I have two tuxedo cats. Welcome to the club!

Mine are indoor only and litter is my life. I have two side-by-side jumbo boxes (you'd only need one) I bought at Petco. I have used different litters over the years but the best for us is World's Best Cat Litter (red or green bag, unscented). I get it autodelivered from Chewy, but Target and Petco, etc. carry it. It's corn-based and has the least amount of dust of any I've tried. One of my cats has asthma and using this litter has substantially reduced his symptoms.

I don't use liners in my litter boxes. The litter keeps the box free from stuck on things. It's almost like it's self-cleaning. Clumps and easy to scoop. My cats took to it readily.

As for nail clipping, good luck. I have had my cats virtually their entire lives and I can get away with maybe one or two nails before they let me know they've had enough. Some cats will tolerate it, but I'm hard pressed to hold a reluctant cat and safely clip their nails (talons, implements of great destruction).

Couple of things---

It probably is the box you are using and not the litter. If it's an old box you are re-using, you might try to replace it with a new litter box. Nothing fancy, but the slick new shiny surface allows the litter to pour out more easily. There may be a few spots of stuck on litter, but those are usually easily dislodged with the edge of the scoop. Speaking of which, are you using clumping (scoopable) litter? That litter forms a ball around the urine -the idea is that you can easily scoop it out each day. But even if you aren't scooping it out each day, it may eliminate the problem you're describing.

Cats do not need their nails trimmed. They do this routinely themselves by scratching on things. You could easily dissuade her from attacking your ankles by keeping a small water bottle handy and spraying her whenever she goes after you. It won't take more than a few sprays to dissuade her.

Cats do not need their nails trimmed.

I have scratching posts all over the house. I find nails that have been shed on the floor. And yet, untrimmed nails are something humans need to be very careful around. A cat's paw will move faster than your brain can even conceive the thought. I have been nailed (literally) so many times, and not in anger, just my cat grabbing at me. Beware when wearing a sweater or any clothes with open texture.

Also another World's Best Cat Litter user. It really is the best litter I've used.

Claw trims are tricky. Blue is way more mellow than little girl, so sometimes I can do one or two claws at a time on her. If they have a vet appointment, I just have them do it. There are these claw grinder type of devices, but I don't know how those would work at home.

Graywings, bless you for giving kitty a loving home. :)

“Mine are indoor only and litter is my life.”

I can relate. 😂

I’m going to try WBCL, I’m not happy with our current brand of clumpable litter.

Re: nails. We don’t trim, I gave that up after nearly dying of a blood infection from a cat fang in my hand. We put posts out, but they prefer the sofas. And rugs. And carpets. And ottoman.

I love the smell of fresh WBCL. It reminds me of walking past a pipe tobacco store. For those who don't care for that smell, trust me, it soon dissipates and is replaced with the aroma of unburied poop. "Look what I did! So proud."

It also doesn't track as much as some litter, although I think cats have hidden pockets in their fur into which they stuff litter and then scatter it in different rooms.

Something that's helped a lot with tracking (or dramatic jumps out of the boxes) is a litter-trapping mat, the kind that has two layers. It substantially reduces the impact of litter outside the box. Something like this.

Try Tidy Cats Breeze system. Urine drains onto a pad that is easy to dispose of (about once a week here) and the litter pellets last a long time.

Welcome to Tuxedos are the smartest cats in the world which has been proven Club! LOL

Two things, the more litter you have in the tray the less chance it will get stuck to the bottom. Put more litter in there.

Now if you get lazy like I do sometimes and too tired to lift the 1000 pound box of litter and it gets low with stuck on stuff, just scrape under it while having the scoop facing down, in small back and forth strokes and it will come right up. It's not hard once you get used to it & I use a plastic scoop. If that doesn't work, use a sharp end metal spatula.

Bunny, I had the mat and it was unsightly with all the bits of litter on it, so I took it up and keep a broom nearby to sweep around the box. Faster and easier.

I use Arm and Hammer 100% dust free (I'd say it's closer to 99%) Slide easy clean-up litter.

It's excellent, imo. Before they introduced the Slide litter, I used their 100% dust free clump and seal litter which is also an excellent product.

NO SCRUBBING OR SCRAPING YOUR LITTER BOX.

