Our four cats have big personalities. They are equal parts mischievous and loving. Sometimes they can be little stinkers. Literally. I wanted a way to hide their litter box in our main bathroom. After all, when I have guests I prefer our cats to be seen and not smelled. Plus, I am always trying to add more storage space to our bathroom. I am a big fan of upcycling. When I saw an old television stand in a thrift store, a lightbulb went off over my head. I could use this to hide the litter box and have extra storage! It was a simple but stylish solution. Here’s an Easy Litter Box Enclosure DIY.
How to Create An Out of Sight Litter Box
You’ll need an old piece of furniture you can upcycle. I used an old television cabinet, but other choices could be an old nightstand or an old end table. Check thrift stores, consignment shops or yard sales for low-cost furniture. Friends or relatives who are moving or downsizing also often have pieces of furniture they don’t want anymore. Important Tip: Before you begin the project, be sure you measure your space. It’s no fun to discover the piece of furniture you created can be used. Once you’ve found the perfect piece make sure it is clean. I wiped my cabinet down with a sponge and allowed it to dry before I began. Now the real fun can start!
Step 1: Remove any old hardware like cabinet pulls you want to replace. I also removed the VCR holders which were inside the door. If you are a beginning upcycler: you’ll probably need either a Phillips or flathead screwdriver to remove the hardware.
Step 2: Paint. Use any color you like to match your decor! You can use spray paint or a container of paint. Tip: Spray paint tends to dry faster, but it can leave drips. I used a satin paint in aqua and it took two cans to cover the piece inside and out. Allow the paint to completely dry.
Step 3: Add new hardware. I chose an antique finish to compliment the country style of my cabinet. Customize your design to match your personality or decor!
Step 4: Add a screw or stick-on hook inside the door to hold the litter scoop. Make sure the door will close when you position your screw!
Step 5: Add the litter box. I plan to leave the doors open unless we have guests. There’s enough storage space in the enclosed litter box to hide my cat litter too. Remember when I said I didn’t want people to smell my cats? That’s why I am a big fan of Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter. It’s 50% lighter than regular litter so I can carry it easily and has tight clumps for easy scooping. But, bonus! Now it has new Tidy Lock Ammonia Blocker. We all know ammonia causes some serious “stank.” Tidy Lock Ammonia Blocker is made with a special coating that prevents the chemical reaction that causes ammonia. This stops ammonia odor for two weeks, guaranteed.* (*If used as directed.) Seriously? Fresh litter with no stank for two weeks? Count me in! I’ve tested the Tidy Cats with Ammonia Blocker on our four cats and it works. Let’s face it, cleaning the litter box will always be a chore, but Tidy Cats with Ammonia Blocker can stop the stank. It’s available at retailers nationwide. You can learn more about it at the Tidy Cats website.
Step 6: Add your own personal touch! I added small storage bins to the top shelf of the cabinet, but this would be a great place to keep spare toilet paper rolls or guest towels.
Tell us your solution for keeping the litter box hidden!
Contest:
I have partnered with Tidy Cats to bring you 5 coupons for Tidy Cats Litter (yay!) and a $1000 gift card to Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Just use the entry form below.
This is a great idea and hack! I didn’t like my litter boxes in plain sight.
A solution for all the cat hair and shedding! I use lint rollers and vacuum a lot.
My cats hide and it drives me crazy when I can’t find them – afraid they’ve escaped the house. I don’t know what to do about that!
scattering litter all over the place! i’ve tried deep litter boxes, litter mats, you name it
Trying to stop the shedding, I’ve tried tons of different ideas, lint rollers, grooming products, etc.
Having enough litter boxes is a problem. We have 3 cats. We have only 2 boxes since we do not have much room to put a 3rd one anywhere plus they all seem to only want to use 1 of the boxes half the time anyway.
That my 2 year old is terrified!!! But we’re working on it.
Cat hair everywhere!
My cats fight over a memory foam bathtub mat. I have bought a few more bathtub mats and hopes that they will not be so possessive. It is at the point of ridiculous how they tussle over these bathtub mats. That is one thing I need to find a solution for
I think for us its the litter box smell.
