Whether you are planning on getting a new kitten or cat or if you've already got one (or a few), we've collected some unique setups for you to review. Perhaps you are looking to be inspired to update or change your own setups. Maybe you're just curious as to what others do to make these areas look (and smell) nicer. Either way, have a look!
Before listing all the setups that have been gathered I feel it's worth noting a few things.
Everybody's setup might be geared towards their ample or little amount of space. It's helpful to keep your own space in mind when considering these setups.
These setups might be best suited for their cat(s) for reasons we might not know until we ask! For example, they may have chosen include a camera by their setup because they have a lot of cats to keep an eye on when it comes to litter box habits and a larger space. You might not need that because you have a small space and one cat to monitor.
We all tend to do our own research when it comes to setups which might explain why we have chosen the setups/products we use. Take a look at everything we've collected and do your own research to backup what's been arranged before changing, updating or beginning your own setups.
By listing these setups we are only publishing what others do and have not personally tried all products so, therefore, can't personally recommend or review most of what's been listed.
A special thanks to our friends for sending in these photos, product lists, and descriptions so that we could compile a blog piece to be looked at by you! Enjoy!
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Our friend Teddy and his mom, Selvynna, are actually who inspired us to write this post. They also helped to gather other photos and product descriptions from our Instagram pals. This is why we'd love to start with their setup.
Product List:
'Cats In Love Litter Pan' - from Pet Valu (see here). I opted for an uncovered litter box out in the open because cats shouldn't have to be hidden to go to the bathroom. It's better for smells too. Teddy likes to perch on the edge of the box too. I used velcro to stick this box to the wall so it doesn't tip over when Teddy stands on the edge (it happened once).
Travel Litter Box - This is a storage box from Canadian Tire. This is his second litter box and also our travel litter box. I like this for travel because I can simply close the lid with the litter inside and put the entire box in the car. I leave this open at home so Teddy is used to this as a litter box even when we are away from home. See here for price/details.
Litter Mat - from Amazon (see here). I picked a large one. Seems to work well.
Pine Litter - by Exquisicat (see here). It's one of the best litters for the environment and cheap too. I use this type of litter for travel because you don't have to bring a scoop to scoop out the pee clumps; you can just leave it in the box as it turns to saw dust. Cats sometimes don't like this litter as it doesn't feel like sand, so I leave it as an option at home (I use walnut litter with the other litter box now).
Litter Scoop with Container - by Grreat Choice (see here). I picked one with a holder so I can store it on the window sill.
Dustpan - from Canadian Tire (see here). I use this to sweep the litter that has tracked when there's not enough to need a vacuum.
Poop Bags - from Earth Rated (see here). I used to have a litter locker but didn't want one taking up space in my small apartment. I use poop bags to discard of the waste in my main garbage bin.
Hooks from Canadian Tire. I stuck some on my window sill to hold the dustpan and poop bags. Great for rental units. See here for price./details.
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2. @theoretically.teddy's Friend (not on Instagram)
Product List:
HEPA Air Purifier - Purchased from Amazon (see here).
PETKIT Pura Air Smart Odor Eliminator - Purchased from Amazon (see here).
Concrete Mixing Tub from Home Depot, used as litter box (see here).
Litter Scoop - Purchased from IKEA (see here).
Textured Eva Foam -Purchased from eBay, used as litter mat (see here). Note: a 4x4 wood piece was used to hold the mats in place.
Litter - 50/50 mix pidan Activated Charcoal Tofu Cat Litter with Bentonite (see here) and Dr Elsey Unscented Litter (see here).
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Product List:
Litter Robot - cycles litter after each use and stores in a waste bin making cleanup easy. Emptied once/week and deep clean once/month (see here for litter box and here for the ramp connected to the litter box).
Litter - We’ve tested many brands of litter and I prefer Arm & Hammer (see here) for its odour absorption. Before the litter robot, we wanted to like Pretty Litter (see here) for its health indicators but it's pricey for the amount you need to swap it out.
