Litter tray recommendations to stop tracking

[FatRun]

My 3 indoor cats are driving me to despair - I have 3 hooded litter boxes but spend at least 30 min a night vacuuming up the litter from all over the house (which also drags the smell around... Boak)

I've seen a few options for things like litter trays with stairs that apparently reduce tracking although customer reviews aren't that great and they're about £60.

Has anyone found a solution to this? I'm at my wits end, I don't get home from work until gone 8.30pm and all I want to do is flop on the sofa when I get in - not whack the Hoover out and get rid of litter

I would have thought it's more about the litter?

I use catsan and it doesn't track.

I use CatSan too Micah - my cats are semi long haired, not sure if that makes a difference?

I even once put a rubber mat with grip down to try and catch it, that didn't work! Boo

I have a bobbled rubber mat by my tray which seems to help.

Oh, cross posts, Wolfie. Mine didn't help particularly and my girl cat just ended up pissing on it.

I'm destined to a house full of litter chunks

I have a shorthair indoor, I have only just found my favourite non-tracking litter and it's World's Best , not to be confused with Cat's Best, which gets rave reviews for some of its' other qualities but IME is the worst one I've tried for tracking.

I don't think I'll find a litter that's a better all-rounder for solid but not immovable clumps, odour control (the best I've tried - no odour at all even immediately after fresh activity) and tracking is minimal - takes me 5 seconds to sweep outside the tray, compared to 3-5 minutes of vacuuming carpet and sweeping all round the tray with all other brands. Also doesn't throw up any dust, the best indicator for me being that I've not got a film of the stuff on the litter tray hood since using this brand.

Appreciate this sounds overzealous but I'm so happy with it!

For reference, other brands I've tried
Pets At Home own brand - good value for an emergency buy, not bad for tracking, but clumps like concrete, throws up lots of dust and not brilliant for odour.
CatSan - bad for tracking, expensive, good for clumping, bad for odour
Cat's Best OKO - as above, generally bad for me, probably more suited to outdoor owners who don't live in small flats, but I hate the smell and the awful tracking.
Nature's Calling - fucking awful.
Sanicat Gold - no different to regular Sanicat for tracking.

Agreed with MrsBert, also avoid the Bob Martin Crystal stuff, awful.
I have four indoor cats in a flat.

Ooh, thanks bert and brillo - bert your experience with CatSan sounds like mine so I will take your recommendation on the world's best. Shall let you know how I get on!

We use one that's pellets made from recycled paper. Can't remember the name. Comes in a big green paper sack from pets at home! We don't have much trouble with tracking, and any there is is pieces you can pick up easily.

And brillo - four - you are brave, what do you do to keep on top of litter and smells etc?

I feel like it's swamping me a bit atm. My ex and I used to live here together & shared responsibility, so one day each, alternating. I feel like I spend my life trying to keep this place sanitary and its getting me down a bit at the minute!

I think I maybe also need to get a bigger tray.

They're all around the 4.5 - 4.8 kg weight; not small cats. The trays I have for them are supposedly "large" but perhaps there'd be less mess if I went bigger still

Bio-Catolet is the name.

We've been happy with it for several years. We used to use a woodchip pellet one which was worse for tracking.

One other suggestion if not already being done - the hair in their paws, rather than the paws themselves, is apparently what tracks litter, so if you and they can stand it, a little fur trim may be in order.

Thanks sleepybeanbump - got a pets at home local to me so shall keep an eye out for it

MrsBert I had my suspicions that might be causing it.

WIBU to use bikini line clippers to give them a gentle trim

Trim definitely in order. If you've not done it before maybe get a groomer to show you how (or YouTube it). You don't need to take much off to make a difference on my shorthair, just a few mm.

If they're throwing litter out of their trays while digging, then walking through that litter, then yes, bigger/deeper trays might also help.

FatRun
I scoop daily, hoover and sweep and mop daily and use zoflora.
With trays and litter that work for your cats it's not that bad, but it took me a while to find the right ones.