The Best Cat Litter

If you have ever had guests show up unexpectedly and experienced the anxiety of wondering whether they could smell the cat box this article is a must read!

Along with all the joys that go into cat ownership there is one major drawback; the dreaded litter box. With that in mind, I went on a mission in search of a cat litter that both my feline friend and I would approve of. I decided to “test drive” five different varieties.

Tidy Cat Clay Litter

This is a typical clay litter that has been on the market since the late 1940’s. Before clay litter was available most homes used sand or ash or recycled newspaper. The first thing I noticed about this litter is that it is quite heavy compared with non-clay varieties. I didn’t particularly care for it because it kicks up a lot of dust both when the cat uses it and especially when initially filling the box. My cat tracked it all over the house. Also, the box has to be changed quite frequently or the odor is unbearable. As long as I keep up with cleaning though, my cat seems to favor this litter over the clumping and crystal varieties. One plus is that this type of litter is inexpensive.

Arm & Hammer Clumping Litter

This is also a clay litter, but it uses sodium betonite which swells to 15 times it size when it comes in contact with urine (or other liquid) and then clumps together and hardens for scoopability. This litter was better at coving odor than the Tidy Cat and I appreciated the ease of scooping, but I have some misgivings. First, it is still a clay litter, which means that it is just as heavy as traditional clay and is just as dusty. The cat tracked this one all over the house as well. There have also been reports that clumping litters may not be safe for your cat. These claims are largely unsubstantiated, but the anecdotal evidence is enough for me to want to steer clear of clumping litters in the future. The main concern is that if your cat ingests some of this litter and it clumps together and swells up, it could cause a blockage in the stomach or intestines. By the same token if it is inhaled it could cause similar problems in the lungs. Substantiated or not, that is just not a risk I am willing to take.

Better Way Crystal Cat Litter

One clear advantage of this litter is that you only have to change the litter box about once a month! It also does an excellent job of odor control. On the flip side, my cat hated this litter. It is very hard on their little paws and I imagine it must be like walking barefoot over jagged rocks. He avoided it for almost an entire day before finally succumbing to nature’s call! It is also very expensive and once it has reached its absorbency max, a pool of urine will collect on the bottom of the pan. Also, it is very noisy compared to all the other litters I tried. I definitely won’t be buying this one again.

Feline Pine

This litter is made from pine pellets and unlike the clay and crystal litters this one is biodegradable. That means it is much friendlier on the environment and doesn’t end up sitting for decades in landfills the way traditional litters to. It doesn’t scoop quite as well as the clumping litter, but it is flushable so there is no waste. You can also use it as mulch. Also there isn’t any dust which makes it healthier for both cats and humans. Another thing I loved about this litter was the odor control. When I used this litter, I never once smelled the cat box! There was no indication that a cat lived in my house whatsoever! On top of that it is much lighter than traditional clay litters so lugging it from the grocery store to the car, up the stairs, etc…is a snap. Another bonus is that it only takes a thin layer on the bottom of the litter pan to do the job. Over time the pellets dissolve and become like sawdust which is very soft on the cat’s feet and it fills the pan. One bag of this litter lasts forever.

Swheat Scoop

Like Feline Pine this litter is biodegradable and can be flushed down the toilet or used in the flower garden as mulch. Whereas Feline Pine is made from pine this litter is made from wheat. My cat seemed to tolerate this litter, but preferred the pine. Odor control is better than clay, but not as good as the crystal or pine. This litter doesn’t last as long as the Feline Pine or the Tidy Cat and is a little pricey, but it is gentile on the earth. One drawback is that sometimes when it mixes with the cat urine it gets stuck to the sides of the pan making cleaning a chore.

The final analysis

Choosing a cat litter is about many factors including: price, environmental impact, dust, scoopability, ease of clean-up, odor control etc…but in the end it comes down to personal preference.

My top choice by far was the Feline Pine. It worked well, had good odor control, was economical and perhaps most importantly my cat liked it. After all, no matter how good a litter is, it isn’t worth anything if your cat won’t use it.