Earlier tonight, I was sifting through the literature-laden tote bags and the 70-odd photos I took at ICFF a couple of weekends ago. My trade show rule is to let it sit for a week or two and then see what really stays with me. Of the 30 or 40 items that made an impression, most turn out to be fleeting and only a handful are really lasting.
This year, fewer than usual have made the cut. While I'll get around to posting most of my favorites in the next few days, in honor of my bulldog Spike's 5th Birthday today, I thought I'd tell you about my favorite accessory from this year's show which happens to be a pet accessory.
A client once asked me to figure out where to put her cat litter box. There was no room in the bathroom and, like most new construction in New York City, her apartment afforded none of the nooks and crannies or out of sight hallways that you can find in pre-war buildings. We ended up ordering a small wooden bench with an open side, which we faced away from the sightline, into which a litter box could slide.
It was a serviceable, but far from perfect, solution. The bench could be placed in plain sight without giving away its secret, but there still remained the problem of "wandering litter" as the cat left the box. And while the agile cat had no trouble getting in and out, it was a bit less convenient for a human being to scoop.
The ModKat Litter Box I saw at ICFF, is a stylish, fresh approach to litter box design that promises to best the "wandering litter" problem as well. As the name implies, it will look best in modern interiors, but no matter your style, it is unquestionably a great improvement over the standard litter box look. A perfect blend of form and function, it comes with a washable, reusable deep liner making it an eco-friendly choice as well. As someone who can't figure out how to get the cat box liner out of the box without spilling half of the litter on the floor (yes, Spike lives with some feline friends), I especially appreciated that the designers have incorporated handles on their liner for easy lifting.
It won't be available until later this summer, but you can sign up on ModKat's Web site to learn about availability.
As for Spike, I'm afraid the days of poking his nose into the litter box to see what those cats are up to, are soon over!
