Best Way To Contain Cat Litter

What Should You Look For In A Litter Box

The most important thing is to find one that your cats will use meaning its one that they know how to use, arent afraid of, and can enter and exit with ease. If you have a cat with mobility issues, youll want to make sure that its easy for them to get in and out of it without causing pain.

Youll also want to be sure its easy to clean. That means that you can get to it easily when its time to scoop it out, that nothing clumps in hard-to-reach places, and that any accidents are easy to wipe off.

Since this list is geared toward boxes that can handle multiple cats, youll want to make sure its roomy enough to handle all the waste that your cats produce. That usually means a large pan and deposit box, but you can get by going smaller on both if you clean it out every day.

Boxes come in all shapes and sizes, so youll want to find one that fits nicely in your home as well. Some can easily be stashed away in a corner or behind your own toilet, but some are so massive that they dominate a room. This may be a tradeoff that you need to make to accommodate multiple cats, though.

Finally, consider any special circumstances that you may have. For example, if you have a dog that likes to dig through the box for snacks, youll want one with a secure lid. If you hate litter being tracked through your house, you should get one that cuts down on the amount that escapes. This is something that youll have to consider on your own before you start shopping.

Opt For Alternative Litter Products

If your cat is always clean and considerate, but youre still finding litter tracked everywhere, it may be time to reconsider the type of litter that youre using. There are countless options for alternative kitty litters, which may not get caught and scatter around as easily as traditional materials. In some cases, these litter products may also be more eco-friendly. Consider pellets made from newspaper or recycled paper, or clumping corn, which is free of silica dust that puffs up into the air and sticks to kitty paws. Want to try something really advanced? Pretty Litter is made up of lightweight, absorbent crystals that are more likely to stay inside the box . Even better, it monitors your cats health, by changing colors as it reacts to chemicals in urine so you can keep your home clean and your kitty feeling healthy.

How To Choose Eco

Cat litter has a significant impact on our waterways and landscapes if not properly disposed of. And as youve probably surmised at this point, a lot of that has to do with the harmful toxins and pathogens present in animal waste.

While the introduction of dangerous bacteria is a huge problem, the sheer volume of cat litter is another issue. Even litters advertised as being biodegradable wont break down properly in most landfills because theyre disposed of in plastic bags that prevent decomposition. Thats why its so important to buy eco-friendly cat litter optionsand dispose of the waste in biodegradable bagswhenever possible.

Typical clay-based litters dont biodegrade as easily as eco-friendly options. They also pollute waterways and sewer systems. Consider a more organic, biodegradable litter made from corn, corncobs, citrus scraps, grains, wheat, paper, or wood shavings.

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Tips For Controlling Cat Litter Tracking And Scattering

Cat litter tracking is one of the most common complaints cat owners have. No matter where you keep your cats litter box, somehow litter ends up everywhere on the floors, in your shoes, even in your bed! Theres nothing quite like having to brush litter bits off the bottoms of your feet before you put on your socks.

Litter tracking is caused by bits of litter sticking to your cats paws and fur after she has used the litter box. Many cats also like to dig to China in their boxes, kicking and throwing litter all over the floor. Then they walk through the mess and bring it to every corner of your home.

So, is there a cat litter that doesnt track? How do you keep cat litter off the floor? Is there truly something like a no-mess litter box? Well, you can reduce the amount of litter tracking throughout your living space with these tips.

Does Baking Soda Work To Control Litter

Baking soda works in your refrigerator and litter box in much the same way: it’s a base that neutralizes the higher pH of odors.

The great thing about baking soda is that it’s non-toxic and has no real scent. It’s also inexpensive! Sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom of your litter box after you’ve thoroughly cleaned it, and then add the litter. As your cat digs around the box, she’ll mix a little baking soda into the litter as she goes. Add a little fresh baking soda every time you scoop, too. It’s a safe, easy, economical product to experiment with.

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Aren’t Some Litters Compostable

The very first compostable litter was actually a type of clay called Fuller’s clay. American businessman Ed Lowe realized that since this clay is able to absorb its weight in water, it would make a great substrate for cat’s to do their business in. Since Lowe’s original eureka moment in 1947, a variety of different materials are used for different kinds of cat litter. Clay is no longer the only option. There are different biodegradable substrates, from compressed paper to corn to wheat. Some sources like these biodegradable options because, since they are biodegradable, they can be composted. However, there are real concerns I have with this.