Travel Litter - Russ goes everywhere I go and I don’t have a personal vehicle. Because of that, we need to pack as light as possible most times, which calls for Tidy Cats Lightweight Litter (see here). It really is light and super easy to pack now that we have the @surfercatmav training bag.
Litter Mat - Russ loves to jump out of the litter robot despite the stairs so this mat is good for collecting all the scatter. The large holes collect the litter so that you can sift the litter out later, unlike other litter mats where the litter just becomes trapped inside. See here for price/details.
Ruggable - These have been some my favorite purchases. They’re washable rugs so they make clean up really simple, plus the designs are all so pretty and interchangeable. See here for the lots of design and size options, but the above pictured is 2.5 x 7 foot in cosmic marble.
Levoit Air Purifier - Helps with the smell since the Litter Robot is right in the entrance and the kitchen is close by. This brand is affordable and does the job. See here for price/details.
Entrance Table/Litter Box Cover - When we lived in NYC we were in a tiny apartment and had to try to optimize our space to include Russ’s litter box. First it was cube storage, but then we needed something bigger to accommodate a top entry box, and now we needed something even bigger to accommodate this monster litter robot. So I built this table. The plywood was bought at Home Depot and 34” hairpin legs from Amazon.
Igloo Cat Bed from Petco - This is where Russ waits for me every day when I go to work. See here for price/details.
Black & Decker Hand Vacuum - 1 of 4 vacuums we own. This one is powerful and good for quick cleanups. See here for price/details.
Food Station - At the end of the runway we have Russ’s food setup. His food storage, “things” storage, wet/dry food bowl and water bowl. He tends to play with his water so we have a shoe tray to collect spills.
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4. @purrseal
Product List:
O'select Premium Litter - We use a silica based litter for a few reasons. We live in the city so it’s lighter for carrying home without a car. It’s also better to travel with, lighter, and makes much less of a mess in the car. It generally tracks a lot less which is so nice is a small space. See here for price/details.
Catit Litter Mat - Helps aid in tracking. See here for price/details.
Litter Box - Standard high edge litter box. See here for price/details.
Litter Scoop - Standard litter scoop. See here for price/details.
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Product List:
Cabinet - When we first got Navi, I didn’t really think about the logistics of having a litter box with a dog, as I have never had a cat and dog at the same time before. Very quickly, I realized that Mocha decided litter boxes were a bowl filled with tasty snacks (gross 🤢) and that I needed to figure something out to keep her out of the box and not eating the litter. I researched many DIY options on Pinterest, trying to figure out a solution to keep Navi’s litter box contained while still being accessible to her. There are many cabinets that looked like they would be perfect, but I also wanted to do make sure my little project wasn’t going to break the bank. So I started scouring our local Kijiji for fairly inexpensive cabinets, and came across the one pictured. It seemed perfect for our small main floor bathroom and also fit Navi’s litter box, which was the issue I was having with many of the other cabinets I was finding online; I needed some thing that would be large enough to fit her litter box, but not too big that it would take up too much space. After a paint of coat, it fit our aesthetic and was ready to go! I added Navi’s litter box (yay for inexpensive options from Dollarama!).
Door - After a quick search on Amazon, I found an inexpensive pet door that would fit Navi while keeping Mocha out. We got the PetSafe Small 2-Way Locking Cat Door. See here for price/details.
Litter Box - Purchased from Dollarama.
Motion Light - After I thought I was done, I realized that with the cabinet doors closed, it was very dark for Navi every time she went in to use her litter box. So I ran to our local Dollarama and found a small motion light that was battery powered, that would provide a bit of light any time she walked through the door. Then VOILA! Navi had her own little bathroom and I had a cute little cabinet to add decor on in my half bathroom!
Litter Mat - We cut our Dollarama litter mat to size to help stop any litter tracking.
Ammonia Buster - Because it was going to be a small enclosed space, I wanted to make sure that Navi had something in there just to help with the ammonia, as I’m sure all of you know that sometimes, a litter box is not a pleasant smell to be around, let alone be surrounded by in a tiny little box. I came across the ammonia buster at our local pet store, and it was a no-brainer. We got the Catit Magic Blue Purifier Cartridge Set for Litter Boxes. See here for price/details.
