Top 5 Best Non Tracking Cat Litter

There Is No Such Thing

The first thing to realize on your quest for the best non tracking cat litter is that there is no such thing. Sorry to break it to you, but all cat litters track at least a bit. It’s just the nature of the game.

Cat litter in general is designed to cling to things and absorb moisture. These two properties are essential to proper litter box hygiene, but also conducive to sticking to your cat’s paws.

On top of that, cats like to bury their poops. This is an instinctual behavior inherited from their feral ancestors who would bury their feces to avoid detection by both prey and predators. If your kitty likes to dig around in her litter like this, some of it is bound to end up on the floor and track through your house.

So adjust your expectations and look for the next best thing: a cat litter that doesn’t track too much. That is what I will mean when I use the word “non tracking” from now on.

Properties Of A Non Tracking Cat Litter

There are a few things to look out for if you want to minimize the chance of your cat’s litter spreading everywhere. Let’s go through the main characteristics of non tracking cat litter.

Dust-free Material

The number one tip for finding a non tracking cat litter is to look for dust-free materials. Wood, paper and grass are probably not the first materials you think of when you think of cat litter. But they are great, dust-free alternatives to the more commonly used clay. And all eco-friendly too!

Larger Pellets

Larger pellets are less likely to stick to your cat’s paws. They are also easier to clean up if they land on the floor. Just beware that they aren’t too big. Your kitty’s feet are sensitive and she probably won’t like stepping on large, pointy chunks.

Test out how she feels about her new litter by mixing some with her old litter. Gradually increase the amount of new litter until all of the old litter is gone. If your cat is still going on her box, than you have successfully accustomed her to the new litter. If she stops using it at any point, switch back to the old litter. She obviously doesn’t care for the new one.

Hypoallergenic Litter

In general, hypoallergenic cat litters tend to meet all of the criteria for a non tracking cat litter. They are especially designed to limit the spread of litter and bacteria, so that allergic cats and humans don’t come into contact with it.

How To Minimize Tracking Of Cat Litter

Besides choosing the right cat litter, there are other things you can do to prevent cat litter being tracked all over your floors and furniture.

Regularly clean the litter box

Some cat owners clean their litter boxes only every few days or even just once a week. Sure, it’s a dirty job and no one likes doing it. Especially if you’re cleaning up a week’s worth of cat pee and doo doo.

Now imagine being your cat. Your sense of smell has suddenly increased by a factor of 14. And you have to do your business multiple times a day surrounded by your own or, worse, other cats’ excrements. This isn’t just unpleasant, it’s unhealthy. The longer you let the soiled litter sit, the more bacteria will build up in it. Your cat will also do more digging, and causing more tracking, because she will obsessively try to cover the stink.

To avoid all this messiness and actually make your job much easier, I recommend placing more litter boxes and cleaning them at least once a day. If you use a clumping clay litter, check it both in the morning and at night. If you scoop out the pee as you see it, there is less change of it seeping all the way to the bottom and getting stuck. The dry, unsoiled litter is also less likely to stick to your cat’s paws.

Organic cat litter tends to disintegrate faster when left out, especially in the odor control department. The best approach is to use only a little at a time, just enough to cover the bottom of the litter box. Then dump it out and refill once a day. This ensures that you are getting the most out of your litter, without having to do any scooping or rigorous cleaning.

Use anti-tracking mats

To prevent spreading any granules or pellets that fall out of the litter box through your house, you can use anti-tracking litter box mats. These mats are especially designed to remove litter from your cat’s paws when she walks on it and capture it inside. They are great at reducing litter tracking, even in small spaces.

Anti-tracking mats come in different variations. Some have a slightly sticky surface and can be washed clean. These are best used in combination with a larger sized litter.

For medium sized cat litters I would recommend a litter box mat with rubber loops. These look and feel more like a regular carpet, though rubbery, and capture the granules between their fibers. You can clean it with the vacuum, though smaller fragments may get permanently stuck.

For smaller litters, like clay, there are anti-tracking mats with a sort of rubber netting on the top. The litter falls through and is collected in a pouch that you can just shake out above the bin.

Use a litter box cover

If your kitty is a particularly ferocious digger it could be a sign of some litter box anxiety. To help her you can try covering up the litter box. Not only will it avoid her dumping the contents on your floor, it will also make her feel more secure. A less threatening environment will likely reduce her need to cover her tracks.

There are plenty of litter boxes available that come complete with cover. But you can likely also find a generic cover that fits your existing box, unless it has a very odd shape. There are covers that open at the front or at the top. These last ones might be harder to get in and out of for older cats, so take your cat’s age into consideration.

Get a robot vacuum

This one might sound silly and definitely isn’t for everyone. But if you can afford it, a robot vacuum can be a real help to clean cat litter and hairs off the floor. You won’t have to lift a finger and your cat might enjoy it too! Some like to chase it or simply cruise around the living room on top of it. Cuteness guaranteed!