• Non-stick litter slides right out of the litter box
• No more scraping or scrubbing with EZ clean technology, patent pending
• Patented Clump & Seal™ technology seals and destroys odors before they can leave the litter box
• 100% dust-free
• Rock-solid clumps for easy scooping
• 7-day odor-free home, guaranteed
• Designed to control odors in homes with more than one cat

https://www.armandhammer.com/en/cat-litter/black-box-clumping-litter/slide-cat-litter/slide-easy-clean-up-clumping-litter-multi-cat-14-lb

I use Petco's bulk cat litter - relatively low dust and economical. That may be a bigger issue for me especially when I had three cats, one of which had renal disease. I think a nice, new, slick, shiny litter box helps prevent the rock hard sticking clumps. I find it also helps to have a generous quantity of litter in the box as it's more likely the clump will be in litter and not on the bottom of the box. I have no advice on trimming nails. I tried it once and could not begin to imagine how anyone could ever get the job done. I did have a vet do it once with a new cat I had confined to a bathroom. He was anxious to get out of jail and took his big thick, trimmed claws and tore up the side of the door frame. The nice thin delicate tips would have caused less damage......sigh....

Tuxedo cats are very smart, but they have a warped sense of humor.

My cats' litter boxes are in a corner of my office which has carpet. Lovely. The litter doesn't actually stay on top of the mat, but falls through the textured top layer to the solid bottom one, so you really don't see how much is there until it's taken outside and emptied.

I used to use the WBCL, but one of my kids didn't like the smell. I really liked how it clumped and didn't mind the smell, but one thing to keep in mind is that mice also really like it. It wasn't a problem here in the city where we were almost full-time with the cats. However, when we used it at the lake, the mice had a hayday when we weren't there. I'm sure they thought we had graciously left them an open invitation to 3 meals a day and a cozy place to nap.

I trim my cats’ talons one or two at a time, or more if they are in the mood. They don’t like to be held, I just slip the nippers in my back pocket some mornings and when I encounter them relaxing on a chair, I give them a scritch while slipping the nippers out. I just get the paw(s) that are accessible, and save the others for another time. The hardest part is the ”thumb”.

Oakley, come to think of it, my Tuxedo (and he was kind of a longhair) WAS my smartest cat! My other males have been ”dumb blondes”. My girls have all been stellar cats, smart and sweet.

JePenseTrop, I’ve thought about trying the Slide, thanks for your review.

I never trim my cats' claws as they are outdoor cats and need their claws to defend themselves and to climb if they need to get away. The only cat claws I ever trimmed was one cat had dew claws where the nails would curl as they grow and almost grow back into her foot. Those I trimmed.

I have never tried a blindfold. If you can find a helper, it's helpful to have one person hold the cat, possibly wrapped up in a towel or blanket, and another person to do the clipping.

You could try calling around to groomers or post a note on Nextdoor, if you use it, to see if you can find a groomer or vet tech to come to your house to do the clipping for you.

As for the litter, you may not have enough litter in the pan. When it's deep enough, the urine clumps shouldn't stick to the bottom. I usually have at least 3-4 inches; if you go to 4" or more you may need a taller box.

Oh yeah, deep litter.

He was anxious to get out of jail and took his big thick, trimmed claws and tore up the side of the door frame.

Today I filled, with wood filler, deep scratches my indoor cat made on the top of one door of the sink cabinet. She does this when she wants fed and I don't jump up fast enough. The door is painted, so yeah, makes me so upset. Anyway I painted it afterwards and it looks good....for now. This isn't the first time I've had to do it.

Oh and yes she has clawed the painted door frame into the pantry. They weren't as deep so I just painted over them.

Congratulations and thank you for helping a homeless kitty! 🐱

The best litter IMHO is clumping & low/no odor (cats have a stronger sense of smell and may avoid the odor [& litterbox]).

Keep litterbox clean; scoop twice daily (would you want to use an UNflushed toilet?).

🐾🐾 Use a deep litterbox, and keep it very generously filled - so clumps do not reach the bottom of box; makes it easier to scoop them out. Add more litter as needed, to keep it deeply filled.

🐈 Clip one nail per day, everyday, give treats before and after, to bribe & reward the activity. It gets easier after weeks of doing this.

Welcome to being a cat-mom!

🐈 Clip one nail per day, everyday, give treats before and after, to bribe & reward the activity. It gets easier after weeks of doing this.

That's actually very good advice. I can manage one.

