Getting to the Bottom of the Matter with Cat Litter…
Well for starters it’s one of those basic things we all love to hate, but need all the same! Yes, life without finding the right kitty litter for you and your cat can be hellish, as can not getting the right cat litter box! But what to choose and why? With so many products on the market I thought I’d try my best and look at them all in an objective way and share my findings with all my kitten/cat owner friends.
You see not every cat will appreciate the same sort of cat litter; neither will they all like the same type of litter box. Taking your kitten/cats personality, likes and dislikes into consideration and working with your cat to find the best possible product for your own unique cat and situation is one of the qualities that mark out a great cat owner! The same goes with choosing cat food products, beds, toys etc.
One thing to watch out for is a cat who suddenly goes off using their litter box, if you’ve changed nothing and the litter is the same as ever your kitten/cat could well be telling you they’re stressed or ill. Therefore always check any urine found outside the litter box for signs of blood in it (it’ll look a little rusty when soaked up into a white paper towel), if you ever notice this sign take your cat to the Vets as they are quite possibly suffering from FLUTD. As with any new problem you need to have a proper diagnosis first to be sure. If the problem is defecation outside the litter box, this too needs referring to your Vet as it could be caused by any number of medical conditions.
Heading in the Right Direction:
As anyone who shares their house with a cat knows, if your cat isn't happy with the litter you’ve so kindly provided there is nothing you can do to make them use it! For starters cat litter comes in a startling number of formats categories:
- Regular Clay
- Clumping Clay
- Plant/Plant By Product
- Wood
- Paper
- Silica
- Medicated – Clay with a Ph Indicator included in the product
However these can really be narrowed down fast into just three basic categories:
Clay Regular or Clumping & Medicated – Fuller’s Earth Type: This litter type absorbs fluid very well, control odours and is generally inexpensive and economical to use. There are some brands that contain antibacterial agents and many that have additives that absorb, neutralize or mask odours. The downside is cat litter of this type is usually quite heavy and therefore hard to carry if you require a large amount. If solid wastes aren't scooped daily and the litter isn't totally replaced on a regular basis, odour and box avoidance can become a problem, especially if you have a multi-cat household. Additionally the more highly scented varieties can put cats off, even if they’re clean!
The clumping formula clay generally contains sodium bentonite, which is a form of clay that swells and forms hard clumps when in contact with fluids. This makes it better for a multi-cat household as it keeps odour down better than it’s non-clumping relative, it also is easier to remove used litter making changing the box completely necessary a little less often – but only if you take out the lumps and other solid waste on a daily basis. It is thought that when a cat washes their feet following using this sort of litter and therefore ingests some of it, that health issues can occur but as yet there is no conclusive evidence of this. Still I wouldn’t recommend it’s use for any kitten as their smaller digestive systems are more likely to be affected if that is the case. As will all clay types it is non-flushable.
With both types of this variety of cat litter, you will find that tracking and dust are problems as well. The finer the grade, the more a litter will track around your house and furnishings. Again fine clay dust billows up when you’re changing the cat litter – not a good thing if you’re asthmatic or have any form of breathing problems or for that matter if your cat does. While some brands are formulated to be “dust-free”, few clay cat litters ever live up to that claim.
Pelleted/Granular Sawdust, Plant Based or Paper Type: This group of environmentally friendly, biodegradable, cat litters from renewable sources such as wood, alfalfa, wheat and corn by-products and recycled News Paper, is growing all the time for obvious reasons. Firstly they cause less impact on the environment, they’re biodegradable and in many cases you can flush the litter and solid waste you clean out daily without risking your plumbing! Most come in a pelleted or granular format and on the whole cause less dust than the traditional clay types of cat litter, although there is still an issue with tracking. They tend to weigh less per bag than the more traditional clay too, certainly a boon for anyone with a bad back or a long way to carry it.
There are even a small number of brands of this type of litter that come in a clumping formula now, offering you the environmentally sounder option, while cutting down the number of full litter box changed you need to do on a regular basis and assisting in keeping tracking to a minimum! While some manufacturers say these litters can be composted, it is unsuitable to do so in your average household compost as you run the risk of spreading diseases like toxoplasmosis. In commercial compost sites where much higher temperatures are reached, this is not a problem.
Silica Gel Type: This is the newest type of cat litter to hit the market. It consists of small round particles of biodegradable silica gel, not unlike clear round beads to look at. It absorbs fluid completely so there's no need to scoop out clumps of urine; although you still need to remove solid waste regularly (this can be flushed). The pellets are very lightweight compared with other forms of cat litter and absorb odours very well – in fact odour is virtually eliminated as long as you remove the solid waste and stir the litter every now and then.
When the pellets turn yellow, you simply replace all the old litter with new. The biggest downside is cost, and the fact that some cats don't like the texture of it. Silica doesn’t track like other cat litter, but you do get beads of it bouncing out of the litter pan, although manufacturers are addressing this problem by introducing a new and slightly flattened shape of silica gel bead, which may reduce this problem considerably.
