Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with box

I can has halp with kitteh peepee?

4ster — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:06:21 -0800

The new kitten keeps peeing on our bed. Four weeks ago, we adopted a (then) five-month-old spayed female kitten from the SPCA. It really is a sweet, fun affectionate cat who has twice now peed all over our bed.

Kitteh has also peed all over my laundry and the carpet.

I switched to Cat Attract Litter and the absolutely amazing Omega Paw Rolling Litter Box, and make a point to keep the litter box clean, to the point of getting all the clumps out three to four times a day.

We steam cleaned the carpet, and then kept the cat in the room with the litter box for about four days. We still played with her, loved on her, etc., but kept her in the room where the box was. We had read in several places that this is a good method for helping a cat start using the litter box exclusively.

Things could not be more perfect. She is using the box, the house is clean, the cat is purring and playful and all the things you would expect a happy, healthy cat to do. She is eating and drinking fine.

Then last night, she pees on the bed again, and probably some other places as well.

Here is the thing: my wife never smells cat pee like I can. She usually accuses me of blowing things out of proportion when it comes to cat odor, but she told me this morning that "it is really bad." I'm out of town, so I'm sure that if it is "really bad" to her, when I get home, it's going to be like being waterboarded with cat pee for me.

The only other detail I can think to mention is that the litter box is downstairs, and we haven't tried bringing it upstairs, because we have an 11 month old child, and we are afraid of catching the infant partaking of crunchy-on-the-outside-chewy-on-the-inside cat leavings.

What are we missing here? The litter box is kept very clean, it is in a safe, quiet, private place, the cat is happy and affectionate, and the cat did great for about a week, and then regressed.

Halp?

Have 125 romance novels. What can I BUILD them into?

Quarter Pincher — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:47:53 -0800

RedGreenShowFilter: I've got a bunch of crisp paperback romance novels I've scavenged from dumpsters around town, and I'd rather turn them into something than read or try selling them. What can I build using them? I'm thinking clear box tape instead of duct, so the corny covers will still be visible. Bonus points for something handy. There's about 125 of them, at 4.25" x 6.25 " x (varying thickness, avg .75"). I can get hundreds more at local used book shops for less than $.50 each.

No idea too crazy, as long as it's feasible with 125 books, or more within reason.

That pretty much eliminates a giant Gundam, alas.

My Perfect Pillbox

brandman — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:39:05 -0800

Help me find a seven-day pill container (with a few desired characteristics, of course). I'm trying to find a small, round, opaque, seven-day pill container. Most of the ones I see in the store and online look like this, and fail on the 'opaque' factor. I've also seen some online that appear to meet my criteria, but they all seem to be promotional items that can only be purchased in bulk. (Any help would be appreciated...so far, my elegant solution has been to buy a clear one at the dollar store and spray paint it.) Thanks...

I can haz bentoz?

sully75 — Thu, 14 May 2009 04:14:34 -0800

What are your favorite containers, recipes and techniques for cooking food ahead of time and eating it at work? I'm particularly interested in the best containers and bags. I got nothing good. But recipes and cooking techniques would be great too. I've heard the crockpot gospel but I've never dipped my feet into its waters. Bento box or something?

Oh yeah, would be awesome to find cool glass things I could microwave that wouldn't break and that weren't heavy. Possible?

From zero to crazy cat lady in 13 short weeks.

cgg — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:59:09 -0800

3 cats, one small apartment. I'm looking for as much advice, strategies and product recommendations that I can get. The goal is happy healthy kitties, with my sanity intact. Long story short (background here, here and here if you're really bored) -- I fostered an abandoned pregnant mommy kitty. 13 weeks later, after considerable doses of both heartbreak and happiness, mommy cat and her surviving kittens are doing well. One's been adopted out to a great home, and the two remaining kittens are still with me. One is the runt who has already had her share of problems, but right now is doing well. The other is pretty much a clone of her mommy. I've made the decision to keep all three -- now the trick is making this work.

(Yes, I realize I'm now the crazy cat lady. Somewhere, somehow, I've made all the rookie fostering mistakes, have gotten too attached to my babies, and can't give them up. 3 cats is a lot, especially given the small space -- I will concede that. But I can't choose just one or two -- they all have awesome yet unique personalities, they get along great, they make me happy, and this fostering experience has made me realize that I can provide them a good home. I feel good about saving these otherwise abandoned cats. Plus, all three are all black, so at least they only shed one color.)

So, with all that out of the way -- what do I need to know?

