mats in front of litter boxes

[Lori_B]

I just removed the carpeting from the bedroom next to the bathroom where my cats’ litterboxes are kept. The carpet is 20+ years old, and my cats have lived in the house for 5 years.

I could not believe how much very very fine litter dust was under the carpet, even UNDER the pad.

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

We are putting down laminate floors in the bedroom, and it should be easier to keep them clean. But what I really wish I could do is to reduce how much litter the cats track into the room.

Toward that end, does anyone have any experience with the various types of mats that claim to reduce litter tracking? Recommendations? Thanks.

[Larksmom]

I have no more carpets, and floors are much easier to care for. It horrifies me to think how much detritus there was in the carpet before! I have a large sort of tile in the cat room. As you have discovered with the carpet, kitty litter will get anywhere. I put down two of the carpet savers you roll chairs over. Doesn’t work well, but that is supplemented with newspaper. You might try a different litter. I am experimenting with a new sort of wheat like substance. It doesn’t clump, and when Bosco tries to dig a hole to China, less is sprayed over the room.

[Louise]

I put down puppy pee pads. I started using them because I have one cat who always goes into the box, but doesn’t have really good aim. They work well for that but I also found that I really liked them for controlling the stray litter. It’s easy to pick them up and funnel the litter back into the box and, when they get too dirty or tattered, it’s simple to just throw them away and put down new ones. Use the extra-large ones, if you can find them.

[Lori_B]

I was thinking of using astroturf style doormats. Hmmm.

[Superminion]

I use cheap plastic boot trays, with the lip that supposed to catch water. I just cut the lip out so it fits around the litter box where I want it to. It usually catches everything, and we have two kittens who think that 2AM litter box wrestling is a grand time!

[Wayne]

I’ve used the large plastic pans that are placed under washers or water heaters. They catch a lot of the stray litter. Still have to sweep the basement floor when I clean the boxes but don’t get nearly as much stray litter as I once had.

[Ceylon_Star]

plastic grass type mats seem to work best. We have a plastic ridged shoe mat under our girl’s litterbox and it works okay, but I’ve seen the plastic grass mats work way better, it just takes cats a bit of time to realize they CAN walk on them! haha

[Artemis]

I buy the mats that Petco/Petsmart sell. They really do help and trap litter. I also switched to a corn based litter which doesn’t track around the house as much as the other brands.

[Lori_B]

Trying a Home Depot rubber / fiber mat, and so far it’s getting a lot of litter.

As for type, I use the wheat based stuff called Swheat Scoop. Clay litters are strip mined! Just say no!

[saje]

Not much helps when you have cats who finish their business and the LAUNCH themselves out of the box and the room at mach 3. Makes me want to vacate the room too, wondering just what they’ve left in there!

[Lori_B]

So true Saje. My cats have moments like that, but I figure any litter I can keep in the bathroom on the tile is a win, so much easier to sweep and keep up.

When my cats go rocketing across the house for no apparent reason, we think it’s caused by a transmission from the cat satellite that says “You must run NOW!”

[AnyDayButSaturday]

Purr-fect Paws Litter Mat

I’m pretty happy with this one:

Purr-fect Paws Litter Mat

[Lori_B]

Looks great, ADBS, but it’s $25!! The cheap doormat from Home Depot was $2.99. I can’t pay $25 for something that I will shake cat litter out of for the next 5 years.

[AnyDayButSaturday]

I neglected to mention that it’s cheaper on Amazon, but petsmart had a better photo.

[QUOTE=Lori B;7072678]
Looks great, ADBS, but it’s $25!! The cheap doormat from Home Depot was $2.99. I can’t pay $25 for something that I will shake cat litter out of for the next 5 years.[/QUOTE]

[AllWeatherGal]

I use puppy pads, too. I used to use a nice purpose-made synthetic mat until Mr. Old Guy started being less reliable about stepping into the litterboxes (yes, several … he’s decided he has a couple of favorite spots, instead of fighting him on it, I just put down a small box for him). Now that I use them, I like being able to change instead of having to hose off.

Blue Mountain makes a nice clumping litter that doesn’t get dusty. Made of ground walnuts, its color is more obvious when tracked around, though.

[Lori_B]

The home depot rubber mats w/ fiber embedded in their tops rule. I am not trying manage stray poop. My cats are pretty good about that. I am trying to get as much litter off of their feet as they leave the box as possible, to keep it out of the rest of the house. I have one of these by the door out of the litter box room:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Shaw-Living-Rib-It-Black-18-in-x-27-in-Synthetic-Utility-Mat-3W30900510/202266651#.UeFfD21lhhc

$2.97! Perfect.