Half the litter tray all over the floor

[chaps89]

Ok, maybe a touch of an over exaggeration, but not much.
Every time Frank uses the litter tray, on his way out he seems to flick bits of litter EVERYWHERE!
Wasn't actually too bad when I had carpet down as it hoovered up well, but it doesn't hoover on hard floors and I'm endlessly sweeping up and still standing on bits.
I used chicken layers pellets as litter at the moment as it's exceptionally cost effective. I've tried a little mat at the front of the tray and it makes no difference. I feel like he managed to do the same when I used wood pellets too.
Is there some sort of magic trick I can do to stop him being quite so flamboyant upon exit of the tray?

 

[m1stify]

Is the tray covered? There might be less mess with a covered one but mine still track a bit with a covered one. The litter also makes a difference I started using tofu based litter recently and it tracks a lot less but was quite expensive

 

[PurBee]

I wonder if a deeper piled mat might help catch more bits than a shallow piled mat?

I had a female cat once that loved shovelling litter out of the tray. With each dramatic paw stroke I’m sure she loved the sound of it skittering across the tiles…she was sooo messy!

 

[sbloom]

I've had covered trays for years, cats prefer the privacy and I prefer the lack of mess. I do use a honeycomb type mat in front of it to pick up litter from her feet. I use wood pellets.

 

[fiwen30]

Is he long or semi-long haired? I found that my fluffier cats trapped more litter between their toes in the longer floof, which then released all over the house.

I’ve just become accustomed to brushing up honestly. You can get little sets of long handled brushes and pans, and I keep a set next to each litter tray for easy clean up.

 

[chaps89]

Yep, it's covered trays and been different styles too. He's very good whilst using the tray and doesn't make any mess then, but he exits it at about 100mph and in the process just seems to fling litter everywhere he's very short haired so I just don't understand how he manages it.

This was the bathroom floor after his morning wee. Admittedly I don't have a little mat in front of this one but he rarely uses it and there is not a lot of space in the bathroom. There is a honeycomb mat in front of the tray in the lounge, but because the lounge is bigger he somehow manages to get it even more all over the place.

 

[m1stify]

Oh that’s normal! Sorry not what you want to hear

 

[fiwen30]

Yep that’s normal, sorry!

 

[sbloom]

If it's entirely on the feet as he exits then only mats in front will help, if some of it is escaping while he's in there then a box with a cat flap would help. Sadly my cat can't work out cat flaps, a bear of very little brain even if she's adorable.

 

[Fjord]

I'd try a carpet runner under the litter tray, then hopefully the litter will stay contained on the carpet and not scatter around the floor so much. Or just be resigned to trading on bits of cat litter in bare feet... (me).

 

[honetpot]

I put puppy pads underneath which doesn't cure it but stops a lot and I just lift up the edge and direct it towards the tray so its all in one place to hoover up.
Cheap wood pellets are not as absorbent but IME are less clingy to the paws and doesn't seem to travel as far.

 

[smolmaus]

I have a mat in front of the tray and another one (when I remember) in front of the door to the cat room which at least stops it skittering into the hallway and through the house a little bit. If it does get into the hallway at least that is carpeted so it just gets trodden in and I get to break my back scraping it out once a week! I use the wood pellets so they break down into a lovely crumble dust!

 

[m1stify]

Actually a cheap yoga mat is good I cut one to size for one of my trays and it does cut down on tracking. However one of mine shoots out of the tray like a rocket so I’m not sure her paws even touch the mat

 

[Lady Jane]

Very normal!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Yep, it's covered trays and been different styles too. He's very good whilst using the tray and doesn't make any mess then, but he exits it at about 100mph and in the process just seems to fling litter everywhere he's very short haired so I just don't understand how he manages it.

This was the bathroom floor after his morning wee. Admittedly I don't have a little mat in front of this one but he rarely uses it and there is not a lot of space in the bathroom. There is a honeycomb mat in front of the tray in the lounge, but because the lounge is bigger he somehow manages to get it even more all over the place.

View attachment 166560

If his speedily exits are caused by nothing else than a fix idea by his, would a covered litter box with a top opening perhaps thwart his speedy exits a bit?

Not an option for the space available in your bathroom, but if you're a bit handy, and if you have more available space around the litter box in the lounge, or somewhere else, then perhaps you could build some type of covered passage area which your cat have to go through to reach the litter box? Ideally neither too short, nor too straight. With litter collecting mats in the passage.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I put an old towel underneath ours, then you can give it a shake out the window daily and stick it in the wash easily.

 

[chaps89]

Thanks everyone. I've obviously been spoilt - my previous cat wouldn't make such a mess and Stanley only uses the indoor litter trays if he really really has to and wouldn't dream of making a mess everywhere
I do think a folded towel could work or I might try the one where they come out of the lid next though

 

[BurntontheoutsideTurkey]

Ok, maybe a touch of an over exaggeration, but not much.
Every time Frank uses the litter tray, on his way out he seems to flick bits of litter EVERYWHERE!
Wasn't actually too bad when I had carpet down as it hoovered up well, but it doesn't hoover on hard floors and I'm endlessly sweeping up and still standing on bits.
I used chicken layers pellets as litter at the moment as it's exceptionally cost effective. I've tried a little mat at the front of the tray and it makes no difference. I feel like he managed to do the same when I used wood pellets too.
Is there some sort of magic trick I can do to stop him being quite so flamboyant upon exit of the tray?

Really layers pellets? It would never have occurred to me to try them (ours won't use a tray anyway now they have the outdoors but might be useful for the future). Do they clump?

 

[chaps89]

Really layers pellets? It would never have occurred to me to try them (ours won't use a tray anyway now they have the outdoors but might be useful for the future). Do they clump?

I think it was @HappyHollyDays who suggested it (& if it wasn't then my apologies! Definitely a HHO-er though) a bag last a month and it's about £11 a bag. It clumps and seems to disguise the smell fairly well. I was getting through a bag of wood pellets a week or a bag of world's best a month before so it's been a massive cost saving!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

@chaps89 yes it was me. I too was getting through the Worlds Best at an alarming rate with 3 house cats and at the time it was a real money saver. Glad you are getting on with them.

 

[BurntontheoutsideTurkey]

I think it was @HappyHollyDays who suggested it (& if it wasn't then my apologies! Definitely a HHO-er though) a bag last a month and it's about £11 a bag. It clumps and seems to disguise the smell fairly well. I was getting through a bag of wood pellets a week or a bag of world's best a month before so it's been a massive cost saving!

I have chooks so we have them already - just never thought of using them like this! I won't bother buying more litter in future

Also quite funny as I keep pointing out to new chook people that hay is livestock feed, not bedding, and here we are using chook food for cats to relieve themselves