Real reviews from 7 years of living with cats! Cat litter box hacks to solve the "litter tracking problem"

When it comes to cat litter boxes, the main problem is scattered litter! While there are mats designed to catch litter, many cat owners probably feel like they don't really solve the problem, right?

My house is custom-built, and to solve this problem, I lowered the floor during construction and created a dedicated space for the cat litter box. This time, I'll share the effectiveness of this idea and my honest thoughts, having lived here for seven years.

Lowering the floor in the dressing room to create a dedicated cat litter box space!

I was determined to create a comfortable home for both humans and cats. That's what I decided in my late twenties as a crazy cat person.

At that time, the term "cat-friendly home" wasn't widely known, and building homes designed for cats wasn't a focus. So, when my husband (we're separated now, lol) and I discussed building a custom home, I couldn't find any reference information.

Still, I couldn't give up on my dream of building a home where both cats and people could live comfortably, so I worked with the architect to create a cat-friendly home in my own way.

There are countless details I focused on when building the house, but the most challenging part was deciding where to put the cat litter box. Living in an apartment at the time, I was constantly frustrated by scattered litter and racked my brain thinking, "How can I solve this problem...?" I eventually came to one conclusion.

Just lower the floor. If I put the cat litter box in a sunken space, like a horigotatsu, the litter would accumulate there, making cleanup easier, wouldn't it?

When I proposed this wild idea, the architect was surprised, saying, "Lower the floor...?" but he still drew up a brilliant design. I'm so grateful.

Since my cats aren't easily startled by loud noises, the unique cat litter box space was placed in the dressing room.

"Disadvantages" that emerged after construction

I was thrilled with the dedicated cat litter box space. As planned, the amount of scattered litter was dramatically reduced compared to my apartment days.

やっと新居が完成しつつあります♡
猫の砂のストレスから解放されるべく、猫トイレ用スペース完備！(*ﾟｪﾟ*)
これで猫も人もストレスフリーね♡ pic.twitter.com/sGpWYb347q

— ゆあ ｜ ライター🖊 (@yunc24291) March 13, 2016

Honestly, some still gets scattered. My cats sometimes jump out with great force. But since the litter collects in the lowered section, cleaning has become much easier.

However, a critical flaw emerged with use. This was caused by leaving the space for the cat litter box as exposed concrete.

Cat-friendly homes tend to be expensive because of things like catwalks and cat doors. So, when the architect asked me, a penny-pincher, "To save costs, is it okay to leave the cat litter box space as exposed concrete?" I enthusiastically replied, "Yes!"

But that was a mistake. My cat, Kotaro, for some reason started only peeing on the litter sheet, no matter what kind of litter or litter box I used, ever since Leon arrived. One day, urine got on the concrete, and the smell and stain became impossible to remove.

Oh... I really regretted not waterproofing it or at least putting down a waterproof mat, even a cheap one from a 100-yen store.

Also, as we lived together, I started to feel that the concrete might be hard on my cats' paws. So now, I place a waterproof sheet from a 100-yen store on the concrete, then a cushion mat on top of that, and I replace the soiled parts as needed.

More cats meant less space for the litter box

I have another regret about our cat litter box space. It's the narrowness of the space.

Our cat litter box space was designed to accommodate one standard-sized litter box and one large-sized litter box (1.5 times the standard size).

At the time, I planned to live with Gigi and Kotaro, the two cats I lived with in the apartment. However, Gigi and Kotaro's compatibility was worse than expected... I hoped that moving to a new home and having zero territory would change their relationship, but their animosity remained unchanged.

At that time, I read in an overseas book that if cats don't get along, adding another cat can sometimes change their relationship, so I thought it was worth a try and welcomed Leon from a rescue cat cafe. (Of course, that wasn't the only reason.)

Leon was amazing; if Kotaro tried to pick a fight, he'd gently give a cat paw. He became a knight protecting Gigi. (He's also good friends with Kotaro, which is incredible.) He was a mediator beyond my expectations.

However, the increased number of cats caused a problem with the litter box space. The ideal number of litter boxes is the number of cats plus one, but there's no space to put them...!

This problem was resolved by getting a new litter box for Kotaro, who prefers litter sheets, and placing it outside the dedicated space, but it was a serious concern. Even if you don't lower the floor like we did, it's important to consider the potential future number of cats when creating a dedicated cat litter box space. (You might also encounter a rescue cat unexpectedly...)

By the way, my current concern is whether this sunken litter box space will still be usable when my cats are seniors. I'm wondering if my beloved cats, whose legs might weaken, will be able to go up and down the step. I also feel there isn't enough space to put a pet ramp, so I hope to continue finding ways to adapt things based on my cats' health and age.

After living here for seven years, the disadvantages seem to stand out more than the advantages. But I'll take it as part of our home's character and continue to think about how both humans and cats can live comfortably.

Perhaps a truly "cat-friendly home where both humans and cats can be happy" is something that emerges and is achieved by continuously pondering, "What kind of home would be easy for us all to live in?"