Cat litter tracking can be a huge mess and if you don’t find a good solution, you will have an annoying issue to deal with each time your cat goes to the bathroom. As a cat owner, you have to find a way to keep your cat’s litter where it belongs. Inside the litter box! The best way to do this is to find a litter that doesn’t stick to your cat’s paws. If it doesn’t stick to their paws, the litter will not have a chance of being tracked all over your home.
In this article, we look at what to consider when searching around for non-tracking litters, the best options of litter that don’t stick to paws, and finally we answer some common questions related to this issue to help resolve it.
What Litter Doesn't Stick To Paws?
The answer to this question is pretty simple. There is no perfect litter out there that never sticks to paws. But, some litters stick way less than other litters. In the next section, our team at Kitty Cat Reviews lay outs the different factors that dictate how much a litter will stick.
Factors That Cause Litter To Stick To Paws
Size
The size is a factor that of how much a litter sticks to the paws and fur of your cat. Larger granules tend to stick less. Larger particles have a harder time getting caught on the fur of your cat and in the nooks and crannies of their paws.
Clumping or Non-Clumping
Clumping cat litter has a higher tendency to stick to your cat’s paws compared to non-clumping litter. Clumping litter is designed to stick to anything that is wet. If you’re cat has wet paws or steps in some freshly soiled litter, and the litter is clumping, it is likely to stick to their paws. Non-clumping litter sticks when wet but in general, clumping litter is more sticky.
Amount Of Dust
The amount of dust a litter has is also a major factor in the amount the litter sticks to paws. Not only does dustier litter tend to stick more, dustier litter seems to end up all around the house because it gets blown around. When the dust in cat litter gets wet, it gets really sticky and if your cat steps in wet litter that is dusty, it is going to get coated onto their paws.
Weight
Heavier particles of litter have a harder time sticking to cat paws. Also, they don’t get kicked around as easily and if they are kicked, they don’t end up as far from the litter box as a litter that is lighter.
Buyer's Guide
Non-tracking
Obviously, whether or not a litter tracks or doesn’t track is a key thing to think about before deciding on the best litter for you. Think about the factors that were talked about above such as the size, weight, amount of dust, and whether the litter is clumping or not.
Odor Control
A litter box that is consistently smelly is miserable to have around. Also, cats do not like using a litter box that is smelly. If the litter box gets too smelly, your cat may stop using it.
The type of litter that you use largely impacts the amount of smell that comes from a litter box. The litter has to be very good at absorbing liquid. If the litter can’t absorb liquid, cat urine will end up pooling at the bottom of the litter box. Look for litters that specifically mention they are odor controlling.
A litter that contains baking soda will also be better at fighting odors. A litter that is easy to scoop and clean will smell less.
Material
The material that the litter is made of greatly affects the kind of product you are getting. The most common material for litter to be made of is clay. But litter can be made from so many different materials. There is paper, walnut, wood, corn, tofu, grass, and many other options. Clay litter is the most reliable, but because it is usually dusty, is light-weight, is made from fine particles, this litter tends to be tracking. If you want a litter to be more eco-friendly, you can look at some of the natural options.
Ease To Scoop and Clean
The amount of time and effort it takes to scoop and clean the litter you are looking to get should definitely be considered. Some kinds of cat litter is much easier to scoop while other kinds are a lot harder.
The easiest litter to scoop is clumping clay cat litter as it conveniently forms clumps, so you can easily tell which parts need to be scooped out. The problem is that clumping litter tracks quite a bit. The good thing is that there is litter made from Tofu that clumps and it doesn’t clump.
Paper pellet cat litter tends to be harder to scoop than other litters. Paper pellet is great because it doesn’t track, but it is for sure harder to clean. This is because the pellets are big, and when they get wet, they grow in size. You have to first scoop out the solid waste. While scooping the solid waste, it is hard to avoid accidentally scooping out clean pellets. When you are scooping out the pellets that soaked up your cat pee, you have to dig to the bottom and sometimes it can be hard to tell which litter has been used and which litter is still fresh. Read the product information to see what the manufacturer says about cleaning the litter to see if it seems difficult and also read the reviews to see if people commonly complain about it being difficult to clean.
