DIY: Litter Box With a Hinged Grate

Owning a small pet has both it pleasures and its pitfalls. If you have to leave your pet in an apartment during the day, you may often find yourself cleaning up messes when you get back. One way to reduce this problem is to provide your pet with a litter box. Although litter boxes are most often associated with cats, they can also be used for small breed female dogs. While you can purchase litter boxes for cats and dogs, it is easy and inexpensive to make one.

Things You'll Need

  • Overflow tray for a washing machine
  • Measuring tape
  • Plastic grate material
  • Craft knife or box cutter
  • Superglue
  • Four plastic butterfly hinges
  • Artificial grass
  • Cat litter, newspaper or pee pads
  • Zip ties
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the width and length of the overflow tray you have purchased.

    • 2

      Add 1 inch to the length measurement and 2 inches to the width measurement. Use a craft knife or box cutter to cut out a piece of plastic grate material to match this size.

    • 3

      Use superglue to glue the butterfly hinges in a line along one of the sides. The goal is to have the side with the hinges line up with the edge of the tray, while the other three sides overhang the tray by 1 inch.

    • 4

      Place the grate on the overflow tray, with the hinges facing down. Fold the other half of each hinge over the outside wall of the tray.

    • 5

      Use superglue to glue the hinges to the overflow tray. Let this dry for 2 hours.

    • 6

      Lift the hinged grate. Line the bottom of the tray with cat litter, pee pads or newspaper.

    • 7

      Cut out a piece of artificial grass to match the size of the overflow tray. Place it on the grate.

    • 8

      Use zip ties to tie the grass to the grate. Your pet's new litter box is ready to be broken in.