One of the very best things about being a cat parent is that kitties almost always come pre-trained. Cats seek a place to dig a hole and cover up their ‘business’ instinctively. When you provide a clean place to potty, you must only show kitty where it is and, PRESTO, no house-training necessary. This means no mad scrambles to the back door with a leaking pet, no puddles the floor, and all the mixed blessing of a litter box. So what’s the problem doc?
Among the mixed blessings of the litter box is the challenge of keeping the litter IN the box. If you’ve ever experienced “litter foot,”you’ll understand. (Litter foot happens when your bare feet encounter misplaced litter in the middle of a dark night.)
Our selection at a glance
| Product | Price | Quality | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Ma Pet | $ |  |
 | Pet Fusion | $$ |  |
 | IPrimo | $$$ | |
 | BlackHole | $$$$ | |
In this article:
- Why buy a cat litter mat
- Best cat litter mat on a budget
- Best mid range value
- Innovative mat design
- Premium mat
- Our take
Why Buy a Cat Litter Mat?
Some felines are enthusiastic about their digging and burying activities. These ‘excavators’ are known to fling litter throughout the room where the box resides. Of course then it is scattered by human feet throughout the house. Other kitties are as dainty as the day is long. Alas, litter can cling to even the most fastidious little paws and become scattered about the house through no fault of hers. The good news is a good cat litter mat can solve these free-range litter issues.
Today we review four of the best cat litter mat options in order that you might select one suitable to your needs and pocketbook.
Best Cat Litter Mat on a Budget
Ma Pet – Litter Trapping Mat
This unassuming mat comes at a bargain price. Made from quality PVC material – the stuff from which home plumbing pipes are often made – it is soft, flexible, and certified non-toxic. The tangled-string and lattice look of the surface provides just enough texture to remove litter from kitty’s paws and trap it there for cleanup later.
A quick shake over the trash can or a touch and go with the vacuum will remove trapped litter. This litter trapping mat is made from PVC material which is both safe and waterproof. It will also trap and hold urine, should it accidently be deposited there. Odor-causing bacteria wash away with soap and water.
This mat is designed to be a multi-tasker. It can double as a feeding mat to keep kitty kibbles in their place, or even as a cat-flap-mat. It has a non-slip backing and comes in nice, neutral greige (somewhere between gray and beige,) that will blend nicely with any home’s interior design.
Best Features at a Glance
- Inexpensive – Less than $15.00
- Large – Big enough to trap big litter messes
- Durable – made from tough, waterproof PVC material
- Safe – materials are certified non-toxic
- Washable – Soap and water cleanup
- Soft on Paws – the tangled mesh weave of the mat is not hard on tender kitten feet but rough enough to grab and hold most commercial cat litter
- This product gets a five star rating from most users
- 100 percent, money-back guarantee
Best Mid-Range Value
PetFusion Tough Grip Waterproof Cat Litter Mat
This uncomplicated looking litter mat is made from USDA-grade silicone so it is soft to the touch and easy on kitty feet. It is designed with waves of grooves to keep litter from being tracked throughout the house. The raised outer lip of this mat also helps to keep the litter where you want it. The mat is waterproof, anti-microbial, hypoallergenic, and non-toxic. This matters in a big way if your favorite feline suffers from allergies or sensitivity to chemicals.
When it’s time for cleanup, you can use the vacuum, sweep the mat, or simply fold it and shake the litter back into the box. The silicone construction of this product holds liquids inside until they are up or rinsed away under a faucet or shower head. (Silicone is the stuff used to prevent leaks around your tub, shower, and windows,)
The mat is large; 27 x 22 inches and sports a ¼ inch raised lip at the edge. This lip also lets you butt the mat snuggly up against the litter box so that mat space is saved for capturing litter.
Best Features at a Glance
- Non Toxic – great for sensitive pets
- Soft on feet – no rough mesh surface to upset the sensibilities of finicky cats
- Easy clean – there is no second layer to trap and hold odors
- Works for pellet litter users – pellets stay on top of the mat within the recessed channels, and don’t get stuck in honeycomb holes
- Moderately priced – at about $26.00, this mat carries a warrantee to cover manufacturing defects.
Best Innovative Design
XL Cat Litter Trapper by iPrimo
The XL Cat Litter Trapper comes with a patent-pending plastic film layedesigned to capture and hold the occasional wetting accident. It has a two-layer design. The top layer made with extra-large holes that can capture even the pellet-type litter that is becoming more popular. The space between layers is large enough to accommodate a puppy training pad should you wish to use one. The bottom layer holds the stray litter.
This mat comes in several convenient sizes (with prices to match,) just in case you have a Maine Coon or a Siberian Tiger at large in your home.
Top Features at a Glance
- Holes in top layer are larger and can capture pellet-type litters
- Has puppy-pad option with an easy-open edge
- There is an appropriate size for most cats
- Moderately priced by size
- Rates highly among users
Premium Cat Litter Mat
Blackhole Cat Litter Mat by Moonshuttle
The reviews for this cat litter mat are exceptional – but then, so is the price. Stickered at nearly forty dollars, it would still appear that users find this mat to be a great value. It consists of two layers that form a pocket or envelope where litter remains until you compress the sides to open both ends for simple emptying.
The dual layered system has a patent-pending design. The top layer has a honeycomb surface meant to catch and trap stray kitty litter. But, there’s a kicker. The honeycomb grid layer has a convex-shape. The rounded surface serves to help the litter granules fall down into the second, trapping layer. There are no tiny flat surfaces upon which stubborn litter bits can cling. We imagine it would be gentler on Kitty’s feet, too, without abrupt edges on the grid to contend with.
Best Features at a Glance
- Honeycomb design catches most types of litter
- Designed to keep the top of the mat litter free
- Uncomplicated to dumping
- Constructed of non-toxic EVA foam rubber making it safe, soft, AND waterproof
- Measures 30 x 23 inches– will fit most cats
Our Take on the Best Cat Litter Mat
It is a pleasure to see that there are a wide variety of cat litter mats available at prices from $4.00 to nearly $250.00. There really is something for everyone.
Through this process, we came to realize that when it comes to cat litter mats, the product’s end beneficiary is you, the human. Litter mats make YOUR life easier, and we’re glad for that. But Kitty probably won’t care one way or the other. (After all, no cats could be purr-suaded to contribute to this evaluation process.)
With all things seeming equal, The Litter Trapping Mat by Ma Pet seems to work as well as more expensive models and costs far less. It is attractive, effective, and gets rave reviews from humans. We conclude that since this product meets all your needs for the least amount of cash, it earns our paw-print of satisfaction.
Maybe you will spend your savings on more toys and more exotic treats? Let us know what you think in the comments below 🙂