How to Build a Better Cat Litter Box

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By SamGrady
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A Better Litter Box

This article shows you how to make a better litter box that looks nice, smells not-so-bad, keeps your dog (if you have one) from snacking on kitty-roca, and keeps your home cleaner.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Plastic storage container
Utility knife or Dremmel Tool
1/8" drillbit and drill
Clear duct tape
Sand paper or metal file
cat litter

Step 1

Find an existing plastic storage box or purchase a new one. We used a Sterilite 66 qt clearview box (light blue) which is 12-1/4Hx16-1/4Wx23-1/2L inches. This box works well because all faces are flat which makes it easier to cut the cat door into the box.
Step 2

Cut a 6x6 inch square cat door into one end of the box about 4 inches up from the bottom of the box. Carefully make the cut so that you can use the cut-out piece as a flap door. We used a Dremmel tool, but a utility knife should work just as well (though probably won't be as much fun).
Step 3

Use a file or sand paper to smooth the edges of the cut-out area on the box so that your cat doesn't get scratched by fragments of plastic.
Step 4

Cut a series of ventilation holes on the end of the box opposite to the end with the door. We used a 1/8" drillbit and made about 8 holes. The holes were placed in rows at least 6 inches above the bottom of the box. If you don't have a drill, you can use any sharp pointy instrument to poke some holes in the box -- though the end result won't look very professional.
Step 5

Use a clear duct tape on both sides of the cut-out flap to make a door hinge. The tape goes along the top edge of the door flap on both the inside and outside. Duct tape is very sturdy and pliable and should last a long time. Other kinds of tape (like packing tape) may break after repeated use.
Step 6

Add cat litter to the new box -- about 3 inches of litter is recommended.
Step 7

Teach your cat how to use the new door. We taped the door flap up for a few days so the cat could get used to the box without worrying about going through a strange new flap door. After the cat became used to the new box, we lowered the flap and our cat had no problem using the new flap door.