Carol O’Brien of Cleanicity has found a solution for cat owners that would like to reduce the mess- the Kitty Litter Gripper Mat. The mat is made of layers of sticky plastic. It is lightweight and recyclable. I asked about it being recyclable since I do try to be green. What Carol told me was that it has a recycling code of #4 and can be recycled if you using recyclable litter. Unfortunately, my town only collects #1 and 2s and I am not sure what cat litters can be recycled, perhaps some of the crystal litters. To do its job, the mat gets positioned in front of the litter box where it collects the litter your cat tracks out as they step on it. When the top layer is filled, you peel it up and throw away leaving the next layer to continue the job. Sounds simple and I like simple.

I wondered where Carol got the idea since it seems like a pretty interesting solution. When I asked she the idea came from sticky mats that are used in high technology and medical industries for employees to step on to remove traces of dirt and dust from their shoes before entering a clean room. She knew there had to be a use for it outside of those industries and started working with a prototype. When Carol and her husband began working with their mats,her sister helped give her the idea of using it as a litter box mat.

Carol contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing the Kitty Litter Gripper and after saying yes, it quickly arrived. I received the Standard size which is 20 inches by 30 inches. They also offer a larger 24 inch by 36 inch. The Standard was a good size and fit perfectly where I was going to put it.

The main litter box my guys use is located in our downstairs bathroom. It’s in one corner and actually is kind of gated to help deter the dogs from helping me clean the box. The cats have to jump up on the sink counter then to the floor to use the box and reverse that to get out. I first set up the Mat so the long side ran parallel to the front of the litter box. To situate the mat, you remove the covers on the white adhesive tape on the bottom of the mat and press down so it adheres to the floor. It has a protective cover that you remove and the first sticky layer is exposed.

Bitsa was the first to try and she really wasn’t to sure about it. It is definitely sticky and I could hear it as she lifted her feet off of it. So I panicked a bit. I have one cat who has a litter box aversion, meaning he won’t use the litter box. It started when he was younger and having some bowel issues. I have been working with him and find I usually have to place him in the box myself a couple times a day for him to use. Since I started doing that, he has actually gone to the box on his own, not 100%, but better than 0%. I really didn’t want to ruin the success we’ve had so far, so I lifted it up and placed it so the short side ran parallel to the litter box and there was some bare floor for him to use.  Unfortunately, moving the mat after having already stuck it down caused half of the one side to not stay stuck down. That doesn’t affect how the mat works, but it’s something to consider when you set up the mat for your box. Figure out where it works best and stick with it!

My other cats had differing opinions about it-Charm along with Pyro (my litter box aversion guy) didn’t really like it so they would balance on the edge of the box and jump from there to the counter. The good thing was the litter fell off their paws onto the mat when they did this. Woody, my Ragdoll, could care less. He was a little curious when he first used it, but then that Ragdoll laid-back attitude took over and he had no problem using it. Bitsa would jump onto and then quickly jump off. Omar I could never catch using the box. I know he was using the box, but I don’t know how he liked the Kitty Litter Gripper Mat.

With 5 cats I wasn’t sure how frequently I would have to remove the top layer. Carol said most people with 1 or 2 cats find they can go a week between changing layers. I decided to try it for a week and see how well that worked.

Changing layers is easy. This video from Cleanicity demonstrates how to do it.

This shows how the layers are numbered

The layers are numbered in one corner which is nice, you can see how low you are getting and it will help you make sure you are only pulling up one layer at a time. I really recommend paying attention to the numbers when changing the layers; twice I just pulled and realized after that I had pulled up 2 layers instead of one(did I say it was sticky?). Also, in the video you can see how far Carol pulls the layer before stopping and pulling another side. I would make sure to do that along with

The amount of litter it collected in one week.

holding down the second layer while pulling the first corner. That will help keep you from doing what I did (oh, the waste!).

It worked real well! You can see from the picture (sorry for the bad lighting) how much litter it collected and there was very little to sweep up. A week was definitely too long with the 5 cats, it tended to loose it stickiness and litter would be flying like pop rocks when I changed layers. Four or five days was a better time period with my crew. My cats did get more used to it as they used it. Carol offered the suggestion that customers have found it worked well with covered litter boxes since it restricts how the cat can exit. Another idea on her site was to feed the cat on the mat to get them used to the stickiness.