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Product List:
Omega Paw Roll n Clean Self-Cleaning Litter Box - I knew I wanted to get a covered litter box to prevent the smell from the box from spreading throughout the apartment, since I could only afford to dedicate a small space in my living room for a litter box. A covered box also will prevent litter from being kicked out accidentally when the cat is trying to cover their business. I was looking for a rolling litter box as well, so the need to manually scoop the box was avoided as much as possible. The Omega Paw Roll N Clean box can be shifted around and turned at an angle easily, sifting the clean contents of the box through a grate, and any solids land on top of the grate and into a drawer scoop on the side, which you just need to slide out and throw out. It is pretty awesome and easy. Pet Valu had this when I was buying items for Kaedama when I first got her and it met all my criteria. It is a pricier alternative but really worth it. See here for price/details.
Okocat Less Mess Natural Wood Clumping Litter - I was originally using a basic Arm & Hammer clay litter when I first got Kaedama. I noticed the clay litter not only smelled so fake, like chemicals, was strongly scented, but also dragged outside of the box, onto the trapping mat, onto the nearby carpet and throughout the apartment. It was frustrating to have to clean constantly. I also found myself refilling the box with fresh litter often and going through the box quickly, which added up financially even over just a few months. While at PetSmart with intentions to buy another box of Arm & Hammer, I discovered natural litters for the first time! I was so ignorant about it and it seems life and environment changing to have invested in this. The Okocat Less Mess comes in small cylindrical wood pellets. It smells like fresh wood, no chemicals, is extremely light, biodegradable, great for the environment, less tracking all over the apartment, and breaks down into sawdust with moisture. I read a lot of horror stories of other cats not getting used to the wood pellets but luckily it only took a few days for Kaedama to get used to the wood pellets and she was covering her poops in no time! See here for price/details.
Drymate Corner Litter Trapping Mat - This mat is shaped for a corner, which is useful for the space I have dedicated for the litter box. See here for price/details.
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Product List:
Litter - We use Sustainably Yours Cat Litter (see here for more info). I need to monitor Loki’s urine output, and this is whiter than most so you can really notice any changes in urine. It’s earth friendly, dust free (which is good for Loki and myself). It clumps perfectly without crumbling, so less is wasted. The pee clumps get put in compostable bags (you can actually flush it, but we just compost it). We do flush the poop. It is also the best litter I’ve used for odour control. It still blows my mind how well it works. It literally stops urine odour on contact. When friends come over, they’re always shocked that I have a litter box at all. It truly is the BEST cat litter I’ve ever used in 30+ years of living with cats.
Litter Trapper and Mat - This is the Pieviev Cat Litter Mat Trapper from Amazon. It works great to collect most of the scatter and I love that I can just pour it back into the box so I’m not wasting as much. See here for price/details. I also use a bathroom mat from Bed, Bath and Beyond (see here) but this drying mat from Messy Mutts would also work really well. The mat collects dirt and debris like a magnet.
Bed - His bed is actually a 3” memory foam from my bed that was too soft for me, so I painstakingly cut up squares that fit into pillowcases for beds for him.
Stereo/Bluetooth - I keep my stereo beside him to quietly play calming cat music when he’s alone (yes, I made him his own Spotify playlist). #catmomlife
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8. @kittymojito
Product List:
Litter Box - Van Ness Jumbo litter boxes. See here for more details.
Litter Scoops - The black one is from IKEA, the yellow one is from PetSmart, and the red one is from Dollerama and I use it to scoop the litter if there is too much in the litter box.
For Odour - We like to use eco friendly products when possible. Earth Rated Stain and Odour Remover (see here for price/details). PowAir Urine and Odour Remover (see here for price/details), Petkin Litter box deodorizer (see here for price/details). There is also a mildly scented room deodorizer that sits on the shelf to give the room a pleasant scent.
