Cats are cute, grumpy, and purrfect pets to have around and are very picky in choosing things around them. They are amusing creatures full of pride and take time to trust someone. Cat litter boxes are a very important and essential part of your cat’s life. It has to be placed inside your home where your cat regards it as its territory.
Having a playful cat will be perfect to spend time at home when you are exhausted after a long day at work.
They can be your ultimate stress reliever at the end of your day. Cats are attention seekers and they expect their human parents to play with them and give them a belly rub.
They are very tidy and family-friendly pets to have at home and we must give them the freedom to walk around at home.
Cats are fast learners when you train them in a systematic way. Proper training will help them poop in the right way.
You must introduce your kitty to a litter tray so that it will dispose of its feces every time inside the tray instead of choosing any other place.
You need not be worried about an unclean environment at home if you train your kitten in the right way.
For every litter tray, you need to add only the right litter so that it gets dried up soon and you can clean your pet’s excretion in a few minutes.
Cats dislike pungent smells and odors. A modicum of sense is all it matters when it comes to taking care of the litter tray and keeping it clean.
Overview of Cat Litter Boxes
You need to introduce your kitty to use the litter tray and train him/her gradually. So you won’t have to remind your kitty every time it feels like taking a loo break.
There are people who might use alternatives to cat litter temporarily to cut costs or may be due to the unavailability of the right litter in the nearest store.
In such cases, people use wood debris, chicken feed, shredded paper, sand, or anything similar.
But this practice will increase the susceptibility of your cat getting infected easily to diseases.
These are not recommended for the long term or short, and the tray that is used must have enough room for your kitty, expecting it would grow in the future.
The power of Litter Tray
Litter trays are of great importance in a cat’s life and you can call it a litter box, a sandbox, and also has several other names to add.
It is the right solution for your kitty to dispose of its metabolic waste including feces and urine.
This will be the right solution if you have a free-roaming kitty whom you won’t be preferring to poop outside your home.
Risk-free
Pet owners do not wish to put their pet through any risk that may be due to motor accidents, disease, climatic conditions, or other wild animals. In certain cases, cats may be susceptible to the feline immunodeficiency virus through other stray cats.
Training your cat to use the litter tray would be the best thing you can do to improve their life span.
On average, cats that are more exposed to an outside environment are at a higher risk when compared to cats living indoor.
Comparing the life expectancy of these cats, an indoor cat may live up to 16-18 years while cats that are more exposed to a risky environment may live only 5-6 years
Cleanliness
The litter tray needs to have litter poured into it so that your pet kitty can be trained to dispose of their feces there.
Once they begin doing it, they will be easily able to sense the smell every time. So it will be easier for them to recognize the place easily.
All you have to do is keep its litter tray clean so that it wouldn’t be unpleasant for your kitty.
This will avoid any chances that your kitty will dispose of its feces or urine anywhere else randomly.
A litter box must have a litter of around 5 cms of litter. Litters are loose material in granules form that easily absorbs moisture.
They are dry and cats can use them instead of searching for sand. The cat litters are commonly made of clay, while recycled paper and silica crystals are also used.
Placing the litter tray
Cat Litter Boxes are supposed to be kept clean from time to time so that your pet cat won’t be experiencing a profuse amount of odor from the tray.
The best way to place your cat’s litter box will be in your basement or in a laundry room where there is enough ventilation.
So you need to choose the right kind of litter that makes your cat happy.
Why do cats poop outside the litter tray? How can it be avoided?
Cats are very picky, which is why The Clay Cat Litter must be changed often so that there will not be an oddity in your pet’s mind.
They wouldn’t litter in the same tray if the absorbed clay cakes are accumulated. You will notice your pet sensing places for urination.
So make sure you remove the clumps regularly depending on how frequent is your pet urinating.
Having bentonite in your cat’s litter will easily clump the litter when your pet urinates, which is why it is known as clumping litter.
So it’s easier for you to remove the soiled litter with a litter scoop. This makes feces and urine removal of your pet easier when it is in a clumpy form.
Having a clumpy litter will not be needing a frequent change of your whole litter.
Hence clump litter is better than non-clumping litter available in the market. You can easily remove your pet’s urine chunks and feces easily and avoid any foul smell at your home.
Even though many people prefer clay litter, there are other alternative types of litter available in the market.
Types of Cat Litter
There are various kinds of litter available in the online e-market or a retail pet store near you.
You won’t have to meander around the city searching for the right litter in case of urgency.
The emergence of E-commerce platforms has paved way for easy availability of any of the pet products right away.
Cat litter can be of different qualities and types and every type has a unique feature to cover up the odor.
Sometimes the litter that you opt for may be capable of odor elimination or may have a low maintenance cost.
You might be in a flummoxed state of mind to choose the right litter for your cat. Do not worry. Below you will find a list of different litter types and their benefits.