Now you’ve got your kitty litter needs sorted, it’s time to look at what is available to put it in – in other words it’s time to look at cat litter boxes in depth! Again not all cats will like the same thing…
The thing to consider first is how old and how big is your kitten/cat? With a kitten, you'll need a litter box that is shallow enough for them to get in and out of easily. A kitten’s first litter box need only be about 3” deep. Though as your kitten grows, you should buy a deeper pan to help prevent them from tipping litter out of the box onto your nice clean floor!
When your kitten is big enough, you can then explore the vast number of choices available; basic litter trays, ones with special edges, hooded ones with and without doors, or even those high tech and very expensive cleaning systems now available.
The Basic Litter Box: This tried and trusted model is as simple as it gets! A basic rectangular plastic pan with no-frills. These work for most any cat or kitten depending on the size and depth of box – they cost very little and come in a nice variety of colours these days.
The Rimmed Box: Like the basic litter tray, but with a removable plastic rim that attaches to the lip of the box. The rim is good for holding litter tray liners in place (if you use them) and also helps to prevent your cat from scattered litter. Not that expensive and a great alternative if your cat doesn’t like an enclosed box, but still insists on attempting to build some grand design out of litter every time they use it!
The Covered or Hooded Box: Again like the basic litter box, but this time with removable dome that covers it, and sometimes a door, to keep your cat from tipping litter out of the box. They help contain odours and can hold a litter tray liner in place (if you want). These boxed offer your cat a feeling of privacy, which many cats desire when using the litter box. They help keep urine and faeces inside the box and prevent accidents, even urine sprayed on the hood walls drip back into the box to make cleanup easier.
Some of these hooded boxes come with a ventilating grill at the top and a replaceable carbon filter that helps to trap and control odours, although there are also more advanced filtering systems out there on some litter boxes, including one I’ve heard of with its own built-in air purifier! These boxes are very effective and not that expensive if you look around.
However, all that makes a hooded litter box wonderful can make it wrong for your cat if they tend to feel trapped in confined areas. If this is the case and you have the doored variety, try taking the door off and seeing if that helps the situation before running out for a different type of litter box – sometimes that’s all your cat will need!
The Lift and Sift Box: Mostly these are like your basic litter tray, but with two basic litter trays and a sifter section to clean the box, though some now come with removable hoods too. The sifting section rests inside the litter tray; you then pour the litter on top. When you need to clean the box after use, you simply lift out the sifting tray, taking with it the solid wastes and leaving behind clean litter. After emptying the sifting tray, you put it into the second box and pour the cleaned litter from the first box into the second and placing your now-empty first box on the bottom of the stack ready to use again. All this does is eliminates the need to scoop; the thing is it will only work with certain types of litter. Another version if this type tilts or rotates to sift the clumps and deposit them into a basket or receptacle for removal, again it only works with certain types of cat litter.
The Multi-Purpose Box: Basically this is a covered litter box that looks like something else, a fake plant in a pot or a piece of furniture. While they’re aesthetically pleasing and virtually invisible if you don’t know what you’re looking for, and provide numerous other features – they are after all just an expensive cat litter box.
The Self-Cleaning Litter Box: These are the latest thing in cat litter boxes, running either from the mains or via batteries; they are yet again limited to what cat litter you can use with them (the clumping clay type only).
At the end of the day it often comes down to something as simple as location, just as in when you pick a new place to dwell. If your cats litter box is in an unsuitable location there is very little hope of their using it both happily and consistently.
For instance, if you place your cats litter box too close to their food and water, your cat may well avoid the box. Just like you, your cat doesn’t like to eat and eliminate in the same area! If the box is inconveniently located, your cat may find it too much trouble to get there, or may not be able to reach it fast enough. If the box is located where your cat has to brave some stressor to get there, again they may find a safer place to eliminate – even if it’s not a place you’d choose for them to do so.
Place your cats litter box in an area that allows for privacy, but is convenient for you to reach for cleaning. Some people prefer keeping the box in the bathroom, but in a multi-cat household that can get crowded as you really need one litter box per cat or higher. Again this rule of thumb does depend of the size of litter box you’re talking about too. If you’re using small litter boxes you’ll always need to provide more than if you have larger ones. Take time to think this all out and you’ll eventually find what works best for you and your kitten/cats!
Litter Box Care...
It's vitally important to take proper care of what ever litter box you and your cat decide upon. Since cats have a highly developed sense of smell and an instinctive desire for cleanliness, a dirty litter box can make any cat turn up her nose and look for a new litter spot. So clean the box often! Scoop out the soiled litter and solid waste at least once a day, depending upon your cat's preferences and the number of cats and boxes you have. Change the litter entirely as needed and clean the box down with a pet safe disinfectant designed for the job, such as Clean ‘n’ Safe by Johnsons. Remember when doing this to clean the hoods, scoops, and any other accessories as well. Using stronger smelling or non-pet safe chemicals may well put your cat off using their litter box, as well as risking poisoning them if they come in contact with chemical residue from the cleaning product used.
Plastic will eventually become scratched and pick up odours that won't come out no matter how much you clean them, or what you clean them with. When this is the case it’s time for a new litter tray.
Lastly, if you have trouble remembering to clean the litter box set up a regular cleaning schedule and stick to it! This will help prevent any “unpleasant” surprises turning up…
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