Tired of finding cat litter everywhere? Litter mats are a great way to limit tracking. Read our guide to find out what is the best cat litter mat.

We carefully considered over 20 different products and have selected the top 5 best cat litter mat contenders for an in-depth review.

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A Quick Look At Our Favorites

ProductRatingWhy We Like It
1PetFusion ToughGrip Cat Litter MatSmooth SurfaceBuy on Amazon
2Smiling Paws Pets Cat Litter MatStylishBuy on Amazon
3Gorilla Grip Original Premium Cat Litter MatPrevents TrackingBuy on Amazon
4CatGuru Premium Cat Litter MatMachine WashableBuy on Amazon
5Pieviev Cat Litter MatTraps LitterBuy on Amazon
What We LikeWhat We Don't Like
1
  • Waterproof and anti slip
  • Lays flat
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Very easy to clean
  • Durable
  • Urine can spill off the side
  • Requires regular cleaning
  • Heavy
2
  • Waterproof and anti slip
  • Comes in 3 colors
  • Cute cat design
  • Lays flat
  • Durable
  • Only catches small sized litters
  • Heavy
3
  • Excellent at trapping litter
  • Waterproof
  • Anti slip backing
  • Available in different sizes and shapes
  • Lays flat
  • Difficult to clean thoroughly
  • Only catches small sized litters
  • Can get stuck to the floor if exposed to moisture
4
  • Soft, microfiber fabric
  • Waterproof, anti slip backing
  • Machine washable
  • Catches litters of all sizes
  • Available in 3 sizes
  • Absorbent
  • Doesn’t lay flat
  • Not very durable
  • Litter may bounce off
5
  • Excellent at trapping litter
  • Waterproof, anti slip backing
  • Catches all sizes of litter
  • Easy to clean
  • Durable
  • Requires regular cleaning
  • Doesn’t lay flat

Best Cat Litter Mat Reviews

Cat litter mats come in all shapes and sizes, literally. No matter what your preferences are, we have found several great cat mats that should suit your, and your cat’s, needs.

Best Smooth Surface Cat Litter Mat: PetFusion ToughGrip Cat Litter Mat

The PetFusion ToughGrip Cat Litter Mat is a smooth surface waterproof cat litter mat with soft ridges. The ridges are blunt and spaced well apart, so they are comfortable for your cat to walk on. This litter mat is made from FDA grade silicone, easy to clean, completely free of toxins and hypoallergenic. Its slightly sticky surface is great at capturing litter from your cat’s paws and hanging onto it.

Some cat owners are surprised to see how well the litter actually sticks to the surface of this mat. Cleaning with a brush won’t do. You have to get in there with a wet cloth or rinse it under the sink. Beware though if either you or your sink are on the smaller side. The PetFusion ToughGrip is both big and heavy. On the plus side, this allows it to lay flat and stay in place.

One downside to this litter mat which is obvious even when you unwrap it, is that the outer ridge has a small gap in it. Which means that any cat pee that lands on it is likely to spill off the sides and onto your floor. I’m not sure how they could’ve missed that. Anyway, there’s an easy fix to this. Two, actually. Either you can fill in the ridge using some silicone from the hardware store. Or you can put something underneath the edge of the mat to prop it up a bit.

Despite this minor flaw, the PetFusion ToughGrip Cat Litter Mat meets all the requirements for a tracking preventing, hygienic cat litter mat. You can be sure that all messes are easily cleaned up, while your cat won’t even know it’s there.

What We Like
  • Waterproof and anti slip
  • Lays flat
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Very easy to clean
  • Durable
What We Don't Like
  • Urine can spill off the side
  • Requires regular cleaning
  • Heavy

Best Stylish Cat Litter Mat: Smiling Paws Pets Cat Litter Mat

The Smiling Paws Pets Cat Litter Mat is a great choice if you want your litter mat to be both functional and fashionable. It comes in 4 stylish colors and has a cute kitty design in one of the corners.

The Smiling Paws Pets mat is perfect or use with a traditional clumping clay litter. It is a textured mat with rubber fibers and is really thick compared to other mats of this type. This is a good thing, because it prevents litter from falling completely down between the loops and makes it easier to remove with the vacuum.

Occasional accidents are also no problem with this cat litter mat, if you take care of them immediately. Just hose it off and let it air dry. Though, if you are not such an avid cleaner, a smooth surface litter mat is a better choice. Small pools of urine will be clearly visible and easy to wipe up.

Like the PetFusion ToughGrip, the Smiling Paws Pets litter mat is a bit on the heavy side. But, again, this helps it to lay perfectly flat on your floor. The anti slip bottom will make sure that your cat doesn’t move it around either.

