The only time I use my master bathroom is during the night. Since it's an out-of-the-way place, I decided that would be the place for the little box. It's also the farthest distance from the front door. ;o)

Our is in the laundry room. Along the side wall when you wall in. You don't even see it looking into the room. Some people find an ick factor in that but my clothes are already dirty when sorted in piles on laundry day waiting to be washed. I clean the floor often since little litter pieces end up there but don't think anything else of it since it has to go somewhere, you know?

If I didn't have a laundry room I'd put it in our master bath since we only have two bathrooms. It would be challenging though because the rooms aren't big.

With your scenario my choice would be the basement. Why is that not an option?

Hanna & Artie's covered box is in the laundry room. When we did the addition that was part of the plan ... have enough room in there to accommodate them and me. ;)

Prior to that it sat in a corner of our junk room/3rd bedroom.

Our cat sounds much like yours, and we put a cat door into the garage and the litter box and his cat food and water are in there. It works great!

The only drawback we've found (never have issues with flies since the flap doesn't leave gaps) is that it will void your fire rating on the door going into the garage, which is a "fire door". We found that out when we were selling our previous home where we'd also done that, so prior to the sale we had to replace the door. Fortunately our new home had exactly the same size door opening so we just used the door with the cat flap for the new house. The value of not having litter in the house to us is worth it!

Our DD used to have theirs in their laundry room and always hated the bits of scattered litter (yes it was an enclosed box), so she finally put in the cat door into the garage also and now loves it! Her cats aren't allowed outside so she puts a cat treat out on a shelf in the garage prior to backing out her car so the cat will be eating while she exits if the cat happens to be in the garage.

Two litter boxes here -- for three indoor cats. Neither one has a lid -- but this arrangement works well for everyone!

One box is in the tub in the master bathroom --- clean, tidied often -- not a problem! :)

Currently we do have one in the kitchen (the corner by the door to the garage) BUT we have NO choice -- we have a older middle cat with "issues" -- but again -- simply keeping it clean and tidy -- and there's no big problems! (LOL!)

Jan (and three cats) at Rosemary Cottage

Little Rascal's box is in the short hallway between the kitchen, laundry room and door to the garage. We have a dome top on it so no one has to look at the litter and the cat seems to prefer a little privacy. I'd have it in the laundry room if my laundry was bigger than a closet. A daily sweeping helps keep the bits of litter controlled.

My dad installed a pet door in the door to our basement. We keep cat food, water and kitty pans down there. Upstairs we have additional water for the cats and the dogs.

Box is in the downstairs "guest" bath. We have no basement in our home, but if we did...

I definitely don't like furniture converted to accommodate a cat box if the furniture is going to be in a FR, GR or LR. Just seems gross to me.

I keep on top of our box scooping all day long as we have 4 cats, 3 indoor/outdoor, 1 indoors only. The 3 outdoor cats potty outside 97% of the time, thankfully. Once a week I totally change out the litter and sanitize the box.

What litter do you all think works best???

I'm struggling with where to put the litter pans in our new house (under construction). I didn't mind it in the last house's laundry room, but this one is smaller, so I want it somewhere else.

I'm toying with the idea of making a pass-through (the wall) from the small mudroom-like garage entrance (not really room for 2 pans there) into the garage to a closed-in space (to contain the cats from the actual garage). I got the idea from one of these forums. I'm just worried about the heat in the garage in the summertime maybe making it stink (I do scoop 1-2x/day, but cats seem to like to poop right after you've scooped).

In the hall bathroom. Uncovered box, because I have a Maine Coon cat, so a covered one is too small. I use World's Best Cat Litter, which is flushable, so I just scoop it into the toilet and flush.

we have a very strange little alcove at the top of the steps leading to the basement which is just PERFECT for the litter box.... i have know idea what we'd do with the space if we didn't have a cat! and, we changed out the door to the (finished)basement with a french door and knocked out the glass in the middle bottom pane for our cat to use as a cat door!!! can't even notice that the glass is missing! perfect setup!!!

