Room For Me, Room For You. Making Room for Kitty, Too.

I moved from a townhome with a basement to a ranch with my son and my cat, Peanut.

We now have: 2 bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, spacious family room, and  bathroom. Just enough room.
 
We moved in and got settled. But big question came: Where do I put the cat box? At our old house, it was in the basement. A perfect spot. Out of the way and easily accessible. 
 
In the new house, we don't have a basement. The bedrooms and kitchen were not an option. The bathroom seemed like the most sensible place.

Even the smallest of cat boxes collided with the door. The cat box was literally (litter-ally??) in the center of the bathroom.
 
My mind began to think creatively. I thought about creating "Custom Cat Boxes". A cat box that lacked width and that could fit between the toilet and the tub.  I invisioned a tackle box (empty inside) that was tall enough. Then cutting a hole in the front for the cat to enter. And wide enough for her to turn around.
 
I thought this was a brilliant plan and contacted Plano Molding Company in Plano, Illinois to discuss my plan. The man answering my email was very polite. He explained that I would have to make the prototype, get it patented, and then talk with them about production. Surely I would make a fortune and retire by age 40.
 
I had an "ah ha!' moment discovered another option that was much more simple.
 
I put my toiletries and cleaning supplies in the linen closet.
 
1.) I decided to take a door off from under the sink.
2.) I lined the bottom of the cabinet with contact paper. Creeping a little up the walls on all sides. This waterproofs the bottom of the cabinet.
3.) I found plastic 1/2 inch edging tape (at Menards for about $3 a roll) and trimmed the bottom seam all around.
4.) I had to slightly tilt the cat box to get around the plumbing pipe, but it fit perfectly.
5.) I filled the cat box 1/4 way with litter
6.) I used a dish towel and double stick velcro tape to make a make-shift curtain.
(see photos)
 
Voila! It worked. Bathroom looks normal. Peanut (our cat) uses the cat box with ease.

It works. It's essentially odorless. Tidy. I can change the curtain to go with the seasons because of the velcro tape.
 
So I have not become a millionaire from my custom cat box creation, but I have found an affordable solution to working with small spaces and a cat box.
Maybe this will help someone else with the small space issue, too. I'll get paid in good karma.