One of the unique habits cats have is their compulsion to bury their feces on the ground. A lot of people think that this is a part of their independent spirit as unlike dogs, they don’t always need to be cleaned up after.
They can take care of themselves from grooming to waste management, making them the ideal animal companions for some folks. However, as a lot of cats are of the indoor variety, they’ll need someplace where they can bury their excrement inside the house. For this, cat litters are created.
While these things help make your home a lot more hygienic, they’re not foolproof. Some cats might kick the litter too hard while burying and end up spilling the contents on your floor.
There will also be some instances that they will carelessly scatter some of the dirty litter across the house. This can be quite gross and smelly, so the best Cat Litter Mat comes as a necessity for many cat parents.
Our Picks!
Cat Litter Mats | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|
Moonshuttle Blackhole Cat Litter Mat | $$$ | A |
iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper with Urine and Odor Repellent Plastic Layer | $$$ | A+ |
PetFusion SmartGrip Cat Litter Mat | $$ | B |
Smiling Paws BPA Free Premium Cat Litter Mat | $$ | A |
Easyology Premium Cat Litter Mat | $$ | B- |
Petlinks Purr-fect Paws Cat Litter Mat | $ | B+ |
Pawkin Phthalate Free Cat Litter Mat | $$ | A- |
The Feline Natural Instinct and Cat Litter Mats
Some people think that cats hide their waste because they’re obsessed with cleanliness. It makes sense since they spend half of their waking hours grooming themselves, but this isn’t really why they do this. They do this so as not to encroach on someone else’s territory.
As cats are highly territorial animals, they tend to eliminate waste in an area that they can claim as their territory. Big cats do this all the time to assert their power. Smaller cats, however, have to be more mindful and submissive, so they bury their waste, so the bigger cats won’t feel challenged.
As pets, they see their humans as their leader. The house is your territory, so they won’t offend you by leaving their waste lying around.
Providing a cat litter for your pet makes this chore a lot easier for them to accomplish. As these items are designed to let your kitty bury her waste, they won’t have to worry about where they can deposit them.
Of course, there will still be some instances where your cat will see herself the dominant cat in the house so that they won’t use the cat litter. There’s also the fact that not burying their waste can be a sign of an illness in your cat. So, if your cat uses here cat litter, it’s one of the most normal things that she can do.
What’s a Cat Litter Mat?
can put under the cat litter to help clean up your cat after she goes to the bathroom. It should be bigger than your cat litter so it can cover the area around it. This way, it will be able to remove the pieces of litter that might have clung onto your cat’s paws before she starts roaming around the house again.
Cat litter mats are a lot like your regular rugs in appearance. You’ll find a lot of them rectangular in shape and a bit oversized. What sets them apart is their texture, however. Cat litter mats are designed to have perforations or ribbings so as to help trap the litter pieces into the mat before your cat steps off.
Sometimes referred to as cat litter box mat or cat litter tray mat, these items also come in a wide range of sizes to better cater to your kitty’s needs.
Why You Need a Cat Litter Mat
1. It can prevent your kitty from scattering gross litter debris around the house.
Although cat litter is designed to minimize the foul odor your cat’s waste emits, it’s still not something that’s exactly clean. They’re sand or the soil that can get dirty once your pet excretes her waste on it. It will surely smell if you don’t replace it after a few days, so you can be sure that it’s pretty gross.
Cat litter mats are a great solution in preventing litter pieces from being spread around the house. Because it’s designed to trap the litter pieces in between its perforations or ribbings, you won’t have to worry about your cat stinking up the entire house or even spreading a lot of germs.
2. It can help keep your kitty comfortable.
If your cat lands on a cat litter mat after she gets out of her cat litter, then she’ll be able to wipe off the pieces that might cling to here paws. This will save your cat from having to step in tiny solid nuggets stuck on their paws repeatedly. This can hurt their sensitive paws, so it’s best to ensure that they are litter free when they step away from their cat litter.
3. It will make your cat litter cleanups a lot easier.
While they’re often sold separately, you should use the cat litter and cat litter mat together. The mat will serve as your first line of defenses from your cat dragging litter around the house making cleanups a lot simpler. Instead of having to track litter pieces around the house and getting rid of them separately, you can just quickly take the mat out, brush off and bag the litter pieces, and then wash the mat.