The litter the Kitty Litter Gripper Mat collected the first week.

The Kitty Litter Gripper Mat looking fresh and new after removing the dirty layer.

If you are tired of feeling like you are walking on sand and want something that will make your life a little easier and cleaner, take a look at the Kitty Litter Gripper Mat. It might be what you’ve been looking for.

You can purchase the Kitty Litter Gripper Mat at Bark ‘n Purr, in Austin, TX or directly from Cleanicity.

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I still love it. While it has gotten a little scratched up (none of my cats are declawed), it ’s still easy to clean. Sometimes litter does get out, sometimes I think my cats are looking for buried treasure they dig so much, but it is no where near as much as I had with even my covered boxes.

Most importantly, it’s my cats’ favorite box. They use it more than any other box in the house. In fact, Woody, my big giant Ragdoll, was extremely ill a few weeks ago. He had been hospitalized for almost a week and I brought him home and set him up in a cage for a few days with a regular sized box. After a few days, he decided he would rather wait until I carried him in to use the Biddy Cat Litter Box than try to fit himself into the regular sized box.

So I still definitely recommend the Biddy Cat Litter Box.

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We’ve used regular open litter boxes, the litter gets all over. We’ve used covered litter boxes, but I can’t help comparing them to having to use a Port-A-Pottie (I have to be on the verge of desperation). I have looked at the automatic litter boxes, but haven’t heard good reviews from friends, and the thought of 6 cats using it, the thing would be going constantly. I went to plastic storage totes and have been happy with them except for one thing- my 14 year old cat. Tyke has arthritis so getting in and out of one was painful for him. So our current set of has been several of the storage totes upstairs, 1 small box in the living room and 2 regular open boxes in the first floor bathroom (Tyke spends most of his time on the first floor).

At the beginning of January, I was contacted by the Biddy Cat Company and asked if I would be interested in trying their litter box, the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box, and reviewing it. Before contacting them, I went to their website and read through the product information. Hmmm, looking at the pictures it was huge. Hopeful that this box might be the “one”, I replied that I would be happy to try it.

When it arrived, I was more than impressed. It was HUGE. It actually took the place of the 2 regular litter boxes in my first floor bathroom. It is also a great size for my Ragdoll, Woody. Woody is a really big cat, he towers over my other felines and this box is ideal for him.

The sides of the box were high, great for keeping the litter from being thrown over the sides by my more exuberant diggers. But they weren’t too high to be a problem for Tyke’s arthritis. he has no problem getting in and out of this box.

The box is made of very high quality material. The plastic is smooth and thick. I have had boxes become stained really quickly and after almost 2 months of use, haven’t had it happen with the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box .

The box design is great. It was designed to not have those corners that collect the litter in them. The way this box is designed, you can scoop along the entire bottom of the box from one side to the other. Even my mother who sometimes pitches in for litter box duties commented on how easy it was to scoop.

I was also impressed with how the company keeps in touch with their customers. They were concerned about the box tipping when used with some lighter weight litters and contacted their customers asking for input. They do recommend using about a 2-3 inch depth of clumping litter for best results. I use regular clay litter (when you have a cat with litter box issues, you use what he wants to use) and have had no problems.

This is a product I have no problem recommending to others. In fact, I really need to measure the space upstairs and see if the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box will fit so I can get a second one.

For more information on the Biddy Cat Easy-Scoop Litter Box and to order a box yourself, please visit the Biddy Cat Company.

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My cats thought swatting at that ball on the outer track was the most fun. They would lay there and swat it back and forth for 5-10 minutes (a long time in the cat world). It was funny to see 12 year old Tyke acting like a kitten over this toy. Interesting enough, they paid no attention to the ball in the center or the mouse. The outside ball was the only thing they played with.

After a few months, they lost interest in the Cheese Chase. Bitsa grew and had more fun exploring the house or playing chase with Pyro. Adding Charm to our household has created renewed interest in the Cheese Chase. I moved it to the center of the living room and the older cats were more than happy to show Charm how it worked. She picked it up quickly and has a blast playing with it. Not only does she play with the outside ball, but she also plays with the inside ball and occasionally wrestles the mouse.

Overall, the Petstages Cheese Chase Cat Toy has been a winner in our house. Not only do the cats find it entertaining, but it is well made and easy to clean. Not something I have had an easy time finding in the cat toys that are available.

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