Oh we have tried different litters, but have not found a favorite yet…that is the cats too! 🙂
cat hair everywhere
I actually need to know how to get my husband to allow me to have another cat. I love our dog, but I need a kitty too.
I would love to be able to keep the litter box fresh and smelling good ..have tried baking soda it helps some but would love to find a good litter that I could afford to use
What is the appropriate room in your home for a litter box? Of course not the kitchen, dining, or living room. The bathroom is so small and gets stinky. Laundry room makes your clothes smelly. This is a great idea to hide the litter box.
These are really some innovative ideas for preparing litter boxes. We do not have cats, but useful all the same,
I would love to keep the neighborhood cats out of the yard. I have had no success nor solutions.
What a brilliant way to keep the litter box out of the main thorough fair! I love the color you chose to paint it!
This looks like a really nice way to keep the litter box hidden. We have really cute, cuddly, affectionate cats but keeping the house clean with them around is a huge task. If there was a way to keep the odors at bay and the litter in its place, then I will be truly happy.
smelly kitter litter after a couple of days?? cat claws ruining my furniture they use it like a cat post!!
I would love to find a way to keep all the cat litter in the box and not all over the place when our cat jumps out of the box. Even the clumping kind seems to always make its way outside the litter box and onto the floor where it gets spread further by the cat and whoever walks by it. I am forever sweeping it up and finding litter in the waffle pattern on the bottom of our shoes.
Our lovely Mr. Charlie loves to throw cat litter everywhere! I would love to figure out abway to tame the mess! I really love your upscaled litter box! ai can’t wait to try and do something the same so we don’t have to look at the litter box. lol
We had one cat that was sooo picky about litter. I could buy the same brand but if it was a different formula she’d not use the litter box. Also we had to clean the litter multiple times a day. Least bit dirty she wouldn’t use the litter box. It was difficult.
we have one cat and our biggest problem is my daughter is suppose to change kitty litter, she does not so I have to
My problem is kitty litter everywhere buy the box drives me crazy. Also cat hair seems like I’m always rubbing down the furniture
My cat sheds so much. I would love a way to help control it better. I have tried brushing him and the de-shedding glove. Both get some of the hair but don’t really put a dent in the problem.
I have problems with dust! I can live with the litter but the dust goes everywhere!
I’d love to have a solution for getting into cabinets. I hate installing locks.
I’m allergic to cats. We took in a kitten once and tried to bathe it often with the hopes of lessening the dander, but it was not effective. A friend adopted the kitten and told us she couldn’t figure out why the kitty loved water so much. Wish there was a way I could be less allergic or a way to lessen the allergens.
We have a problem with our girl Jasmine she likes to sleep on the chairs and she has so much hair it is a mess. She has many beds all around the house.
I always have litter outside the box and always have to use a hand vacuum to get it up!
I would love to have a way to keep the cat off the table! We have tried spritzing with a spray bottle, but it doesn’t really work.
Ashley C
What a creative way to hide a litter box! My upstairs neighbors have cats, who sound like little horses when running around the apt, and they would love this!
I would love a solution for hairballs. My older cat has developed a major issue with them and despite brushing her, giving hairball gel and food formulated for prevention of them, she still has an issue.
My kitty problem is fur everywhere! But I’d rather have them then not have the fur. Love this DIY-It’s such a practical solution to the necessity of cat litter!
Cat hair on the furniture. I vacuum and try a lint brush, but it never ends.
I’d love it if there were a self cleaning, self changing litter box lol.
I need a vacuum/DustBuster powerful enough to pick up litter.
i have 7 cats. I have took in many strays and problem I have is getting them to get along.
This center looks just like one of my cabinets. I do not own a cat but what a cool and hidden litter box!
4 cats and 4 different personalities! They are a great bunch, but they are all over the place. A little routine might be nice, but variety is the spice of life.
This is such a great idea to keep your littler box out of site. I have a perfect cabinet I can use to make one for my kitty.
I love the idea of a hidden litter box but I have 4 rescue cats and use a large under bed plastic container on wheels as a super large litter box. I also have 6 rescue dogs so keeping this thing covered would be a dream but instead I block off the room this is in so the dogs can’t get to it for a snack!
