WOOD SHAVINGS – A DIY option for many woodworkers or crafters, wood shavings are a perfect replacement for cat litter. It's also biodegradable so you can use it in your garden beds. The biggest issue with this using wood shavings are making sure the type of wood you use is safe for cats.
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.
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.
What Type of Litter Is Best for Your Cat? The best choice is biodegradable litter because they are made from materials that are safe for cats and the environment. Biodegradable litters include cat litter made from corn cobs, pine pellets, or wheat straw; sand; and paper-based (non-clumping) clumping litters.
How Often Should You Change the Cat Litter? If you use a clumping litter, it's best to scoop the box daily and change it out completely at least monthly. If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks.
“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.
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.
Silica litter prevents bacteria with crystals that absorb urine and help dehydrate feces, making your cat's litter box too dry to sustain any growth. This helps prevent kidney problems and UTIs in cats. Environmentally, silica litters will biodegrade and are non-toxic, making them a better choice than clay.
By nature, cats are fastidious animals who obsess about keeping their fur and paws clean. So the idea of using a filthy restroom is just as repulsive to them as it is to us.
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.
Elsey's is 99.9 percent dust-free and formulated with multi-cat homes in mind. (And, if you have more than one cat, you need more than one litter box.)
Dr. Elsey's Premium Clumping Cat Litter - Ultra - 99.9% Dust-Free, Low Tracking, Hard Clumping, Superior Odor Control, Unscented & Natural Ingredients.
Cats can develop painful kidney infections, bladder infections, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections if their litter boxes are not kept clean. The vets at Anasazi Animal Clinic recommend daily scooping and weekly litter changes to best protect your cat's health.
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.
CatSpot Non-Clumping Litter: Coconut Cat Litter, All-Natural, 100% Organic, Biodegradable, Lightweight & Dust-Free (Non-Clumping, 2 Bags)
Litter Box
If I'm gone for more than 1 week, then I put out 2 clean, full litter boxes before I leave. I fill each one with non-clumping litter, and then just dump both boxes when I get back. This is my litter box setup for trips longer than 1 week. I fill both up with fresh litter before I leave.
While some cats follow their owners to the bathroom and don't understand the concept of privacy, many are still wary of who's watching when they go to the toilet themselves. Some cats will do their business solely outside, others might do a bit of both, perhaps preferring a warmer toilet in the winter months.
Scoop waste daily. How often you replace the litter depends on the number of cats you have, the number of litter boxes and the type of litter you use. Twice a week is a general guideline for replacing clay litter, but depending on your circumstances, you may need to replace it every other day or only once a week.