Any suggestions on handling the multi cat litter box situation? So far they're all sharing well, but who knows how long that will last. I barely have a good place for one litter box, so multiple boxes are going to be a challenge. Recommendations for a good covered litter box? I've read those fancy auto-cleaning boxes don't work in multi-cat households, because they tend to freak out / interupt the cat second in line at the loo. Anyone have experience with that?

How can I best keep my apartment from smelling like "cat"? I'm not talking cat urine, specifically -- i just want to keep the place from smelling like a vet's office. Difficulty: kitten proof solutions. Right now everything is a potential toy.

Do cat trees really work? With limited horizontal space, I know I need to go vertical, and have been looking at those giant 6 feet+ cat trees. But I don't want to spend all that money on ugly furniture if it's not going to be used.

Any other random bits of information you wish you'd known earlier?

Thanks in advance!

Litter box odours

page123 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:04:08 -0800

The best digestive enzyme to eliminate litter box odours?

Recommend me a really good toolbox.

sergeant sandwich — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:14:06 -0800

Recommend me a really good toolbox. You know, the kind you put tools in. I want to replace my crappy toolkit with a well thought-out, high quality toolbox that will last. Everything I've looked at so far sucks - plastic junk. Help? What toolbox do you love?

Awhile ago I was looking at mefi's own's website and came across the toolbox design - and loved it. The notion of "first-order retrievability" was finally articulating for me what I found annoying about digging around in the bottom of my toolbox.

So something commercially available that approximates adam's design - maybe with some sort of mechanism for upright storage of tools - would be really cool. Or some other design that has had some thought put into the usability. Please don't limit yourselves to any particular sort of thing if you have something cool up your sleeve!

Also, it should be good sized, but not too large - this kind of thing is too much. Any hope out there?

Looking for a particular blank card box

gonzo_ID — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:02:05 -0800

Where online can I buy an A4 or A5 card box? like the box that jigsaw puzzles / board games come in, but thinner and blank so i can colour in the top. i don't know what they are called so they've been a little elusive. ideally in £ not $ or €.

help me get security tags off this video game

sammich — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:22:12 -0800

short of a dremel, whats the best way to open the security case of an xbox game i just got from circuit city? so i bought an xbox game during the circuit city weekend liquidation. last night when i decided to open it, i found out that they forgot to take the plastic security box case off the game. i can't go back to circuit city since they're closed for good.

i found a product description of the box here:
http://www.halometric.com/web/home/index.php?pid=24&id=37

this is similar to another askmefi post. the product description says that there is a magnetic latch and i see it but this case is completely translucent except for a small, thin silver strip flap on the bottom (it's not like what's pictured). I guess could be the magnet but none of the magnets i have around do anything to it. I dont even know which way it should shift to open.

i'm going to borrow a dremel if i can't figure it out.

How to kill unwanted Windows dialogue boxes

forrestal — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:00:55 -0800

Is it possible to prevent a Windows dialogue box from displaying itself? This concerns Windows Vista, though I've seen the same thing on earlier Windows OS. I run a program and it comes up with some dumb dialogue box, such as Windows Mail tells me every time that it is getting mail. If it succeeds, no problem, if it doesn't you need to hide it, and then 15 seconds later it pops up again and you need to cancel it. Same thing with other programs that pop up a dialogue box even when I'm using another program to tell me something I couldn't possible want to know. Some give the option to "not show this dialogue box again" and then proceed to show me that same dialogue box again and ask "not show this dialogue box again"

Is there some generic program that can kill these, or convert them to a less obnoxious format.

Electricians! Craftspeople! Help me build a box that gets hot!

segatakai — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:53:02 -0800

I'm looking for any suggestions as I'm trying to make a new, improved version of a box my professor built by hand 30 years ago, which has two stainless steel surfaces which get hot. His box is bigger than I need and not as spiffy as I'd like. I want to make a box. The box should be approximately 14 x 20 inches; the depth is as small as is safely possible (presumably no less than 4 inches, but the smaller the better). The box is made with a wooden frame, and stainless steel sheeting on the two large sides, attached presumably by screws. The box will stand upright on its smallest surface. Inside the box is (are) something to heat up the air inside of the box, and the stainless steel surfaces, so the outside surface can reach approximately 50 degrees Celsius/120 degrees Fahrenheit (less than 40/100 would make the box next to useless, and more than 60/140 is too hot). The surface should reach this temperature within 30 minutes of being plugged in/turned on, more preferably 10 or 15. The stainless steel surface should be as evenly heated as possible, with no/limited hot or cool spots. On the side of the box is a dial/dimmer which allows the temperature of the surfaces to be controlled. The box plugs into a regular outlet. The box does not explode or burn or hurt the people who are using it or near it. The box can be made by someone with very basic but not special electrical knowledge from parts available in-store or online. The cost of building the box (not including the stainless steel) does not exceed $100, or at a stretch, $200.
- What are the things (thing) inside the box that produce the heat? Are they light bulbs? Heating elements? Ceramic "bulbs"? Aquarium heaters?
- How is the temperature controlled? I'm gong to have to put a thermometer in there, right?
- What keeps the heat even across the surface of the box? Insulation? the nature of the thing producing the heat? some other material placed on the inside of the stainless steel sheets?
-What keeps the box from blowing up or burning?
In case it matters, the box will be used for drying sheets of handmade paper.
Any thoughts/suggestions will be very much appreciated!!

