Have you ever wondered how to craft your own DIY cat litter box? Building a homemade litter box requires items you could easily find around the house, as well as a little DIY, know-how.
A lot of folks are looking for inexpensive ways to take care of their felines.
Don’t spend money on a pricey litter box when you can make it yourself for under $10!
Making a do-it-yourself litter box can be a bit intimidating, especially if you don’t know where to start.
Lucky for you, this guide will show you how to make the perfect litter box for your cat using items that are available in your household.
With the right tools, you can make a homemade litter box in your own home. This will save you money and time, especially if you have more than one cat.
And by making your own, you even customize it with your cat’s personality in mind.
While a homemade litter box that doesn’t contain chemicals might be a bit more work initially, you will find the benefits worth the little extra effort required.
What can I use instead of a litter box?
There is a wide variety of litter box alternatives that are cheaper and easily customized than the traditional litter box.
These are homemade litter boxes and popular options include:
- Cardboard cat litter box
- DIY-covered litter box
- DIY hidden litter box
- DIY travel litter box
- DIY disposable cat litter box
- DIY top entry litter box
- A tote as a cat litter box
How to make a homemade litter box
There is something very satisfying about a DIY project and also about making your home as cat-friendly as possible.
Try this DIY litter box enclosure for a clean and cozy look.
This project is inexpensive and easy to make, in just one afternoon you can have a hidden litter box that won’t take up too much space in your home or apartment.
Option 1: Cardboard Cat Litter Box
Materials Needed:
- Cardboard or thick paper
- Scissors/knife
- Paint/paintbrush
Instructions:
This is how to make a litter box out of cardboard.
- Measure first – This is probably the most important part of making a homemade litter box. Make sure you have enough space for it! Remember that cats like room to move about, and their size will change depending on their growth rate.
- Using scissors or a knife, cut a hole in the center of one of the pieces of cardboard that are big enough for your cat to fit through comfortably. This hole should be about 6 inches in diameter for small cats and 8 inches in diameter for larger cats.
- The other piece of cardboard should be about one inch shorter than the first piece. Stand up both pieces on end, so that they form an open-ended tunnel shape.
- Attach a plastic bag to the inside of the box with tape. Place in an area where your cat likes to do their business and place a few pieces of kitty litter in the bottom of the bag. This will give your cat an idea of what they’re supposed to do in the box.
- After your kitty has successfully used their litter box several times, you can remove the bag and place another layer of litter in the bottom for them.
- Once you have your basic litter box ready, you can start decorating it however you like! It can be as simple as painting it or gluing stickers on it or as complicated as going all out with decoupage. I kept my design simple to minimize my costs.
This is a simple tutorial on how to make your own DIY cat litter box. I currently have 3 cats and they were driving me crazy with litter all over the place, inside my cabinets and out of them. I decided to build my litter box and it works great!
Option 2: Container DIY Box
Tutorial:
Materials:
- Two large plastic storage containers
- Cheap Litter
- Scissors
- Drill (with drill bit attachment)
- Hot glue gun
Instructions:
- Cut off the front of one of the containers so that you can access the inside. I cut an opening about 4 inches wide and about 2 inches high.
- You will also want to cut the back so that you can slide the other container in there, to give you extra height for larger cats and to help keep them from kicking out their litter or peeing outside of the box.
- Next, line the bottom of one with wood shavings or cheap kitty litter, whichever you prefer.
- I also have a plastic mat under the box as well and it seems to catch most of their tracked litter.
- Finally, seal the joint that joins the two containers together and commence with the smoothening operation. This will ensure that your precious cats don’t scrap their fragile skin.
- This homemade litter box is ideal for large cats.
Option 3: DIY litter box cabinet
Instructions:
- Take advantage of the old nightstand or any of the underused cabinets in your home then remodel it into the DIY multi-cat litter box you’ve always desired. Choose the cabinet with the most appropriate size considering the height of your cat.
- Measure the height of your cat while she is seated. A cabinet that is 20-22 inches tall is adequate for your cats
- Take measurements of the size of the litter box that you need.
A standard DIY cat litter box house usually measures 19-19.5” (L) X 15” (W) X 5- 5.5” (H).