Nice On Cat Paw's
A litter that feels nice on the paws of your cat is going to encourage your cat to go to the bathroom where they are supposed to. Many cats prefer
Cost
The cost of cat litter is an important factor to consider in the purchasing process. Cat litter is a recurring purchase that needs to be bought about once per month. A $10 difference in price in two different litters might not seem like a lot, but over a year of buying litter once a month that difference in price is going to add up. Comparing prices and finding a cat litter that works for your budget is important.
Here’s a list of non-tracking cat litter that you can get that won’t stick to the paws of your little bundle of joy.
Quick Look
The 5 Best Cat Litter That Doesn't Stick To Paws
1. Breeze By Tidy Pets
The Breeze By Tidy Pets is a great choice for easy cleaning and keeping odor at a low level.
If you have had trouble with previous litters being hard to clean, give this one a try.
With this litter, there is basically zero dust even when pouring the litter into the litter box. This helps to prevent the spread of litter around your home. This litter is capable of handling homes with multiple cats.
This litter deals with odors pretty well to keep your house from smelling like your cat runs the place. The pellets are large which makes it harder for them to get stuck in the paws of your cat.
Pros
- Stops spread of litter.
- Pellets are big so they won’t get easily stuck
Cons
- Works best with Tidy Cats litter box system
- Costly
2. Fresh News
Fresh News is a good choice for you to consider if you are looking for a natural litter that won’t stick.
It is produced from reused paper, so it is a lot better for the earth than other litters. When you throw this litter out, it will eventually compost and not leave a bad effect on the earth. It is nice to know that you are not contributing to the problem. According to Scientific American, paper pellet litter is one of the most green friendly options. Apart from that, it soaks up liquid pretty good.
Since this is pellet litter, the litter is big enough where it won’t get caught in cat paws as easily which will help with tracking issues. One problem with paper pellet litter is the scooping process is a little more tedious which can make the litter not as appealing.
Pros
- Made of recycled newspaper.
- Natural
- One of the least tracking
Cons
- Your cat might take time to get used to it.
- Scooping can be tedious.
3. Pidan
Pidan is a cat litter made from Tofu and comes in pellet form. Tofu litter can be compared to clumping clay litter. But, it has some added perks of being natural, environmentally-friendly, and it smells very good. The smell is like ice cream and this smell lasts even with use in the litter box. When this cat litter gets wet, it melts into a big clump that can be scooped out easily. The clump that results from the litter getting wet can stick to the scoop which is a con.
This litter does not stick to paws or tracks very much because it of its pellet shape. It is too big to get caught on your cat, and it does not have a lot of dust which also prevents it from sticking and tracking. This litter can stick if your cat steps in litter that is wet. If you leave the litter for too long in the litter box, it can start to become more dusty, so it is recommended to completely replace the litter before this happens to prevent tracking.
Pros
- Clumps
- Great smell
- Made from Tofu
Cons
- Expensive
4. Feline Pine
Feline Pine is a one of the better options to pick for non-tracking. It is definitely not the best but it is better than clay litter. This is because it comes in a pellet form that is usually to big and heavy to stick to paws. This litter can become a tracking problem if you don’t clean it enough. When this litter gets wet, it turns to sawdust. When the sawdust gets wet, it is prone to stick to paws. To avoid this, you want to prevent sawdust from building up in the litter box with using a sifting litter box to remove all the sawdust from the pellets.
Feline Pine is made of natural pinewood.
An awesome feature since it is made naturally is it doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals or artificial fragrances. It means that you and your feline friend won’t be put at any kind of risk being around this litter, but the sawdust from this litter can become irritating if you don’t clean the litter frequently enough.
This litter is completely made from pine and nothing else. Being made from purely wood, it is environmentally friendly and non-toxic. Even though the formula for this natural litter is pretty simple, it still does a good job at controlling odor.
Pros
- Doesn’t clump.
- Completely natural
- Great for all breeds.
Cons
- Your cat may take time to get used to it.