Poop Bags - Earth Rated compostable poop bags (see here) and holder (see here). See here for price/details.
Litter Mat - We purchased these mats from Dollerama.
Shower Caddy - We use this for organization. We can't provide a link as it was purchased at Homesense.
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Product List:
Litter Storage - 30 gallon storage bin. See here for price/details. We chose this bin because it is cheap and sturdy. We like the size because we can place the dishpan on one end and the boys have to walk on the bin before walking onto the floor. There is also room for us to place the litter scoop in the bin. We have the hole in the bin facing the wall and keep the lid on, but slightly ajar for additional ventilation. We have the hole facing the wall so the boys have to walk on the mat and around the bin before leaving the room, giving more time for any litter to fall off before entering the main living space. You could go with a smaller bin if you have less room. This bin held up well to us having to make the hole (using a utility knife and sandpaper).
Litter Box - We already had this dishpan which is why we chose it, but it fits perfectly in the bin and is great for containing the litter. Some DIY's have the litter in the bottom of the bin, but we like to have it in the dishpan because it is easier to clean and there are more opportunities for the litter to fall off paws before getting to the living areas. See here for price/details.
Litter Mat - We chose this mat because we had read that the plastic mats when wet can damage floors. This one does the job as another opportunity to catch litter before they boys get to the main living space. You could use any number of mats (we have a friend that uses an old welcome mat). This one is nice because it is easy to pick up and throw any litter on it back in the litter box. See here for price/details.
Litter - We chose Dr. Elsey's because it was well reviewed. It's done well for us, but we have not used another litter so cannot compare it to others. We are interested in compostable litter, but haven't made the change. See here for price/details.
Litter Scoop - This litter scoop came well reviewed and is aluminum so is very sturdy. We keep it in the bin, but it was not shown in the photo. See here for price/details.
Empty Granola Bar Box and Plastic Bag - the reused granola box is our trash bin and we use it because it's the perfect size and we did not have to buy a new product. We do not put the litter directly in our larger trash bin because it gets smelly. We have tried compostable bags, but they haven't been sturdy enough for the dirty litter, so we moved to reusing plastic bags from store bought bread or other small sturdy plastic bags.
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10. @leonidasabycat
Here's the litter box setup I have for Leonidas and Socrates. Started this setup with the previous two cats when my Russian Blue (Xerxes) started sometimes not properly squatting to pee in the litter box. It is two large litter boxes, inside a kidde swimming pool, on top of a tarp on the floor.
When we are on the road (usually has been for cat shows), I had a separate litterbox for use in the hotel and another litterbox for their security cage in the show hall. I also got them in different stackable sizes so they pack nicely. I use litter liners when on the road to help with faster and more sanitary litter disposal. I have found many places do not prefer litter to be placed in regular garbages, rather in designated areas (in the show halls at least - the weight of used litter from 100 cats can be significant).
Another item I have available are corrugated cardboard trays that hold cans. They make great emergency one time use litter pans. In a hotel, I also put a tarp down and the litter pan on top to help with clean up. I think it's important that cat owners are responsible with litter clean up in hotels so there will continue to be hotels that accept cats.
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11. @thecatsandcrew
With 5 cats and one kitten there needs to be multiple spots to "go" and some way of organizing the litter bins and disposals. Check out our setups and the products we use.
Photo #1: This is the “master” bath.
Camera - We have a Netatmo indoor security camera facing one of our litter boxes (with wires safely covered) in case we need to keep an eye on anyone for medical reasons. With multiple cats in the house, it's really helpful if we need to look back and see if someone is straining or seems like they're experiencing pain.
Litter Disposal - We have a Litter Genie XL in this room. XL size is great for multi-cat households. It's so nice not having to take out the trash so often.
Litter Box - Nature’s Miracle high sided corner box which I love because it fits in the corner and is a big enough size for our biggest cats.
Privacy Screens - We have these up with two exits (so that no one gets trapped if another cat comes in). See here for price and details.
