It may seem odd to you that an article on a litter mat is written by an intervener in feline behavior. If at first, there seems to be no connection to the behavior of cats, however, there is one and it is important. Read the following carefully.
Let's be honest: a cat does not have specific needs for litter mat. You will never see a wild cat looking for that kind of accessory. The litter mat is therefore purchased by the owner for the specific purpose of avoiding litter grains that roll all over the house. From the moment you decide to buy a litter mat, you must consider the impact on the cat's behavior and understand the importance of choosing the right mat. It should be known that 60 to 70% of the calls received by Cat educator team are related to problems of needs outside the litter box. Although it is possible to solve such problems, many problematic situations could be avoided simply by ensuring that the environment surrounding the litter box meets the cat's needs. The litter mat is one of them. You need to know that a cat can refuse to go to a litter box if it does not like what is around, whether it is a smell diffuser, a device that is too noisy, or an access that is compromised by a litter mat with a texture that does not please him.
Studies have shown that the most important factor of cat litter is the softness of the substrate. He needs fine grains litter and comfortable for his paws. Knowing that, it's easy to understand the importance of choosing a litter mat that goes in the same direction. However, many of the most popular litter mats on the market go against this rule and have a surface that looks more like a carpet with nails or deep scratches in rigid plastic and very uncomfortable and unstable for the cat paws. Some mats have a surface or material that the cat has never seen or touched, thus making the accessory suspect to him. It is very difficult to know in advance what the cat will tolerate or not in litter mats. That's why sometimes you have to experiment far from the litter box when you buy a new litter mat. For example, place the mat in the middle of the living room and present cat treats on the mat. This is an excellent strategy to determine if your cat will agree to walk on it or not. If even leaving the mat in the living room for several days, he refuses to walk on it, you will know that it should not be put in front of the litter box. However, if he lays down on it, the cat has adopted the product. Once you found at the characteristics that will please kitty, you must find the features that will make your life easier. Verify its stability so it does not have to be repositioned every time the cat jumps on it. The most important, is to watch how we can empty it. This is very disappointing to buy a beautiful mat that holds litter grains only, but that it is perfectly impossible to lift the mat to empty it into the litter box.
Finally, make sure it can be washed, as there is a big chance that you will spill something on it, that the cat can vomit or make a mess. Several rigid mats with deep grooves make their cleaning very laborious. Here! A good litter mat can help you, but it must be sure that it meets your needs and those of your cat!
Daniel Filion, author of a best seller on feline behavior “Mon chat chez le psy”, and his Cat Educator team have collaborated on the development of the LitterLocker litter mat to ensure the product was approved by cats and endorsed by a feline behavior team.
© 2019 LitterLocker & Cat Educator
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