I use Dr. Elsey's Ultra Litter. It's unscented, which both the cats and I prefer. I have boxes with 3 very high sides and a lower one. That makes things easier when they get old. Keep the litter deep and scoop often.

mdln pretty much summed it up. I also suggest just clipping the tips of the nails at first. Trimming the thicker parts can be painful, especially for old cats, even if you don't cut into the quick. I also massage my cats' paws, separately from claw clipping. That way, having their paws touched isn't always associated with something unpleasant.

Thank you for taking care of her in her golden years.

We lost our last cat a few months ago, but I had been using Tidy Cats Litter Pellet system for years. No dust (I was sick of it), but some cats do like to take out a pellet now and then and play. DD2 uses on Pellet box and a ground walnut litter box. Agree with the poster to get unscented litter.

Is there a reason you want to trim nails? I've owned more cats than I can count, both indoor and outdoor cats, and never trimmed.

Thanks for all the responses - there is a lot of good advice here. Her litter box is brand new. I will try using more litter, but she seems to like the corners to go in, so I have to do a lot of scraping of the box sides as well as the bottom.

The reason I want to trim her nails is that they feel like needles being inserted into me when she grabs me. I can see the holes in my skin where she had dug into my ankles. When warm weather comes and my legs are bare, it's going to be even worse.

Graywings, under what circumstances is she grabbing your ankles so that you see holes in your skin? Rough play? Trying to get your attention? I would not allow that to continue.

My cats sometimes grab me, but not to the point of puncture. If I try to move fast to extricate myself, the claws will go in. That's happened too many times. I go still and they will soon release.

She seems to be grabbing my ankles to get my attention. If I knew how to stop her from doing it, I certainly would.

I have accidentally kicked her during a couple of these events, and that hasn't dissuaded her. She hisses at me.

I try to freeze in place when she does it, but depending where I am in my stride, it isn't always possible.

I'd always used Fresh Step and it's great clumping. I also have 4 cats and have no desire to buy a more expensive litter. Recently I noticed the FS litter was making enormous dust, visible to the eye big dust. The utility room was dustier than the rest of the house.

I was going to buy Arm and Hammer no dust but Amazon was out so I ended up buying

This

It's a different color and texture but I love it. The cats have no complaints either. Good price and no dust. Good healthy clumps. :)

Never thought about a new box with a shiny bottom! Perfect!

I gotta tell you my kittly litter story. Surely I'm not the only one who did this?

Before clumping litter came out I used Tidy Cat, then I switched to clumping.

One morning we woke up to snow and some ice on the sidewalk, and DH, in his suit and nice shoes was getting ready to go warm up the truck.

I told him to wait, let me pour some litter on it for you so you won't slip. This was before I stocked up on Ice Melt.

He comes inside from warming up the truck, walks across the carpet to the kitchen, sits on a bar stool while drinking coffee. I suddenly noticed his shoes. Clumps and clumps of litter was all over them!

I had forgotten we switched to clumping litter. What a mess.

Graywings, how about a spray bottle filled with water. Instead of trying to move her away with your foot, which she thinks is either a game or prey, give her a squirt in the face.

I might not be up to speed on kitty behavior correction. While my two have been naughty and defiant at times, they never displayed aggressive behavior.

Sounds like a good idea, but there is no way I can walk around with a spray bottle of water in my right hand in anticipation of her attack. Imagine it's 6AM, you wake up and need to go from the bedroom to the bathroom - immediately. There is no way I would remember to pick up a bottle and arrange the nozzle in the right way in my hand for the trip.

If there's somewhere this is more likely to happen, just have a squirt bottle on the counter. Or pack a water pistol. Or don't. I'm just offering a possible deterrent. Puncturing your leg and hisses are something to consider mitigating.

As the owner of two cats, both prolific pee-ers (can't figure out correct spelling or perhaps not a real word), I was thrilled to discover Sustainably Yours Cat Litter with odor control. I used to use WBCL, but once I tried Sustainably Yours I switched and never looked back. It is more expensive per bag, but it goes so much further because it clumps so much "tighter". I know some people complain of their cats' tracking the litter away from the litter box and I had that problem too, but I just got extra large litter mats to put under my boxes and have found that, by the time my cats reach the end of the mats, the litter has mostly fallen off their paws. As an added bonus for all decor obsessed cat owners, the Sustainably Yours which is crystal white, is actually quite pretty in it's unsoiled state! BTW: I do find the "plus" formula much more satisfactory at odor control than the original formula.