An IKEA dog crate hack, or made to measure?

An IKEA hack works for a small dog or a standard litter tray, if you add air slots and a wide enough opening. It gets hard when the dog is large, when the piece must fit a niche exactly, or when you want it to look like the rest of your furniture. Then a piece made to measure is simpler.

By: Barkitecture, furniture makers since 2003
Updated: 29 September 2026

What works well

Flat-pack furniture is cheap, quick to buy and easy to cut. A few hacks are popular for good reasons:

A cube shelf on its side, with one compartment open as a den for a small dog or a cat.
A sideboard with the shelves taken out and a cat door cut into the side for the litter tray.
A bench or shoe cabinet with a cushion inside for a small dog in the hall.

Where it falls short

Standard furniture comes in standard sizes. A cube shelf compartment is about 33 x 33 cm inside, enough for a cat but not for most dogs. Sideboards are mostly 40-45 cm deep and low inside, too tight for a medium dog to turn and lie down. A litter tray for a big cat often does not fit at all.

Air is the second problem. A closed cabinet needs slots high at the back and low at the base, or it gets warm and smells. Cut-outs in thin back panels and hollow doors weaken the piece, and a dog that pushes against it or chews the edge finds the weak spots fast.

When made to measure is the better buy

If your dog is medium or large, if the piece has to fit a niche or a wall to the centimetre, or if it should match your kitchen or your bedroom, building it to measure saves the guesswork. The den is sized from your dog, the air slots and opening are part of the drawing, and every edge your dog can reach is banded and rounded.

Checklist

Measure your dog lying stretched out and standing.
Check the inside depth of the cabinet, not the outside.
Plan air slots high at the back and low at the base.
Keep the opening wide and the edges rounded.
For medium and large dogs, compare with a piece made to measure.

Sizing guide Dog crate sideboards Litter box cabinets What made to measure costs Guide: dog crate furniture

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Questions

Which IKEA furniture works as a dog crate?

Cube shelves and low sideboards are the usual starting points, for small dogs. Check the inside first: a cube compartment is about 33 x 33 cm, and most sideboards are 40-45 cm deep, too tight for a medium dog.

Can I put a litter box in an IKEA cabinet?

Yes, if the tray fits with about 10 cm to spare, the cat door is at least 20 cm and you add air slots. Large cats often need a deeper cabinet than standard ones.

Is made to measure much more expensive?

Yes, a made-to-measure piece costs more than a hack. You get a den sized for your dog, the exact fit for your room and finishes that match your furniture.

Made by a furniture company, not a pet shop

Barkitecture is the dog and cat furniture line of our family furniture company, Sweet Home, in Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has made furniture since 2003. The same workshop builds kitchens and furniture for homes in Germany, on the same machines and with the same Blum hardware.

The workshop

Kitchens for Germany: We already build and ship kitchens and furniture to homes in Germany. Your piece is made with the same care.
You talk to the maker: Your questions go straight to David, who runs the workshop. Call or WhatsApp +387 63 050 308.
The drawing before any money: You see the drawing and the fixed price before you pay anything. The deposit only starts the build.

Send us your dog. We will send the drawing.

Two measurements, the room and the design you like. You get a scaled drawing and a fixed price within 48 hours. Nothing to pay until you approve it.

Request a drawing and price

Questions first? Call or WhatsApp +387 63 050 308, or email hello@barkitecture.eu.