A variety of studies have found that cats prefer their litter to be soft and fine-grained. A recent study compared three types of unscented litter—wood pellets, silica microgranules, and nonclumping clay granules. Overwhelmingly, the cats chose silica and clay over the pellets.
Most clay litters have minimal dust and do not create tracking marks when cats leave the litter box. But silica crystals are completely dust-free and do not leave marks around the house because they are in bead form.
Crystal litter absorbs urine and dehydrates waste, making it five times more effective at reducing odors than other litters such as clumping clay. It is also more cost-effective as cats use less crystal litter over time.
The Type of Litter Most People Prefer
So, your cat is most likely to prefer an unscented, fine particle, clumping clay litter. Fortunately, there is no shortage of those to choose from.
A variety of studies have found that cats prefer their litter to be soft and fine-grained. A recent study compared three types of unscented litter—wood pellets, silica microgranules, and nonclumping clay granules. Overwhelmingly, the cats chose silica and clay over the pellets.
Vets often say that unscented clumping litter is best: “I always recommend unscented, clumping cat litter,” says Jim D. Carlson. “Scented litter is designed for humans, not cats. Felines have a strong sense of smell with 67 million scent receptors.
Pros: Crystal litter absorbs urine and moisture. Some brands are known to be super-absorbent and are silicon-based litters. Cons: Many cats (seniors!) are sensitive to the jagged nature of some crystal litters.
And because, unlike clay litter, crystal litter does not stick to litter box surfaces or form a hard “crust”, the cleaning process will be much quicker! Crystal litter should be changed out completely every few weeks to once a month, depending on how many cats are using the same box.
Non-clumping litter types (such as crystal) absorb more of the waste and usually require completely changing the litter at least once a week.
Cat litter with silica crystal beads are typically dust-free, which helps keep the area around your pet's litter box clean. Crystal-based litter is also effective when it comes to odour neutralizing and lasts much longer compared to other cat litter.
Crystal cat litters are extremely effective at locking in moisture and trapping faecal matter, so mould and bacteria are less likely to grow.
Compared to other types of litter, crystal cat litter tends to be neater and less messy. As for odor, crystal cat litter works well at absorbing and masking the undesirable odor of cat urine. Unlike many other litters, crystal litter only needs replacing about once every month. In addition, crystal litter is flushable.
It is recommended to scoop the feces out at least daily and stir the litter to distribute the silica to absorb the urine. When you notice the crystals are unable to absorb any more, it is time to empty out the entire box, clean it, dry it, and add fresh litter.
The crystals absorb the pee and odor without clumping, so you don't scoop urine clumps. Once a day or every other day, I stir the crystals with a scooper to evenly distribute the saturated crystals with the fresh ones. This prolongs the life of the litter and requires fewer litter changes.
What about kitty litter? Every single water authority stressed the message that no kitty litter should be flushed down the toilet. So why is kitty litter so dangerous? Kitty litter, or other materials that aren't any of the “three Ps”, can block sewer pipes.
There is no smell and clay lumps you have to discard. All you do is scoop out the poop and take the scoop and twirl around the litter.
Add baking soda to the litter: Surprisingly, baking soda is a great all-natural deodorizer that is both safe for cats and can help manage the litter box smell. By mixing a little bit of baking soda with the litter, you can help absorb any urine odors also.
We recommend pairing Feline Pine litter with a sifting litter box so that sawdust falls to the bottom and cannot be tracked around the house. Feline Pine has a natural pine scent that controls odors well, but sensitive cats may not like the woody smell.
“Cats will sometimes jump into the litter boxes and often use them while, and right after, their people have scooped them,” says Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant. “Cats love clean litter boxes, ones that are freshly scooped and don't smell of excrement.
Most notably, cat owners generally prefer clumping litter because it makes litter box cleaning easy and mess-free. Cats also often appreciate this since it means their litter box is cleaner.
Sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda to the bottom of the litter box to absorb odor. You can also buy clay cat litter containing baking soda for a similar effect. Sprinkle a cat-specific deodorizer on top of the litter to mask any unwanted smells.
It's not uncommon to see crystals in cat or dog urine. In fact, crystals are so common as to be considered normal in some pets. When the crystals become overly abundant or when abnormal types of crystals present themselves, however, they may cause problems or indicate the presence of disease.
Crystal cat litter is made from silica gel, an absorbent material that helps trap moisture and odors. Unlike some other types of litter, this one doesn't clump so you'll need to change out the whole pan of litter on a regular basis to prevent odors from forming.