Clay Cat Litter
Clay cat litters are the ones we commonly use for our cats that roam around indoor and do not have access to the outside world.
It works well with the cat’s natural instinct of burying their feces and urine in the sand.
The traditional clay cat litter is used by the majority of cat lovers as it absorbs the cat’s urine and feces without leaving any trace.
This will also keep any odor of the urine under control and your guests won’t feel unpleasant when they visit you anytime soon.
After absorption, clay litter may turn out unpleasant if left unnoticed for some time.
It will stop absorbing any of your pet’s urine. This may increase the spread of the odor and can be reduced by adding charcoal or baking soda.
Hence the odor from the litter tray can be controlled.
Silica Gel Litter
Silica Gel litters are made of natural minerals that contain tiny silicas that can squeeze all the odors and liquid wastes from the tray.
The absorption works easily and the urine absorbed gets evaporated and dries the litter to avoid any leftover odors.
The silica absorbs all the moisture in the tray and keeps the foul odor away. Silica gel crystals are safe for your pets and you won’t have to worry about any health discomforts for other family members.
Silica does not have any dust particles like in the clay litter. You will notice that silica gel litter will be dry that your pet will be able to use it regularly without any hesitation.
You just have to remove the urine and feces chunks every day and not the whole litter.
Switching to a silica gel litter
Transitioning to a silica gel litter from a traditional one would be easy for most cats but there are some stubborn cats that take enough time to adapt to changes.
A few cats may dislike the presence of silica in their litter but most of them easily adapt to the changes.
If in case you find your kitty hesitating to use the litter tray, you can simply add a hand full of litter that the cat used earlier.
This might keep them happy that they will begin using the litter easily.
Features of Silica Gel Litter
The Silica Gel litter is lighter than clay and would last more. Since it’s lighter, you won’t have any difficulty filling in a large litter tray without asking for any help.
You won’t have to scoop your cat’s litter daily as the silica litter can absorb all the odor easily.
The silica gel crystals are a better option if there are people with allergies and have respiratory health problems.
The Silica gel litter is more expensive than the traditional one and may not be affordable for people with multiple cats or more.
Regular stirring of the urine will be needed to avoid any unpleasant situation.
Natural/biodegradable cat litter
Natural cat litter is made from organic minerals that won’t be a threat to the environment.
The organic materials used may include tofu, walnut, pine, corn, wheat, and grass.
These are compostable litter made from plants and can be easily flushed. So you won’t have the hassle of disposing of your kitty’s waste.
These packaged litters are safer and are resistant to bacterial or viral infections. These types of litter are dust-free and risk-free for your pets as the chunks of cat excretion mold easily and can be easily removed.
But not all pets prefer the same type of material and they may find it difficult to change from their usual litter.
The biodegradable litter is always a risk-free choice for your kitty, even if it is eaten accidentally.
They have no toxic substances that may affect your kitty’s appetite. You can find a variety of biodegradable litters in the market that comes with different textures and fragrances.
These are lighter and can be a viable option to choose for your pets at home.
Is organic litter better than other litter types?
If you have more than one cat in your household, you can definitely use natural, biodegradable litter made from organic materials.
There are also several types of biodegradable litter for multiple cats and you can have more litter trays with different types of litter in them.
This will be easier for you to understand what your cat prefers. Biodegradable cat litters do not have any risk of bentonite or silica and won’t have any odor on your fingers after you clean them.
If you compare it with the traditional litter, certain types of natural litter are safe while others are having a possibility of severe infections.
Cat Lovers Guide to buying the right litter type
Being a cat lover, it’s important to consider your pet’s hygiene and buy things that make your kitty happy.
Along with the right litter box, you need to buy the right type of litter that may get your work done easily.
There are certain points to consider while you choose the right cat litter to train your cat.
Let’s consider the things that we need to consider while choosing a litter
- Clumping
- Flushability
- Order Control
- Tracking
- Price
Clumping
Clumping of the litter happens when the litter is able to easily absorb your pet’s urine and form cakes of clumps.
This means that the whole litter need not be changed but instead only remove the odorous clumps.
The other areas of your litter would be dry and free and your cat can use it next time it needs to.
This will save your time refilling the litter and also save your money. Clumping clay litter is not very expensive and cat owners usually choose this type of litter for their pets.
Clumping Litter will be the easiest litter for you to have at your home so that there won’t be a wastage of litter every day.
When you choose a litter for your pet, make sure it is clumping. his will help you with the easy removal of feces and urine which would have turned into a clump.
Hence you won’t have to remove the whole litter from the box and instead only remove the one that has clumped.
Selecting litter that would easily clump must be chosen instead of litter that is non-clumping.
Flushability
The next important point to be kept in mind is the need for litter to be flushable.
