Kitty (G)Litter

I always joked that if I was a burlesque dancer my name would be Kitty Glitter and after my performance I would throw glitter on everyone because I'm obnoxious. But seriously ~ let's talk cat litter!

A few blogs ago I wrote about The "Business" of Litter Boxes, but now you'll need to figure out what kind of litter to use. There's a big variety out there and usually it's your cat's behavior that will tell you which one works for them. The best one is the one that they use!

The most popular type of litter is clumping clay. So when your kitty does their business, you'll see where, because it will be absorbed by the clay and clump. The clumps make it easy to scoop out. If you can scoop it, then you don't have to throw out all the litter in the box. You can scoop and add more new litter.

Tidy Cats Clumping Litter is what our cats prefer. The bucket is pretty heavy, but you can use it for a ton of things once it's empty ~ mop bucket, storage bin, flip it over for a step stool, use your imagination! I have a stack of them in my basement. It also come in a smaller size, but it's less upcycle-able.

The non-clumping clay litter is exactly what it sounds like. It's litter cats can go in that doesn't clump. The cats will still bury their waste but it won't be a clump. It can be a little harder to scoop because you have to dig to find it. I've read that this is the kind that cats prefer. I'm going to stick to the Tidy Cats clumping simply because it works for me and my kitties. Many brands make non-clumping, Tidy Cats and Fresh Step come to mind.

Crystal litter seems a little odd. I've never used it for my cats. It's made of silicone that absorbs the pee for up to a month, but you still have to scoop poop out of the box. Once the crystals are done absorbing, pee can pool at the bottom of the box. That just sounds gross to me.

The most popular crystal brand is Fresh Step.

They make a recycled paper type of cat litter that's very eco-friendly and dust free. You can buy it as pellets like Yesterday's News brand or DIY newspaper litter yourself! We tried a brand called Okocat, but it didn't work for Ginger. When we started using it, she stopped eating in protest. Once we switched back she went back to eating again. Rest assured, cats will tell you through their behavior if something isn't right.

There's a pine litter that's made of pressed wood pulp. It comes in clumping and non-clumping vaieties and can be flushed. It's a natural alternative and typically makes less dust. It's usually more expensive and harder to find.  (But check your local county, in Erie County you can't flush animal feces.)

The most popular pine brand is Feline Pine.

sWheat Scoop litter is made of wheat, yes wheat. It's biodgradeable, absorbs, and is flushable. Had I known about this before my cats decided on Tidy Cats, I would have tried it.

The Blue Naturally Fresh kind is made from walnut shells. It absorbs and clumps just like regular litter. the only downside I've heard it that it's dark brown, so a little harder to see the soiled litter. Huh, who knew walnut shells?

I'd stay away from the corn based ones simply because corn and moisture don't mix well and could create mold leading to aflatoxin.

There's a newly developed - within the past three years - health aware cat litter called Pretty Litter . When your cat does it's business in the silicone litter, it will change color to indicate if your cat has health problems. I don't think the litter would be too "pretty" if my cat wasn't feeling well.

Bag of Pretty Litter.

How much litter should you place in the box? Rule of thumb is at least two inches. Make sure to scoop it at least once a day and "dump" the old litter about every two weeks. (pun intended) If the box consistently stinks it's time to wash it out and clean it. Make sure if your kitty is new to your environment, you introduce it to the litter box. Take your cat to where the box is located, so they can find it later when they have to go.

Now that you have a box and litter, do you want a litter mat for the outside of the litter box?  I always think it's a good idea, I would recommend a rubber or plastic one that's easier to clean. Just like a doormat it can reduce the amount of kitty g-litter or dirt that gets tracked around the house.

Found the litter your kitty likes? STICK WITH IT otherwise it could get messy ~ litter-ally.