I could certainly use those coupons! We go through a lot of litter in this house.
What a fantastic DIY for pet owners! I will have to share this with my cousin, she has four cats as well.
I love my kitten but he is very wild. I bought him a cat tree, 2 scratches, old couch so I let him scratch that and he still has my arms and legs all scratched up. Love his heart but wish he’d stop it. He wakes me up in the morning by biting my nose. He’s not made any blood on my face but oh my goodness kitty is vicious. His name is Jasper.
That is a neat idea! Cat hairs everywhere!!
Now this is what I’m talking about! All I can say is awesome. I would have never thought to do that and I love how chic and modern it is. At first sight, you wouldn’t know it’s a litter box enclosure. Thanks for sharing.
A stress free way for me and my cat to clip her claws!!
I would give anything to stop my male cat from marking his territory in the corners of my apartment. My husband and I have tried everything and just resorted to putting the litter boxes where he’s marked.
I would like to keep the cats off the tabletops. I have tried plating the table but they keep jumping up.
I would love to have a solution for the dust from the cat box I have tried everything and I just have to dust all the time to keep everything clean.
What a cute DIY solution. We keep ours tucked away in a corner of the basement!
This is such a great idea Pam, I love what you did with the cabinet. This is something I will suggest for my mother in law, that and this tidy cat, it sounds prrrfect.
I use tidy cats for my kitty! I wish she would use an enclosed litter box, but she’s not a fan :/
I would love to have a solution to stop ours from chewing cables. We have tried EVERYTHING – spraying, putting away cablese, etc and UGH they still get into it >:(
My cat kicks litter out of her box. I’ve tried high sided boxes but she still manages to be messy.
Kitty Litter Paw Prints on my clean kitchen floor. Can only sweep them up… wish I had a Roomba! It could double as a cat toy too!
This is a fabulous idea! My boyfriend wants a cat again someday but my house is so small I have no idea where we’d put a litter box, but this might just save us. He still has to clean it though. #hisjob haha
I’d say the litter bits everywhere is the most frustrating thing I deal with. I’ve got litter boxes with lids with dips for litter to fall that they are supposed to jump up on but they jump past it!
I’ve tried a couple different mats around, they’ve always collected a lot of litter from their little feet but it still gets everywhere. Even on our bed! I guess the litter stays stuck between their toes and they don’t bother to clean it out until they’ve ran through the dang house!
My cats LOVE to play with the toilet paper. We keep having to hide the toilet paper rolls and not have them hanging. I wish there was another solution !
When we had cats, it was always the hair they shed that bugged me the most! Now, it’s dog hair. Grr. ? Lint/hair rollers for everyone!!
That is so genius! We have a cat and I hate her box being out in plain view. This is perfect <3
I have an issue with my cat scratching the furniture to pieces. I have tried scratching posts, but she rarely uses them.
You have out done yourself, I love upcycling DIYs too and yours is superb plus loving the contest too.
I hate when my cats get kitty litter all over the house.
What a great DIY for cat owners. We had a covered litter box and frequent changes helped keep the odor to a minimum. It’s so important to keep it clean to keep the odors down.
This is a wonderful idea! I would like to try to make one of these for our cat.
This is such a cute Idea and the ability to hose the box when entertain is a plus
Managing the smell and remembering to clean it! No solution yet!
Sometimes my male cat will spray and I’d love to find a way to put a stop to that.
I would love to have a solution for better managing odors!
I would love to have the smell of the litter box GONE when you are scooping out used litter. That ammonia smell is horrible. Nothing I have done has worked
Great idea! Creative and attractive! Any way to hide a broom to clean up the mess?
This looks extremely creative! A friend of mine has a cat and she has some old furniture that she wants to reuse. I’m gonna sure this because I think she would enjoy this craft.
Now this is different. Cool diy for cat lovers.
Odor control is the biggest problem. Lately I have tried hidden glade nearby ?
Having the cat shedding all over the couch and cleaning up after 🙁
Cute project!! I’d like a solution for keeping cats from climbing on everything.
I would love to have a solution for waking my kids up in the morning and then not being grumpy. I don’t think there is one. Hahaha.
