naturally Fresh.

It’s the exact same litter as Purr & Simple, so if you loved P&S, this is great news! They still offer the regular clumping, multi-cat clumping, and the pellet formulas. It’s available in several different size bags at Petsmart and Petco or online through Amazon.

Here’s your chance to win the new and improved Litter Spinner! This litter box allows you to easily clean the litter without scooping. The large drum sits on a sturdy base and you to rotate the drum after kitty does her business. As you rotate the drum, solids and clumps are sifted out, leaving the clean litter behind. Simply remove and empty the drawer and you’re done.

We’ve been testing the new Litter Spinner and it really is a snap to clean. Several of the cats use it regularly. It also does help to reduce scattered litter a bit more than regular boxes. My larger cats have no problem using it.

The Litter Spinner is made in the USA with recycled plastic. It used to sell for $129, but is now available for a new lower price of $99 directly from LitterSpinner.com and also from Amazon.

ENTER TO WIN!

One lucky reader is going to get a Litter Spinner of their own! To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on April 24, 2012. One entry per person. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is limited to addresses in the US only.

Just in time for spring, the ultra-mod Modkat litter box is now available in a beautiful soft pink! For all the girly Moderncats…

Here’s a new sleek and stylish way to conceal the litter box while adding a designer element to your home. It’s the Catteux litter box cabinet by London-based Elips Design. This large cabinet provides a spacious section for the litter box with a side entrance and a storage compartment. Choose from black or white exterior with custom colors inside.

Holes in the sides and top are both decorative and functional, allowing air and light into the litter compartment. Large doors swing open in front for easy cleaning.

Catteux is made from lacquered MDF and measures approximately 40″ x 20″ x 20″, but custom sizes are also available. Catteux can be purchased directly from catteux.com starting at £ 1,480, or about $2,350 US.

Modernist Cat is now offering their Circa50 mid-century modern cat furniture line in three sizes. This beautiful piece can be used as a litter box hideaway or as a cozy cave for kitty naps. This is the perfect piece for any mid-century modern home and it’s completely customizable. Choose walnut or maple finish and a variety of colors and patterns for the interior fleece bed, outer grass cloth covering, and exterior lounge pad. Check out the new Modernist Cat website to design yours today!

Introducing a new ultra modern covered litter box from the design team over at Modern Cat Designs. The Mox Litter Tower is a unique top-entry litter box that gives kitty a stylish place to do her business while keeping fido at bay. The sealed design keeps litter inside, preventing leaks and spills, and the top grate sends tracked litter back in the box. The glossy white powder coated finish is easy to clean. Measures 19″ wide by 19″ tall with an 8″ opening. Comes in red, black and white. $129 from moderncatdesigns.com. Get free shipping now through Dec 31, 2011 with coupon code MOXY.

Note: I agree that a covered litter box is not appropriate for all cats, especially older cats or cats with mobility issues, but if you have a cats that uses a covered litter box, this is definitely a stylish option.

This is one of the most brilliant DIY projects I’ve seen! Moderncat reader David was looking for a mat for outside the litter box that would actually trap the litter to prevent it from scattering. He also wanted something stylish, so he searched the internet and found some excellent products that do just the trick. It’s perforated floor tile that snaps together to fit almost any size. It’s usually used for garage floors, workshops, decking and various commercial applications, but it is perfect for creating a customized litter mat!

David found two companies that offer these tiles at reasonable prices and in a variety of colors. The first is Swiss Trax where you can purchase a 2′ x 3′ sample doormat kit in your choice of colors complete with tiles, edges, and corners for just $34.95. David ordered the Ribtrax Garage Tile pictured above which I think is perfect. He also found Kiwi Tile, another company that offers a perforated floor tile in lots of colors. Kiwi Tile will send you two free sample tiles for just $10 shipping so you can see if you like it.

I’m so excited about this! I’m ordering some right away so we can test it out! Thanks, David!

Looking for a stylish but affordable way to conceal the litter box? Modern Cat Designs just launched this new modern litter box cover, which starts shipping tomorrow. It’s a simple two-piece concealer that holds a standard litter box including larger boxes. Kitty enters through the cutout in one side and extra litter gets trapped inside. Simply remove the top to clean. Made of black and white striped laminated cardstock, the cover measures 19.75″ L x 16.5″ W x 16.5″ H. Available for just $29.99 from www.moderncatdesigns.com.

NOTE: I know there are some readers who are completely opposed to covered litter boxes! Some cats may not respond well to a covered litter box, but other cats do not have a problem with it, as long as you keep the box and cover clean.

FREE SHIPPING!

Modern Cat Designs would like to offer FREE SHIPPING to US addresses. This is a $10 value. Just use code MCNET at checkout. Offer expires Oct 31, 2011.