Where can I buy odd-shaped boxes?

beerbajay — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:52:59 -0800

Where can I buy small plastic boxes which have one square (or mostly square) side, but a very shallow depth? As depicted in this drawing. I want them for holding spices. ... instead of having unwieldy round jars. I'm interested in anything that roughly fits these requirements; it doesn't have to be perfect.

I just want a nice box

like_neon — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:01:04 -0800

I can't believe this is so hard to find. I have this Expedit bookcase from Ikea. I bought some cubes from Ikea to fit on the shelves, but not enough. I bought 7, I need 5 more. I don't want to buy anymore from Ikea but I can't find this type of storage anywhere else in the UK! More specs inside. - I don't want rattan, or wicker, or seagrass or anything like those things. A light wood would be ok if I could stain it.

- Preferably made of some sort of fabric, but not leather because the shelves we have is a dark wood color and I want the boxes to pop out in color.

- Needs to be about 30cm x 30cm to fit well.

- If it's like a cheerful green I would be totally happy but now I'm not even that picky because I can't find anything that fit the first three requirements.

- This is in the UK.

- I don't know if it really matters but I am going to store yarn/wool in them, which are in plastic bags. (moth paranoia) I guess that matters in that I don't really want clear plastic boxes either.

Otherwise, anyone know of tutorials on how to make your own? I don't have a sewing machine but MIGHT be able to borrow one if I get desperate.

What are the metal blocky things on roofs?

Sully — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:46:30 -0800

What are those blocky, meta-encased things on top of buildings? Hi. I was on the train today and we are slightly elevated, and I'm passing all these buildings, and I can see their roofs. There are some things that are obvious. For example, there are those vents, that come up, curve around and have an opening. I can only assume they curve around so as to keep rain and snow out. But what are they venting?

But then I see these grey metal things that look like very large boxes. Sometimes there are two of them. Sometimes three. What are they? And how come some roofs have two and others, three? What purpose do they serve?

Thanks to you all.

...Timelords?

gc — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:22:38 -0800

Mysterious blue boxes, Pioneer Courthouse, Portland? &panoidI've been to Portland a few times, and saw these two blue boxes sitting on the southwest corner of the Pioneer Courthouse block. What are they? What do they or did they do? I was once told Portland had a subway, but it flooded and was closed, but I can't find any sort of information to that effect, and I'm dubious about it.

Pictures:
In the upper right-hand corner

Google Street View

Ubuntu + Virtual Box + ??? = profit

erifneerg — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:57:37 -0800

Is it wise to setup Ubuntu for my parents virtual box for ie? So I'm basicly sick and tired of getting phone calls from my parents asking me why there computer isn't work or why it's soo slow. The only thing really stoping me from putting ubuntu is the fact my father need IE (activeX to be exact) for work. Would Virtual Box with IE be more of headache then the current setup?

Elegant additional storage for EEE Box?

mr.dan — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:16:19 -0800

Is there an elegant way to equip the EEE Box with massive storage? I have a recent Dell desktop that sits under my desk and wastes plenty of space and power. It's a 24/7 usenet fileserver for my home.

I am looking to downsize a bit, and the EEE Box seems like the perfect solution. It's small, has plenty of processing capability for my purposes, and does not consume a whole lot of power. However, it is only equipped to take 2.5" hard drives, and I need to have at least a terabyte available.

I considered building my own small form factor PC, but it would end up being slightly more expensive and I really don't have the time. I also like the fact that I can mount the EEE Box on the back of my monitor to keep it completely out of the way.

Is there anything short of an external hard drive that I could use to get add more storage to the EEE Box?

