>From:    wendy cherry <[log in to unmask]>
>So I have started to buy 18x22 rugs to place underneath the litter
>pans for when they roam.
 
Greetings, y'all!
 
I have a suggestion similar to Wendy's about how to keep carpet from
being ruined by the furkids' accidents.  I recently moved into a new
condo that had just had brand new beige colored carpeting installed and
now I really have to be on my toes about cleaning up accidents since my
furkids have free-roam of the place for most of the time they're awake.
They have a litterbox in their room (outside of their cage) but aren't
good enough to use it when running around the rest of the place and I
don't care to have other litterboxes strategically placed all over the
rest of the condo as it just looks too tacky seeing litterboxes in all
the corners.
 
So here's what has worked very well for me:
 
Lay down pieces of plastic carpet runner (and pieces of carpet on top of
the plastic, too, if you wish) where the ferrets are consistently "doing
their business".  (I prefer to have the plastic under the carpet to
prevent any accidental urine leakage from reaching the actual nice
carpet.)
 
OR
 
You can use just the plastic carpet runners and NOT put carpet on top of
them but it doesn't look as cosmetically nice, unless the plastic pieces
are not in full view.  Remember that by putting carpet on top of the
plastic pieces, you have to then clean the carpet pieces with carpet
cleaner if any messes make a stain b/c regular carpet, even in pieces,
is difficult to wash in a washing machine.
 
OR
 
You can purchase carpeted bathroom / kitchen sink rugs at thrift stores
or discount stores (probably less expensive than purchasing carpet pieces
and easier to wash) and place those on top of the plastic but if you get
the rugs with rubber backsides then you probably won't need to use the
plastic carpet runners under these types of rugs.
 
So far, I've saved myself a great deal of headaches from running all over
cleaning up poop piles with these techniques.  The carpet pieces and
bathmats I'm using are virtually invisible because they all match the
color of my original carpet and the exposed plastic carpet runner pieces
are clear and can barely be seen, too.  I still have an aerosol can of
"Spot Shot" on hand, however, and that stuff is fantastic!  I use it to
remove stains on the carpet pieces and simply use a mop or towel to wipe
off the plastic carpet runner pieces that don't have carpet pieces on
top of them.
 
Good luck!
 
Jennifer and the dynamic duo, Sasha & Snowball  :-)
[Posted in FML issue 5111]