What We Like
  • Waterproof and anti slip
  • Comes in 3 colors
  • Cute cat design
  • Lays flat
  • Durable
What We Don't Like
  • Only catches small sized litters
  • Heavy

Best Tracking Prevention Cat Litter Mat: Gorilla Grip Original Premium Cat Litter Mat

The Gorilla Grip Original Premium Cat Litter Mat is another textured litter mat with rubber loops. The loops are placed in blocks, separated by a small grooves. This simple break-up of the texture helps to spread your cat’s toes when she steps on it and grabs the litter that is stuck up there.

The grooves do make it a bit harder to clean. As you flush the litter out of one of the pockets it gets stuck in the next. It is also important to dry the Gorilla Grip mat thoroughly and not lay it down in areas with a lot of moisture. If it gets wet, it can get stuck to and even damage the floor.

On the upside, this does confirm that this mat is definitely water- and urine proof. As long as it lands on the top. Luckily, the Gorilla Grip Litter Mat is available in different sizes and shapes, so you’ll have no problem covering your entire litter box area.

What We Like
  • Excellent at trapping litter
  • Waterproof
  • Anti slip backing
  • Available in different sizes and shapes
  • Lays flat
What We Don't Like
  • Difficult to clean thoroughly
  • Only catches small sized litters
  • Can get stuck to the floor if exposed to moisture

Best Machine washable Cat Litter Mat: CatGuru Premium Cat Litter Mat

The CatGuru Premium Cat Litter Mat is a different type of textured mat. It is made from microfiber cloth, like the kind you use for picking up dust or mop the floor. As you might expect, this means that it is very absorbent. Fortunately, the bottom layer is lined with a waterproof, non slip backing, so cat pee won’t seep through. The mat itself is machine washable, so accidents shouldn’t be a problem.

The microfibers on the surface are very effective for trapping litter as your cat gets out of the litter box. However, the fibers are quite dense. Larger pellets or litter that falls over the side of the litter box isn’t always caught and may actually bounce off the soft top. The best way to deal with this is to get a larger mat, or a larger litter box.

There are two issues that we identified with the CatGuru Premium litter mat. It is too light to stay flat on the floor, which renders the non slip backing useless. On top of that, it is not very durable. If your cat likes to scratch her nails on it, or use it to let out some random aggression, it won’t survive long. However, if your kitty is a sweet angel, she will likely enjoy stepping onto a soft cloud after her morning poop.

What We Like
  • Soft, microfiber fabric
  • Waterproof, anti slip backing
  • Machine washable
  • Catches litters of all sizes
  • Available in 3 sizes
What We Don't Like
  • Absorbent
  • Doesn’t lay flat
  • Not very durable
  • Litter may bounce off

Best Pouch Cat Litter Mat: Pieviev Cat Litter Mat

The Pieviev Cat Litter Mat is the only pouch type litter mat on our list. I know that these type of mats are very popular among cat friends because they are easy to clean. But in our comparison of products we’ve found that most are actually not waterproof. Nor do they trap litter very well.

The Pieviev litter mat seems to be the only exception. It is made from durable, waterproof materials and doesn’t slide across the floor. The honeycomb mesh of the top layer is bigger in size than on most similar cat litter mats. This allows it to not only trap more and bigger litter, it also makes it less likely for litter to be tracked from the mat through your house.

The only downside has to do with how this item is shipped. Instead of rolling it up, the vendor decided to ship it folded. This creates creases in the litter mat, which prevent it from laying flat and are hard to get out. We’ve had most success by folding the mat in the other direction across the original crease, setting something heavy on top and leave it like that for a couple of hours. It takes a bit of work, but it helps to flatten it out more.

What We Like
  • Excellent at trapping litter
  • Waterproof, anti slip backing
  • Catches all sizes of litter
  • Easy to clean
  • Durable
What We Don't Like
  • Requires regular cleaning
  • Doesn’t lay flat

Our Final Verdict: PetFusion ToughGrip Cat Litter Mat

Our choice for the best cat litter mat is the PetFusion ToughGrip Cat Litter Mat. Small gaps aside, this mat checks all the boxes for an easily maintainable litter box area. Even if you’re not the most focussed housekeeper. Litter sticks to it perfectly and any puddles or poops will stare you straight in the eye, reminding you it’s time for a clean-up. The cleaning process itself is very straightforward. The material and texture are safe and comfortable for your cat and it’s durable enough to last for a long time.