What to Look for in the Best Cat Litter Mat
If you’re thinking of getting a litter mat for your kitty, finding the right one is very important. Keep in mind that cats are pretty sensitive and picky with the things they use, so if you won’t be able to choose a good mat, there’s a high chance that they won’t use it. This will prevent you from enjoying all of the perks of using a cat litter mat.
So instead of doing a costly trial and error routine for your cat and a new cat litter mat, why not just put a good amount of thought in choosing the right one that they’ll most likely tolerate and use? To do that, here are a few things that you should look for in the best cat litter mat.
Good Size
As mentioned above, a cat litter mat should be bigger than the cat litter itself. This way, your cat can land on the mat after she relieves herself. Ideally, it should be double the size of your cat’s litter box or tray with at least an inch to spare on the sides surrounding the cat litter.
This will help ensure that the litter pieces will be caught by the mat and won’t easily spill out of the mat every time your cat uses her toilet.
Texture
The texture of the cat litter mat you should choose has to be capable of trapping the litter pieces that might cling to her paws. If you use a cat litter with bigger pieces, the ribbings or perforations should be able to hold on to them.
This way, you can be sure that the mat will be able to help remove the litter pieces off your cat’s paws to help her move around more comfortably and avoid any messes.
Soft Surface
As you would know, a cat is pretty particular and sensitive, so anything that you want them to step or rest their bodies on should be soft and nice to feel. In this case, you should also find a cat litter mat that isn’t abrasive.
While they should be textured, they shouldn’t feel rough or harsh on your cat’s paws. Otherwise, your kitty might want to skip the whole mat and jump off from their litter. This might cause even bigger messes, so to avoid the hassle, look for a soft mat that won’t stress your cat out.
Easy to Clean
Since a cat litter mat is an extension of your cat’s toilet, it’s a must to clean it as often as you will clean your pet’s litter box. To avoid any hassles, look for a product that’s easy to clean. This will save you from a lot of pain in handling your pet’s waste and will save you time in keeping your home clean.
Top 7 Best Cat Litter Mats Review
Are you still confused on which litter box to get for your cat? Take a look at our list of the top 9 cat litter box products on the market today:
1. Moonshuttle Blackhole Cat Litter Mat
Because cat litter can be gross, most cat parents might want a mat that will effectively trap in litter pieces that clung to their pet’s paws. This will make sure that the litter pieces won’t be scattered around the house and will stay put where the cat litter is.
Moonshuttle’s Blackhole Cat Litter Mat is an option worth checking out if this is your primary goal in getting a cat litter mat.
Not only does it have perforations on its surface to effectively trap in the discarded litter pieces, but its pocket design makes sure that the litter will securely stay on the mat. All you need to do to clean it is to open the pocket and dump the litter pieces out, and you’re good to go.
As it’s also made of high-grade EVA rubber, it won’t hurt your kitty’s paws. It’s also guaranteed to be non-toxic so you can rest assured that it won’t harm your pet in any way.
PROS
- Soft surface
- Effective litter trapping
- Washable and easy to clean
- Large size
- Patent-pending design
CONS
- Quite pricey
2. iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper with Urine and Odor Repellent Plastic Layer
If you prefer using cat litter with bigger pieces, you’ll need a mat with bigger holes to better trap them in. For this, you should check out the iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper. This product has bigger holes than other brands in the market.
Another reason why this product made our list is its urine and odor repellent design. With a plastic layer that makes it waterproof and odor resistant, you won’t have to worry about the mat stinking the whole place up. You’ll still need to clean it right away in case of accidents, but it will be a lot easier to wash because of its design.
As for clean ups, it’s also very easy to tidy up. It has a peel-off design so you can easily open it up to dump out the litter pieces trapped inside. This will also allow you to use a puppy pad inside, so in case your cat isn’t fully litter trained yet, your mat won’t be soaked with their smelly pee.
PROS
- Large holes
- Urine and odor repellent
- Traps litter pieces effectively
- Easy to clean
- Large size
- Comfortable surface
- Available in two colors
CONS
- Heavy
- A bit pricey
3. PetFusion SmartGrip Cat Litter Mat
Not too thrilled about utilitarian-looking mats? Then the PetFusion SmartGrip Cat Litter Mat is something you should consider. This product looks like your regular mat with its homey designed composed of neutral colors and friendly swirls. However, it’s also designed to effectively trap fine litter pieces, so you don’t have to keep finding them all over the house.
