Questions about 'dirty paws' and litter smell.

I have this issue with my oldest cat, Sammy. Whenever he goes to the litter-box, he gets litter all stuck up in his paws and in between his toes! It's very gross. My kitten has not had this problem. I don't know if it is because she has little paws and has really no room for litter to get stuck or what. We just changed from regular non-clumping, to this baking soda or some type of fresh scent, clumping kind. I don't know the brand of either. They both work about the same, it still does its job fine. But since we now have two cats, we decided to switch to the clumping for easier cleanup. The only problem is Sammy is getting litter and all other types of gross things everywhere! We have these 'dry bath' wet wipes that don't work at ALL. And it's kind of counterproductive bathing him everyday, because his paws get dirty within an hour of it.I've tried.

Another thing is, my cats are super cuddly. But when they sit on my lap, or even in the same space as me, I can SMELL the litter. Their paws just reek of it! I don't how to neutralize or rid of them of the smell. - Does anyone have any suggestions?
 

I"m not sure if understand these "dry bath" wet wipes.  Are they damp?  If so, if his feet are the least bit damp going into the litter box, then the litter will stick to them.  Do you have a litter mat in front of your litter boxes for the cats to walk on to kind of wipe their feet on after using the box?  If the mat is big enough this should pick up the excess litter from their feet (mine jump over the rug, so it's not much use )  Also, if the smell gets to you, I would find an unscented litter. I, personally cannot stand those perfuney litters, so am always searching for unscented.

Yes, I guess they're like wet wipes for cats! This is the first pack I've bought, and they haven't been working well.

My oldest male cat is SO untidy about his messes though! He will not cover up his business, and he just jumps out of the litterbox and walk away. I will look into the litter mat though! THank you!

Your problem is kind of mysterious to me. I'm wondering why the litter is in between Sammy's toes.

I suggest you try one of the organic litters made of corn or wheat, instead of clay. They are naturally clumping.

Clumping clay litter is very dangerous for kittens. It expands to 10 times or more its dry volume when it comes in contact with liquid. If it is ingested, it can cause blockages.


Robin

I would switch litter brands right away. This is not good for the cat to groom their paws with litter stuck in the paws, as Robin says, could cause a serious blockage. Also, wet wipes will not work to get the litter out. Clumping litter only turns gooey and sticky if you try to moisten the paws to rid them of the clumping litter. How much litter are putting in the boxes? It should be at least 3 inches deep or more. If there is not enough litter in the box, then the urine will pool up in spots and that's why I think the paws are getting wet. What brand are you using :dk:.... this would help us if we knew.

Hi! I don't know if you will read this after this much time but I just adopted a cat its about to be two months since he is with us, and he is about 5 months old. I'm writing to ask you if you ever find a way to keep your cat's paws clean because i'm having the exact same problem. Every time he goes into the litter box he comes out with his paws super dirty, some litter and worst stuff. We have to bath him a lot.. and right now we have the time but im afraid if this goes on in the future we wont.

Thank you! 

Ailin Glenny said:

 
Hi! I don't know if you will read this after this much time but I just adopted a cat its about to be two months since he is with us, and he is about 5 months old. I'm writing to ask you if you ever find a way to keep your cat's paws clean because i'm having the exact same problem. Every time he goes into the litter box he comes out with his paws super dirty, some litter and worst stuff. We have to bath him a lot.. and right now we have the time but im afraid if this goes on in the future we wont.

Thank you! 

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I will ask you the same questions the last poster was asked:  how much litter are you putting in the box?  It needs to be around 3 inches deep so the waste doesn't sit on top.  Also, is the box large enough for your kitten to move around in and try to dig in, etc.?  Are you cleaning it a couple times a day (morning and night)?   What kind of litter are you using?  You can try different kinds to see if that helps.  There are wood shaving types, shredded newspaper types, clumping types, non-clumping types, purfumed types, unscented types.  For a kitten 5 months old I think it's ok to use any of the above.  You might also try having more than one box to see if that might help, as he might need a fresh box for #1 and #2 so he doesn't step in anything.

Thank you so much for your answer! We are using a clumping type of litter, regarding the amount we've tried with less and with more and it was the same, we sticked to more litter so that he has more fresh amount all the time. I do try to clean it as much as posible, the thing is he steps on his fresh poop as if he doesn't even mind being dirty at all.. so even if there is nothing else and just fresh litter he still gets dirty.. I'm lost here

If it's any consolation, others have had the same issue.  Apparently it's a "kitten" problem.  Here's another thread about it:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/315055/kitten-keeps-stepping-in-his-own-poop-any-hints