Dog and Cat Owners – Where do you keep the litter box and food bowls?
I have 2 cats and a dog. Now we keep the litter box and food bowls in the laundry room – off limits to the dog, and the food is on a table off the ground – to avoid tempting the dog.
We are moving to a house with a laundry closet – no extra space and I don’t know where to keep their stuff away from the dog, and out of the view of guests.
Where do you keep your cat’s food, and litter box?
10 Responses
Amy
12 Mar 2010
Lizette
12 Mar 2010
well I keep there food in the kitchen and there litter box is next to the restroom door but my dogs are outside. So maybe you should have a room for them? does your laundry closet have a door? Maybe you could put it in there if it fits and close it when your not around to supervise your dog.
Jade
12 Mar 2010
I’m in a similar position with moving. Laundry room isn’t big enough, so the litter box will have to go in the bathroom. Food wise, in the kitchen with a special treat bowl for our diabetic cat in the living room so we can monitor his eating after shots.
Julie
12 Mar 2010
Litterbox is in the basement (away from the dogs), food bowls are all in the kitchen (cats are in the basement, but far from the food), water in the kitchen too. It’s important to keep the cat’s litterbox far away from its food, they usually don’t like to poop near where they eat and if they have to pick one or the other they pick eating, and they won’t use the litterbox.
They make some "fashionable" looking litterboxes, what if you got one of these:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/pets-dogs-cats-snakes-etc/best-cat-litter-boxes-roundup–055743
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/kitty-washroom-furniture-disguises-the-litter-box.
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/kitty-litter-screen
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/cat-litter-furniture-discount-cat-litter-furniture-kitty-litter-boxes-kattbank-cat-litter-tray-cat-litter-concealment-cabinets-cat-litter-boxes
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/cat-washroom-litter-box-cabinet-night-stand-expresso-25
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/the-refined-litterbox–mahogany-finish
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/litter-robot-lrii-automatic-self-cleaning-litter-box-beige
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/kingston-cat-litter-box-cover-with-cat-bed-9
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/midwest-bay-isle-litter-box-cover-pet-retreat
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/hidden-cat-litter-box-secret-pet-bed
That way you wouldn’t have to worry about hiding it…
Howler, Wolfy
12 Mar 2010
A good thing to do is to get a litter box cover with a door so that the cat can get in and out. You can then put the litter box in the bathroom or another area that is small and that you don’t want the dogs in any ways. The cover comnimed with a good powdered litter deoderant cuts the smell down a lot I in fact am able to keep mine next in the kitchen. Food bowls for the cats if they are free fed you can keep them out of reach of the dogs using a table or if you feel comfortabe with it you can put the bowls on the kitchen counter. Hope that helped.
Inundated in SF
12 Mar 2010
Food bowls are kept in the kitchen where it’s easy to clean up and no one forgets to pick up and wash the bowls regularly. Water bucket (yes, they use a bucket so they can’t tip it over) is kept in the bathroom. Litter box is in the laundry/tool storage room; I put in a cat door on the door separating that room from the rest of the apartment so we can close it off when it’s too cold out there or if we have guests come over so they don’t have to see it. In the past, we kept the litter box in the bathroom right next to the toilet but the cat always seems to need to go right when you stepped into the shower or sat down for a good long commune with the toilet. You can buy boxes designed specifically for litter trays where the cat climbs down into them so the dog can’t get in there–but you can probably design something using a large cardboard box (maybe a few of them so the cat has to go through a little maze to get to the tray but the dog can’t get in there)–which would also help keep the smell down (you can put a air freshner or air filter in there). The cat bowl can be put somewhere up high where the dog can’t reach it–cats love to jump on things so sort of designate a shelf or something just for the cat to be on, feed him there. You’ll have to see what little nooks and carnies you have. You might be able to rig up something out one of the back windows–like build a little room out the window (secure it well) so the cat can jump up there, go through a cat door to use the box.
Angel Love
12 Mar 2010
I have 3 cat boxes. One in our bathroom (where one of my boys sleeps at night), in a storage closet, and one in the kitchen by the trash can. The food dishes are next to the fridge and in the bathroom, again for the cat who sleeps there. If I were you I would put a gate up at the rooms where you keep the food, water, and cat box. Cats can jump them and I doubt your dog could unless he is a good jumper. If you have an old cat or a kitten you could raise the gate up just enough so they could squeeze under it but the dog could not just in case they could not jump it. Hope it helps.
Sapphire_Blue6
12 Mar 2010
My kittens have their food and water near the entrance to the kitchen, and their litter box is in the closet in the hallway. Just have to remember to keep it open or we’ll be sorry.
Ocimom
12 Mar 2010
We have a basement – the cats eat on a table/counter in the basement and the litter boxes are on the other side of the washer/dryer (2 of them). Our Lab has been trained to never go over on that side of the room for any reason.
She can be trusted and she will not even go on that side if her balls roll over there – she comes to get you to go get them!
lisa
10 May 2010
i keep litter box in laundry sink (i never use it) easy to clean. food on top of clothes dryer. keeps my toddler out of it, easy to keep clean
We keep a covered litter box in our master bathroom, which is always accessible to the cats. The food we keep on a small table beside the Island in our kitchen. With a smaller house, we’ve found that having decorative feeding/water bowls makes them not so out of place, even in plain sight.
Previously, we have kept the litter in one bathroom, and the water/food in another with a child-safety-gates in front of each, the cats can jump over them and it keeps the dog out, but they are a pain.
We have plans to build a Kitty Palace with hidden litter, which may be a great option for you, it’s basically a cabinet with the litter inside, cat sized crawl in places, and the food/water safely on top, away from the germs. You can take a look at one here: http://www.moderncat.net/2009/07/22/saris-diy-litter-box-hider/ and here: http://www.moderncat.net/2009/05/21/two-new-litter-box-ikea-hacks/