Nobody buys a flat and thinks about where the litter tray is going. Then the cat arrives, the tray goes in the only spot that works, and suddenly there's a plastic box in the corner of the living room that every visitor pretends not to notice.
There are better options. The catch is that most of them only work if the cat agrees, and cats have firm opinions about where they go to the toilet. So it's worth walking through what actually hides a tray, and what quietly makes a cat stop using it.
Option one: enclosure furniture
This is the most complete answer. A wooden cabinet with a cat-sized entrance on one side, a door on the front for you, and the tray sitting inside out of sight. From the room it reads as a sideboard or a low cupboard.
The PawHut wooden enclosure in the range runs to 76cm wide and includes an adjustable interior wall, which is more useful than it sounds. It lets you split the space so the tray sits on one side and litter, bags and a scoop live on the other, so the whole business stays in one piece of furniture.
The thing to check before buying any enclosure is internal dimensions rather than external. A cabinet that measures generously on the outside can have surprisingly little room inside once the panelling is accounted for, and a tray wedged in tight is a tray your cat will avoid.
Option two: cat house furniture that doubles up
Several of the engineered wood cat houses are built to sit at side table height, with a flat top you can put a lamp or a plant on. Some are sized around a litter tray, others around a bed. The 85cm designs in the cat house collection are the ones intended as litter enclosures.
There's also an indoor cat box with magnetic doors and a built-in scratch pad on one face, which is a neat piece of furniture in its own right. The magnetic doors are worth noting for a nervous cat, because they need a small push to open. Some cats take to that immediately and some won't touch it.
Option three: a cat tree with a tray compartment
A handful of the taller cat trees have an enclosed base sized for a litter tray, with the climbing levels, perches and sisal posts built above it. In a one-bed flat this is genuinely efficient, because it puts three pieces of cat kit in the footprint of one.
It does mean the tray and the sleeping perch are in the same structure, which not every cat likes. Cats generally prefer their toilet away from where they eat and sleep, so this suits confident, easy-going cats more than fussy ones.
Option four: just pick a better tray
Sometimes the simplest fix is enough. A fully enclosed box with a lid and a front door hides most of what's inside and cuts odour noticeably. Top entry designs go further, with the cat climbing in through the roof, which also keeps litter from being kicked across the floor.
The stainless steel enclosed boxes in the range do this well and are easier to keep smelling clean than plastic, since steel doesn't scratch or absorb odour over the years. A tray that looks tidy in an alcove often beats a cabinet the cat refuses to enter.
The part that decides whether any of it works
Hiding a tray means enclosing it, and enclosing a tray creates three problems.
Air is the first. A sealed cabinet traps smell against the litter, which is unpleasant for you and much worse for a cat, whose sense of smell is far sharper. Ventilation holes, a gap at the back, or leaving the cabinet door slightly ajar all help.
Space is the second. A cat needs to turn around, dig, and turn again. As a rough guide the tray itself should be about one and a half times your cat's body length, and the enclosure needs clearance around it on top of that.
Escape is the third. Cats are wary about being cornered. A single narrow entrance with no second way out puts some cats off entirely, particularly in a household with another cat or a dog who might block the doorway. If there are two cats, an enclosure is more likely to work if it's roomy and sited somewhere neither cat has to walk past the other to reach.
Where to put the finished thing
Away from food and water bowls. Away from the washing machine, which will make a cat jump mid-spin and remember it. Not in a cupboard behind a closed door unless there's a permanent cat flap in it.
Hallways, spare rooms, under stairs and utility spaces all work well. Bathrooms are popular and fine, as long as the door genuinely stays open.
Making the switch
Cats dislike sudden change to their toilet arrangements more than almost anything else. Put the new enclosure in place with the old tray inside it, doors off or open, and let the cat use it as normal for a week. Then fit the doors. If the cat balks, go back a step rather than pressing on.
Done gradually, most cats accept it without any fuss at all, and you get your corner back.
Delivery and returns
Free delivery on all orders to UK mainland addresses, dispatched within 3 to 5 working days, with no hidden fees at checkout. If you change your mind or order the wrong item, returns are welcome, though the return postage cost is yours to cover in those cases. Anything faulty or damaged is handled by the Bossy Cat team.