This was a super cute project! My biggest cat challenge is also cat litter that seems to spread.
I might have to do this. I’m tired of litter being all over the dang place. This looks really nice!
The litter is the biggest thing. The stink. Tidy Cats is our brand too, but I swear Rosabeth has the stinkiest stink EVER. She also tracks the litter and we keep trying ways to prevent it!! I love her but argh. She has stank. 🙂
The litter works for stink but I feel like with the tracking it spreads the smell around
Would love to see the kitty litter from spilling out onto the floor.
Great re-purpose and DIY litter box idea. Might as well look good if you have to have a litter box in the house.
I need a better solution for storing my cat litter and making sure that the cat box litter does not get all over the floor.
I have 3 beautiful, mischievious cats. My 12 year old Bebe always sneezes after she eats (she has since she was a kitten, when I rescued her.) She gets her snotty-food-mix on the couch, chairs, walls, floors, my bed. I’ve searched for every solution, but the vet says it’s because of her tiny pushed-in nose, that she can’t help it. So I’m constantly cleaning, and loving her. She was the runt of the litter and rejected by her mother as a kitten, so I always make sure to shower her with love, so she never feels unwanted.
Kicking litter out of the box! I have tried to keep a mat under it and a vacuum close by.
I sometimes hear cats fighting near my house late at night. Wish I knew how to SCATTER them away. No pun intended.
Getting hair everywhere, we try to brush them
I’d love to find a way for my daughter to have a cat without it making a mess and smelling up the house. We haven’t tried any solutions yet.
I’d love to find a way to get my cat to allow me to trim his nails. Sweetest cat ever, but refuses to allow me to trim his nails regardless of the type of nail clippers I use. Have to take him to the vet’s for nail trims.
I have a problem with cat litter getting everywhere.
Our cat’s bowel movements are starting to smell bad, I’d like a solution for that.
I think that your kitty needs a visit to the vet. It sounds like he might be having tummy troubles or kidney troubles or something.
I would love a solution for preventing my cat from jumping on my kitchen counters. I’ve tried putting aluminum foil on the counter, spraying him with water and putting things on the counter to block him.
The dust everywhere. If I could find a dustless cat litter I’d be in heaven!!
This is a great solution to keep that litter box hidden. We have ours in the bathroom where everyone can see it.
A cat problem I have is litter escaping from the litter box when the cats kick their hind legs. I have tried an enclosed litter box and putting remanents down to try to contain litter. It still ends up everywhere.
What a great idea! I never thought to hide the litter box. We do keep it downstairs but it’s out in the open. It is important to have a good cat litter that absorbs odor and is easy to clean.
Litter is always tracked throughout my apartment. Ive tried getting special rugs for under the litter box but none work.
I would love for my cat to not climb on the table where we eat
In the middle of the night, my cat gets full or energy and goes running up and down our hallway, waking us all up. He’s usually calm, but only at night he gets this spurt of energy.
allergies – so many people allergic. Have tried everything!
I think this is good solution to keeping litter in its place. I have 3 indoor cats and since I had them, cleaning has always been a major chore in the house. I have to get that Tidy Cats. Other than the cats making a mess, I also need to keep the stink away.
This is a great project idea. Keeping the litter box under control is so important to me.
How to stop a cat from clawing the furniture
This is such a really cool DIY! I need to recommend this to my friends with cats.
I would love to stop the cat from jumping on the counter while I am preparing food
We do multiple boxes to help us. However, I love the hiding the box idea!
We use Tidy Cats religiously. They have the most amazing litter that makes it well worth every penny.
The litter box issues drive me up the wall. I’ve talked to the veterinarian and providing multiple boxes
Scratching the furniture. I made a scratch post and it seemed to help
urine smell is so hard to totally get rid of. I always notice it, no mater how hard I try to keep things clean and fresh.
Scratching the corners of my walls.
The one problem we have is cat’s scratching on the furniture. We have found that using double sided tape on the corners of the furniture helps a lot.
One problem is our cats track litter throughout the house. I have tried some special mats and they work pretty well but not perfect.
