(Part 2) Best cat litter mats according to redditors

Goodness, what a cutie! She looks like a Chloe or an Emma to me ;}


Pretend as if you're about to adopt a very mobile, active toddler/baby human. Try to look around your home and see any things the cat might get into/eat/destroy and tidy up those things as much as possible. For example, if you have blinds on the window in your room, you might want to tie up the pull-strings so a curious cat can't grab them, and tuck electrical cords away as best you can. If you have any houseplants, google them online to make sure they aren't toxic (a good place to start is https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list ). Cats definitely won't stop themselves from eating toxic plants - my 19-year-old idiot decided the green onions in the backyard looked tasty one day and tried a bite, and my 1-year-old idiot had a go at a poinsettia I had inside (it has since been exiled to the backyard - the plant, not the cat!)


I also personally NEVER leave out any toys that my cats can easily rip up and ingest parts of - this means nothing small and nothing with feathers, string, leather, or straw. Cats can get VERY sick and die if they eat string/"linear foreign bodies".

I only leave out sturdy "interactive" toys that the cats can initiate play with on their own, such as these:


https://www.amazon.com/Petmate-Crazy-Circle-Interactive-Large/dp/B0002AT5AO

https://www.amazon.com/Petstages-317-Tower-Tracks-Chase/dp/B00DT2WL26/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1487151213&sr=1-1&keywords=tower+of+tracks


Putting normal toys away when it isn't "playtime" also helps keep the cat from getting bored with the toys. And cats CAN be curious about the strangest things - they'll want to open cupboards and knock things off tables and investigate every box and bag that comes into the house. So if anyone in your house takes medicines, make sure the bottles are closed very firmly, and put away in a cupboard, things like that. If you have things that you collect (like statues or figurines) or if you have anything breakable, make sure it isn't sitting on a table where a cat can paw it off onto the ground! A cat will paw at/investigate everything. You can't protect them from everything, and no one can put away everything in their lives, but you can take a few precautions.


Another general word of advice I can give, and it's perhaps the most important one, is do not feed her kibble. No kibble at all. Feed her canned food only (preferably grain-free). Kibble is terrible and leads to a number of health problems, including urinary tract problems, kidney problems, and chronic dehydration (which leads to constipation). Long story short, for the best health, cats should be fed a grain-free canned formula high in meat protein, which is closer to their normal, natural diet, and no kibble whatsoever. Even the worst canned food is miles better than the "best" high-quality gourmet kibble. Kibble has no benefits at all. It is worth the $$$ to feed a canned food diet, you will save money in vet bills and dental cleanings overall.


If you are interested, the reason for wet food is this - cats have a very low thirst drive, as they evolved from desert-dwelling animals, and have changed very little after our "domestication" of them - genetically and physically, they're still pretty much 99% their ancestors. A wild feline is designed to get almost all of its moisture needs out of its prey (meat, blood) and thus has very little "urge" to drink. Even if you think a cat is drinking enough, it's not. Any cat on kibble is in a state of dehydration - they simply do not drink enough to make up for it.


The other benefit of high-protein, grain-free canned foods is that they have actual MEAT proteins, and will provide good, usable nutrients to your cats, instead of useless bulky grains and carbs. Most kibbles are mostly grains, which means they pass through the cat's digestive tract without being digested. The cat derives no nutritional value from them. On a good meaty canned food, cats will eat their meals and feel more appropriately full, because their bodies are able to actually digest the food they're eating. With kibble, especially free-fed kibble, a cat will always eat more than you realize they are, because they can't digest half of what they're eating, so they constantly feel hungry, because they're literally not getting the proper nutrition from their food.


Also - having cats on a species-appropriate diet will have one other benefit. Their poops will smell a LOT less! (On a raw diet, the poops will be small, dry, whitish, and they will have no smell at all. No joke. I can stick my entire head in the litterbox seconds after my cat drops a deuce and I can't smell a thing.) Cats bury their waste instinctively to protect themselves from being found by predators and competitors (other cats), so their bodies are designed to digest protein very efficiently and thus they will produce less waste and less smell when on an appropriate diet. And every cat owner wants a less stinky litterbox!

