Automatic Litterbox Central

My cat likes to dig in his litter and he throws out a fair amount of litter every time he uses the LR. So I created an easy to assemble barrier, that virtually eliminates litter being thrown out the door. (Of course, there will always be a small amount of litter that is tracked out the door, but that cannot be avoided.)

I created the barrier from the plastic side of an empty litter pail. It's just the right thickness, and is just stiff enough to stay in place. The rough shape was first cut out with a jigsaw, and the final shape was cut out with tin snips. The tin snips were perfect for the job. The wire is heavy gauge grounding wire, 12 CU. It costs a few cents a foot at the local hardware store. The holes were drilled with a 1/8 inch drill bit.

Here are some pics of the litter barrier:


Here is the installed barrier.



The wires wrapped around the lip.



Litter barrier with wires attached



Backside of the litter barrier - wires bent at right angles


Here's How To Build Your Own:
(Please view the pictures above to clarify these instructions.)
This litter barrier is very simple but if you would like detailed instructions on how to create your own, here they are:

Create The Template Shape
1. On your computer, using your preferred graphics or presentation program, create an oval that measures 7 inches wide by 4 inches tall. Print the oval and cut it out. (Make sure the dimensions are still correct.) Fold the oval in half lengthwise and cut along the fold. You should now have two half-oval shapes, each one 7 inches wide by 2 inches tall.

I've posted a PDF document on Skydrive that contains a printable 7" x 4" oval with a grid. If you'd like, you can download it here:
http://cid-3ec98ca1b77a712d.skydrive.li ... 20Grid.pdf

2. Paste or tape one of the oval halves onto a stiff piece of cardboard and cut it out. You now have the basic shape of the litter barrier, ready to fit. This basic shape will need very little to no trimming for the final fit.

Fit The Cardboard Template
1. Hold the cardboard shape inside the LR entrance at the desired height. There are several pieces of the LR innards that are attached inside the globe, near the entrance, so you may need to lightly trim the shape so it lays flat against the inside of the opening.

2. Once you get the cardboard shape situated where you want it, mark three dots on it - one on either side, near the top, and one at the bottom center. The dots should be adjacent to where the cardboard meets the globe opening. The dots will be punched or drilled out, and will be used to anchor wires that will fold around the LR lip. (see pictures above)

3. Punch or drill small holes at the location of all 3 marks. Insert a stiff twist-tie or wire in each hole, anchoring it on the back of the cardboard with tape.

4. Place the cardboard shape inside the globe opening and loosely wrap the ends of the wires around the globe's lip at the bottom of the entrance. (see pictures above) If you need to trim the shape to make it fit better, or if you need to move the anchor wires, do that now.

Create The Final Barrier
1. You now have a properly fitted template for the barrier. Trace the cardboard template onto your desired material, being careful to also mark the holes. Cut the shape out and either punch or drill the holes.

2. Insert heavy twist-ties or wire through the holes in the barrier. Stiff wire can be anchored by bending it at a right angle on the backside of the barrier. (see pictures above) Otherwise, you will probably need to affix the wire ends with epoxy.

3. Insert the barrier inside the globe opening and loosely bend the wires around the lip of the globe entrance. If you need to do some further trimming, do it now.

Once satisfied with the fit, bend the wires tightly around the lip of the globe entrance. You may find the barrier stays in place better if you pinch the wire tightly around the entrance lip with a pair of pliers.

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That's it! Lots of words for a fairly simple process. Perhaps this will help someone else. Good luck!

The barrier above was cut from a plastic litter pail. Rather than trash the remainder of the pail, I cut several more barriers from it. If you want one, you will just need to send me a stamped, self-addressed envelope. If you're interested, send me an email at badgermail09DASHlrbarrierATyahooDOT.com. (Replace the capital letters with the characters they spell.)