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Cat Litter Types and General Use
By: Alfred
A cat litter box is the most commonly accepted method for
training a cat to dispose of bodily waste while inside your
home. At first glance, lining a box with cat litter may seem
easy and requiring of no thought, but there are many more
choices to be made and complications to be avoided than you
might think in choosing a cat litter and your cat's health
may depend on the type of cat litter you choose.
First let's talk about the type of cat litter box you should
use. You will need a litter box that is made from a sturdy,
thick plastic that is easy to clean, so it should be a box
with no texture on the plastic. The litter box should be at
least as big as your cat for length and width. You might
also want to consider a cover to go over the box and/or a
mat to go under the box for when the cat's pawing at the
litter results in flying litter or spills. Some cat people
also line the litter box with a disposable plastic liner so
that all the litter can be disposed of at once without
having to touch the used litter. You will also need a scoop
sifter for cleaning out the waste, which should be scooped
out daily to keep the litter fresh.
The most common type of cat litter is clay-based. This type
of litter has been used for a very long time. It is only
recently that experts have found that if the clay has not
been processed correctly a dust will form in your cat's
litter box, and when the cat paws or digs in the cat litter
it will form a cloud that the cat can breathe in, resulting
in a sickness called clay lung. This is not only bad for
your cat's overall health but can result in death. Because
of this discovery many cat litter producers have adjusted
their cat litter formulas to make them "dust free." So be
sure when you buy a cat litter that it says dust free on the
bag or box, otherwise you could be exposing your cat and
yourself to a serious health risk.
There are four types of cat litter that are used for lining
cat litter boxes:
Clay-based Clumping Litters - are by far the most popular
type of cat litter at the moment.
Clay-based clumping litter absorbs liquid waste well and
forms easily removable clumps. It has excellent odor control
if waste is removed regularly. To clean, remove clumps and
solid waste daily, replacing all litter and washing the
litter box once per month, or sooner if it develops a
distinct smell. This litter type provides moderate to
maximum odor control and is dust free. It is easy to clean
up, is biodegradable, is flushable and non-toxic. Some
popular brands are "Ever Clean Extra Strength Premium
Clumping Cat Litter" and "Pet Gold Indoor Formula Scoopable
Cat Litter."
Clay-Based Non-Clumping Litters - absorb liquid waste but do
not form clumps.
Most brands of clay based cat litter are available in scented,
unscented and dust-free formulas. Odor control ability
varies based on the brand. The litter must be replaced more
often (once a week) than clumping litter. To clean, remove
all litter once a week, wash the litter box and refill with
clean litter. This litter type provides moderate to maximum
odor control and is dust free. It is easy to clean up, is
biodegradable, flushable and non-toxic. Some popular brands
are "Pet Gold Cat Litter" and "Tidy Cats Long-Lasting Odor
Control."
Crystal Cat Litter - is made from sand or a blend of sand
and other materials.
Crystal cat litter absorbs liquid waste but does not form easily removable
clumps. This type of cat litter absorbs and controls odors
well. To clean, remove all litter once a week, clean litter
box and refill with clean litter. This litter type provides
moderate to maximum odor control and is dust free. It is
easy to clean up, is biodegradable, and is flushable and
non-toxic. Some popular brands are "Pet Gold Crystals
Premium Cat Litter" and "Harvest Ventures Tracks-Less Litter
Pearls Cat Litter."
Natural and biodegradable cat litter - is made from pine,
paper, wheat or corn.
Natural cat litter is available in
clumping and non-clumping forms.
It is
easier on cats and humans who have allergies to dust. Many
but not all brands are flushable. This litter type provides
moderate to maximum odor control and is dust free. It is
easy to clean up, is biodegradable, and is flushable and
non-toxic. Some popular brands are "Purina Yesterday's News
Paper-Based Cat Litter" and "Feline Pine Cat Litter".
Do not think that using just any old cat litter type will
do. Many times buying the cheapest cat litter or just using
sand is not worth it in the long run because it costs you
more to keep changing the cat litter every few days due to
the bad odor than just buying the more expensive and
changing it once a week, or for the clay clumping litter
once a month.
Cats can be finicky when it comes to their cat litter, and
many won't use it if the texture does not agree with their
paws. So when first buying cat litter for your cat start
with a small bag and see if your cat likes it. A cat will
turn up its nose at a cat litter that it does not like and
poop and pee elsewhere, for example, on your floor or bed.
If your cat is a kitten, the type of litter you use should
be different than for an adult cat. You will want to use
litter that has smaller crystals or beads so that the
kitten's waste is more easily absorbed and the kitten isn't
likely to swallow and choke on the crystals or beads.
By far and away, the best cat litter is the natural and
biodegradable cat litter made from pine, paper, wheat or
corn. It not only does not produce dust in the air but it
usually is just as good as any other cat litter, if not
better, with odor control. And it poses no risk to your
cat's health or your own.
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