How far from the cat litter tray do you find litter?
This is a bit of fun with a serious ending. What is the maximum distance from the litter tray where you find litter deposited by your cat? This depends on the litter and the cat. Actually a cat’s toes play a major part too.
If you use wood chip litter your cat can carry whole pellets for many yards ;). He can even go for a trip outside and deposit the pellet 400 yards from the litter tray. That is probably a world record mind you.
I live in quite a small apartment so Charlie hasn’t got the opportunity to spread his wings. But he does deposit whole pellets on the bed and the tray is in the living room at the moment. Quite impressive really.
As I said, he holds the pellet between his toes and walks away with it. It does not bother him that there is a large chunk of wood between his toes. You’d think he would stop and get rid of it. But no. When it does come free, I might walk on it and break it up into dust. It can get a bit messy.
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If you use clay based litter things are very different. My impression is that a cat will walk some dust from the litter tray about two yards or so from the tray. He or she might kick some whole lumps of the clay litter away from the tray while exiting and these might end up about three yards away or so. These are maximum distances. Perhaps someone has a different idea.
There is no doubt in my mind that wood pellets are the best travellers. There is no end to the possibilities.
I wonder if this is a factor in buying litter? Do people consider the “litter spread factor” or the “litter travel effect” when buying litter. I doubt it.
One major factor with clay based litter is the dust that a cat inhales. Also the fact that cats lick their coats and feet thereby ingesting whatever is in the litter. Dust from clay clumping litter is the biggest downside for using it and the potential health problems are serious. I would not buy it for my cat.
Essentially, a cat breathing in the dust of clay clumping litter is breathing in a substance that will clump inside him/her. This clumping can take place in the lungs or digestive tract. This is ignoring for a minute the potential damage done by the chemistry of the clay itself. What does that do inside a cat’s lungs and gullet etc.
I’d much rather see a wood pellet on my bed than know there is dust inside my cat.
Associated: Most environmentally friendly cat litter and best odor eliminating cat litter USA.
I agree with Dee– in Monty’s room it is everywhere. He makes a huge mess with it, digging in there. But I just watched him complete doing his business outside and he very neatly buried it with some soft dirt and leaves. No flinging of anything when he’s outside. Just inside in his litter box stuff goes flying everywhere. Maybe he’s bored and flinging litter around is fun.
Charlie is not messy. There is little “spillage”. There is just the walking-a-pellet-between-his-toes-problem.
Funny!
How far does the kitter go?
EVERYWHERE!
How many yards or metres! Measure it 😉
Damon has the olympic gold here.
He will kick out half a box around 2 1/2 yards if I’m not right there to stop him. Even then, he’ll move on to another box when my back is turned. He is such a character and busy, busy, busy every minute of every day. I’ve never had a cat like him.
He is a big-time spreader. Charlie is a walker. Long distances but not much litter. Damon just chucks it around. Neat but messy.
I love the photo of Charlie so unconcerned about the wood pellett he’d carried between his toes lol
Walter and Jozef very rarely use the litter trays, it has to be a dire emergency, say if we are out, or in the night (but mostly one of us gets up in that case to let them out to their garden toilet incase they try to hold it rather than use the tray)
But Ebony used the tray always as she grew old and she was very enthusiastic, she kicked litter everywhere lol She would only use one sort we had delivered from our local pet shop, she held us to ransom by threatening to use the hall carpet otherwise.
I’d like Charlie to go back to going outside but he is still nervous about the outdoors. One good point, I can check his poo! Helps me to check his health.
He does not feel the huge pellet stuck between his toes. It is strange.
I use silica – its a bit dusty but not clumping. They get it everywhere.
I dont know where to get wood pellets.
I definitely prefer wood as long as it is sawdust or whatever. Great odour retention but Charlie, as stated, walks it around the place but it is not bad.
Perhaps you don’t have wood pellet cat litter in Switzerland but I’d be surprised if that was the case.