Carpet or rug ideas?

[funnybunnymummy]

Since we moved, Gus's cage is now in the basement and he doesn't have access to it (it's too cold down there to keep the door propped open, plus there's so much junk down there I don't want him getting into stuff). So we've set up a litter box and food dishes upstairs here for him. (For awhile, I had a pen too, but took it down because he just kept jumping out of it. )

However, he's a messy little monster and kicks his litter all over, plus he poops all around his litter box and slops his water and food. We have laminate floors and I really don't want them getting wrecked. Anyway, I had a large vinyl picnic table cloth, so I've laid down in his corner and put his stuff on top of it. It works okay, but it's hard to clean (the vacuum tries to suck it up!) and the sawdust and poops eventually get kicked off of it too. Plus it bunches up and doesn't stay perfectly flat.

I was thinking that maybe I could replace it with a piece of carpet or rug. But it would have to be rubber or plastic backed so any water wouldn't seep through. But I'm hoping the carpet would catch the sawdust and poops and at least keep them confined to it. Plus it would be much easier to vacuum.

I'm looking for something between 36"x48" and 40"x50".

Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Rue

 

[MiniLopHop]

Houdini is a messy boy in the litter box so I have a couple things for him:

I got the largest carpet runner/welcome mat Home Depot had. It is intended for businesses. It's rubber backed with a very short carpet on top. That is my bottom layer over the capeting that is in the room.

Then I put a puppy wee pad down to catch any liquids. I tuck the thin edges around the rubber mat to keep it flat.

Then the litter box is on top of that (it's a large rubbermaid under the bed box). I put the lid up on its side vertically and another lid on the other side to protect the walls.

The hay wrack is on the other short side, so he can only enter and exit the front of the box. At this point he just drags a little litter out on his fur (an angora) out the front of the box when he leaves.Almost allof it falls out onto the puppy pad when he lands.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Could you get a place mat for the food dishes, then something else for the litter box? Pets stores have place mats that have raised edges so water and such doesn't get all over your floor. There are mats you can get for around the litter box as well.
The foam puzzle mats could also work. If he chews them, you could try putting a blanket over top. You can just wash the blanket as needed and the mats are easy to sweep, vacuum and mop.
If you are handy with tools, you could make something that is a base of wood with slight edges (like 1 inch or so). Stick on tiles would work to water proof it and you could get ones that looks like your floor. You may want to put something underneath it just in case.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

You could put a tarp down and get a remnant from a carpet store. The litter box solution we came up with was to put a pan in an apple box--card board that has a top and bottom. Cut holes in both ends so the go in and out as they want and it contains the litter. Lift the top off to clean.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

Thanks, guys! Some good ideas here.

Kate, I've already got a placemat with the raised edges, but Gus still manages to slop water over the edges of it. He gets a little excited when I feed him. :rollseyes

Larry, I think I may try the apple box trick. I'd read that rabbits won't use a covered litter box with only one exit, but cutting two into it will probably work for Gus. Plus his litter box is in the dining room and who likes to look at bunny poop while they're eating?

Anyway, this afternoon I was in Zellers picking some stuff up and I happened to walk past the flooring section. They had a 36"x45" rubber backed floor mat there that I think may just do the trick. I didn't buy one because I'd like to look around and see what else is out there (plus there are about 20 of the mats there, so no worries on them selling out!), but at least now I know there are carpets like that available!

Rue