How To Keep Litter From Tracking All Over The House

Cats are the best, but caring for them isn’t always sunshine and snuggles. Sometimes, it’s stepping on tiny granules of litter in your kitchen at 7 a.m.

You might think cat litter scattered around your house is a normal part of owning a cat, but it really doesn’t have to be.

There are actually a few things you can do to stop your cat from tracking litter. Here are some tips that might help.

One of the best things you can do to reduce litter tracking is using a low-tracking litter.

To find a low-tracking litter, size and weight matter.

Low-tracking litters are typically made of larger granules that are a little more dense than your standard litter. That’s because larger granules typically track less than smaller granules, and the same goes for granules that are heavier.

Cat litter that is low-tracking will most likely say so on the packaging, but to be safe, make sure you avoid litters that are light in weight or have small granules.

Try this highly rated low-tracking litter from Amazon for $10.99

Litter made out of newspaper pellets is also known to track less than conventional litter.

Try this top-rated newspaper-based litter from Amazon for $31.50

Another way to prevent litter from spreading around your house is with a litter mat.

You just place the mat under where the cat exits the box, and the excess litter on your cat’s paws will fall on the mat instead of on your floors.

When the mat gets dirty, you can just fold the mat (hot dog style) and dump the granules in the trash.

You can’t just throw a rug under your cat’s litter box and call it a day, though. You’ll want the litter box mat to be made of a material that will trap the excess litter from your cat’s toes.

Litter mats made of mesh are a good go-to since they do such a great job of removing loose litter from fur.

Try this mesh litter mat from Amazon for $16.99

You could also try a silicone mat with grooves to catch excess litter for an option that’s super easy to clean.

Try this silicone mat from Amazon for $25.95

There are also double-layer mats that have mesh on the top and a solid layer on the bottom for loose litter. And when you want to clean up, you just open the pocket and discard the mess.

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The type of litter box your cat uses might also affect how much litter is tracked in your home.

If your cat is notorious for kicking litter outside of the box after doing her business, you might want to try litter boxes that are covered with a hood so the litter doesn’t go flying everywhere.

Try this enclosed cat litter box from Amazon for $15.19

Top-entry boxes are helpful because excess litter from your cat’s paws or fur falls off as she makes her way up and out of the box.

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There are also some litter boxes that are actually designed to gently wipe your cat’s paws before she exits the box. Genius!

Like with Petmate’s Clean Step litter box from Amazon for $39.95

The main way litter travels on your cat is on the hair between her toes. When the hair is long, litter can get trapped in the fur, so you’ll want to trim her toe fur as often as possible.

Your safest bet is to leave trimming your cat’s paw pads to your groomer. But you can do it yourself in between appointments — if you have the right scissors!

Blunt pet scissors are the definitely safest option for trimming around your cat’s paw pads.

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To get the hair in between the toes, fluff the hair up with your fingers or a slicker brush, and then trim the fur so it’s flush with your cat’s paw pads.

A good way to contain the mess is to keep a vacuum near the litter box and, you know, use it.

By vacuuming the area daily, your cat (or your family) won’t have a chance to accidentally carry the litter granules from around the box allllll the way to the kitchen or living room (or anywhere else it definitely doesn’t belong).

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If litter tracking has become an issue for you, don’t worry! With the right supplies, you can keep the litter box mess to a minimum and avoid pesky litter granules from taking over your home.

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