mrs.m Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I'm sooooo tired of kitty litter all over in our laundry room. gag. ick. My kitty is very messy about the litter. Fortunately what needs to be in the box goes in the box, but she kicks and tracks litter all over. :glare: I'm resorting to a daily sweep but I'm about to lose my mind. I have enough to do. It's not a chore I'm going to delegate. I don't think the kids should mess with litter. We currently use an open box. Will getting a closed box help with the tracking and spread? I'm not sure if she will like a closed box. What do you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I'm sooooo tired of kitty litter all over in our laundry room. gag. ick. My kitty is very messy about the litter. Fortunately what needs to be in the box goes in the box, but she kicks and tracks litter all over. :glare: I'm resorting to a daily sweep but I'm about to lose my mind. I have enough to do. It's not a chore I'm going to delegate. I don't think the kids should mess with litter. We currently use an open box. Will getting a closed box help with the tracking and spread? I'm not sure if she will like a closed box. What do you do? Are you using a clay, clumping litter? When we used that type, it was a never ending battle of the cat(s) tracking it all over (and we've always used a box with a top). A rug under/in front of the box may help catch some of it, but then that still needs to be shaken out frequently. You might look into a pelletized litter - I currently use wood pellets (the kind for pellet stoves, that are just wood w/o any additives). I've also used alfalfa pellets in the past, and there are a number of brands of litter that are the same form (I've tried one made out of recycled newspapers). The pellets track *much* less than the clay. My cat will occasionally get a pellet stuck to her paw when she exits the box, but it's really only once or twice a week at most that I find a pellet on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flobee76 Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 we got rid of the cat. But in all seriousness, can you move the litter box to the garage? We had a closed litter box with a mat in front. That helped a great deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 I currently use clumpling litter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofkids&pets Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 We use a closed box and a clumping litter. There are also little mats that you can purchase to put outside the entrance. I think the closed box helps because they can't kick the litter all over, but we did start with this style when our cat was a kitten. Good luck, Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon in TN Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 A closed box will help but there are also mats you can get to go in front of the little door. You can pay higher prices for the "kitty" mats or you can get a welcome mat like from walmart. The best kind would be the ones that look like fake plastic grass. You'll still have to sweep some, but the mat will trap quite a bit because your kitty will scratch at the grass to "cover up" what she did. You'll have to shake out the mat, too, periodically, but it's better than having the litter all over the place. Make sure the mat sticks out at least 6-8 inches from the front of the box to give her plenty of room for all her paws to get on it. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 we got rid of the cat. But in all seriousness, can you move the litter box to the garage? :lol: We can't get rid of the kitty. No, we have a detached garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I have found that an oversized towel under the litter box solves this problem the best. The litter stops once it lands on the towel, rather than skittering further like it does when it lands on the floor. If kitty has any litter clinging to her paws, it usually comes off when she walks on the towel. And if she sprays a bit in the wrong direction, it goes on the easily washed towel. I prefer it to a litter mat, because it's bigger, and it's easy to shake out as needed and throw in the washing machine when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 We have one of those mats. They help a bit, but kitty still tracks litter around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 We have a box with a cover, a really big mat, and use pellet litter. Kitty still kicks litter everywhere. I think she's just sloppy but we aren't getting rid of her. I tried to teach her to use the potty once but she couldn't make the last step-going from a bowl of water resting over the toilet to just the toilet. Maybe if your kitty is younger she would go for that. My cat was about 3 at the time and she was really cooperative until that last step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 I think I'm going to try a combo of all these suggestions. Or I'm just going to decide it has to be swept when I scoop like I already do. :nopity:(It might help if I get a broom down in the basement to use right away so I don't have to track it down. She's about 5 yrs. old. The idea of a cat using the toilet freaks me out. :001_huh: We only have two in this house and the kids won't use the one in the basement. We can't include another pottier in our mix. LOL!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaHappy Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Do you have just one cat? You could try a Clevercat litter box, it does an *amazing* job at keeping litter in the box. Amazon.com carries it as well as Petco I know for sure. Right now we just use a high side (like 17" high) Rubbermaid Roughneck box for our litter box and it works really well too. Not quite as well as the Clevercat, but pretty darn good. :) Also, some litters are better than others about staying in the box. I heavy clay litter, like Dr. Elsey's Precious cat, is harder for cats to kick out. Seriously, check out the Clevercat box. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 Also, where can I find the pellet litter? Is it expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Also, where can I find the pellet litter? Is it expensive? I've found it at grocery stores and pet stores, however, it may be easier to find wood stove pellets (I guess depending on where you live - they sell them at some grocery stores here, too, and at farm supply stores). I've used a couple different brands that were just wood, no additives, and they are around $5 for a 40lb bag. To compare, there's Feline Pine which a Google search shows selling for $9 for 20 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Do you have just one cat? You could try a Clevercat litter box, it does an *amazing* job at keeping litter in the box. Amazon.com carries it as well as Petco I know for sure. This is what we have. It's great. We used the pellet litter for a couple of years, but went back to clumping litter (I forget what kind...not sure how much difference there is between brands) and turns out there's really less kitty-box odor with the clumping than with the pellets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 We switched to a covered box, and that has made a big difference. When I first got it, she was scared to go in, so I took the top off, and she had no problem using the high sided base. I set the top on the floor and her curiosity eventually led her to checking it out and going in. Then I put the top back on the base and all was well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiff in TX Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 You could try a Clevercat litter box, it does an *amazing* job at keeping litter in the box. Amazon.com carries it as well as Petco I know for sure. Right now we just use a high side (like 17" high) Rubbermaid Roughneck box for our litter box and it works really well too. Not quite as well as the Clevercat, but pretty darn good. :) Seriously, check out the Clevercat box. HTH! I second the Clevercat box. We have two cats who like to kick up litter and a dog that likes to eat litter and this box works great for us. It completely keeps the dog out and and the mess the cats make has gone down by probably 95%. We love it! We recently have started using it without the lid because our male cat is large and didn't like his head hitting the top, but it still works the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 This is what we have. It's great. We used the pellet litter for a couple of years, but went back to clumping litter (I forget what kind...not sure how much difference there is between brands) and turns out there's really less kitty-box odor with the clumping than with the pellets. That's what I worry about. I have a sensitive nose. I clean the box daily because of it. I'm looking into the Clevercat box. DH joked about cutting a hole in big rubbermaid box himself when he saw the price. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I did do the "cut the hole in the rubbermaid tub" trick and it worked great! I just got a big tub, cut the hole high up on the side and slapped the lid on it. They can fling litter all they want, it's easy to clean by taking the lid off, and the dog can't fit her head into it. Solved all my problems for $8. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 That's what I worry about. I have a sensitive nose. I clean the box daily because of it. I'm looking into the Clevercat box. DH joked about cutting a hole in big rubbermaid box himself when he saw the price. :D For us, I think the pellets have had less odor than the clay - when we used the clumping litter, there was always the smell of litter and eventually the litter itself got stinky. However, I know a lot of it depends on what you feed your cat. We switched back to raw several months ago, and on a raw diet, there's practically no odor. I don't even know when she's used the box and left a present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted May 10, 2011 Author Share Posted May 10, 2011 For us, I think the pellets have had less odor than the clay - when we used the clumping litter, there was always the smell of litter and eventually the litter itself got stinky. However, I know a lot of it depends on what you feed your cat. We switched back to raw several months ago, and on a raw diet, there's practically no odor. I don't even know when she's used the box and left a present. We feed her Iams. I'm don't think I'm up for going raw. And she is honestly the biggest pick ever. I tried to feed her fish and she refused. She likes her crunchy kitty food. Does that include the urine smell? That's what bothers me. I don't notice the other even when I'm cleaning. I expect the clay litter to get stinky over time and at that point I dump it all and start with fresh. I would think the pellets would eventually stink too. It's the nature of the business. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jab300 Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I am loving all these ideas! And glad to know we aren't the only ones who suffer with this problem lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Does that include the urine smell? That's what bothers me. I don't notice the other even when I'm cleaning. I expect the clay litter to get stinky over time and at that point I dump it all and start with fresh. I would think the pellets would eventually stink too. It's the nature of the business. :lol: The wood pellets are great for urine smell (IMO), and I have a sensitive nose. I really can't smell the urine with the pellets. I usually change her box every 8 or so days (I don't count, just see how it looks, and it lasts longer than a week). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 The Clevercat litter boxes are great! That's what we have. They look like Rubbermaid boxes with a hole in the top. The tops are also ridged like litter mats, so most of the litter mess gets caught in them. They have greatly reduced our mess. We just use clumping litter. We like Tidy Cat but I don't think they have it at Sam's so we use whatever we can get there unless I go to PetSmart. I have tried the pine pellets but the cats didn't like them; too stinky. I will look and see if they have unscented wood pellets. That would be interesting to try. Now most of our mess comes from the cleaners of the boxes rather than the cats! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.