Fish is not an appropriate diet for cats - do not feed a food that is primarily fish or high in fish. Cats build up mercury in their bodies far faster than humans do, since they are smaller, plus fish causes other issues: http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/why-fish-is-dangerous-for-cats/


Feed her A LOT. Kittens need to eat pretty much constantly as they are literally just calorie-burning growing machines ;} I've heard "feed a kitten as much as it will eat". Kittens usually need to eat up to 3x the recommended amount of adult food per day - when my younger girl was still a kitten, she would eat 6-7 cans (3oz each) per day. Keep offering food often - they need to eat every few hours.


Get vet checkups at least once a year (including dental checks/cleaning), and have her microchipped and have her wear a collar with ID tags at all times, even if you intend for her to be fully indoors. I have two friends, one in Arizona and the other in California, both who refused to put collars/ID tags on their cats because "oh, they'll never get out!" (One friend didn't even spay her cat, she was THAT convinced the cat would never escape.) Of course, both sets of cats got out - in Arizona through the carelessness of another family member, and in California as the result of a burglary that left a window smashed. One friend only found one of her cats. The other found hers, but the cat had gotten pregnant in the meantime. So, all cats should wear collars and ID tags, because no matter how careful YOU are, bad luck still happens!


Make sure you familiarize yourself with foods that are toxic to cats and keep them away from the cat - these include xylitol, chocolate, onions, garlic, and alcohol. As I mentioned before, many houseplants are toxic as well, such as poinsettias and lilies. Citrus fruits are toxic to cats. Many "essential oils" are also toxic to cats, so if you or anyone you live with uses scented oils or essential oils (such as tea tree oil), be careful.


Cats should instinctively use a litterbox. They do not want to "advertise" their presence to potential predators or rivals, so they should instinctively want to bury their waste to hide its scent.


You may want to get multiple litterboxes. The "general rule of thumb" is one box per cat plus one. Scoop every day! You can invest in rolls of "doggie-doo bags" like these - https://www.amazon.com/Bags-Board-Waste-Pick-up-Refill/dp/B000UCU53U I open one bag and put it next to me when I'm scooping the box. I drop the poops and pee-clumps into the doggie-doo bag, then tie off the bag and toss it! It helps keep stink to a minimum inbetween trash pickup days, and it's more sanitary than just dumping the bits straight into the trash can.


I also have my litterboxes on litter mats. They will save your sanity. This is my favorite one so far:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AUU90K0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A litter mat REALLY helps "catch" most tracked-out litter. I've also got one of these mats, which is great for its size but isn't AS easy to clean:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016PHLNRA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's all I can think up off the top of my head for now :} I'm definitely no cat expert, but feel free to ask any other questions you might have!

I wanted one and I hate money... but I got sifting litter boxes off amazon, the ones with the top. My god it is literally the best thing I've ever done when it came to litter. Along with one of those poop boxes or whatever they are called that has the bag that you dump the litter into.

2 of these if you get these: Do not follow the instructions and leave the sifting pan in with the litter. Have a pan with litter, then the sifting pan, then the other pan. Take out the pan with the litter, dump it into the sifting pan, then pull out the sifting pan to sift the litter. Place sifting pan back in the empty pan, and place the litter pan back on top of the sifting pan.

1 of these

w/ these generic refils

with this litter

on these mats

It is the best system I have used and I have used almost everything. I had the litter robot gen 1 and ended hating it because it would get full so fast with 2 cats and then would get shit all over itself and then getting a bag in there was a pain in the ass and it stank

I bought the Petfusion Smart Grip Cat Litter Mat when I moved my two cats back into my studio apartment. While there are still litter pebbles around from their 3 litter boxes they have been greatly reduced. I even cut my mat into parts so that there was a piece by each litter box and it catches a good amount
EDIT: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AND95WS/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Litter will get places. It's part of having a cat. That being said, I've massively cut down on the spread of my litter by changing to this kind of large, pellet-based litter. It doesn't get really get stuck in paws the same way that smaller clumping pellets do.

I also have highwalled litter box. I then put that in one of those large boot trays so that excess litter gets trapped. And then I put all of that on one of these litter catching mats!

Not perfect but it has improved my apartment.

What about a mat like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KGIH3YG It would help "brush" the litter off the cats feet after using the litter box?

There's different versions but I'm getting the less expensive option for now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LVGL1A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Combined with this garbage can and liners: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013CB5QW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017MGWSKO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And probably getting this litter box mat: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RZCYW2/ref=twister_B00ABM7EEC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I really need to get a litter mat (it's on my wishlist "Pet Stuff") for my kitten..

