My cat is messy and unsanitary, what do I do?

[Jessb1030]

I've had at least one cat almost my entire life, I've never had a cat like the one I have now.

1. She is 1 1/2 years old and has never had a hairball which, especially because she's short haired, I have read means she probably doesn't clean herself well. Which has been proven since she tracks litter granuals and litter dust all over our house and her paws are frequently visually dirty.

2. She does bury her poop and pee but when she does it she kicks a considerable amount of litter outside of her box, we've watched her do it.

3. She constantly lays on or around the mat that is supposed to pick up all the litter she kicks out of her box, so she's laying in what she kicks out.

Her litter box is in its own space, separate from where she sleeps or eats.

I've never encountered this problem before and I don't know what started it or how to fix it. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[susanm9006]

You can try getting her a litterbox with higher sides. Or you can set her litterbox inside a larger plastic box, like a low tote or storage box, so that litter she flings gets caught be the second box. Or try a litterbox mat that has a textured surface so that litter get caught in the grooves and doesn’t just sit on top. Lastly you could try some different litter that tracks less. Sometimes a larger granule one works as well.

 

[maggie101]

I use a huge storage bin maybe 25 In long 18 in high. I use arm&hammer slide
No tracking,dust,or smell. Mine is smooth on sides and bottom, more expensive than what you will find at target or walmart

 

[susanm9006]

I would definitely try something other than slide. I clean my mother’s litter boxes and she uses Slide. Compared to other litters is is much finer and tracks much more.

 

[maggie101]

I would definitely try something other than slide. I clean my mother’s litter boxes and she uses Slide. Compared to other litters is is much finer and tracks much more.

I scoop every night and sweep before taking a shower. That tiny spot on the bottom right is the litter I get on the floor every night

 

[sabrinah]

Top entry litter boxes work well at preventing litter getting kicked out. I'm a fan of pine pellet litter because there's nearly no tracking, though cats don't tend to bury their poop with it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Some cats are just messier than others.

You might consider that your cat needs a bigger box, to help minimize the amount she can fling out while covering her pee/poop, and to help reduce the chances that she walks through her 'stuff' which will also carry additional litter out of the box some of which will remain on her paws. Both of these issues are many times tied to the litter box really being smaller than the cat would prefer.

Since she apparently likes the mat you have to collect litter, you could buy a couple more and see if she would use those to lay on instead of the one right outside the litter box. If she has one or two available that don't have a lot of litter on them, she might be more inclined to lay on them instead.

I don't necessarily think your girl is hairball free because she doesn't clean herself. For one, not all cats get hairballs - it just means that their digestive tracts can better process the hair that is ingested, or they cough and dislodge the hairball so that it continues on through the digestive tract (you may not be aware that your girl does this). For two, some cats do not want to eat/lick off litter, so they don't clean messy paws as well/as much as other cats who it doesn't bother. These apply to my Feeby. She cleans regularly, but will often 'neglect' a messy paw, and she rarely ever coughs up a hairball, but has 'coughed one down' from time to time.