How I Eliminated a Stinky Litter Box in My House

I have two cats, a 6-year-old and a new kitten. I absolutely love my cats but I definitely do not like their litter box! I tried placing the litter box in a bathroom with vinyl flooring, but the floor got covered with litter granules and the smell carried through the house, even when I kept it scooped up frequently. I had to leave the bathroom door open so the cats could come in and out, so I couldn't seal off the smell that way. Then I tried the laundry room which has a tile floor, but ran into the same problems. I didn't want to smell or see the litter box and I also didn't want my company to smell or see it and to immediately know there are cats in the house.

I thought about making the cats into outdoor cats, but decided against that because I don't want to lose either one of them or have them hit by a car. Also I am sure my neighbors would not appreciate their garden beds being used as a litter box.

I did find a solution that worked for me. I placed the litter box in the garage. My house has an attached garage, so I simply installed a cat door in the door which leads out to the garage. At first I was very hesitant to put the litter box in the garage since that is where the cars are parked and I was afraid an accident would occur as the cats would not know to avoid the cars coming in and out. In actual practice, this has not proved to be a problem, because the second either cat hears the garage door opener sound, they run full-speed through the cat door and into the house.

I placed the litter box as far away from the house door as possible, near the overhead door, and next to a big trash can. This accomplishes two things: First, the smell and view of the litter box are far away from the house, and second it is very easy and convenient to scoop out the litter box now that it is right next to the trashcan. I keep supply of grocery store plastic bags nearby and recycle them by using them to dispose of the scooped litter.

It was not difficult to train the cats to go through the cat door and to their litter box. The adult cat was afraid at first of the door flap but he soon discovered that the garage was a wonderful place to get away, like cats like to do. I was a little more concerned that the kitten would have trouble learning to use the cat door and litter box. The first day I went out into the garage and held the door open and called him to me. He came through the door. I then went into the house and did the same thing. I then showed him his litter box near the overhead door. Later that same day I got worried that the kitten would not remember where his box was or how to get to it. I picked up the kitten and carried him to his litter box. To my great surprise, he had already found it on his own and used it!

When company comes over, they are usually not aware that there are cats in the home. They cannot see or smell the litter box. I have really solved the litter box dilemma in my house and I would recommend this solution to anyone who does not want to see or smell a litter box in their home. Of course, be aware of possible accidents and make sure your cat knows to exit the garage when he hears the door. Just press the button a few times and encourage him to exit through the cat door. Some cats, of course, may realize that the sound of the garage door means that the door is opening and the cat can escape to the outside. So far this has not been a problem for me, but is something to consider when choosing to place your litter box in the garage.