How to Keep Litter from Clumping in Your Kitty's Paws

Choosing Litter

Use non-clumping litter to prevent it from sticking to your cat’s paws. Although it’s impossible to stop litter sticking to your cat’s paws entirely, non-clumping litter does tend to stick less than clumping litter. This is because clumping litter has granules that are designed to clump together and to stick to everything including waste, surfaces, and your cat's fur. Choose low-dust, non-clumping litter if possible. The dustiness of regular litter means that it tends to stick more easily. Dust from the litter can also be an irritant for both you and your cat. Non-clumping litter is especially important for long-haired cats. This is because it is less likely to get stuck in their long fur and irritate their skin.

Choose a quick clumping variety if you need to use clumping litter. If clumping litter works best for you and your cat, you can still minimize the chance of the litter sticking to your cat’s paws. Choose a type of litter that is labeled or described as fast-clumping, as this means that it will dry more quickly, which decreases the likelihood of your cat standing in it while it’s wet. There are pros and cons to both non-clumping and clumping litter. Choose a litter that your cat will use and that you notice sticks to your cat's paws the least.

Pick a litter with large granules. Large granules are less likely to stick to your cat’s paws compared to fine-grained litter. This also means that there tends to be less of a mess to clean up if the granules are tracked through your home by your cat. Crystal cat litter is ideal because it is non-clumping and it has large granules. However, it is more expensive than clay litter and some cats refuse to use crystal litter.

Setting up and Maintaining the Box

Choose a litter box that is at least 1.5 times the length of your cat. Larger or overweight cats may have trouble maneuvering inside the litter box if it is too small. If you are weighing up the different sizes, always pick the larger size. Your cat needs enough space to be able to turn around, find the perfect spot, do what it needs to do, and then not step in it. If the litter box is too small, your cat is more likely to stand in its own waste and the litter is more likely to stick to its paws.

Place a mat outside the entrance to the litter box. Purchase a plastic or silicone mat from a department or pet store. Place it right outside the litter box so that your cat has to walk over it to enter and exit the box. This will help some of the litter to stick to the mat rather than to your cat’s paws. Clean the mat regularly by simply discarding any litter granules into the bin. Wipe it down with warm, soapy water whenever you clean out the litter box. Don’t use cardboard as a mat for the litter box. This is because the cardboard could get wet and therefore also stick to your cat’s paws. You can put two mats around the litter box if you find that one is not large enough.

Clean the litter box every week. Remove feces from the box every day and change the litter in the litter box approximately twice per week or whenever you notice an odor. Wipe down the box with warm, soapy water each week. Wet litter is more likely to stick to your cat’s paws than dry litter. Twice per week is an estimation for how often you need to change the litter. The actual frequency depends on how many cats use the litter box, how many litter boxes there are, and the type of litter that you use.

Caring for Your Cat’s Paws

Wipe your cat’s paws with a damp cloth to keep them clean. If you notice that litter is clumping on your cat’s paws, it’s important to remove it to keep your cat healthy. Hold your cat's paw in your hand and use a soft, clean cloth and warm water to wipe the litter away from the top of the paw and on the paw pad. Make sure to also clean in between your cat’s toes. This also prevents your cat from ingesting the litter when it grooms. Cleaning your cat’s paws also provides a good opportunity to check for any irritated skin, cuts, or scrapes.

Trim the hair around your cat’s paws if it is long-haired. Carefully trim the fur around your cat’s paws and ankles. Use a pair of small pet grooming scissors or take your cat to a professional groomer. Long-haired cats can be particularly prone to getting litter stuck in their paws due to their long fur. Some long-haired cats are irritated by the fur that grows between their toes, which means that trimming it can solve more than one problem. You can tell that your cat is irritated by the fur if it licks between its toes obsessively. Keeping your cat’s claws trimmed as well, so that less things, including litter, are likely to get trapped in them.

Take your cat to a veterinarian if its paws are irritated by the litter. An ongoing problem with litter clumping in your cat’s paws can cause its skin to be irritated. If you notice that your cat is walking differently or if the skin looks tender, take it to a veterinarian for treatment and advice.