It’s a common problem. Your cat just loves to dig a ditch in the litterbox, spraying litter all over the floor, carpet, and perhaps even the wall. You become convinced he’s trying to discover China the hard way!

While this isn’t a behavior problem, having to clean up excessive amounts of litter isn’t fun. It gets ground into the carpet and can cause odor. Clumping litter has a fine texture that doesn’t seem to sweep up well from tile or wood floors.

If your cat digs too much in the litterbox, there are a few things you can do to help control the mess.

1. Get a covered litterbox. This will prevent a lot of the flying litter.
2. Get a cheap throw rug to put the box on. The rug should be large enough to cover a good 6-12 inches beyond the box in all directions. Easy clean up — just pick it up carefully and shake it out outside.
3. Put the litterbox into a larger cardboard box. If you have enough space, you can use a refrigerator box.
4. Get a second box, and use less litter in each. He can’t fling out so much if there isn’t that much in there to begin with!
5. Clean the box or boxes more frequently. If the litterbox is dirty, your cat may dig more to try to more fully bury his feces.

Got any more tips for us? Share them in the comments!