Are you considering taking in a household pet yet are you already stressed about their care and maintenance? If so, choosing cats as your roamers around the house might be the best thing to do. Unlike their canine counterparts, cats are super low maintenance and are usually smaller and more versatile in their ability to adapt around your home.
If you have a kitten taken from an animal shelter or when a stray cat comes home with you, one of the issues you should take particular note of is disposing of their droppings. Most cat owners like to keep their cats indoors. Having a litter box lying around gives your indoor cat a place to perform its business. However, improper care and handling of their excretions will pose a serious odor and health risk for people living with you. Some pet owners can potty train their house cats to use the toilet but this is not an option for everyone.
The popular method of maintaining a clean home when you have feline pets is getting a litter box. Using ample amounts of litter for your cats to do their business on the box help a lot. By instinct, cats seek out soft ground to pee or to empty their stomach on. If you have a litter box prepared at your home, your pet cat will almost always come to it either by instinct or through training. You will notice that your cat will use its paws in a sweeping motion to cover its droppings.
However, one of the common things cat owners find hard to address when setting up a litter box is that their cats often leave out litter tracks after finishing their bowel or bladder movements. Suddenly, cat litter is everywhere. They’re on the floors, on your couch, in your clothing, and even on top of your bed. And frankly, that can be quite annoying. So what exactly are the ways to prevent this from constantly happening?
Scattered cat litters are easily cleaned by having a broom or a vacuum handy. It helps control litter tracking. However, keep in mind that if you have several cats or a cat who really likes spending time on the litter box, you’re going to have to sweep or vacuum the tracks by a lot. There are several ways to lessen or eliminate litter tracks but they often involve careful planning and attention. There are a variety of cat litters out in the market that you can try and see for yourself which type works well with your cat. Cats have different personalities, some may find your current litter good while some may not have the same reaction as the other.
As a start, you can try testing the wide range of litter materials which include clay-based litters, silica gel, pine, wheat, grass, corn, walnut, paper, and others. There are low dust and dust-free options to choose from. From our personal experience, having a heavier litter permits less tracking than the lighter ones but there may be drawbacks like a stronger odor or a pricier purchase. Clay-based litters are the most popular choice for cat owners as they are easy to come by.
Paper litters are great for short-term use but are not recommended for the long term as they are not as absorbent as other types. They also do not clump very well. Silica gel-based litters on the other hand are rising in popularity as research shows most cats prefer them over other litters. They are generally the more expensive type of litter and give a lesser track when compared to other brands. For environmentally-conscious cat owners, the pine, wheat, grass, corn, and walnut-based litters are natural and more environmentally friendly than clay-based litters.
If trying different litter doesn’t solve the problem of litter tracking, another step you can take is putting your litter box in a strategically placed area where the cat can kick and move around the box to its heart’s content. If you have a spare room, placing your litter box there can be considered a good option. Some cat owners also claim that putting their litter box on a plastic kiddie pool works. As the litter box is placed in the center, the additional steps the cat has to take make the accumulated litter fall off on its paws as it travels to the pool and hops outside. If this is not an option, trays under the litter box can reduce litter tracks from spreading. Large buckets used for washing clothes are also a better alternative to place your litter box in as it is low cost and readily available in the house.
For people where the aforementioned alternatives are not possible, rugs, mats, and carpets can solve litter tracking. There are specially-designed textile floor coverings that can catch litter stuck on your cats’ paws when they exit the litter box. Rubber mats or rugs with grooves also work surprisingly well on catching stray cat litter. They can be cleaned with a quick brushing or a power hose if you have one. If you decide to try this option, place them in the litter box in an extended manner where the cat has to take more than a few steps. This can maximize the effectiveness of your floor coverings so that it catches litter stuck on your feline’s paws.
Training your cats to use the toilet is also one of the things you should consider if you find litter tracks a pain. Admittedly, however, this is not for everyone. Some members of the household may complain and find it unsanitary so it is best to consider your family members’ opinion before making that decision.
Every cat owner knows that litter box scooping and waking up early to clean the box is already part of daily life. Finding ways to lessen litter tracks by using the methods we have mentioned above saves you time and ensures other people in the household won’t complain about litter bits popping everywhere.