When choosing a cat litter, there are some key things that you can do in advance to make your experience more optimal. You can choose a cat litter that is fresher than the norm, choose the right one for your pet, and test it out before the official launch to see if it works for your pet.
In the market? Then meet with other pets and people to determine its suitability. Because of this, there are specialties in the industry such as feline bio-tracking, odor remapping technologies, and claims of promoting health and digestive function.
When checking out different types of litters, here are some things to look for: price; scooping difficulty; consistency; discernible scents/ smells; and overall effectiveness. All of these factors contribute to choosing the right cat litter for you.
Contents:
Clumping
When a cat litter is called clumping, it means it sticks to the foot of the cats as it walks on it. This is due to the way it designs its coat.
Clumping cat litter comes in dry or liquid form. The liquid is easier to clean up, so that is what you would use if your cat had a high traffic area where the litter box needs to be set up.
The difference between these two types of clumping cat litters is how much dirt and grime the animal will have to poop on his or her body while using it.
A warning about both types: If your pet does not seem as confident with the litter as others in the household do, try changing up how you use the litter box. Purchase some soft plastic dams to put under your pet’s bottom so that they can get comfortable again.
Silica gel
While not an option at every cat litter brand, some brands offer the option to use talc as a litter alternative. Talc is a grain-based material designed to be evenly distributed across the surface of the litter.
Talc is typically considered safe for cats, and some brands even offer it as a cat toy. Since talc is phase-change material, it can also be used as a substitute for sand or grit in your pet’s litter box.
While talc isn’t a direct substitute for sand or grit, it can help prevent clumping by distributing its own moisture content over the entire mix. Talca also has fewer negative effects on birds and humans who share a home with pets.
We recommend all types of cats should have their own specific type of lit based on how they use the environment around their paws. If you think your pet may use their hands to get into the mix, then this type of lit would be suitable.
Plastic
While not recommended by the PEW Center, plastic cat litter is an alternative to paper or Scoop N’ Save brand. These products are usually wrapped in plastic to create a box for the litter to go in, and to keep the cat from access to the product.
This has been known to cause problems such as blockages, which may allow bacteria to grow, creating an foul stench. It may also increase clean-up time as it takes longer for it to break down, and thus can be scooped more often.
Natural materials
While some animals do not like cat litter, there are many varieties on the market today that are made from natural materials. These include clay, hemp, and hemp-based compounds.
These materials are typically added to the mix to reduce potential odor problems and to help aid in cleanliness. While these may not be intended for use with pets, it is still worth checking into!
Checking into whether or not the cat litter you are looking at has been reviewed for pets is a good way to test it out. Some people have reported problems with cats using it, but none had a dog report it working as intended.
Dogs can be troublemakers when it comes to cleaning.
Powdered
As the name suggests, powderedethe cat litter is made out of very fine powder. This means it can be tracked down and placed in a container for your pet to use.
Like granule litters, powder cat litter is able to be tracked down and placed in a container for your pet to use. The difference is that the powder must be mixed with water to form a paste before being placed in the container.
This allows the cats depositing the litter into their mouth to form a paste with the surroundings, thus getting an effective flush as they poop. An important point to note is that your cat must have access to water when using powdered cat litter.
Crackling or bubbles when using powdered toilet paper can be an issue for your pets, so make sure they have adequate space between houses or homes so they can get adequate privacy.
Lighter litter
This is the most common type of cat litter. It does not hold up well if your pet does not get enough exposure to it.
The brand should recommend at least one year of this type of litter in their instructions. One year is the minimum amount of use a pet gets out of a litter.
After that, it needs to be replaced with something lighter to let it decompose, and/or used as toy litter.
We recommend Radar Reacting Cat Litter for our clients because it is fairly cheap and easy to use. It does not require any special packaging or handling, just put it where your cat needs to go.
This type of cat litter works well when your pet gets dirty easily because the cover keeps them covered while they take a break or they just need to be reminded to use it.
Heavier litter
If your pet needs a lighter litter for his or her paws, then you should consider buying something with a higher scooping capacity.
Most cats prefer a medium to soft consistency litter, with the denser the litter the harder it is. When using a very soft cat litter, such as recommendations from ASPCA, then the dog can use too much of it and get fecal issues down, which may help reduce arthritis pain.
If you have a hardier dog that needs less moisture than the recommends portion of the cat litter, then the cheaper option is better for them. If your pet loves this type of litter but you wanted to save some money, then the heavyweight type may be better suited.
Fragrance
It does not matter what kind of cat litter you use as your pet uses it, as long as it does not smell. If your cat does not like the scent, then there is something wrong with them.
Many products have scent, such as garlic or vanilla. These ingredients are mixed in with the litter to make it smell stronger. Some commercial cat litters have scent added, while others do not.
If you want your cat to have a more relaxed experience during their stay in the litter box, then do not use one with strong odoriferous properties. Instead, find one with little or no odoriferous properties and use that one.
One tip: when choosing a type of cat litter, always choose something that is listed as absorbable. If your pet can’t lap up the litter, it is better to choose an absorbent type than one that does not work.