Unless your cat is a voracious scratcher and has a rough enough surface to do it, they'll need claws to be trimmed periodically. I don't know anything about dog nails, but cats' are retractable and have very sensitive tissue in the center. So best to let a vet clip them and show you up close how to know how much can be safely cut. Some cats will let you do it yourself, mine won't!


Litter scatter: I've found the best thing is those boot trays that they sell at home stores for keeping wet boots off the floor. Even the typical smaller one will fit a good sized litter box with room to spare so that they step on it when they hop out of the box. But if you have room for a bigger one, even better. Some cats will use a covered box, but mine won't. The tray also catches any accidents outside the box. I haven't kept the box in the bathroom for years and the floor has never gotten wet.


If your state allows it, flushable litter is great. The one I've used for @ 15 yrs with 2 cats is Swheat Scoop; it's just made of wheat, so is even kitten safe. They say there's an enzyme in wheat that absorbs odor. IDK, but my cat's box has only a vague scent. Any "clumping" litters have cement compounds that cats ingest when they wash themselves. They sometimes cause intestinal blockages, especially in long haired cats. And anything scented often causes litter behavior issues. Swheat Scoop's a bit more expensive, but I rarely need to dump the box: just pick it out every day, flush, and add enough back to be @ 3" deep. Once a week, I dump the litter into another litter box I have, wash the first box, and add the litter back. I get it on auto-delivery at a discount with free shipping from Petco. A 12lb bag lasts one cat @ 1 month.

Cat poop shouldn't be that awful smelling, depending on what the cat is eating. Grocery store cat food leads to pretty awful poop. If you can feed a premium food, it should be OK, and also less waste because the food is nutritionally dense.

Oh--and the small size boot tray is also the perfect size to fit in a standard size kitchen cabinet under the sink--cover it with a length of paper towels, and you'll be able to spot a leak and see the water before it collects enough to ruin the cabinet! Very cool!