Cat feces can carry things a lot scarier than bacteria like E. coli. Cats that are infected by the protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii readily shed this parasite in their stool. Once shed into the environment, it can easily infect other animals and people as well. Some sources say that composting biodegradable cat litter for use in flower gardens only, never vegetable, is fine, it’s not recommended to be so cavalier about something that could be a potential pathogen.

Help Keep Litter From Tracking Everywhere With Daily Clean Up

It might be obvious, but how and how often you clean your litter box affects litter tracking. The more frequently you clean the litter box and how careful you are when scooping clumps of urine and feces impacts the amount of litter that gets outside the box. The longer you leave litter on the floor around the box, the more it can get tracked by human feet and cat paws.

Here are some tips for litter box cleaning that help prevent or reduce tracking:

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Option One: Throwing It Out

The most straightforward method to dispose of cat litter is going to be to simply dump it all into a garbage bag and throw it out. Depending on the size of the litter box, it may be a bit troublesome at first, but this is the method that many people rely on and it has worked for millions. All you really need to get the job done is going to be a trash can with a trash bag in it. You can also consider using an additional trash bag to bag up the used litter so that it will not smell as bad, but this is optional. One thing to consider is that if you use a heavier type of cat litter, you will want to invest in heavy-duty trash bags so that you dont run into a catastrophe of spilled cat litter.

There are a few things to note about this method, even though it is one of the easiest methods out there. For one, if you dump the cat litter into a relatively empty garbage can in the kitchen, that garbage can is going to begin smelling horrendous in a few short days. You will want to consider separately bagging the cat litter to try and block some of that smell, or if you have a garbage collection service, you can throw the litter into the outdoor trash can. Most people will settle for simply bagging the litter before throwing it out, as this can also help to ensure that the smell is contained and that if you accidentally drop anything into the trash can that you want to keep, that object isnt going to touch soiled litter.

The Best Litter Scoop: Duranimals Durascoop Original Cat Litter Scoop

Out of five scoops we used to scoop litter at the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, the DurAnimals DuraScoop Original Cat Litter Scoop was the only one that didnt end up with a crust of pee and litter on the edge, or bits of litter stuck in the mesh.

This scoop is deeper and wider than the competition, making it simple to scoop up a large clump or to rake through the litter to pick up any bits youve missed. Its sturdy edge allows you to easily remove any clumps that may have gotten stuck to the pans edge or bottom.

The DuraScoops inventor, Chuck Firthaka the poop scoop guy, as he signs his emailssaid he invented this scoop in 2003 because he was tired of using plastic scoops that bent easily. The DuraScoop lives up to his intent, and its rubber handle is easy to grip and wont bend or dig into your hand.

Overall, the DuraScoop makes an unpleasant chore as simple as possible, a fact reflected by the scoops impressive, 4.8-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer says, 30 years, 4 cats, and countless plastic scoops later, I bought the metal DuraScoop. What a relief. Says another, I cant believe Im in love with a litter scoop! Its also a firm staff favorite at Wirecutter.

The DuraScoop is more expensive than the competition, though we think that about $13 is still a small price to pay for something that makes it easy to clean out your pets litter box.

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Our Pick: Dr Elseys Ultra

For your money, Dr. Elseys Ultra forms tough clumps and does an outstanding job of trapping odors. It also produces less dust and is significantly cheaper than many other cat litters we tested.

In tests with liquid waste, Dr. Elseys Ultra formed clumps that were in the middle of the pack in terms of hardness, and that were on the flat side, making them less prone to sticking to the bottom or side of the litter pan. Wirecutter staffers report that the clumps held up well during scooping, sometimes breaking into large chunks if they were being excavated from a corner or side. They never crumble into oblivion, said Wirecutter senior staff writer Kimber Streams, whose cats have used it for six years.

Our long-term testers said Dr. Elseys Ultra does a great job of masking waste odors. The litter itself smells neutral and isnt overwhelmingly fruity like the Purina Tidy Cats 24/7 Performance. In our control tests, Dr. Elseys Ultra masked the odor from stinky ammonia and pungent hing so well that we could smell only the clay litter when the waste stand-ins were just partially covered by litter.