I've been using Arm & Hammer's 'multiple cats' even though I only have two. It seems with many there's the tracking problem, but with this one it's very minimal. The granules may be smaller. ;o)

We used to have cats. When we did, we put the litter box on the unfinished (utility) side of the basement, and put a "kitty door" on the door that led into that space from the finished side of the basement. Worked great for us. It wasn't in our living space but the cats could get to it easily.

Uncovered box, because I have a Maine Coon cat, so a covered one is too small.

Artie's a Maine Coon too. I have the jumbo covered Petmate. He fits fine.

Here is a link that might be useful: jumbo covered Petmate

Here's a couple of pictures of our kitty toilet on my blog. (Which has kinda fallen by the wayside....the blog, not the toilet!) It is under the stairs going to the room over the garage. We have an access door to that area out in the garage. We now have four cats and three litter boxes. I scoop them daily. We live in coastal SC, where the heat and humidity is awful, but the litter boxes have done fine. No flies or bugs, either.

Here is a link that might be useful: Go down to Feb 16 entry to see pics

Ours is inside a cabinet under the sink in the laundry room. I just leave one of the cabinet doors open at all times. I have found this to be a great spot because it's always out of view.

Two kitties here! Mine is in the upstairs "guest" bathroom. This bathroom used to be for my two children but we are empty nesters now so it is the kitty bathroom. It is a problem when children come to visit though.

One of the best purchases I've ever made in regards to the kitty litter issue, was a foot operated diaper receptacle. I can scoop into this and take out the bag when it is full. It works much better than the Litter Locker I wasted money on.

Thanks, jeane gallo--that picture of your kitty door is just what I needed to show hubby. I think I'll probably need a flap one either side of the wall, though, for "insulation". Does their litter room get about as hot as the garage?

I loved reading your blog. I'm like you--I feel like a "childless 30-something" instead of a 47-yr-old capable of being a grandma like some of my old classmates. I think not having kids, you don't feel the "age" come on--if that makes sense. I, too, still wonder when I'll feel grown up enough to "have" kids :-) (yes, I know that sounds weird to most of you). And, I had a kitty very much like your Ling--no holding her, no laptime, no snuggles--for almost 20 yrs! She died just weeks before we put our house on the market and had to move cross-country. When we get in our house, the first thing I'm gonna do (after securing the litter box location) is go kitty-looking! Can't wait..... We often joke that we might need to buy affection this time (like with a Ragdoll).

Didn't mean to hijack the thread....I just get excited when thinking about kitties.

Thanks.

Artie is goooorgeous!

Well when I first saw this post, I debated about responding because I didn't want to confess where my litter box is...but since it actually seems to be a common place to use, I'll fess up...

5 cats, 3 of them are indoor/outdoors (but they still seem to use the box after coming back inside, lazy buggers) I actually use a big huge plastic storage container (the sides are taller than a normal litter box but not tall like a tote) and it's in my garden tub in our MB. Which never gets used. Even with daily scooping and cleaning up, I too have the tracking problem, seems like even with the tall bathtub sides, they still seem to get litter EVERYWHERE.

I have throw rugs all over my bathroom and even one draped over the edge, so they are forced to "wipe their feet" before they leave.

Two indoor kitties...two large covered litter boxes, one in each of our home offices under side tables.
I am mad about PetCo's loose litter bin and refillable litter jugs. It's a simple unscented clay litter (scented litters, in my experience, make the problem worse, and they hate it) and a very economical way to buy it. Unscented Arm & Hammer is my second choice, although it is dustier.
I keep a small metal step-on (it comes fitted with a plastic bucket inside) and a supply of paper lunch bags in our bathroom. The scoop has a holster that hangs on the side. Twice a day, I scoop into a bag and put it in the can, which we empty when it's full. I wash it once or twice a week with a little dish soap and a very small amount of Clorox.
And I keep a cotton bath rug half way under the box, which catches the litter, and is easy to keep clean.
Except for the moment after use, no smell anywhere. The paper sacks are far better than plastic, which seems to magnify odor.

