Cat litter is one of the basic cat supplies you need to care for a cat. Most pet supply stores have a huge variety of litter types so they must all be okay to use, right? Not so fast. Many cat litters are designed with humans at the forefront when they aren’t the ones who will be using it as a bathroom. While taking your own preferences into account is important, you want to make sure your cat actually uses the litter box.
Before grabbing the first type of litter on the shelf, let’s look at what things cats prefer in a litter.
Easy On The Paws
In nature, cats use sand to pee or poop. The best type of cat litter is one that is similar in quality to this. Cats like litters with finer particles that they can bury their waste in rather than large, chunky particles. In fact, that’s a large reason why scooping the litter box regularly is important: cats are more bothered by clumps in the litter box than they are odor.
Many clumping clay litters will have smaller particles, as do grass seed based litters and many others. Worst case scenario you can use sand as a litter.
Some litters, such as crystal litters, can be a bit sharp and abrasive to cats as they walk on it. I have had clients whose cats prefer crystal litter, but more often I see crystal litter leading to problems with litter box usage.
Senior And Declawed Cats
As cats get older, they may develop aches and pains. Similarly, declawed cats may end up with residual problems as a result of the procedure. These problems may not show up for years. In older cats, especially if they are declawed, using a sensitive paws litter may be helpful. Quite a few clients of mine who have cats that are seniors or declawed have found success with Tidy Cats Comfort. If that is out of stock, try Okocat Super Soft.
Scented Or Unscented?
Cats have very sensitive noses so even a light scent can be overpowering to some cats. While there are many options for different types of scented litters out there, your cat would rather you skipped the fragrances. Also, when I’ve accidentally ordered scented litter before, I find the scent plus the smell of urine ends up being worse than the smell of cat pee alone.
A Word On Pine Litters
You may find pine based litters out there. While some claim these help control odors better than other types of litters, a lot of clients of mine report they smell like… well, pine. If you want your home smelling like a Christmas tree, that’s totally on you. However, I see a lot of litter box issues secondary to pine based litters. This may be due to the scent or pelleted nature of the litter. Go for something without an odor that’s softer..
Cat Attractant Additives
Some litters come with a cat attractant added to them or you can purchase a separate cat attractant to add to almost any type of cat litter. The claim is that these attractants will help a cat who isn’t using the litter box suddenly start using it. While the cat attractant won’t make up for a really terrible litter box or a litter box in a poor location, I have had a large number of clients who got things mostly correct but still struggled to get their cat using the box consistently. Adding the cat attractant helped resolve the issue. They’re worth a try as long as you’re not expecting a magical solution.
Clumping Or Non-Clumping Cat Litter
While many litters will clump, not all litters are clumping litters. Generally, clumping litters make litter box maintenance very easy. Simply set up a Litter Genie next to your litter box and you can scoop the clumps of urine and solid waste into the canister. If the litter doesn’t clump, it’s harder to get all your cat’s urine out of the box when scooping.
Despite that disadvantage, cat litter that doesn’t clump is the preferable choice for some cats. If your cat is sick and having diarrhea, a non-clumping litter may prevent a mess requiring extensive cleaning when the litter sticks to their paws. Long haired cats may like non-clumping cat litter better for similar reasons as the litter won’t stick to their long fur. If your cat recently had surgery, a non-clumping litter may be recommended by your veterinarian.
If your cat isn’t using the litter box, don’t be afraid to try a non-clumping litter if you haven’t. Your cat may prefer it and you’ll figure out a good system for cleaning the litter box properly.
What Is The Cat Litter Made From?
Cat litters can be made from a lot of different materials. While cat litter is often associated with being made from clay, there are litters made from corn, walnuts, newspaper, and even coffee.
The type of material the cat litter is composed of will influence all the other factors that important to cats. Some materials may have a stronger odor. Some may naturally clump better than others. Even if the litters share a lot of similar qualities, there may be something to your cat that feels the best about a particular material so it’s worth trying a few different materials. Generally, though, clay based litters seem to be popular among most cats.
Environmental Considerations
Not that your cat’s preferences aren’t important, but one downside to clay based cat litters is the amount of waste they generate. They’re not renewable and take a lot of resources to make. Plus, they can generate a lot of dust which can exacerbate respiratory disorders in both humans and felines. If your cat has asthma, you may want to steer clear of clay litter.
More eco friendly choices would be ones made of a plant based material that can be easily regrown. One option is the appropriately named Sustainably Yours litter or a grass seed litter (the kind I use), though other types of cat litter made from plants are likely less bad for the environment compared to clay litters.
What Is The Best Type Of Cat Litter?
Cat litter selection is complicated and choosing the best type of cat litter isn’t always an easy task. You want to consider not only what your cat will use, but what they will enjoy using. Remember, just because your cat uses a type of litter doesn’t mean they like using it as cats often will use litters they don’t like despite showing signs of not enjoying it.
You may get away with a less than ideal litter for a while, but when your cat gets older or becomes stressed, they may stop using the litter box. Meeting your cat’s needs will keep all your cat’s waste contained to the litter box for years to come.
