How to stop cat litter tracking.

Cats are fastidious animals, but their litter can get messy. Stuck to the bottoms of tiny paws, those little pebbles find their way across your floors and into the oddest places. Bits of litter can cling to kitties after they leave the box. And energetic business sessions can produce a veritable Niagara of litter pebbles over the wall.

Clean floors and cats just don't seem to go together. But maybe they could.

How can you stop your cat from flinging litter everywhere? What really keeps floors clean when you have a kitty?

Here are five proven solutions to help you keep your home looking fresh and your cat feeling loved and wanted.

1. The box.

Your cat's litter box is the star of your litter management lineup. The litter box should be the right length, width, and height for your cat. 

Length
Conventional wisdom says a box should be as long as a cat from nose nub to tail tip. 

Width
The width needs to equal the cat's length minus the extended tail. 

Height
The best choice depends on your cat's habits rather than his size. Sprayers, high pee-ers, and litter flingers need at least 8-12 inches of height. Kittens and older cats may need a shorter box due to their limited mobility.

A hooded box such as the Modkat or the Modkat XL can help stop your cat from flinging litter over the walls during an enthusiastic scratching session.

2. The mat.

Cat litter mats remove pebbles from the bottoms of little paws. That's why having a mat is critical to your litter scatter strategy.

These mats work like the welcome mat just inside or outside your door although your cat probably doesn't stop to wipe her feet on it the way your guests do. Still, litter mats can help catch pebbles before your cat accidentally tracks them across your bare floor.

The best litter mats feature comfortable material and durable construction. They're easy to clean, skid resistant, and — most importantly — pull the litter from your cat's paws. Your mat also needs to be the right size for your litter box and look attractive in your home.

Modkat offers two mats. Both mats are made from the same comfortable phthalate free PVC that composes the soles of your sneakers. The main difference is the regular mat comes in two sizes and the Katch fits into smaller spaces.

Whatever litter mat you invest in, make sure it's large enough for your cat, actually traps the litter, and is easy for you to clean.

3. The liner.

Liners make the litter box easier to change. You just lift the liner out, dump the litter, clean the liner, and put it back in. These accessories also help keep litter where it belongs — in the box, off the cat, and away from your floors. 

But you have to use the right kind of liner to get these benefits. Thin, plastic, disposable liners such as trash bags can make things worse because cats poke holes in them and scratch through them. 

When that happens, cat urine gets trapped between the liner and the litter box floor. Pebbles can fly everywhere during a scratching episode. And the box may get scratched badly.

Our Modkat Reusable Liners are built to last. Some customers tell us they've used their liners for more than a year. We don't like to exaggerate, so we tell folks they last for three months on average.

4. The litter.

Consider your litter. Most cat owners buy clumping clay litter because it's cheap, easy to find, and does its job. The trouble is that clay litters do major environmental damage. Companies strip mine the clay out of the northwestern states, a process that uproots animal habitats, dislodges topsoil, and leaves long scars across the landscape. 

Clay litter also tracks more easily than other kinds. Why not try an option that's good for your floors and for the biosphere? 

Paper pellets might be a good choice. These generally stay put. Corn, wheat, and walnut shell litters also get a thumbs up in the tracking department. You may have to experiment with different litter options to find out what you, your cat, and your home prefer.

5. The schedule.

The best litter strategy is still going to result in the odd stray pebble turning up here and there. Make sure you have a plan for cleaning your cat's box and your home on the regular. As a general guideline, you may want to scoop the box at least once a day. You may even dig out the vacuum a couple of times a week for a quick touch up to the area around the cat box.

Litter scatter can be annoying, but it isn't inevitable. A good quality, hooded litter box with the right-size mat can go a long way toward keeping your home tidy and your cat healthy and happy.