About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

This is an attractive, durable litter box cover that would be excellent in an apartment or small home where space is at a premium.

Manufacturer's Site

Pros

• Attractive, sturdy and durable

Cons

• Assembly instructions not clear - Diagram is better
• Very difficult to open front flap for cleaning

Description

• No-tool assembly
• Accomodates an extra- large size litter box
• May be used alternatively as pet retreat

• Drop-down front panel to access box for cleaning

Guide Review - Midwest Bay Isle Hide-A-Way Litter Box Cover

I ordered this litter box cover to place in my master bathroom for my most recent cat, Jenny. My son assembled it for me in about 10 minutes, with much muttering, until he referred to the diagram sheet.

I actually like the looks of the "pseudo-rattan," which is made with "durable resin," although I've read a couple of complaints about it on Amazon customer reviews. It should hold up to the kind of moisture in the air that most bathrooms attract.

My biggest complaint arose the first time I tried to scoop the litter box within. The front panel is designed to drop down for easy access for scooping. There are two problems with this design:

1. With the cover dropped down, to avoid standing one it, one must stand to the side of the panel to reach in and clean the litter box.
2. Unless you have very strong fingers, it is virtually impossible to unfasten the wire loops at the top, in order to drop the panel down. The first time I tried, I had to resort to using a screwdriver to force the loops off the adjoining wire, then pinched my fingers in the process. Since then, I've had to lift the entire cover off the box and set it aside, in order to scoop out the box.

All-in-all, I like this cover, aside from my problems with opening up the front panel. Most other users probably wouldn't be bothered by that. It definitely is an asset in a home where litter boxes must, by necessity, be placed in commonly-used rooms for visitors.
Manufacturer's Site