Litter Mat - I'm generally not a huge fan of litter mats, because I find it's easier to just clean the floor, as opposed to having a mat that traps litter and odor. We do really like this Drymate one though, for our biggest litter box setup. See here for price and details.
Litter - We use Catalyst Litter (Multi-Cat Formula) in all of our litter boxes. I absolutely love this litter. It's made from upcycled pine softwood. The material is sourced from regional sawmills in the U.S. The company converts what would have been waste and makes it into litter. It's super sustainable, unlike many traditional litters that aren't biodegradable. It clumps really well, has great odor control, is low dust, and is soft on paws. Most importantly, it's safe for the kitties!
Photo #2:
Litter Box - Nature's Miracle high sided corner box. I love the Nature’s Miracle high sided corner box because it fits nicely in the corner and is a big enough size for our biggest cats. Cats really need enough space to be able to turn around in the litter box. Some folks look for smaller boxes because they want to hide them or fit them in a small space, but think of how you would feel trying to use a bathroom that's too small for you. Not pleasant!
Photo #3 & 4:
Litter Box - The Van Ness large litter pan in blue is stain and odor resistant. It has lower sides, which are great for our kitten. It's also great for a senior kitty or one with mobility issues. We also like the color!
Photos #5 & 6:
Litter Box - We use these Nature's Miracle jumbo size disposable litter boxes in our lower traffic areas. We like them because they're lightweight and can be moved around easily (like a play pen if we need to have one of the cats in there if they need personal space from the other cats). They're made from eco-friendly material and can be disposed of without harming the environment.
Photos #7 & 8:
We have the original Litter Genie and Litter Genie XL. It helps to have two around with multiple cats in the house.
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We've opted for two litter boxes originally so that we could see which litter box Gibson prefers. His most favourite litter box is the great outdoors. We have daily scheduled walks and he totally saves his bathroom time for these times! When he can't wait, though, he uses both. I would like to wait until winter, though, to see if there's more of a preference for one of these litter boxes (when we can't bring him out for his routine walks).
Product List (photo on the left):
Litter Box - We have the New Simply Clean® Automatic Litter Box by PetSafe (our review can be found here) - We love that this unique shape is actually loved and used by Gibson. We also love that it's open because I've read that cats like open litter boxes to be able to see threats. It was also mentioned by @catopiacamera's vet that having lids on litter boxes is comparable to us going in an outhouse. We'd have to agree on this! We might want the smell contained for us but it being contained makes things worse for them. We are learning from this post as well that you can buy air purifiers such as the ones in #2. See here for price/details.
Litter Mat - Purchased from Dollerama. It does not trap the tracked litter as much as we'd like so we also have the broom close by.
Broom - Picked up from some hardware store (can't remember where).
Litter - We use Naturally Fresh Quick-Clumping Litter. It's made of 100% walnut shells, eco-friendly and lasts for quite some time. See here for price/details.
Litter Locker - Our good friend @theoretically.teddy moved from Toronto to Vancouver and didn't want to bring their litter locker (they also switched litters and didn't need it any more). We cleaned it up real good and put it to use! I just love how it contains the smell and makes our cleanups SO much easier. You can also purchase cute covers to personalize it. See here for price and details. See here for fun sleeve options. See here for refill price.
Product List (photo on the right):
Litter Box - We use the Van Ness litter box, which is enclosed. See here for price/details. This was the first litter box we purchased and Gibson still doesn't mind using it in comparison to the auto litter box so we've kept it.
Litter Mat - We use and love the Catit Litter mat, size large. It really does an amazing job and stops the litter from tracking everywhere. See here for price/details.
Litter Scoop - We wanted a litter scoop that could last for life! We googled "best litter scoop" and this one by Durascoop kept coming up. So far it looks and feels like it will last a lifetime! See here for price/details.
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Thanks so much for taking the time to read. I'd love to see your litter box setups and what you think about the above listed arrangements! Feel free to message me on Instagram, email me, or drop a comment below (just note that I cannot comment back but always read what you write).
xx Sarah & Gibson