We have one cat and the litter box is in the LAUNDRY ROOM and it works great...

BUT...

before we had a house and lived in an apartment, we had it in a HALL CLOSET and just left the door cracked. It was perfect, we could just shut the door if we needed.

I have a small pantry off the laundry room and we keep the LB there. The room is used as a catch-all and not as a pantry as it is really too far from the kitchen. (we call it the forgotten room) works great.

I also use the Arm and Hammer "multiple" cats and love it. Compared to other brands there is minimal tracking. I do keep a rug under the LB so kitty needs to walk across that to exit the room.

We have 2 indoor kitties. The litter box currently is in the basement bathroom, but I hate all the litter that gets tracked on the tile. (Not to mention the strong odors that occasionally waft through!) I will have to check out the Arm & Hammer litter with it's lack of tracking.

I am going to have my GC install a cat door through the drywall, next to the door, to the unfinished 1/2 of the basement. I was very happy to read the threads where this seemed to work really well for several of you.

I keep our covered litter box in a little niche next to the chest freezer, behind the laundry room door. The space is the perfect size and the box is hidden from view the vast majority of the time.

I use Ever Clean unscented litter. No smell, ever.

I have four litter boxes, and these are not just boxes but huge plastic storage containers because my boy cats sometimes overshoot :)
I also have giant breed dogs, so keeping litter boxes out of their range is difficult as they can reach almost everywhere.
Two of my boxes are in the basement up on very high shelves installed specifically for this use. We built some cute kitty ladders leading up so the dogs cannot get to them. And the biggest benefit is I don't have to stoop to scoop!

Two more are in our music room closet. This is a spare bedroom where my husband has drum kits set up and the closet contains nothing else. I cut holes in the drywall leading to the hallway, inserted a tube, and finished off the edges with drywall mud and painted. So I can close the door to that room to keep the dogs out yet the cats can come and go at will. I intend to put some more of these cat doors in other rooms as they have proved so handy to me.

I realize that this amount of house modification isn't for everyone, but this is the house I plan to die in and the animals give us so much joy that I will do anything I can to make things better for them.
That it is also easier for me is just bonus goodness.

Over the years, I've tried many different locations. Most often, the location that seemed to work the best was a closet of some sort. Sometimes it had a folding door, sometimes we cut a little kitty hole in a wall into the closet. Once I had it in a sectioned-off vanity. I took the inside part of the door off, so that it was just the frame of the vanity door.

A few years ago, I switched to a Litter Robot (which I LOVE, by the way). They are quite tall, so I stuck it behind a piece of furniture set diagonally in a corner of the livingroom.

I have the added concern of keeping the dog out of the litterbox.

In our new house, I actually planned out a room for the litterbox. It is a closet by the back door. It's deep--probably 6 feet, with two little doors out the back, one coming out under the bottom shelf of a built in tv cabinet in the livingroom, and one coming out under the bottom shelf of a built in bookshelf in our bedroom.

I use Scoop Away, and the robot sits on a Turtle Mat.

Does anyone toilet train their cat any more? I used to see these toilet training kits for cats. "IF" your cat did it's business in your guest toilet....then, NO cat litter. No scooping out the poo. No smell, just flush daily.

I saw something on the morning news about a guy that did this.

What am I missing? Why wouldn't this be appealing?

Tracey_b, the opening to the area under the stairs is in our 'mudroom', which originally was meant to be where the washer and dryer would be. It doesn't seem to make it any warmer or colder in that room. And it gets REALLY hot here in the summer. We thought about putting a flap or even some cute little curtains there, but decided we don't need it. It's a small room but it has a vent, and we keep the door open to the hallway most of the time. We have a pocket door there. We moved the washer and dryer to the garage and had cabinets put in where the washer and dryer would be. I've always been paranoid about having a washer in the house. I prefer having it in the garage. I recently found a young cat in Kohl's parking lot, and she has a lot of ragdoll traits. Very calm and lovable. It took about two weeks to find her a home. My hubby says four is our limit. I wish we could have kept her.

