Cat Litter Advice!

Hi all!

I am having a heck of a time trying to maintain some semblance of cleanliness in my apartment with two cats that track litter ALL OVER THE PLACE. Seriously, their litter box is downstairs, the stairs are CARPETED, and I get litter upstairs -- which means that even after traversing the length of the living room (hard wood with area rug) AND climbing up the stairs there's still litter stuck in their paws!

But I promise this is not just a rant, I really am posting for advice! :) Wondering if anyone has any experience with this and knows of a type of litter that doesn't track as much (or at all?? Is that even possible??)

Thanks!

There's... pads you can put around a litterbox to help trap the litter in the pad instead of upstairs.

The Tidycat we use doesn't USUALLY stick around more than a room. As far as we can tell. 

They hate it, but we keep a little floor mat under their litter box with the back side up.  It catched most of the litter that does stick to their paws.

As hkellick said, there's also little mats (pads) that're designed to go around your litter box to keep the litter off your kittie's paws.

It can also depend on your litter.  When we used cheap litter, it went everywhere.  We use Tidy Cats with Tidy Lock (blue lid!) and it doesn't make it more than 5 feet away from their litter box without the mat, and doesn't even make it off the mat when we have it.

I have an old bathroom type of rug in front of my litter box. It seems to clean their paws off pretty good. I take it outside and shake it off every couple of weeks.

I also use Tidy Cats and find they only track a few feet from the box.  I have a outside door mate under the litter box ( the scrathy carpet kind) and it makes a big difference.  I don't know if it makes a difference but I have a self cleaning litter box. It is cleaned after every use, so there is no wet or sticky stuff to adhere to their paws. It also helps reduce cost on litter, for two cats I only buy the large tub of clumping litter every two months.

I have a sissal rug that works really well - and the cats love sharpening their claws on it.

I use compressed pine pellets that basically turn into saw dust when wet.  It rarely gets outside my kitty's own private bathroom (in other words, closet with nothing else in it).

Original Post by kory23:

I use compressed pine pellets that basically turn into saw dust when wet.  It rarely gets outside my kitty's own private bathroom (in other words, closet with nothing else in it).

I like pine so does Moxie.

My cat uses Swheat Scoop - it is the best litter (only if you are a daily scooper, though).  I don't like the smell of clay litters.  I also place a plush bath mat in front of the litter box to trap all of the litter.  I do vacuum that area 2 to 3 times per week with a little handheld vac, however (it really only takes a minute or so).  That is the only way it doesn't end up all over the place.

Edited b/c it isn't that I use the litter, but rather that I purchase the litter for my cat to use - ha ha ;-)

Original Post by jodischief:

I also use Tidy Cats and find they only track a few feet from the box. I have a outside door mate under the litter box ( the scrathy carpet kind) and it makes a big difference. I don't know if it makes a difference but I have a self cleaning litter box. It is cleaned after every use, so there is no wet or sticky stuff to adhere to their paws. It also helps reduce cost on litter, for two cats I only buy the large tub of clumping litter every two months.

 self cleaning litter box?!

Original Post by caitlinoftheplants:

Original Post by kory23:

I use compressed pine pellets that basically turn into saw dust when wet. It rarely gets outside my kitty's own private bathroom (in other words, closet with nothing else in it).

I like pine so does Moxie.

 Another person (and 3 cats) for pine! 

What most people aren't aware of is a lot of cats can develop urinary tract infections when their humans use clumping cat litter.  The litter can clog the urethra and cause crystals to develop in their urine and bladder.  This can be very painful.

If you use a littler such as Feline Pine or Yesterday's News, the litter is made from recycled materials and does not clump,  and will not cause urinary issues with your kittie.  The bonus with these two is that you only need a little bit...and when you clean the box daily, the waste can go right down the toilet as it is biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

 

blech.  i love cats, but i hate litter boxes.  providing a place for a pet to **** in the house is just bizarre.

and i know somebody is going to jump on me and tell me it's cruel and dangerous to let a cat go outside, parasites and predators and all.  that's crap.  cats are predators.  keeping a cat in an apartment makes as much sense as keeping a coyote in an apartment.

A coyote isn't a domesticated animal. Would you say a dog shouldn't be kept in an apartment? (provided it gets the outdoor exercise it needs).

well, i wouldn't have a dog in an apartment, but for different reasons. 

your everyday housecat is a lot closer to its non-domesticated cousins than most breeds of dogs.  if you're talking some exotic hairless breed of cat or one of those pugnosed persians or himalayans, clearly they're no longer fit for the life of a cat, but regular old tabbies can be only a couple of generations away from feral. 

Well, humans have a place to **** in the house! :)

I've tried a bathroom type rug, as well as one of those pet store rubber mats. Nothing has helped... maybe I'll look into a carpet that'll make them want to scratch, but despite a variety of scratching surfaces dispersed around the apartment, they still seem to prefer the stairs and the couch... but hey, I'll try anything! :)

I'll try the Tidy Cats. I think the self cleaning litter boxes cost a little more than I'd like to spend, but maybe if it'll help...

Do the pine pellets clump? If not, how do you clean the box?

I like Nature's Miracle litter pretty well, it's made from corn cobs and is lighter and much better for you and your cats' health [no dust, no silica, no sodium bentonite] and for the environment [biodegradable, no harmful mining] than clay, and it clumps, though not as solidly.  I do have to scoop and sprinkle in some baking soda once or sometimes twice a day, though.   I also placed this exact mat by the litter box and it does an excellent job of trapping stray litter.

Hope you find a good solution! 

I'm with pgeorgian on this too.  The domestic cats are one of the best adapted predators.  They kill more species of animal than any other feline on this planet (lions, tigers, moutain lions, etc).  I've only heard of other predators getting kittens.

Agreed - cats are great predators.  My cat kills her toys all the time.  It is the birds and salamanders and rodents, etc. that she doesn't get to kill.  House cats are not native to north america (or Europe or South Am or Asia).   House cats are decendents of the African Wild Cat and are not wild. Feral cats are not wild and are not close decendents of their wild ancestors - they are just not human socialized.  Animals, like birds, are not meant to be prey to your pet cat.  20% of the animals treated at the Wildlife Center of Virginia were injured by house cats.  That is equivalent to the amount injured by vehicles.

http://www.wildlifecenter.org


sorry to get off track there...good luck finding a litter solution

ever met a barn cat, cheree?

that's very sad about all the injured animals at the wildlife center.  my cat doesn't leave survivors ;-)

I have met several barn cats - I don't have any however.

Believe it or not, barn cats, like house cats, are also NOT wild animals. ;-)

I have a covered litter box and it sits on an old rug with a doormat in front of the box.  Bubba is fastidious about litter and will only use Arm & Hammer Super Scoop.  I have no problem with litter tracking.  I'd say, use a high quality, clumping litter, and scoop frequently.  I scoop twice a day to keep it very dry.  Bubba complains loudly if I forget.

I do have a suggestion - if you notice damp litter clinging to their paws, have your cats tested for diabetes.  What happens is, they pee too much and their paws get damp, and the litter clings.  It's not an expensive test.  I didn't have my late cat, Allie, tested until the poor thing collapsed.  I had noticed litter clinging to her paws and thought that it was just elderly cat behavior.  I would wipe her paws, but didn't make the connection.  I didn't know that cats could be diabetic.  She had daily insulin injections for the rest of her life.