Though tracking was tough for us to test at the cat cafe, Dr. Elseys Ultra has grains that are on the larger side, meaning it should track less than some of the competition. Our staffers long-term experience experimenting with litter bears that out. It tracks a bit, but not as bad as other litters Ive used, Streams said.

A Quick Comparison Of Our Favorites

Our choice for the best overall cat litter box for odor control is the Booda Dome Cleanstep litter box. The design of this litter box is unlike any other. For controlling odors, this box relies on its unique shape to help contain smells and a filter to trap any scents that try to escape. The Booda Dome is large enough for most sizes of cats. What makes it the top choice for us is the easy entry thanks to the enclosed stairs. Tiny kittens and senior cats with stiff joints often have trouble climbing in and out of traditional litter boxes. This box solves that problem, which means it also solves the issue of the old and young cats eliminating outside the box because they cant get in! The major complaint about this box seems to be that urine can build up and eventually leak out of the seam between top and bottom. However, this appeared to be an issue with all the covered litter boxes we reviewed if used by cats who are higher sprayers or urinate standing up. If your cat falls into that category, be aware that this could become an issue.

• Must use clumping litter

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Litter Box Solutions That Prevents Litter Tracking

Are you ready? This last solution is with no doubt the best to prevent your kitty from tracking litter everywhere. Its beautiful, it hides the mess, its easier to clean, and it stops the tracking!!!

Let us present the Out of sight litter box! Its basically a cat litter box furniture but it has a magic trick to it. It is really one of a kind!

While traditional cat litter box furniture does a great job at hiding the litter box itself, they do not prevent litter tracking. The inventor of this box created a unique design: before your cat gets out of the box he will get rid of the litter stuck under its paws.

When your kitty hops out of the litter box and then jumps down upon exit, his paws will open naturally which will allow the litter to fall out and be trapped on a special mat.

This box does a wonderful job, it is LITTER-ally the best non-tracking litter device ever invented since the creation of cats. The only thing about it is that it comes at a price! But hey, you get what you pay for. Also, did we mention its made in the U.S?

Ways To Keep Cat Litter From Tracking Everywhere

When it comes to potty time, most of us are lucky if our cats manage to cover their droppings completely with litter to eliminate odor. Of course, that also means kitty is probably tracking some of that litter outside the box.

Feeling tiny bits of litter sand between your toes whenever youre barefoot in the home kind of comes with the cat parenting package. Fortunately, there are ways you can help your messy kitty keep their litter in the box and not scattered all around it and your home.

Here are seven tips that can help you and your cat keep the litter in the litter box where it belongs.

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Things To Avoid When Trying To Stop Litter Tracking

When dealing with our cats litter boxes and trying to stop litter tracking, we butlers sometimes take it to the extreme, which can cause some anxiety and discomfort in our cats. As cat owners know, any discomfort or problems associated with the litter box can be much worse than litter tracking: litter box avoidance.

Therefore, to prevent this, its best to stick to these guidelines when we try out a new litter box area or setup:

• Dont try to hide the litter box or place it in far off room .
• Avoid loud areas or rooms.
• Dont place the litter box in small cluttered spaces.

The litter box location is huge for a cat. Sometimes it makes the difference of a cat deciding to go inside or outside of the box. It has to do with their instincts and natural behaviors.

A dark, cramped, or cluttered place is not where a cat wants to be when it wants to relieve itself. This is when theyre most vulnerable in the wild. Although we butlers know our cats are safe our cats dont. All domestic cats will have that same instinct.

Best For Apartments: Iris Top Entry Cat Litter Box With Scoop

If you live in an apartment or a home with limited square footage, we suggest getting the IRIS Top Entry Litter Box. This compact oval bin measures just 20.5 inches long, 16.1 inches wide, and 14.6 inches high.

Thanks to its round, slightly tapered shape and top-entry design, it’s easy to clean and prevents scatter in your home. This cat litter box is available in white with tan accents, black with gray accents, or gray with white accents. It comes with a matching scoop too.

“Our cat had never used a top entry litter box before so we were skeptical that she would understand the design. We’re happy to report that she started using it immediately and hasnt had any issues since. However, just a notethe entry hole itself is a little small, so make sure it’s big enough for your cat!”Avery Stone, Commerce Editor

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