I've seem litterboxes that were hidden in decorative tables and fake plants. You can find them on the internet. As long as you keep the smell under control they could fit nicely in many rooms.

I am on my 3rd kitty. My cats have always been indoor/outdoor cats. I train them to go to the sliding glass door to go outside to do their business. I realize this wouldn't work for those in apartments or for those who live in busy neighborhoods, but it works for us.

We keep our cats' litter box in a spare room/exercise room. We use a covered box and use Ever Clean unscented ES litter. No smell.

Mine's in the bathtub in the hall bathroom. It works perfectly there. When I have guests I just pull the shower curtain to hide it. I use Everclean unscented ES litter, too. I've done a lot of experimenting, and this is the BEST in controlling smell. It is not cheap but really works.

Wow! Thanks to everybody for all of the your creative suggestions!!! I am still debating on the better location. It's either going to be in the garage or the basement bathtub (that no one EVER uses). For what it's worth, we use Tidy Cats clumping litter and it seems to do the best job for us. I also installed one of those intermittent spray air fresheners (runs on batteries and hangs on a simple nail) just over the tub where their box is. That has made a great deal of difference...but It's not enough to make me want a litter box off my foyer anymore!

Natal, thanks for asking about the basement. It really got me rethinking my position on that. My reasons for avoiding using it as a litter spot is that since our renovation, the basement is just soooo nice now...I just hate to have that durn box, the scattered litter, the smells, etc. down there! The only place it can go is the tub though. My concern with that is that the tub is acrylic, and I am afraid of getting too many scratches. But, I'm thinking that if I get a couple of throw rugs to line the tub and lay over the edge, it might not be a problem. Now I'll just have to find a way of keeping them from clawing up the leather furniture that's down there...(maybe we'll have to re-try Soft Paws...hmmmm...)

Sujafr, Thanks for the warning about losing the fire-rating on the door to the garage. I would not have thought of that in a zillion years. Hmmmmm...now that option does not seem so great. My DH will certainly hate the idea knowing that little tidbit. I'm glad I did not do my usual thing and just impulsively hack a hole in the door!

Jeanne gallo--wow!!! That little cut-out for the kitties is awesome! I so want that in my next house!!!! Do you mind if I save a copy of the photos??

Thanks again, everybody! You guys are THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's always something like this......

Here is a link that might be useful: cat washroom

Annz--that is awesome! I would sooo get that in a heartbeat...I just have no good location for it :(

Cats can easily open any cabinet door with their paws; sometimes it's almost impossible to keep them out of the cupboards. So....that's what we had - a bathroom vanity just like the cat washroom but without the hole in the door. The litter stays in the cabinet, the door is always closed, keeping the mess and stink inside, it's very easy to keep clean. And nobody knows what it is, even if it's in the bathroom!

Nicole - "Does anyone toilet train their cat any more? I used to see these toilet training kits for cats. "IF" your cat did it's business in your guest toilet....then, NO cat litter. No scooping out the poo. No smell, just flush daily.
I saw something on the morning news about a guy that did this.

What am I missing? Why wouldn't this be appealing? "

I've heard of people doing that and it does apparently work. My conern would be what if they miss and are messy about it? I don't really want my guests or myself to use the same toilet. Plus, when they get old if they have problems getting up there...then what do you do?

I view it as just like taking a dog out is part of having a dog, cleaning a litter box is part of having a cat.

jeanie, I loved your blog...I would have emailed you
to tell you so... however, your email was not in your profile. Keep up the creative living.
Joann

IN THE SHOWER WITH THE DOOR ALMOST CLOSED, USING THE WORLD'S BEST LITTER MADE FROM WHOLE KERNEL CORN, NO DUST NO SMELL CLUMPS BEAUTIFULLY, LASTS FOREVER WHEN YOU SCOOP OUT REGULARLY, NO CARRYING LTTER ALL OVER. BEST OF ALL THE SHOWER IS NEXT TO THE TOILET, SO EASY SCOOP OUT AND FLUSH, NO MUSS NO FUSS!

We keep the litter box in the living room.