What is the Best Thing to Put Under the Litter Box to Catch Litter?

What is the best way to prevent litter tracking? Placing a mat under litter boxes (also known as litterboxes, litter pans or litterpans) or in front of the litter box can catch litter tossed or tracked out as your cat uses it.

Using a litter box mats helps keep the rest of the house clean and minimizes litter tracking.

There are 2 considerations when choosing a litter box mat:

• Your cat needs to like it. Whatever you use should not make noise or have a strong smell. Sometimes owners will use materials such as artificial grass that look good but feel, smell, or sound unpleasant to cats. This can cause litter box aversion. Some cats will not want to go to the litter box because of what is under or in front of it so choose wisely.
• The mat should be easy to clean. One ideal choice is a piece of carpet that can be easily vacuumed or picked up and shaken outside. A carpet remnant can be a great choice. Commercial litter box mats are made often of plastic and have a pile that catches litter so it doesn’t attach to your cat’s paws. The texture is fine for some cats but other cats don’t like it at all.

After you select a mat, watch how your cat uses it. Some cats will walk totally around the box and pace back and forth trying to figure out how to get in the box without walking on the mat. If this is the case, you may want to buy a different type of mat.

KEY POINT: Observe how your cat uses whatever mat you choose, as they may not like it.
The goal is to reduce tracking without discouraging your cat from using their litter box.

I hope this information helps you choose the right litter box mat for your home.