The cat litter mat we use — and the others worth buying in Canada

Measure these three things first

1. Your box, not the mat. Cats in one study used the larger 86-cm boxes more than the standard ones, and plenty of Canadian homes have a box far bigger than the owner thinks. Measure the box footprint. Your mat needs to be that, plus a full step — about a foot — on the exit side. A mat smaller than the box is money thrown away.

2. Your doorway. A 35-inch mat in a 30-inch bathroom doorway means you kick it every time you walk in. Measure the clear opening before you order the biggest mat.

3. Your floor. Hardwood and tile want a grippy backing. On a rug, you want the waterproof kind — that's the Drymate — or you're washing the rug instead of the mat.

The mat is the second line of defence, not the fix

Ohio State's Indoor Pet Initiative is direct about this: a roomy box, fine unscented litter, and scooping every day. Scooping daily is what actually reduces how much litter gets kicked out in the first place. The AAFP and ISFM feline environmental guidelines put the litter box inside a wider set of resources — where it sits in your home matters as much as what's under it.

So: if you're tracking litter across three rooms, fix the box first, then buy the mat. Buying a bigger mat to cover for a box that's too small or scooped twice a week will disappoint you.

One more thing worth knowing: research comparing covered and uncovered boxes found no clear overall preference among the cats studied, as long as the box was scooped daily. Ignore anyone who tells you a hood is mandatory or forbidden. Buy the box that fits your space, and give it a mat that's bigger than it is.

Common mistakes

• Buying a mat narrower than the box. The single most common mistake here, and the reason people conclude mats don't work. Measure first.
• Trusting a "captures 99% of litter" number. Nobody publishes the test behind those figures. Buy on footprint and surface, which you can check.
• Expecting the mat to fix an under-scooped box. Get the box right, then the mat does its job properly.

Common questions

Do litter mats actually stop tracking?

A mat can catch litter, but size matters. The Amazon Basics mat on our floor is wide enough for our cat to land on it when leaving the box, and its looped surface holds granules. A mat still cannot make up for a cramped box or infrequent scooping.

What size litter mat do I need?

Measure the litter box footprint first. The mat should cover that footprint and leave a full step, about a foot, on the exit side. Then measure the doorway so the mat fits the space. A mat narrower than the box leaves you with the problem you bought it to solve.

How do you clean a litter mat?

The mats described here handle collected litter differently. The Amazon Basics looped surface holds granules until you lift it. SmartCat's double-layer design collects litter underneath so you can tip it back into the box, according to Pet Valu's description. The Catit Grey Litter Mat is described as machine washable.

Is a mat enough on its own?

No. Start with a roomy litter box, fine unscented litter and daily scooping. The guide places the mat after those basics because a bigger mat will disappoint if the box is too small or poorly maintained. Where the box sits in your home matters too, not just what is underneath it.

Sources

• Litter Boxes — Ohio State University, Indoor Pet Initiative
• AAFP and ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines — Ellis et al., Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 15(3), 2013
• Litterbox size preference in domestic cats — Guy, Hopson and Vanderstichel, Journal of Veterinary Behavior 9(2), 2014
• Litter box preference: covered versus uncovered — Grigg, Pick and Nibblett, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 15(4), 2013