I’m sure cat owners will love this idea! I so miss having cats in the house! I think this is brilliant and it’s really going to make your life easier.
Stopping him from eating plastic. I have a spray but that would mean every bag i bring in..
The cat hair is the biggest problem even when I vacuum almost every day!
Finding the best cat litter the keeps the odor under control. I try to switch it up and find the best one. It’s the smell that gets to me the most. kelly tupick
Tracking is my biggest problem.
Not having to clean out the kitty litter I would love to have a kitty litter box that cleans itself.
Cat’s fur is just everywhere. And he tries to cover up and ends up making a mess.
My cat gets litter everywhere. And I mean everywhere! He is obsessed with covering his business, going as far as randomly walking over and just dipping his paws in to rattle some litter about.
My issue is definitely the litter outside the box! I love this idea of using something you already have and redoing it, and being able to just close the door on all the mess if company comes over! Great idea!
My cat’s fur. It is everywhere and we use a comb but it doesn’t work too well!
Finding a cat litter that controls odor is my biggest problem. I have tried many different types of cat liter with no solution.
That’s a great way to upcycle old furniture! I like how it keeps everything neatly tucked away out of view, but still looks like a fashionable home decor piece.
I’d love to find a solution for my cat’s messy eating habits! I use a tray under her bowl which helps, but no matter what food, amount of food or vessel, she is just a messy little eater.
Finding litter outside of the box, I have tried various boxes with litter success.
the smell no matter how often you change it.
The smell! Different kinds of cat litters
I would love to find a way to stop him from leaving litter outside of the box.
This is a great things to have to keep it hidden. I always feel like you can tell people who have cats, ou probably can’t with this!
to get them to stop scratching my walls and we have tried scratch pads
Tracking litter through the house is the current problem. I’ve tried different types of litter and litter mats, but it still happens.
I would love if our cat didn’t track liter all over the house.
My problem is litter tracking. I have used step mats to help, but the best thing is to put a box just shorter than the litter box and that way they have to step in it when getting out of the litter box. It helps stop the little tracking as much.
Cleaning the litter boxes! I know there are more self-cleaning ones, but don’t have it.
I would love to have a solution for cat litter not to be tracked thru the whole house. I’ve tried rugs, mats, ramps in and out of the litter box and nothing has worked for me. I’ve tried different brands but still haven’t found one that doesn’t get spread thru the house.
I would love to find a solution for one of my cats who has just recently started to go to the bathroom in on my bathroom floor. I have brought him to the vet an he is physically fine but he continues to do it so now I have put a litter box in their but he still pees on my bath rug.
I would say scratching furniture he’s not suppose to be scratching!!
This was really clever! We may need to add a new litter box but we don’t have a lot of good spaces for one. This would be a good solution!
My cat has the worst smelling poop. He can clear a room like no ones business. Finding a litter that could tame the funk would be greatly appreciated.
I’d like a solution to all the litter my cat drags onto the floor. I have a mat specifically for this in front of her litter box but it doesn’t always help.
This is a fantastic idea for litter boxes. And a great way to keep kids and dogs out of it. :X
As he’s gotten older my Mr P doesn’t use the box for #2 but does for # 1.
What a great idea to make your own litter box enclosure, I think it makes me think about having a cat more. I know our pug likes to get into the litter box and I hate the appearance of one, this solves the issues!
My cat keeps eating on my plants. She jumps on top a 5 shelf bookcase to get to plants I spray water on her
one soultion is clawing the furniture or peeing to mark his spot ive tried everything declawing worked like ya and then the peeing well i want kittens so i thought of everything and nothing worked like so i tried training and so far that has helped out alot i mean a lot
Clawing the furniture. They’ve got the nicest scratching posts in the world but can’t keep their paws off my armchair.
I have to vacuum around the litter box every other day because of the litter that gets tracked out of the box. I would love to try a closed litter box but I should have done that when he was a little kitten, I think it would be an issue now as an adult to do a switch so I am kind of stuck.
The cat hair gets all over. I don’t know how to fix that problem.
I would love it if the cats would stop climbing and getting into everything. They are forever knocking over stuff.
