If you have a cat then you probably have a litter box, if you have a litter box then you are no doubt all too familiar with cat litter tracking all over your home.
Cat litter somehow seems to end up all over the house.
This is caused by litter sticking to your cat’s paws, as they walk around the house they take it with them and spread it wherever they go.
If you want to put an end to litter tracking throughout your home then here are 7 tips that will help:
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1. Use A Cat Litter Mat
A cat litter mat is a brilliant way of stopping litter from tracking.
Litter mats come in a variety of different designs but they all serve the same purpose – to dislodge litter from your cat’s paws.
To use a cat litter mat effectively place it over the area where your cat exits their litter box or tray.
As they walk over it the fabric of the mat will cause the litter to rub off.
All you have to do is periodically clean the litter from the mat rather than your entire house!
2. Change The Type Of Cat Litter You Use
Some types of cat litter are far more prone to tracking than other.
Clay cat litter is the most commonly used type of litter, however it is also the worst culprit when it comes to tracking everywhere.
This is because when it gets wet it easily sticks to your cat’s paws and then gets tracked throughout the house.
The best cat litters for reducing tracking typically have big particles that do not stick as easily to paws so do not track as much.
Switching the cat litter type you use to silica, wood, wheat or paper-based varieties will significantly reduce litter tracking.
3. Don’t Overfill It
If you use too much litter it will make your tracking problem far worse.
Litter will easily be kicked out of the box, get caught in your cat’s fur and end up all over the house.
To minimise this ensure that your litter box is filled with no more than 8cm (roughly 3 inches) of cat litter.
4. Keep It Clean
If your cat’s litter box is dirty this will encourage them to dig to find clean fresh litter.
Digging will cause litter to get stuck to their feet and then tracked around the house.
To prevent this from happening remove waste from their litter box on a daily basis, twice daily if possible.
If you are using a clumping litter remove urine clumps every day, if you are using a non-clumping litter then replace the litter as soon as it looks like more than 50% of available litter is urine soaked.
5. Try A Different Litter Box
Litter tracking can be exacerbated by having an inadequate litter box or tray.
Low sided litter trays make it easy for litter to be kicked out.
Trying a different type of litter box can make a big difference, here are a few types we recommend you consider:
A Bigger Litter Box
Simply getting a bigger litter box can make a big difference.
Bigger is always better when it comes to litter boxes, more space in the litter box allows your cat to move around easily, it also means there will be more clean litter available thus negating the need for as much digging.
If they do dig the larger litter box will be better able to contain the litter as it is kicked about.
High Sided Box
Cats like to dig into their litter, this action can cause a huge amount of litter to get kicked all over your floor, especially if your litter box has low sides.
Getting a high sided litter box will significantly reduce the amount of litter that is kicked out of the box.
It also means that your cat has to lift their paws higher to exit the litter box so there is more chance that litter particles will fall off before they get out.
Top Entry Litter Box
Top entry litter boxes may not be suitable for less agile senior cats however for most cats they are the perfect way of almost eradicating litter tracking.
Top entry litter boxes, as the name suggests, have their entrance at the top. This means that when your cat has finished their business they have to climb up and out of the box.
Climbing up means that most of the litter will fall off their paws as they get out.
Box With Hood
Hooded litter boxes completely prevent litter from being kicked out of the litter box.
They also mean that there is only one way in and out of the litter box so if you are using a litter mat your cat will have to walk on it.
The other benefit of using a hooded box is that they are good at trapping smells too, just make sure that you keep an eye on the state of the litter box as the problem with trapping smells is that you will not necessarily be aware of when it needs cleaning which will result in your cat digging more (and potentially peeing somewhere they shouldn’t) which won’t help reduce tracking.
6. Trim Paw Hair
If you have a long haired cat keep a close eye on their paw hair.
Long paw hair will trap litter in it, so ensuring that you keep their paw hair trimmed nice and short will reduce the amount of litter that tracks out of the litter box.
7. Move The Litter Box To A Closed Off Space
An effective method of preventing tracking is to keep your cat’s litter tray in a closed off space.
For example it could be kept inside a cupboard or box of some sort, or you could put your litter box inside and even bigger litter box.
Doing this means that when your cat exits the litter box they have to take a few steps inside the closet/containment area which will hopefully dislodge litter particles before they get onto your carpet.
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