C'mon...gimme. this

Thank you for the contest! You both are lookin goooooooood ;)

Hi! Just wanted to add:

Best thing I ever invested in, was a cat tree! My cat absolutely loves it and I can't image our lives without it. Cats feel much more secure in their environments when they have higher ground they can get to. Here is an amazon link to a great brand: https://www.amazon.com/Armarkat-B5701-57-Inch-Tree-Ivory/dp/B003BYQ100/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474819240&sr=8-2&keywords=armarkat+cat+tree

Also, to combat an litter box issues, I would suggest investing in a nice litter pad for accidents or for tracking litter out of the box. I just bought this one (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AUU90IW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). It is pricey, I know, but it has made the clean up process so much easier.

Also, please please please invest in some quality cat food. I might get some flack for this from other Redditors, but quality cat food makes a difference (I have found that there is a heated debate about dry versus wet food and whether brands really make a difference). I have chosen to err on the side of caution and buy high quality food to prevent any future health problems. From the research I have done, a combination of dry and wet food is best, and it is not ideal to simply provide dry food for cats, since cats need to get water intake from the food they eat. Here is a good article suggesting some good brands (http://www.reviews.com/cat-food/).

Our bengal had awful, stinky, runny poo for awhile too and it turned out to be the food. Initially we were feeding a lot of fish-flavor wet food, since that's what our DSH preferred. We now do fowl or beef 100% of the time and it's significantly better. We mainly feed Purina One Grain-Free, or Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet wet food. We only feed dry food maybe twice a week or so (we also choose only grain-free varieties). Not sure what will work for your kitties, but that's what worked for us.

As for litter tracking, I recently purchased these mats, which have been awesome. They are huge and contain probably 90% of the litter.

Try looking for a carpet protector for office chairs or an extra large cat litter mat. Not sure how big your crate is, but these options should work and be easy to clean.

Edit: As someone else noted, there shouldn't be accidents in the crate. But it is a puppy and sometimes accidents happen (or you get incredibly unlucky and get a pup who didn't get the whole, don't pee where you sleep memo. While it goes against most dog's instincts, there is the occasional pup that doesn't care.)

Blackhole Cat Litter Mat - Super Size Rectangular 30" X 23" - Blackhole Litter Mat (Green) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5FO444/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_M-OkzbG4V6DH3

We use a honeycomb litter mat with a high-sided litterbox.

Get this. We use one with a covered litter box (without the front flap) and only need to sweep once a week. It significantly cuts down the litter-throwing.

Story time:

This happened about a month ago. I live in an apartment complex. My neighbor across the breezeway was in the process of moving out. I could hear her and all her family finishing up ie: standing around in the parking lot talking, but I could also hear a cat yowling and crying in the breezeway. I looked out and there was a black cat hunched in the breezeway scared to death but by the neighbors door was a pet carrier so I just hoped the chick was going to put the cat in the carrier as she was leaving and take it. Well the lady just left the cat crying in the breezeway. As I heard them all leaving I stepped out into the breezeway and the scared cat ran right to me, I literally was standing in the parking lot holding this now happy cat watching the neighbor drive away! I took the cat inside and shut it up in my bedroom with a make shift litterbox and food and water.

I immediately called the property manager and left a message. About 15 minutes the manager shows up and I go out to meet her. She is unlocking the neighbors door and I walk in behind her. And immediately a little 6-ish month old kitten runs to me. I pick him up and inspect the empty apartment with the manager. There is no food or water. The manager didn't even know the chick was moving out. So if I hadn't called noone would have checked on the apartment and that kitten would have died from starvation or dehydration! The manager is irate of course and I'm just holding this little purring kitten. I just take the kitten over to my place and put him in my room with the other cat. This all happened on a Friday. Because I have a cat already I have to keep the two cats shut up in my bedroom. They are super sweet and lovey dovey. I tell my partner I refuse to take them to a shelter. So I start joining every pet group I can find on FB. By the following Thursday I've found them both a home with a wonderful lady. I had to drive 150 miles to meet the lady and give her the cats. The cats loved each other and I wanted them both to go to the same home. The lady who took them loved them immediately and I regularly check in on them. I'm just so glad they found a home where they are wanted and loved.

I've never really eaten vegan but I do think I could live on baked/grilled squash. I LOVE yellow squash so so much. And give me a good crisp fuji apple and I'll be set.

Item I hope this qualifies as a vegan item. I really need it for my kitty.

Thanks so much for the contest.

This is the one I use, the only problem I have had with it is that it smells awful when you first open it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W9L13VW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1