THE Cutest Cat and Utility Closet
March 16, 2021
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I'm back with more progress on
Project Add More Storage in our mud/laundry space! It's coming together so beautifully! I've been adding storage,
changing up storage and moving things around to make this room function so
much better for us.
Last I left you, I finished up the
simple shelves at the end of the closet
in that room:
I love this little trick for using that dead space in a closet!
Next up, I needed to add a little something to one of the closet doors. MANY
of you have been wondering where we were going to put our litter boxes.
Shortly after we moved in I added a DIY "curtain" and
hid the kitty litter under the folding table:
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Since then we've installed drawer base cabinets here instead (you can see
how to install cabinets here). I love them SO MUCH.
We knew we'd have to move the litter and had two options. One was in the
basement storage room and one was still in this room, but in the closet
pictured above instead. We knew it would be much easier to keep up with
scooping if we had them closer to the main living area, so the mud room
closet it was!
In order to do that, I needed to clean it out quite a bit. That's why I
added the shelves along the side as well -- I wanted that to become a spot
to keep ALL of the pet supplies.
In order to move the litter boxes in here, we needed a way for the cats to
come and go. I found this adorable
cat shaped kitty door
and got to work installing it:
You definitely want to take the door down for this install. I did it in the
mud room -- our doors are crazy heavy! (This is up on supports.)
Measure for the center of the door at the bottom:
They make it easy! The cat door comes with a template to cut out and trace
onto the door:
My helper was there to assist like usual:
And then cut out your cat door! I used a jigsaw with a
blade specifically for curved cuts:
It doesn't need to be purrfect (I had to. Sorry.) because your cat door
will hide the cut.
It went much quicker than I thought it would:
If you have a hollow core door this will be even easier to cut!
Then you just slide one side of the cat door on and then the back -- they
have sticky pads that secure it to the door. Isn't it the cutest thing
ever??:
Look at the back!:
I just love it! We all kept walking in the room to look at it and giggle. 😂
I got an extra large size so the cats don't have to crouch get into the
closet. I wanted it to be as easy as possible for them to come and go.
The cat door is paintable so you can match it to whatever color you need!
It's so cute I considered painting it a different color so it stands out:
These "doors" are also a great option if you have dogs you want to keep out
of the litter! It's only been a couple weeks but we are already LOVING this
new set up. So are the cats. :)
Now we have a dedicated spot for the pet supplies, litter, some cleaning
supplies and more:
If you look closely you can see that I added clear contact paper along the wall behind the boxes. It goes down and covers the baseboards as well. It's rare, but sometimes our cats "miss" when urinating and it goes out side of the box. This will prevent anything from getting on the wall or the baseboards.
OH, and if you have cats the Litter Genie is awesome!! It's so easy to use and super convenient when scooping.
Here are some litter placement tips from this life-long kitty
owner:
- If you move litter boxes, do it slowly. Some experts even recommend inches at a time. It helped that ours were staying in the same room. First I moved them across the room and they stayed there for about a week. Then I placed one in the closet, one out. Finally I placed both in the closet, first with one door open and then with both closed. Our cats took to the cat door and new spot VERY quickly. I think they really love having the privacy.
- It is recommended to have one more litter box than you have cats. We've had up to three cats with just two boxes and they did fine. I think it's most important to keep them clean. We do plan to add one more in the storage room so they have an option on another floor of the house.
- PLEASE don't place their food or water next to the cat litter. Even if they don't seem to mind it, it's not sanitary. Their food should be away from the litter, preferably in a different room if possible.
- Placement is hard sometimes -- you'll want the boxes where you can easily get to them, but no one wants to look at litter all day. Cats prefer to have their litter away from high traffic areas in the house, so balance that with a spot you'll be able to access easily and often.
More super cute cat door options I found!:
- This cat door/hole fits into a wall instead of a door
- A regular sized version of the one we used
- This one is shaped like an actual door -- so cute!
- If you don't want to cut into a door, this gadget keeps a door propped open just enough for kitties to squeeze through. Perfect if you are renting!
- This is the extra large cat door we used
Where do you keep your litter? Any innovative ideas you've heard of?
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our home here.
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I just love everything you do. I get so excited when I see there is a new post from you. I can’t wait to see your outdoor post/garden posts- those are my favourite. Thanks for sharing all you do!
ReplyDeleteLooks great! How do you install on a hollow core door? Is there a cover for the hollow space between the cat door sides?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, where do you hang/store all your coats and jackets? :)
Yes there is a slat that goes around the hole and the front and back connect to that. You won't see any exposed parts of the door. :)
DeleteWe have a coat closet and the mud room bench in this room is where a lot of them hang most of the winter.
That is stinkin cute!!! I don't even have a cat and I want one :-)
ReplyDeleteQuestions - does the odor build up in the enclosed area? Did you see the kitty opening that also had an arc of bristles to help cut down on hair?
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice setup and you have the sweeper nearby to clean up any scattered litter. /Liz
Yes I did see that one! I didn't get that because I wasn't sure our cats would like that -- I wanted it to be as easy as possible for them to get in and out.
DeleteNo, we scoop enough that there's no bad odor. Sometimes after they "go" it does for a bit, but that's normal. The litter we use does a good job of covering that.
I'm not much of a cat person, but dang, that's cute!
ReplyDeleteHow adorable! Do you keep a little wall plug night light on for them?
ReplyDeleteCats can see really well in the dark naturally, so likely not needed
DeleteNo, we have motion activated lights in here but that sensor is up high for when we open the doors. As Kate said above, cats can see way better than us in darkness, so it's not needed. :) But the cat door does let in a good amount of light!
DeletePuuurfect!!! My Tommy & Jonny (twins) would love it.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cute!! Where did you get the template? I would like to get one. My family are cat people. I remember when I was 3 in 1963 that was the only pets we had was cats. They are always a part of our family. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! The template comes with the cat door! :)
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