Cat - Will a Cat Litter Mat Do the Job?

Quality Cat Supplies available at Low Prices and Free Shipping! Keeping your cat's liter box and the surround area clean and fresh can be quite a chore. One of the ways you can help to minimize the cleaning that has to be done is by using a cat litter mat. Here are a couple of ways that a litter mat for your cat will make a big difference to both of you. One of the innovative things about the litter mat is the way it is designed. In effect, it is a platform for any regular sized litter box. The platform comes with side rails that can keep bits of cat litter from flying all over the place when your cat scratches in the litter. Also, the entry way to the litter box is designed with an array of lattice work that helps to separate the paws so that when the cat emerges, any and all residue that is on the paws is captured on the way out. This means your cat will not be tracking cat litter all over the house. The mess is effectively contained in the immediate area of the litter box, do you do not have to worry about cleaning a wider section as often. Because of the open-ended design of the cat litter mat, you can easily pick up the litter box and take it off to be cleaned. You do not have to detach it from the mat in any manner. You simply lift up the box and go. When it comes to cleaning the mat itself, you will find that plain soap and water will do the trick. It is small enough to clean in the tub or in a utility sized sink in the garage if you prefer. Because most of the mats are made of a durable plastic, they are easy to clean and dry, so you can have the mat back in place in a matter of minutes. A cat litter mat can save you a lot of time when it comes to cleaning up around the litter box, as well as making it harder for your cat to track litter all over the house. Why not take a closer look at the mats at your local pet store? The mat may be the solution you have been looking for. Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://www.cat-litter.wares-are.us/. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Cat Litter Mat Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mayoor_Patel Cat - Cats and Scratching -- Training Your Cat So you have a cat that loves to scratch. Well, there is nothing wrong with that as it is natural for cats to love to scratch furniture and other objects. So what do you do if there is destructive scratching? For example, when your $5,000 sofa is the object of your cats claws? Well the simple answer is train them to scratch appropriate items. Cats scratch for a variety of reasons. Some cats scratch furniture to burn energy or to stretch. After all, who doesn't like to stretch now and again. Scratching also helps remove the dead outer layer of claws, similar to humans clipping your finger nails. Another possibility is territory marking as scratch marks are a visible sign and scent glands (in the paws) add olfactory smells to say this is my spot/territory/area. As scratching is natural, it is not right to punish your cat for what it instinctively does. Punishing your cat for scratching only makes him or her more likely to be more aggressive and fearful of you as the trust between you can be destroyed. It also does not help because your cat doesn't know any better if they have not yet been trained to scratch another item. The best form of punishment, should you feel it's absolutely necessary, is to make a loud noise or squirt it with a squirt bottle if you catch your cat in the act of scratching the wrong object. However you must have given the cat an alternative to scratch beforehand or the cat will not understand. If the cat learns to associate the noise with you, then the cat may stop scratching while you're present, but probably resume once you're gone. This is why training your cat to scratch scratching posts and other proper objects is so important. Now that you know why your cat scratches and what not to do, you can train him or her to scratch appropriate objects and not your prized furniture. The first step involves seeing what objects your cat likes to scratch. What type of material is the object - is it smooth, coarse, rough? The height of the object and how high up the cat scratches is also important information. Is the object flat or upright? Finally, knowing where it is located is another important step - sleeping area, entrance area of a room, etc. Observing the characteristics of items your cat likes to scratch means you can find or buy a similar item for your cat. Put whatever stationary object you end up getting - a scratching post, a rope, a log, etc. - very close to the object you do not want your cat to scratch. However, make sure it will not fall over or otherwise move as your cat uses it or else your cat will not use it again. Then cover up the item your cat scratches with something he or she does not like - some material (double-sided tape or aluminum foil works well) or a non-harmful odor that he/she doesn't like (try citrus). Your cat should now work its way to the new object as it resembles what your cat likes and will start scratching it instead. As your cat starts scratching his or her new object, you can slowly move it to a new spot. However, only move it a couple inches each day as your cat won't like sudden changes. Best results can be achieved when the object is as close as possible to what you do not want your cat to scratch. As a reminder you do not want to remove whatever covering you have put on your valuable furniture, drape or object for many weeks, even up to a month! When you do start removing your coverings, do so gradually to reinforce in your cat that he or she is not supposed to scratch it. A final piece of advice on training is to start when the cat is young as it is easier to train a kitten than an old cat. Regardless of age, a cat can always be trained if you put in the time. Congratulations! You now know how to train your cat to scratch objects you want, not your $5,000 sofa.