Pro tip:
- Cut out the opening that will allow your cat to move in and out of the litter box with ease. The sides of the cabinet will be highly preferred (the idea is to ensure that the box is concealed)
- Ensure that the opening is just wide enough for the kitty to move in and out with utmost comfort. A hole 8” high and 10” wide is just okay for a big cat
- Ensure that the marks are visible before embarking on the cutting exercise.
- Saw off the marked parts then stand off the edges and commence with the smoothening operation. This will ensure that the precious kitty doesn’t scrap her fragile skin.
- The DIY kitty litter box is now ready for use.
- Nonetheless, you may choose to add some paint or just ensure that it is striking.
These standard procedures will avail you of the best DIY cat litter box.
You can adjust the homemade litter box measurements depending on the size and breed of your cat.
Caution:
These steps may also come in handy when you want a DIY senior cat litter box.
Option 4: How do you make a Rubbermaid container into a litter box?
If you have a fat or huge cat, a Rubbermaid container may come in handy as a DIY cat litter box cupboard.
The fact that Rubbermaid containers are taller than the other litter boxes reveals why it would be highly preferred for your cat’s bathroom needs.
Requirements:
- A flexible storage box with a lid
- Paper
- File
- Sharpies
- Soldering gun.
Instructions:
- Cut a piece of paper that fits on the side of the container.
- Cut the markings on the plastic box using the soldering gun. You may adopt a saber saw if you don’t have a soldering wire.
- Saw off the desired entry point.
- Smoothen the sharp edges using a file.
- Your litter box is now ready for use.
This is how to make a cat litter box out of a Rubbermaid container.
Option 5: Homemade top entry litter box
Requirements:
- An 18-gallon bin
- Soldering gun
- Litter
How do you make a homemade litter box?
Procedure:
- Trace a circle of 8-10 inches on the gallon’s lid
- Carefully cut off the circle with a hot soldering gun
- Pour the sand and litter into the box once the entry point is completed.
- Your DIY top entry cat litter box is ready for use.
Hiding the litter box
Did you know that even the cleanest cat litter box will still produce pints of stinky eyesores? Kitty got to do her business after all.
Nonetheless, placing the cheap DIY litter box out of sight is one of the most effective solutions to this problem.
Be sure to live a feline-sized point of entry for your kitty to have away.
This list gives you the best ways to make a hidden cat litter box DIY.
1. DIY IKEA cat litter box:
You may turn your IKEA cabinet into a DIY cat litter box for multiple cats using the procedures above.
This time, you’ll only need to increase the number of compartments to fit your fellas.
Come up with your homemade cat litter box wooden enclosure by turning your wall cabinet horizontally. Then place a textured mat between the exit point and the litter box just to minimize the amount of dirt getting to the carpet.
2. Use wine crate covers:
You’ll only put two wine crates together top-to-top.
Gluing will avail you of one of the best DIY wooden cat litter boxes that are ever hidden.
3. Use a pallet litter box:
This will present you with something more rustic than the ceremonial DIY litter box.
What can be used instead of cat litter?
Now that we are all about saving money and minimizing your environmental effects by adopting homemade cat litter solutions, these cat litter alternatives are dope.
The options are vast; from household items to the organics in your garden.
Nonetheless, you must vet the advantages and disadvantages presented by each of these options before making a choice.
Even though the list is endless, these options will work best for you:
1. Shred junk mail and newspapers:
Though you’ll need newspapers in lumpsum amounts, shred newspapers and junk mail give a sense of appeal to cats.
Pro tip: Ensure they are clean and dry.
2. Sawdust or wood shavings:
You’ll have to visit a local workshop for this.
It’s one of the best materials if you want to minimize the smell of ammonia.
3. Chicken feed:
A mixture of chicken feed, cedar shavings, and baking soda is very effective and gives one of the best litter box experiences.
However, they may attract rats, bugs, and mice. You got to be extra careful.
Conclusion
Homemade cat litter boxes are easy to make. Not only that, but they can be made more quickly, and more inexpensively than the commercial ones.
Better yet, many of these homemade boxes seem to work just as well as those sold in pet stores.
How do I make a cat litter box?
So if you are looking to find a way to reduce your pet expenses without sacrificing the quality of life for your feline friend, consider making yourself a homemade cat litter box!
