The $1 Old Mexican Trick That Stops Cat Litter Tracking Through the House, by Lupe Santos on YouTube. 11 min 41 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 41 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Put a sheet of newspaper in front of the box and watch your cat leave. Count how many paw steps land on the paper. That tells you how long your mat needs to be.
Buy a cheap ridged mat, or use a woven petate-style mat like the old trick. It should cover three or four paw steps, not one.
Place the mat directly in front of the box exit so every paw lands on the ridges. Shake it out daily and rinse it weekly.
Stop the kickers with a box that has high sides, or use a big plastic bin with a low doorway cut into one side.
Fill the litter no higher than about 2 inches. Do not fill to the rim, because deep litter gets flung further.
Keep one box per cat plus one extra, and scoop every day. Fewer boxes means more digging and more mess.
Choose a low-tracking litter with larger granules and low dust. Change to the new litter slowly, mixing it with the old over a week or two.
Trim the long fur between your cat's toe pads with small scissors so litter stops catching there.
Move the box onto a hard floor away from busy walkways. Carpet holds the grains and spreads them through the house.
Tips and common mistakes
Sweep or vacuum the mat area daily, because a full mat stops catching grains.
If your cat suddenly kicks wildly, perches on the edge or goes outside the box, call your vet instead of buying a new mat.
A cat straining with little or no urine is an emergency, so go to the vet right away.
Older cats need a low entrance, so skip the high-sided box for them.
Questions
Will any mat stop tracking?
No. A small flat mat catches one step at most. You need a ridged mat long enough for three or four paw steps.
How deep should the litter be?
About 2 inches is enough for most cats. Deeper litter gets kicked out more easily and does not stop tracking.
Does trimming toe fur hurt the cat?
No, if you only trim the fur between the pads and stay away from the skin. Use small rounded scissors and take tiny snips.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