Why Use A Cat Litter Mat

Cat litter mats are a great invention for us cat guardians. They help limit and prevent one of the most (the only?) annoying things about owning cats: litter tracking. Cat litter gets stuck to your cat’s paws when she does her business and then spreads literally everywhere. On your floors, on your sofa, in your bed… It’s a nightmare.

Cat litter mats work to remove and trap loose clumps of litter from your kitty’s feet as she steps out of the litter box, so they can’t spread any further. This greatly reduces the amount of cleaning you have to do, as it’s all centered around the litter box.

On top of preventing tracking, a cat litter mat can also help to protect your flooring. If your cat has had a bathroom accident or two, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Cat urine is acidic and foul smelling, and it can permeate pretty much anything. Better to catch that on a urine proof cat litter mat than on your hardwood floors.

Person sifting cat litter

How To Select The Best Cat Litter Mat

There are different things to consider when choosing the best litter mat for cats in your household. Let’s go over the main characteristics to look for.

Litter Trapping Method

The most important aspect to any cat litter mat is how it captures and traps the litter. There are 3 types of cat litter mats:

  • Cat litter mats that trap litter inside their texture. These usually have a surface covered in small, rubber loops and look a lot like a regular mat.
  • Cat litter mats that collect litter in a pouch. These have a mesh surface layer that catches the litter from your cat’s paws.
  • Cat litter mats that collect litter on their surface. These are made from materials that are smooth and slightly sticky to the touch, like silicone rubber.

Each type of litter mat has its advantages and disadvantages. Textured mats are great at preventing tracking, but they are more difficult to clean. Pouch and surface mats are easy to clean, but only work with small amounts of very fine litter. What is the best fit for you depends on your feline’s habits and your choice of non tracking cat litter.

Size

Size matters when it comes to litter box mats. You want to cover an area large enough to catch spillage on all open sides of the litter box. It also needs to be big enough for your cat to walk across on her way out. If she only touches it with her back paws or simply jumps over it, it’s not going to do its job.

Water Resistance

What I really mean to say is urine proof. Look for a cat mat made from water resistant, non absorbent material. This way accidents will collect on top and have no chance to seep through to your floorboards. It is easier to clean and, therefore, more hygienic.

Durability

Look for a litter mat made from durable materials. It needs to survive repeated assaults from the vacuum cleaner, washings and your cat’s nails. Another part of this is perhaps better described as endurability. Although all cat mats are bound to pick up some smells just from where they are placed, you want your litter mat to be and remain as odor-free as possible.

Easy To Clean

Of course, you should look for a cat litter mat that is easy to clean. How you define “easy” depends on your cat’s litter box behavior and your cleaning preferences. If your kitty is a messy bathroom goer that regularly misses the box, I recommend choosing a litter mat with a smooth surface that you can wipe down.

If your cat doesn’t drop more than litter onto the floor, then it comes down to what you prefer. Don’t mind checking and shaking the litter mat every day? Get a pouch litter mat. Rather stick to one good cleaning once a week? Go for a textured mat.

Texture

That said, your cat may have her own preference. Some cats don’t like how the rubber loops of a textured litter mat feel on their feet. Others love just chilling out on them. Monitor how your cat behaves around her new mat when you first lay it down. Is she walking across it without issues? Or do you keep finding litter further away from the litter box?

Safety

Last but not least, the litter box mat you choose has to be safe for both you and your kitty. This means it should lay flat and not slide across the floor. You don’t want to trip and end up face first in the litter box.

It should also be free of toxins. Your cat will breathe these in and ingest them from her paws after walking across it. Look for products that are BPA-free and contain no phthalates.

Orange and white cat licking its paw

How To Clean A Cat Litter Mat

Your cat litter mat will have to be cleaned every now and then for it to actually do its work. I recommend doing this at least once a week, depending on your cat’s litter box habits. In general, there are 3 steps to cleaning a cat litter mat.

Remove Loose Litter

First, you remove the loose litter that has not yet nestled into the mat. You can do this by shaking out the mat above the trash bin, or on the floor where it’s easy to vacuum up the debris. 

Clean The Mat

Next, try to remove as much of the trapped litter as you can. Depending on the material of your cat mat, you may need to use a wet cloth, a vacuum, or even your hands. If your cat has a tendency to go outside the box, you will want to give the litter mat a good wash with anti-bacterial detergent.

Dry The Mat

Finally, you dry the mat before putting it back by the litter box. This may seem trivial, but trust me, it’s not. If the mat isn’t dried properly, molds and bacteria can start growing that are harmful to you and your cat.

Dry it off as much as you can with a tea towel or microfiber cloth. If you can, lay out the litter mat in full sunlight for at least an hour. If not, just let it air dry and check it every hour or so until it is completely dry.