- Sawdust can stick if not clean enough
5. World's Best
World’s Best is known for their clumping corn litter. This specific product in their lines of litter is designed to be less tracking. They do this by making each individual litter particle to be bigger. Bigger litter is heavier which is less likely to get kicked out of the litter box. It also doesn’t get caught in your cats paws as easily because.
The clumping aspect of this litter makes it scooping easy. Most litters not made from clay are non-clumping, so if you are looking for an alternative to clay that clumps, this is a good choice. This litter also produces very little dust, which helps stop the litter from being sticky and it can ease respiratory issues in you and your cat.
This litter doesn’t clump and soak up liquid as well as the other products that are made by World’s Best, and this is probably because they changed the litter to track less.
Pros
- Quick cleaning due to clumping
- Very small amount of dust
Cons
- Not the best at clumping compared to other clumping litters
- Absorption is not the best
Other Ways To Prevent Litter From Tracking
No options offer 100% non-tracking. Therefore, you have to use some other strategies to keep the litter from tracking.
Keep The Litter Box Clean
The best strategy is to keep a clean litter box. Wet and used litter is mainly what is going to stick to your cat, but if you can keep the litter box scooped and dry, this will prevent tracking.
Litter Mat
Another method is using a litter mat that is meant to catch and trap the cat litter on your cat’s paws as they walk across it.
Get A Large Litter Box With High Sides
You could also try using a bigger litter box to keep the litter in. An enclosed litter box may work too and if you can go for a top-entry litter box then tracking will be minimal.
Location Of The Litter Box
Some cat owners will put the litter box in the bathtub to contain all the litter to one small area to make the clean up easier. You might want to change the location of the litter box to an area that you don’t care if litter is tracked through and a location with tile to make the clean up easier.
FAQs
Why does litter get stuck in my cat’s paws?
Litter will usually stick to your cat’s paws when the litter gets wet. Clay litter is more likely to stick and will stick more than other litters because of the material it is made of. Litter can also get stuck in the hairs on your cat’s paws.
How do you keep cat litter from sticking to paws?
There are a few ways to keep litter from sticking to paws. First off, scoop and clean the litter box frequently. Scoop the litter box once to twice a day and replace the used cat litter with whatever you take out, and completely clean the litter box every couple of weeks. This will keep the litter box full of dry and fresh litter which will be less likely to stick to your cat’s paws.
The next solution is to switch cat litter from a clay based to a wood pellet or paper pellet. Clay cat litter will stick to your cat’s paws and if it isn’t cleaned off quickly, it can cement to your cat’s paws. Wood and paper cat litter will stick less and will not be that hard to clean from your cat’s paw if it does stick. Finally, you can trim the hair on your cat’s paws to further reduce any sticking. This will help with any cat, but it can work wonders for long haired cats. If you plan on doing this, have a veterinarian or professional groomer do it.
Can litter hurt the paws of your cat?
Yes, it is possible for cat litter to hurt your cat’s paws. Crystal litter can be sharp which can be painful to stand on. Also, if clay litter gets stuck to your cat’s paws and gets dried on, this can be painful for cats.
If they have to constantly walk on a hard material it can hurt. Litter that is dried on can also pull on their hair and just generally be uncomfortable.
How much cat litter should be used?
Most of the manufacturers recommend filling your litter box with at least two to three inches of litter.
Can I add baking soda to cat litter?
Yes, you can add baking soda on your own to the cat litter formula. It is a good all-natural solution to deodorize the litter box. But keep in mind, you won’t be able to reduce the number of cleanings that you have to do weekly. Baking soda is non-toxic and very effective when it comes to absorbing the odors from cat urine.
Conclusion
Our favorite option is Feline Pine. It is made of wood pellets hence; it is very scoopable and clean. It can also get rid of the odor and can absorb moisture very well. The dust-free formula offers great non-tracking properties and is free from any toxic chemicals and harmful substances. It is not only good for your home but the environment as well.
Make sure that you go for all-natural formulas because they are safe not only for you but for your pets as well. You only need to consider litter that is made of non-toxic materials. You will have to take some extra measures to reduce tracking because no cat litter is 100% effective when it comes to non-tracking!
References
Blaine is a pet owner and animal lover. His two passions of cats and blogging met and KittyCatReviews was formed.