Stupid Littermaid!

wordsmith — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:14:51 -0800

My Littermaid cat poop box broke. Again. Are there any decent alternatives? Seems like lots of people have problems with these breaking. When they work, they're awesome, but this is the second unit I've purchased in two years.

My question: are there any decent alternatives (that are still automatic) to the Littermaid?

A Box Set Box for My Blank DVD Cases?

sjuhawk31 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:17:56 -0800

Do-it-yourselfers: I'm trying to make my own DVD box set. The part that's missing is the box. To save space on my DVD shelf, I'm trying to get rid of the bulk from some of my TV-on-DVD sets. Specifically...ok, I'll admit it, my full-series collection of "Friends." Those ten seasons take up a ton of room on my shelf. I'm hoping to use 20 dual slimcases or 10 4-in-1 standard-sized cases to consolidate. It would make for a nice box set, except for the fact that I don't have a box to keep the stuff in.

Does anyone know of blank DVD box set boxes? I'd especially like one for the 20 slim cases, since 10 standard-sized cases could stand on their own on the shelf.

Is goon (box wine) made from fish eggs?

Black_Umbrella — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:15:53 -0800

Does goon (box wine) actually contain fish eggs? I have been in Australia for a while now and everyone has been telling me that goon (box wine) is made of fish eggs.

What is the truth to this? My current goon says that fish, eggs and dairy products are used in the production of it. I have heard from some sources that is used as a "finishing agent", what ever that means.

Can some one shed some light on fish eggs and goon?

Lady seeks stylish portable sewing box

exceptinsects — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:52:53 -0800

Help me find an excellent sewing box. I'm looking for something portable (bonus points for a handle), fairly large, that doesn't look like it belongs to somebody's grandma (e.g. flowery, cushiony, wicker-y, or with little bears on it).

Modern is preferable to old fashionedy, but either way there should be lots of little drawers and things. Ideally there might be some way of also storing fabric scraps and whatnot.

Something like a tackle box might be okay, but it would be nice if it looked more like something you could have in your living room.

I've tried searching ebay and crafty sites, but keep running into the grandma problem.

Looking for a (very specific) document storage box

Ritchie — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:35:01 -0800

I'm looking for a very specific kind of document storage box. I'm looking for a particular kind of document storage box, an example of which I once possessed.

It was sized to store documents of roughly A4 dimensions, with a depth of about 5cm, and constructed from very stiff cardboard. It had a hinged lid, which could be held closed by a couple of elastic loops pulled over the corners. Its size and shape meant it could be stacked horizontally or stored upright on a bookshelf.

Inside there was a large spring-clip mounted on one side that kept the papers inside from shifting around by pressing them to the floor of the box. The one I used to have was used to store loose correspondence and some slender manuals.

I never knew the origin of the box I used to have - it came, and left, with the job.

I was certain that University Products would have the kind of boxes I was after, but they're not quite right. I've googled around a bit, but the search terms I'm using seem to bring the wrong results. They're probably manufactured for a particular industry, but I can't identify which one.

I know I can get document storage boxes from any stationer - the kind with the removable lid that is designed to be stacked on a shelf - but I'd much prefer one similar to the one I used to have.

Any takers? Bonus points if the supplier is in Australia!

We have boxes.

hototogisu — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:48:32 -0800

East Bay, Californiafilter: so, we have these cardboard boxes. We need them to go away forever. Like, 450 15"x15"x10" and 390 26"x15"x7" boxes. They live in a storage facility in Oakland.

We need to get rid of them and preferably make some money off of our ancient box-buying folly in the process. We have limited transportation, so if your proposed box-wanting agents would actually come and get them, even better!

Any ideas? A creative reuse center that will schlep them for us? Other non-profits that haven't yet made that first big step towards owning their own end-times cardboard supply? A disgraced moving company that can't go through routine channels for their boxes? What do you know?

Inside my heart-logoed box

norm — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:05:20 -0800

What was that wooden slide-top box that I had, and where can I get another one? When I was in college, I had a slide-top wooden box that was only big enough to put a few coins in it. I bought it for cheap at a museum shop in Charlotte, NC. It was a perfect little container for very small objects. Unfortunately, mine got lost a few years back, but now I would like another-- it would be the perfect sized container for small fishhooks for when I go trout fishing. The only other clue I can think of, besides "slide top wooden box", is that it had a small heart logo on the back of it. My google-fu is failing me.

Cham-pahn-ya In A Box

sparkletone — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:01:19 -0800

Can I get champagne in a box? If yes, where? If not, why not?