Every litter claimed as flushable is made from materials that are biodegradable. Some litters are made from a particular type of material while others are made of different combinations of materials.
Some of the flushable litter include Corn, Wheat, Wood, shredded paper, and more. Corn litters are made from corn pulp or compressed corn and are considered as one of the best biodegradable litters used.
Wheat litter is another type of biodegradable litter that easily clumps and can be scooped effortlessly.
Litter made from sawdust and wood shavings are also used for making biodegradable litters without using any chemicals.
Compressed paper shreds are transformed into soft pellets to make biodegradable litters that could be flushed out easily.
These types of litter are sustainable and are of great convenience.
Odor Control
You have to keep the odor of your pet’s litter tray under control so that it wouldn’t be unpleasant for your cat or you.
There are a few tips that you have to consider for having the litter odor under control.
The first thing that you need to consider is by scooping your pet’s litter box or boxes more than once every day. Make sure there are no clumps of feces or urine left in the litter tray before you hit the sack.
For certain types of litter, it’s important to replace the whole litter twice a week. You can also replace the litter box once a year with a new one.
There are litter deodorizers you will find in the market to keep off-odor from the litter tray.
You must be able to choose a litter that won’t be pungent and disliked by your cat.
There must be enough ventilation in the room or space where the litter tray is placed.
Following all these guidelines will help you keep control of your pet’s litter odor.
Tracking
Sometimes, the litter may create tracks of your pet when it walks around. This may turn out to be a mess when you have no choice left than to clean up the whole floor. To avoid such things, there are certain things you need to follow.
- Litter mat
Placing an old rug or mat under your litter box will help avoid any tracking of unwanted leftovers from the litter. You need to keep it in a place where the cat always enters the litter tray. Having rubber mats would be ideal, although you can place a mat of any material type under the litter box. Make sure you clean the mat regularly.
- Larger litter
Having a larger litter would avoid the litter sticking to your pet’s body hair or its paws. It will not be sticking on your pet’s body and you won’t have to worry about it.
- Nail trimming
Keeping the nail trimmed and short will avoid any of the litter debris being stuck to your pet’s nails. Hence this is one way to solve your pet’s tracking problems.
- Covered litter box
Having a covered cat litter box will be what you need to have to prevent litter tracking. It must be of the right size that it should fit your cat easily. Most of the litter trays come with a flap on top, which will help to avoid litter tracking.
Price
You will be able to find numerous types of cat litters in the market. But you must be choosing something that should be liked by your pet.
There must not be any wastage or shortage of litter. So buying a larger bag of litter will be optimal when you have more cats at home that you need to take care of.
Best Cat Litters
There are a variety of cat litter available in the market and choosing the right one would be a tough task to accomplish. Below you will be able to learn about a few types of cat litter available in the market.
Lightweight Cat Litters
Lightweight cat litters are basically made of perlite that makes them lightweight. They are clay-based litters and won’t be heavy. This will make things easy for you when you have to regularly dispose of your pet’s litter. You won’t have to worry about the litter stuck under your pet’s paws as there wouldn’t be much litter tracking you would find. It works exactly like the usual clumping clay litter that you might have used earlier. You might experience low dust while using lightweight cat litters and it would not be a problem if you are not allergic to dust. Some of the lightweight litter are natural and made from wood or plant debris. These are totally safe and won’t have any environmental problems.
Pros
- Easy to use and clean around
- Can be easily carriable for people who cannot carry much weight
- Dust-free, safe, and odorless.
Cons
- Pricier than regular litter
- Might have litter tracking
Cat litters for kittens
Kittens must be given more care and the food they eat should be limited. You need to closely monitor their diet and litter use frequently. Experts suggest using non clumping litter for kittens for the initial few months. Even though there are a variety of options to choose from, it would be ideal to choose non-clumping cat litters for kittens. The litter that you choose must be absorbent and safe for your kitty. It would be better to choose a natural litter for your kitty to avoid any litter tracking
Pros
- Has odor control
- Don’t have to worry about tracking problems
- Can be easily cleaned
Cons
- Kittens can accidentally eat the small pebbles
Nontracking cat litters
If you need to have a cleaner home, then you must be choosing the right litter that does not create tracks of litter all over the place. It’s important to keep your couch clean and dust-free. Think about a situation where there is more than one cat to take care of and the amount of litter needed would be unimaginable. These prints of your kittens may have dust particles that may even create respiratory problems for people at home.
Pros
- These types of litter have a low amount of dust
- It keeps the litter tracking low compared to other types of litter
- The odor control technology will keep your litter, tray, and home fresh
- It is suitable if you have more cats at home
Cons
- These are scented and not suitable for small kittens
Cat litters for multiple cats
When you have multiple cats at home, you need something that withstands the odor. Keeping the litter odor under control should help you and your pet from an unpleasant environment. It would also be very difficult when your cat has frequent urination problems. So it is important to have a litter that would have odor control for more duration.
