• I used to be determined to discover a answer for my cat’s ugly litter field.
• I knew I needed one thing with storage that was lengthy sufficient for her to trace litter.
• I ended up discovering an costly bench with the scale I wanted, and I’ve zero regrets.

Since 2017, my husband and I’ve been the proud homeowners of a candy tuxedo cat. Sadly, that additionally means we are the not-so-proud homeowners of her litter field.

Any cat proprietor will inform you that having a field crammed with (I am sorry) feces and urine is not precisely nice in your house decor. Some options I’ve seen on-line embody placing it in a visitor rest room, a spare closet, or in your storage, however as a New York Metropolis dweller the place each inch of area is essential, these choices weren’t obtainable to us. 

And whereas self-cleaning litter containers could be all the trend, they did not clear up my storage challenge.

I knew what I wanted — a protracted storage bench that I might reduce a gap into

In order that led to hours spent looking for a chic answer. I needed one thing with storage, that would double as a bit of furnishings and would nonetheless give her sufficient room to do her enterprise. 

I had a ready-made aspect desk meant for this actual goal, however her litter acquired all over the place since she would leap out of the opening, scattering these dusty little kernels. Placing a monitoring pad down in entrance of it helped, but it surely was very apparent that this was a litter field and an eyesore once I entered the room.

However I had an concept. If I might discover a lengthy and deep sufficient storage bench and reduce a gap within the aspect, it could make her a runway to trace the litter earlier than she hopped out. There would even be sufficient area for all of her accoutrement, like further litter containers and scooping gear. 

I discovered my dream bench on CB2, but it surely was costly

The choice I discovered was deep and extensive sufficient for a litter field. The one drawback was it was over $700 plus delivery and taxes.

As somebody not useful sufficient to construct one thing related myself, I saved for months and waited for the bench to go on sale, however no cube. In the long run, I not solely splurged on the lengthy bench I initially noticed, however a brief bench to go along with it to make ourselves a eating nook. (Sure, we actually did eat right here, and no, there was no scent.)

Earlier than we constructed the bench, we reduce a gap sufficiently big for our cat to climb out and in of. As soon as we constructed the bench, we lined it with odor-absorbing trash luggage — the important thing, in my view, to why this does not make our house scent.

Whereas this could be probably the most divisive factor I’ve ever placed on TikTok, we nonetheless use this bench on a regular basis. I really like that it is a purposeful a part of our decor and has storage so we do not waste valuable closet area on housing further kitty litter. 

Most significantly, our cat appears to love it, too.

I’ve just a few suggestions (and a warning) for anybody seeking to do one thing related:

1. Ensure to get inside measurements of the piece before you purchase it — Not all storage furnishings is extensive or deep sufficient to accommodate a litter field. I knew I wanted one thing a minimum of 15 inches deep and 14 inches tall.
2. We used an electrical jigsaw to chop our gap, first drilling two pilot holes with a round noticed drill bit. We did not do lots of planning round this, however we tried to verify it was sufficiently big for our cat with out messing with any of the present drill holes to place the bench collectively. 
3. Over time, by means of a transfer and many litter mud, the mechanism of the bench’s lid has turn into unstable. Whereas I can nonetheless open and shut the highest of the bench, it not stays put, so I have to prop it open each time I clear the litter field. (I might do all of it once more, however three years of damage and tear have taken their toll. For what it is value, I blame the litter as a result of the smaller bench nonetheless features completely and we use it typically.)