Mallory Crusta / Cats.com
Ratings
- Ease of Cleaning – 8/10
- Odor Control – 8/10
- Appearance – 9/10
- Construction – 7/10
- Price – 7/10
Overall Score: 7.8/10
The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is probably not what you’d imagine when you hear the words “hidden litter box.” You might picture a litter box enclosure – something that’s fashioned to look like a piece of furniture. Or maybe a privacy screen you erect the obscure the box from view.
What it really is, however, is much different. The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is actually a litter box that is disguised to look like something else: a planter.
If you’re tired of the litter box taking up space in your home without making any aesthetic contributions, this might be the solution. It’s modestly priced in comparison to most litter box enclosures, its rounded shape makes it a good fit for corners, and it adds a little greenery to your home.
Mallory Crusta, our head of content, tested the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box over the course of several weeks with her two cats, Wessie and Forest. Here you’ll find an overview of her experience along with everything you need to know about this hidden litter box to make your own decision.
Good Pet Stuff Hidden Planter Review Video
The Design
The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is designed to look like a planter. It’s made from polypropylene which is a thin, fairly flexible plastic material. The litter box is divided into two main parts – a top and a bottom – that come together to create a planter-like shape.
Overall, the planter stands about 36 inches high (including the fake plant) and the body of the hidden litter box is about 19 inches wide and 19 inches deep.
To use the litter box, your cat enters through an opening in the front that’s split between the top and bottom halves. The bottom of the open sits fairly high off the ground, so it might be a big step for kittens and smaller cats, but it may also help prevent litter scatter.
Another feature this hidden litter box has to offer is an integrated filter. The top of the litter box is vented for air circulation and covered by a thin filter material. It comes with artificial moss to cover the filter and, of course, the fake plant you insert into the center.
Initial Impressions
The first thing that becomes obvious when assembling the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is that it doesn’t have that robust feel you get from some litter boxes.
Again, the polypropylene material is fairly thin – it feels a bit more like the material you’d expect from a trash can than from a high-quality litter box. The flexibility of the material makes it a little tricky to get the top and bottom halves lined up.
Another minor issue some customers have noticed is that the hole drilled into the top of the litter box where you insert the fake plant may not be centered.
Once set up, the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box can be filled with your choice of litter. The opening to the box is about 6 ½ inches off the ground, so you can get a good 3 to 4 inches of litter into the base. That being said, the space inside the litter box is a little tight.
The interior measures about 19-by-19 inches which is smaller than what you might see in a standard litter box. There’s plenty of headspace for your cat, but if he likes to turn around and dig a lot, he might find it a little uncomfortable.
Another potential issue has to do with the placement of the litter box.
The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is designed to make your cat’s litter box more discreet. Many cat owners are going to want to place it in a corner or against a wall and turn the planter so the opening isn’t immediately visible. Cats like to have a 360-degree view of their surroundings at all times, so this placement might not make your cat feel very secure.
Cleaning The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box
To get a feel for how the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box really works, Mallory tested it with several different types of litter: clumping clay, plant-based tofu litter, and silica crystal litter.
When it comes to cleaning this litter box, there are two options. First, the opening is large enough to view the inside of the litter box and maneuver a scoop. If you find that difficult, however, you can always remove the lid entirely to better access the litter bed.
The primary challenge that arose when cleaning this litter box had to do with the curved sides.
Round litter boxes tend to invite cats to spray urine all over the walls. Urine clumps that form against the sides can be tricky to access with a regular litter scoop, though all it may take is a little extra time and care to thoroughly remove the waste. Fortunately, the seam connecting the top and bottom halves is placed pretty high up, so it’s unlikely that urine spray will get into that seal.
This litter box doesn’t have a non-stick coating, so there may be a bit more sticking than with other litter boxes, but it doesn’t appear to be a significant problem.
Deep-cleaning the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is pretty straightforward. There aren’t too many cracks and crannies where litter and waste can become lodged.
The biggest challenge is reassembling the litter box. Because the materials are so flexible, it takes a little bit of work to ease the top onto the base so it fits securely.
Does It Control Tracking And Scatter?
Like most covered litter boxes, the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box was fairly effective in helping control litter scatter and tracking. Litter is most likely to scatter out of the front of the litter box, so you may want to pair it with a litter mat.
Overall Impressions
On the whole, the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is similar to other covered litter boxes. It’s reasonably priced, generously sized, and performs fairly well.
This litter box contains a lot of litter and the integrated filter may help reduce odor and dust. It’s relatively roomy inside compared to some covered litter boxes and it’s easy to clean. It won’t become caked with clumps of litter and you don’t have to worry about urine leaking into the seams.
That being said, it’s not perfect.
Some of the main challenges of the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box have to do with its size and construction. The 19-by-19-inch litter bed simply isn’t big enough to accommodate large cats.
Plus, the opening is more than 6 inches off the ground. If you fill the litter box to the standard 3 inches, that means your cat will have to step up to clear the opening then step down into the litter bed. It might be difficult for kittens and older cats.
For the most part, however, the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box performs well as a covered litter box. If you’re looking for something to make your litter box more discreet, if you have limited space to work with, or you want something that’s going to add to your home décor, it could be a good option.
How Much Does The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box Cost?
The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is priced around $64 which puts it on par with some complete litter box systems like the Tidy Cats Breeze and self-cleaning litter boxes like the Omega Paw Roll ‘n Clean.
As is true for most litter boxes, this one doesn’t come with any litter and it doesn’t include any accessories. At a price over $50, we might expect to get a little bit more.
Is The Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box Worth It?
One of the main things to consider with the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is whether the $64 price tag is justified.
For a price over $50, consumers might reasonably expect quality construction and durable materials. Unfortunately, this litter box is a little on the flimsy side and the aesthetics leave something to be desired. Even upgrading the fake plant to something a little more realistic would be an improvement.
That being said, few other hidden litter boxes or litter box enclosures are priced under $100, and many of them don’t offer the same level of performance.
Something else cat owners appreciate about the Good Pet Stuff Hidden Litter Box is that there are plenty of options to make it your own. Some users have spray painted it to better match their décor and others have replaced the fake plant with something more appealing.
Find additional inspiration to make this hidden litter box your own in customer reviews on Chewy.