IndexArticles
16th Dec 2008
Kitty litter duty is never the favourite part of a person’s life with their cat. However, a little insight into the functions of the various kitty litters currently on the market can make living in the same house as a litter tray far more congenial.
The choice of kitty litter is a very personal one: it’s a matter of finding one that kitty likes to use, is easy to clean out, fits into the household budget, and is easy on the nose once in use.
With all kitty litter, it’s necessary to remove solid waste as soon as it has been deposited, to minimise odour and also to encourage your cat to continue patronising the tray. Even so, fastidiously clean cats may prefer a tray for ‘number ones’ and a tray for ‘number twos’.
In multi-cat households, it’s vital to have a tray for each cat plus an additional one, in order to avoid problems and keep all the cats happy.
Hygiene for the owner is also of the utmost importance when dealing with kitty litter: thorough hand washing with soap and warm water afterwards is crucial.
It is advisable to wear gloves, especially for pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems.
There are basically two categories of kitty litter: clumping and non-clumping, with an enormous selection available in both types. Here’s a brief overview of the main options:
Recycled Paper (e.g. Breeder’s Choice) – Will need a daily change and is excellent for all cats; perfect for kittens too. It is very light-weight and is 100% environmentally friendly. While it doesn’t inhibit odours, only using a light covering in the tray to enable the cat a good scratch around, and then tossing all litter each day makes it a great hygienic choice for owners who prefer a complete change daily.
Wooden Products (e.g. OzPet Litter) – Also 100% environmentally friendly, this litter is ideally used with sifting litter trays to enable its full potential, and is suitable for cats and kittens alike. If used correctly, it’s excellent for inhibiting odours and is relatively inexpensive. A cup or two of dry litter goes into the base, with four cups placed into the top sifter part. When the cat passes urine, the wet litter breaks down, sifting into the bottom section, and thereby leaving the top dry for kitty’s feet. Used with the appropriate tray, changing and cleaning may be done weekly, although some owners choose to clean it out daily.
Silica Gel /Crystals / Litter Pearls (e.g. Litta-Beads) – Not recommended for kittens because they sometimes eat the product, with a risk of choking. However, for adult cats, this is an ideal litter. It absorbs the urine and odour very well for around three weeks, at which stage thorough cleaning of the tray is essential to remove the ammonia whiff left behind by the urine-soaked crystals stuck to the base.
Clumping litter (e.g. Katz-Loo) – Not suitable for use with kittens as they may eat the litter. If you have a dog likely to ‘snack’ at the litter tray (a disgusting common problem within mixed cat and dog households!), avoid clumping litter as it can cause intestinal problems. This litter is usually heavy, and is unsuitable for flushing. Only some have odour inhibitors. The tray needs to be quite full, and as the cat ‘goes’, the litter clumps around the waste to form a ball, with that section easily scooped out. The tray will require topping up after scooping, and should be changed regularly.
There are some new light-weight, flushable clumping litters available now, of varying origin, and while they generally have improved odour control, they don’t clump sufficiently causing some used particles to remain in the clean litter following scooping.
Bentonite (e.g. Home Brand): The original kitty litter - relatively heavy litter, doesn’t absorb well, has no odour inhibitors, is not flushable, and does mean a smelly tray unless it is changed daily. Its only benefit is that it’s inexpensive.
If you have a cat that perches on a corner of the tray, a lighter litter is not suitable as it’s too easy for the cat to tip the entire tray plus contents over!
Avoid mixing the various types of kitty litter (unless you are introducing a new litter to a fussy cat) as they have varying properties, and combining a couple could cancel out the benefits of both.
Litter trays will always need a good clean between changes of litter. Dr Caroline Astley of ‘The Cat Clinic’ recommends daily changes of litter along with daily cleaning. If using a clumping litter, Dr Astley stresses that it is important to do a complete litter change and tray clean weekly as a minimum. A good mild soap is suitable, but ideally use diluted (1:30) household bleach. Rinse it out well afterwards and allow the tray to dry in the sun, if possible. Avoid disinfectants containing ammonia as the cat will smell it and consider its tray unclean because of the aromatic similarity to its own urine.
Often it will simply be a case of trial and error before you find that perfect litter for both you and your cat.
© Paws & Claws Magazine 2008
