cleaning cat litter

[washerboy]

Does anyone have any helpful tips on dealing with cat litter being tracked everywhere. I bought a home back in February with a friend. He has 2 cats that are adorable, I love them and they love me; so that's certainly not an issue. The issue is, they track litter all over the house. It's everywhere and it drives me crazy. I work in health care and I won't even start a rant over the infection control points. So the current set up is the litter box is in the laundry room, as the kitties exit their box they step out on a rug with the idea of the litter stuck to their paws comes off on the rug. Yeah..that is sorta happening, but it's still all over the house. Any suggestions? What do the other cat lovers do? Prior, I've had cats..but they were outdoor kitties and I didn't allow a litter box in the house. Your thoughts please!! Big Thanks!!!

 

[yogitunes]

you may have to start taking the kitties to the groomers, but first determine where the litter is sticking to, just the paws, or also the underbelly.....those areas should be trimmed as to not trap the litter after leaving the box....

granted too for some female pets, and in using these clump litters, as they squat, litter particles can get trapped inside their VJJ and cause a urinary tract infection...seen that all too often...

granted a piece of carpet outside the litter box can help contain some of it...but you might have a better advantage with door mats that are sort of like astroturf for lack of a better word...choose ones that have these little blades of fake grass, not only help to scrape off shoes, but can possibly help pull the litter from kitties paws...

 

[wayupnorth]

I have an indoor kitty that tries to keep litter in her box but any that does escape, I run my cheap electric broom and it picks it all up.

 

[parunner58]

Hi Mark,
I know what you are going through. We have two cats and the litter box is in the master bath here. We bought "Moonshuttlle Black Hole Litter Mat" off of Chewy. It is, I would say 95% effective. Our girl cat loves to jump and run out of the litter box when she is done sometimes. Gets little on the floor. Our boy cat actually does wipe his paws on it. But when I dump it a few times a week there is a good cupful of litter trapped in it. We have had it over a year and it is worth having.

https://www.chewy.com/moonshuttle-blackhole-litter-mat-dark/dp/136889

 

[chachp]

Can you say ROOMBA?

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">Just kidding but not really.  I had a cat and never really had that problem.  We had the rug outside the box which caught most of the litter.  I wonder if the type of litter has anything to do with it.  I used a clumping litter that wasn't really fine so I don't think as much stuck to her paws.</span>

 

[frigidaireguy]

You have 2 beautiful kitties.  They are darling

 

Bob

 

[warmsecondrinse]

I used clumping litter with my inherited clowder of cats. IIRC most clumping litter is less fine than most non-clumping. I suspect less fine litter is tracked around less.

BTW, if do you change litter, you should do so gradually or the cats might rebel. Buy your new litter before you run out of the old. First time add only a handful of the new type. If there're no problems make it two handsfull the the next time. Each time you add litter or change it out add an additional handful of the new and decrease the old by a handful.

 

[aquarius1984]

Change the litter to a HARD paper pellet.

It’s super absorbent. No smells. The pellets don’t get stuck in fur and the pellets themselves stay solid when wet.

I use one called Breeders Select. I’m in the UK but you could google it to get the idea and source an alternative.

It’s very very rare that just one piece gets out of my utility room due to its composure and size.

 

[maytagbear]

Get a

Bissell or similar push powered carpet sweeper and sweep daily or twice daily.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[askolover]

Three cats, two litter boxes, two litter rugs, and Arm & Hammer clump and seal.  That stuff is almost like coarse sand and contrary to the advertisements it does track BADLY.  But it works so well I just live with it.  The only thing that I can do is run the electric broom in between Kirby sessions.  I'm a nurse and hate the thought of germs going around too...Clorox Cleanup regularly in the mop water is  my standard.

 

[chachp]

A friend has an automatic one

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">I was talking with a friend who has one of those automatic ones that flushes each time they use it.  I guess it has some kind of plastic bead or something in it that doesn't stick to their paws so it doesn't track.  You hook them up to the valve that is connected to the toilet and put a discharge hose in the toilet.  Each time they use the box it flushes somehow and the waste goes into the toilet.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;">I think he has an extra bath in the basement where this is hooked up so it's not in the way.  If you have a setup where you could hook up something like this it might be an option.  He has three cats and he says they all use it.  I don't know how they are attracted to these beads but I guess they took to it fairly quickly.</span>

 

[askolover]

I had one of those 20 years ago.  It was wonderful for a year while it was working.  Woke up one day to find it full of nasty water with pulverized cat poo in it that wouldn't pump out.  I had to drag the emergency box out of storage until I could fix the automatic one.  It never worked again!  I even had it hidden in the bathroom closet with its own water supply and drain line going down through the floor to the tub drain pipe right under it.  Hookups are still there should I get brave enough to buy another one.  They are much different now.

 

[washerboy]

thanks everyone!!

Thank you!! We use the clumping litter; the boys have no claws (or balls for that matter) and I think the litter gets hung up in their pads. I've been using the electric broom in between routine floor/rug/carpet care. I've ordered the litter box matt from Chewy's this morning. Thanks again for the advice!!