Designed with minute grooves that will effectively trap fine litter particles, this mat is made of durable and pet-friendly PVC material. It also has a very soft surface to ensure that your pet won’t shy away from it.
PROS
- Nice design
- Fine grooves for trapping small litter pieces
- Very easy to clean
- Friendly price
CONS
- Can absorb liquids
4. Smiling Paws BPA Free Premium Cat Litter Mat
Another cute looking option for your home is this Smiling Paws mat. This one looks like your regular waterproof mat but with an additional adorable cat emblem that will tug at a cat lover’s heart. With its TM-9 trapper technology, it guarantees to catch more litter pieces than the competition.
Made with commercial-grade vinyl, it won’t be easily torn up. It also has a non-slip backing design to ensure that it will stay in place no matter what.
PROS
- Vet-approved
- Durable
- Traps litter effectively
- Easy to clean
- Great price
- Cute design
CONS
- Won’t release the trapped litter pieces easily
5. Easyology Premium Cat Litter Mat
If you’re a pet parent who likes to pamper your cat, you’ll want a more luxurious looking mat to fully express your adoration for your feline friend. Because of this, the Easyology Premium Cat Litter Mat can be a good choice for you. The moment you lay your eyes on this product, you won’t even know that it’s a mat for cats as it looks stylish.
Made of durable PVC material, it can get the job done effectively. It also won’t feel weird on your cat’s paws, so you can be guaranteed that you won’t have to worry about finding cat litter pieces where they don’t belong.
PROS
- Durable
- Easy to clean
- Effective cat litter trapping
- Stylish design
- Water resistant
- Available in different colors
CONS
- Won’t protect your floor from urine
6. Petlinks Purr-fect Paws Cat Litter Mat
If you don’t want to deal with a heavy, two-layer mat but you still want to make sure that your cat litter mat does a great job at trapping litter pieces, Petlinks’ Purr-fect Paws Cat Litter Mat is something you should consider. Unlike other mats with holes, this one uses depressions on the rubber mat to trap the litter pieces and keep it from scattering.
Waterproof, lightweight, and flexible, cleanups will be a breeze with this product. It also has a soft, albeit uneven, the surface, so your cat won’t get hurt trudging or lounging on it.
PROS
- Effective litter trapping design
- Very easy to clean
- Very affordable
- Available in different sizes and colors
CONS
- Takes some time to flatten out
7. Pawkin Phthalate Free Cat Litter Mat
For a completely safe cat litter mat, this Pawkin product is a solid option. Guaranteed to be phthalate-free, you won’t have to worry about your cat being exposed to harmful chemicals. As it does an excellent job in trapping fine litter pieces and providing a comfortable surface for your cat to perch in, it’s worth considering as well.
PROS
- Traps fine cat litter pieces effectively
- Non-toxic for cats
- Durable
- Friendly price
CONS
- Can be tricky to clean as the litter gets locked inside the wires
Our Recommended Product
The best cat litter mat can make a living with your cat a lot easier and even hygienic. This makes such products essential for every cat parent as they will help you keep your home clean at all costs. It’s as important as a cat shedding brush as it can prevent your cat from scattering discarded dirt all over the place.
If we’re to choose a winner among the seven products, however, we’ll have to go with the iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper. It may be a bit heavy as it is made with durable rubber, but it has large holes that can trap in more litter pieces than others more easily.
It also doesn’t absorb urine and smell which means it won’t stink up your home. It’s also very easy to clean, so you can be sure that it will be able to help you keep your home spick and span.
iPrimio Cat Litter Trapper with Urine and Odor Repellent Plastic Layer
However, it’s still up to you and your pet which one to go for. Because you know your cat the best, it’s important to really consider your pet’s preferences when choosing a cat litter mat for them.
The best cat litter mat is the mat that your cat will use, so always think about how your cat will react to the item you’re eyeing before purchasing anything.
Additional Resources:
https://storify.com/didacticru624/the-advantages-of-using-cat-litter-mats
The post Best Cat Litter Mat Review and Its Benefits appeared first on Cat Overdose.
