If you are a cat parent, chances are that they are going to make a mess either on purpose or by accident. When cats use their litter box, they tend to track litter outside. Litter can get stuck on their paws and they even knock a bit out of their box when they are covering up their mess. Litter can be difficult to clean up off of the floor and can end up practically anywhere in your house.
One solution to this problem would be to place a litter mat outside of your cat’s box. These mats help catch mess that gets scattered around outside. That way, you can have an easier time of disposing of the loose grains. There are plenty of ways to implement the use of litter box mat ideas. Here are just a few simple ideas that will make cleaning up much easier.
Litter trapper mats
These trapper mats do exactly as the name says: it traps litter inside of the mat. The mess that gets knocked out of the litter box and gets stuck on your cat’s paw will get trapped inside of the mat pretty easily. It is also pretty large and covers plenty of space on the floor in front of the box.
These trapper mats even have a waterproof and urine-proof layer so it can also prevent wet and clumpy litter from getting tracked. In case your cat is extra messy sometimes, you can place a puppy pad underneath the top layer for when your cat misses the box. The pad will absorb the urine and prevent even bigger messes from occurring.
The mess will fall through the large holes in the mat to trap it effectively. The holes are big enough to catch pretty much any form of litter.
Once the mat becomes full, you can easily dispose of the mess by vacuuming it or dumping the loose bits back into the box. When the mat has been cleared, you can wash the mat off with soap and water. Put the mat back in place once it is dry to repeat the cycle.
Bar service mats
Bar service mats can also be used to collect litter that ends up getting tracked out. They are covered with soft rubber nodes that allow the litter to get caught on the mat instead of allowing it to get tracked all over the place.
It will even be capable of catching the mess that ends up getting stuck on your cat’s paws. One of the only problems about using bar service mats is that you might need more than one to cover the necessary areas. They are not particularly big so you may have to set two or more side by side so that it covers enough space.
Petmate litter catcher
The Petmate litter catcher is a rubber mat that is easy to clean and collects cat litter efficiently. It has a soft, flexible surface that catches the mess that falls out of the box or gets stuck on your cat’s paws. It is durable enough to last for a pretty long time before you would even have to consider replacing it.
In order to care for it properly, you will have to shake out the mess it has collected, then clean it by hand with cold water. It can be placed right back in place once it has had enough time to air dry. By using the petmate litter catcher, you can prevent bigger messes from getting tracked all over the place. The soft material will be kind to your cat’s paws and it can be fit to any box.
DIY Litter Box Mats
If you are unable to buy a litter box mat of your own or need a simple solution on short notice, you can always make a mat yourself. You can make mats out of pretty much any material. The goal is to catch as much scattered mess as possible so the mess isn’t tracked too far out of the box.
You can make mats out of yoga mats, boxes, rugs, and much more. The possibilities are limitless and you will not have to worry about too big of a mess. Simply dump the mess off of the mat into a trash bag once it starts to get full.
If you are making your own mat, you will have to make it big enough to cover the entire front area of the box. That way, it will be able to catch all of the stray mess that ends up outside of the box. One particular piece of information to note is that the mats can get pretty messy over an extended period of time.
If that occurs, you will have to get rid of the excess mess, then thoroughly clean and replace the mat. Results may differ depending on what kind of material you use for your mat. The type of box that your cat uses may also influence how much mess ends up getting tracked outside.
Conclusion
Your cats cannot really help being messy. Some cats display some weird behavior when it comes to covering up their messes.
When on their paws, the litter gets stuck and they can’t really help the urge to shake them off whenever and wherever they please. These mats will help contain the mess and relieve some of the stress you will face from having to clean the litter after each use.
Whether you buy a litter mat or make your own, they will greatly improve your life. Cat messes can become quite annoying, especially when it gets tracked all over your house. The mats you use will trap a good amount of mess and can be reused once it has been properly cleaned. If they are beyond repair, you can always replace them.
