Tips To Stop Cats From Spreading Litter Throughout The House
Are you tired of walking down the hall and stepping on cat litter? Not only is it messy and inconvenient, but it’s also a sanitary issue. That’s why we put together some of the best tips to stop cats from spreading litter throughout the house.
Place a mat in front of your litter box to catch litter and stop it from spreading across your floors. You can also stop cats from spreading litter everywhere if you use pellet litter. Clean the area around your litter box each day, so it doesn’t spread throughout the house, and avoid overfilling the box.
It also helps to switch to a litter box with a door, as it will stop your cats from digging litter out of the box. Follow along as we explore the best tricks to stop your cats from spreading litter everywhere in your house.
How To Stop Your Cats From Tracking Litter Everywhere
1. Avoid Overfilling The Box
Less is often more when it comes to filling a litter box. Of course, you should use enough litter to adequately absorb waste, but going overboard can be messy. You only typically need to pour litter 2” deep in most cases.
However, it’s important to adjust how much litter you pour based on how many cats you have. For example, 3” may be better if you have 2 cats, but only if you have a big litter box. Overfilling the box makes it easier for your cats to spread litter throughout the house.
Make sure the litter is spread evenly, so that none of it bunches up into a mound. Your cats can easily kick litter out of the box if it doesn’t lay flat and smooth.
2. Use A Mat
No matter what, some litter will make its way out of the box, even if you just have one cat. Your best bet to stop it from spreading is to put a mat in front of the box to catch the litter. Litter mats are textured in a way that essentially traps litter.
Sure, some litter may still get on the floor, but most of it will wind up on the mat. It’s easy to sweep it off of a mat, especially if you do it regularly. You can also carefully pick up the litter mat and dump it into a trash can to make it even easier.
Some litter mats feature a top screen-like layer that sifts loose litter to the bottom of the mat. This makes it much easier to ensure no litter gets on your floor when you dump the mat into the trash can.
3. Buy A Litter Box With A Door
These days, you can find countless litter boxes that feature doors that help stop litter from spreading. Your cat may still track litter from the box, but it’s not as bad as a box without a door. Cats often kick litter out of their boxes if there is no door.
This creates a much bigger mess of litter that will spread throughout the house. Hooded litter boxes also help keep bad odors within the litter box at bay. They also come in handy if you have a dog who loves to pry into the litter box and make a mess.
4. Clean The Area Daily
It may be annoying to keep up with, but if you clean the area each day, you can stop cats from spreading litter everywhere. Keep a dustpan and small broom in or around the room where you keep your litter boxes. You won’t have to spend nearly as much time cleaning litter if you sweep it before it spreads throughout the house.
Robotic vacuums, such as the Roomba, are also quite useful and can help save time. Otherwise, handheld vacuums are easy to use and are perfect for cleaning up cat litter.
5. Switch To Pellet Litter
The texture and weight of traditional cat litter have a lot to do with how it spreads throughout a home so easily. That’s much less common with pellet litter, and it’s a great alternative to what you may be used to. Absorbent, biodegradable, and unlikely to track, pellet litter is a great option if you want to avoid messes in your home.
Many pellet litter brands use wood pellets, but some use pellets made of tofu. Some people prefer tofu litter because it’s unlikely to get stuck in your cat’s fur. This is a great option if you have long-haired cats, but both options are great.
Pine wood pellets are perfect for avoiding messes, and they also help reduce odors because many brands include baking soda as an ingredient.
6. Move Your Litter Box
The location of your litter box has a lot to do with how much of a mess your cats make. For example, it’s hard to avoid spreading litter throughout the house if the box is in a high-traffic area. Avoid putting litter boxes in hallways or rooms that you spend a lot of time in.
It’s a great idea to put your litter boxes in enclosures. This will keep some of the scattered litter in the enclosure instead of on your floors. Of course, you must still sweep up the litter in the enclosure, so it doesn’t become too messy and spread to the floor.
You can even put a litter box in a closet that you keep open or have a cat door on. Only do that if you don’t keep anything in the closet, or else it will smell like dirty litter. Otherwise, you can dedicate a room specifically to your cats if you have enough space in your home.
7. Put A Liner In Your Litter Box
Litter box liners make it easier to clean the box and stop your cats from spreading litter everywhere. A lot of the litter that spreads throughout the house comes from cleaning the box. Liners make it possible to spill little to no litter while you change the box and fill it with fresh litter.
Instead of dumping or scooping the box, you can simply remove the liner full of litter, wrap it up, and dispose of it. You can even slide the box into a small trash bag and reverse the bag to contain the litter when the box is full. Litter liners also protect the inside of your litter box, and that helps keep it clean and usable for much longer.
Summing It Up
Only put as much litter in the box as you need, or else your cats will dig it out and spread litter throughout your house. Put a mat in front of your litter box and switch to pellet litter to prevent tracking. It also helps to put a liner in the box and move it to an area without a lot of foot traffic, or else it will spread everywhere.
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Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.
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