Would love to keep cat hair from getting on everything. Have tried being strict with my cat but that doesn’t work, and lint rollers don’t either.
I would love to prevent litter from being tracked all over our apartment. We’ve tried those special mats that are supposed to trap litter, but they don’t work as well as we’d like them to!
I would love to keep litter of the floor and cat pooh from flinging on my walls. The covered litter box and litter mats did not help. Training my cats to potty outside did some.
I have issues with my cats playing all night long. I have tried toys, but it makes it all the more louder.
I am inexperienced with cats and I found a tiny kitten. I have been so scratched up by just trying to set her down. She wants to be held constantly. Is that to be expected?? Any tricks to not getting scratched while she is this little?
My biggest litter box problem has more to do with my dogs than my cats. My cats are usually very clean about using their litter boxes. However, like so many dogs, a couple of mine seem to think the litter boxes are their personal buffets. I don’t like my dogs eating cat poop, but I also don’t like the mess they tend to make. Covered litter boxes have helped, but not completely solved the problem. I tried putting the flap on one of the covered litter boxes, and while that kept the dogs out better, it also made my cats not want to use that box. I’m still looking for the perfect solution.
I would like to keep the cats off the dining room table. They’ll jump up there and not get down until we actually start walking toward them.
That is a really cute idea. I have something similar but not the same and love it.
I would love to find a solution about how to keep cats off of couches and countertops! Their nails puncture the upholstery.
One cat problem I would love to have a solution for is breaking my cat from bamming on closed doors until they are opened. She can’t stand to have a closed door anywhere in the house. My son likes to keep his door shut at night and her bamming wakes everyone up. Tried putting in a pet door to his room, but it makes so much noise when she enters because she hates it and runs through it as fast as she can making so much noise it wakes him. Need a solution for stopping this habit.
I would love to find a solution to a litter box smell. I have used many different brands of cat litter and all of them work for one or two days only
I would like a solution to having my three adopted cats from clawing up the living room furniture, not the whole things , they just love the ends LOLL.. I have tried making toys and scratch pads for them, but they still love the corner couch…
@tisonlyme143
My problem is regardless of which litter I try and how often I clean the box I cannot completely get rid of the urine smell
I have a problem with litter, trying effectively controls odor
I think the biggest problem is fleas.
Trying to keep ahead of the vacuuming and keeping the hair off table and such.
Biggest problem is keeping the dog out of the litter box. Have it in an old parrot cage at the moment but the DIY solution takes up less space.
We would like to find a litter that eliminates cat box odor completely.We have tried several different litters.
Our biggest problem is cat litter being tracked everywhere. We have tried putting extra mats underneath the litter boxes and that has helped a little.
I would love to have a solution to my big boys stubborn habit of not using the litterbox all the time. It’s like he has a day or two where he is too lazy to step inside the box. Then other days he has no problem. I have 3 automatic litterboxes. I clean twice a day to make sure it’s clean. I think he is doing it for attention.
We have 4 cats and one will not use the litter box if it has been used by the other cats. We’ve bought more litter boxes but the other cats use those too so she still poops in the floor.
I have two cats- one seems somewhat intimidated by her bigger brother, so I need an additional enclosed litter box for her privacy- she’s missing the box she uses now.
This cabinet might solve my problem I have a hard time keeping my young dogs out of the litter box. No solution yet.
Cat pee perfume…
everybody naps in my bed than i have cat hair everywhere…don’t really want to keep the door shut
That is totally fab! Litter boxes are a fact of life if you have cats, but if you can make them less ugly and stinky, that’s the best! I love this.
That’s such a great idea! I love being able to hide the box in something that looks nice on the outside. Very cool!
Finding a cat litter that effectively controls odor is the biggest problem. We’ve tried many kinds, but none that makes the house completely smell like there is no cat residing here.
Cat hair from getting everywhere – just tried using lint rollers.
I have a problem with litter everywhere…. this sounds like a great solution, will check it out. Love the color of the cabinet and what a great idea.
I always had a problem with cat litter tracking through the house. I have tried different litter boxes and different litter mats and also different types of kitty litter.
I would love to have a solution for him climbing on the counters. I have just tried shooing him away and not having anything on the counters!