Pros
- These types of litter will have a longer odor control
- It will clump easily and you can scoop it in time.
- It will have lower tracking and dust.
- Pet friendly and people-friendly
- It is lightweight
Cons
- The package is not recyclable
Crystal cat litter
This type of litter is made from silica gel crystals that are not toxic. It has the ability to absorb moisture and the odor won’t stick on to your cat’s paws. These granules of silica gel are dust-free and do not leave tracks all around the place. If you have a single cat at home, then it won’t be necessary to change your litter every day.
Pros
- Controls odor in a few seconds
- Does not stick to your kitty’s paws
- No distracting fragrances
- Lasts longer than usual
Cons
- One bag won’t be enough for a month if there are more cats
Clumping vs Non-Clumping Cat Litter
We already know what’s a clumping and a non-clumping one. People have different choices and some prefer clumping litter for their cats while others prefer using the non-clumping litter.
Clumping
- It covers the cat excretion
- Easily cleanable
- Contains more dust particles
- Can scoop chunks of clumps easily
- It has more amount of tracking
- You get more options to buy
- The litter absorbs well
Non Clumping
- It will be spread
- Difficult to clean the waste
- It has a lower amount of dust
- It makes it difficult to scoop the feces/urine
- The Tracking rate is lesser
- There are only fewer types available
- These types are non-absorbant
Clumping Cat Litters
The most popular cat litters among pet lovers are the clumping ones. People believe that the cleaning up has been quite impressive when the clumping cat litter is what is made available for their cats. Every type of clumping cat litter has a unique feature and you might also find a few with disadvantages.
Clumping litter is available based on its texture, size, and fragrance it has. The common thing about every type of these litter is that it acts quickly to pull the urine and feces of your pet. The litter absorbs the cat excretion, becomes a block so that you can easily scoop it out of the litter box. You will be able to buy clumping litter types that have bentonite and also other natural clumping properties. Hence clumping litters are the best for absorbing liquid easily.
Pros
- Pet excretion can be easily scooped
- Forms blocks by easily absorbing the pet excretion
- There will be better odor control
Cons
- More dust particles
- Higher tracking can be noted
Non Clumping Cat Litter
The name ‘non-clumping itself says it all when it comes to describing the non-clumping cat litter. This type of litter does allow the cat’s urine to settle down and form a clump. Instead, the urine soaks the litter in it but does not form any blocks or clumps. Feces won’t behave a problem but the urine may slowly slip through to the bottom of your litter tray, which may force you to remove the whole litter from the tray. But there are users who select non-clumping litter for their kittens that may not have too much dust. Non-clumping litter has larger pebbles which will reduce any spread of dust around.
Pros
- Less dusty and safe for kittens
- Does not stick to your pet’s paws
Cons
- Does not clump
- May force you to replace the whole litter
Flushable Cat Litter
Flushable cat litter is made based on its biodegradability. These types of litter are made from natural materials that may not have any environmental impact. Hence they are eco-friendly and won’t have any litter tracks all around the house. These are made from recycled paper, corn, walnut, or other natural wood debris and are biodegradable.
Pros
- Better odor control
- Non-tracking
- Non-toxic and safe
Cons
- Not all cats prefer this type of litter
- Clumps less than clay type litter
Dust-free cat litter
If you have people sensitive to dust at home, then it’s essential to opt for a dust-free cat litter. They may be clumping or non-clumping, spending on the brand but are eco-friendly and safe for your kitty to use. Most of them you will find will be lightweight and won’t be overpriced when compared to other litter types.
Pros
- Eco friendly and safe to try
- These are biodegradable and low dust litters
- You can buy them for an affordable price
- Does not have a litter tracking problem
Cons
- Scooping won’t be easy for larger waste
- Certain types may not have odor control
Verdict
Cats are curious creatures that like to explore new things, whether it is a new toy, food, or a different kind of litter. Sometimes they would ignore food or litter because of its pungent scent. There are different types of litter types in the market and choosing the right one would not be an easy task.
You must be able to contain the odor of the litter and avoid any litter tracking caused by litter stuck to your pet’s paws. Another point to note is if the litter is dust-free or not. You must be able to protect any elders at home who are allergic to dust. Since most clumping litters have dust, it might be a problem that you need to look into.
Some kittens may also dislike this kind of litter and in such cases, you can choose the non-clumping litter type. Another important factor to consider is the price of the litter and its worth. Many litter types are available in the market that may be worthless, despite being overpriced. You need to look into it before you choose the litter. It would be easier for you when you select some of the litter suggestions through this article.
Going through many of our recommendations will help you choose the right litter that does not have any negative impact on the environment, family members, and your kitty.