I was needing a litter box with higher sides than I owned.   I already had the Jumbo sided litter box, but was still having a problem with spillage above the top of the box.  (Is that a nice way to put it? lol.)  None of the litter boxes I saw in stores were tall enough, or had two pieces that fit together as a covered litter box.  As my friends had told me, they can still get fluid through the tiny cracks where the top and bottom fit together.    So I decided to try using the storage box container tubs that you can get for less than $5.00 at a large retail store.    I had to be sure it didn't have large grooves or details sticking up in the inside of the container as some of them do.

Using a hot knife to help cut through the plastic and a heavy utility knife.  *Be very careful; very easy to cut yourself,  I cut the shape out of the front.  I traced with a pencil where I wanted to cut before cutting, that way I could get it halfway straight.  (Used a folded piece of paper as a template.) 

The cats adjusted to it well.  I leave the top off.   Mine aren't used to a covered box. 

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Having several cats that needed a place to sleep that was their own, I adapted a Sterilite storage container into a little shelter for them.  *Please note-These have to be in a protected area that does not get rained upon or wet or harsh weather.  They are not waterproof.  Water will collect and get into them if not stored in a roofed or dry area.  We currently keep ours in our storage room that is in our carport.  The door to the carport has a square opening cut out, so that the cats can come and go from the sheltered area as they please.  We have ours sitting upon brick landscaping squares to keep them off the floor and protect them even more from moisture.  They do have small plastic grooves in the bottom, so we are sure to insert cedar chips, foam bedding, towels or fleece to keep them comfortable.  All you do is cut an opening into the front of the sterilite container.  This is the hardest part.  *Caution: Be VERY CAREFUL!  It is really easy to cut yourself when trying to cut an opening in plastic this dense.  The plastic is very hard and difficult to cut.  I used a box cutter and a flat screwdriver to create the opening.  If you know someone handy with tools, they may have an easier way to create the opening.  After creating your opening, reattach the top, flip the container over (top on the bottom), and you have a cheap little shelter.  I don't think are substantial enough for a shelter in and of themselves, but they do help.  Then we insert some bedding, and the cats/dogs/pets have a nice place to lay.  I have another post where I post how to make a pet bed/bedding from an eggcrate mattress cover or foam.  Pets seem to like this. (Just make sure they are the type to try to eat their bedding!)

While the one I have pictured looks very crude.  It is functional.  In fact, this winter, we purchased the warming mats that warm when laid upon by the pet.  We put them into the plastic containers with nothing else in them, and snaked the cord out the back.  They worked fine.  I have found the storage containers for five dollars or less.   I make sure that I get a good sized one, where they can stand up comfortably, but small enough to conserve some of their body heat.  I also take duct tape in the winter, and duct tape a piece of thick fabric or fleece etc... to the front with a slit cut in it to block some of the cold air.  

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