An indispensable item for any indoor cat is kitty litter. Although cats naturally bury their waste and pee, some cat owners have specific preferences for the kind of litter their cats should use. There are currently a variety of solutions available to absorb urine and allow cats to continue their natural habitat of burying waste. In the past, the sole option for doing so was clay cat litter. The kind of litter that you or the cat like may depend on a number of criteria, including cost, odor management, dust content, absorbency, clumping ability, availability for purchase, aroma (or lack thereof), and others.
Some people will also use temporary cat litter substitutes they happen to discover lying around their homes, along with the following forms of cat litter: Various materials, such as dirt, sawdust, shavings of wood, moss, sand, and various smaller animal beddings, have been utilized. Nevertheless, these products are not suitable for long-term use for cats due to issues with dust, odor, parasites, and other issues.
Different Types of Cat Litter
Some people will also use temporary cat litter substitutes they happen to discover lying around their homes, along with the following forms of cat litter: Various materials, such as dirt, sawdust, shavings of wood, moss, sand, and various smaller animal beddings, have been utilized. Nevertheless, these products are not suitable for long-term use for cats due to issues with dust, odor, parasites, and other issues.
Different Types of Cat Litter
How much your cat will use and enjoy the litter is a crucial factor to take into account. Certain types of litter can cause many cats to stop using them and go outside the litter box. This is obviously not a perfect solution for anyone; therefore, your cat's tastes may ultimately determine the type of cat litter you choose to buy.
1 - Clay.
Clay cat litter has been around the longest and is typically the most economical option. Clay cat litter comes in a variety of compositions, such as low-dust, low-tracking, multi-cat, portable, and unscented, such as Tidy Cats Free and Clear. It can also be non-clumping.
2 - Wheat Litter
Though it is made of processed wheat, wheat litter is an environmentally beneficial substitute for clay litter, much like pine litter is. It is flushable, clumps, and aids in odor control. The ground-up, granular product typically has no additional dyes or scents. A cat that urinates over wheat litter can be scooped from the box because it transforms into a material similar to sawdust.
3 - Crystal/Silica
Crystal cat litters, which are made of silica gel, do not clump, but they do collect urine and retain smell. While many crystal litters are made to be extremely soft, others have a harsh texture that cats may not enjoy. Litter of this kind is incredibly light.
4 - Grass litter
4 - Grass litter
Grass litter is an alternative natural substitute for regular clay cat litter, although it is less widely available than most other alternatives. It's a dried, biodegradable grass seed litter with a similar appearance to maize or pine litter. It usually doesn't contain dyes or additional chemicals that many cat owners prefer to avoid, and it clumps so that excrement may be scraped out. In addition, it has less dust by nature and is lighter and softer than clay litter.
5 - Paper
Paper pellets are used to make paper cat litter, which is highly absorbent but does not clump. This kind of litter is produced by numerous brands using recycled paper. Although paper litter is low-tracking by nature, not all cats enjoy the pelleted litter's texture.
6 - Corn litter
Corn litter is an additional natural kitty litter choice. It remains a biodegradable alternative, even though it is available in scented varieties. It is made of dried corn kernels, clumps, and absorbs urine. It is also lighter than clay litter. Certain varieties of maize litter are also available with cat attractants included.
Reduced clumping ability and mold growth, particularly aflatoxins, which are easily produced by corn, are some issues with corn litter. Although some companies claim their litters are safe and most pet owners have never experienced a problem with maize litter, a few pet parents choose to avoid it altogether because aflatoxins can be fatal to pets.
Although cat owners have noted a decrease in the clumping of maize litter, the majority still view it as functional.
7 - Wood/Pine
Cat litter made of wood can either be non-clumping (pellets) or clumping (soft). Similar to paper litter, pelleted wood litter is created from wood shavings, like pine. Cat litter made of wood or pine has a lovely, natural scent and is highly absorbent.
8 - Walnut Shell Litter
Walnut shell liters are now one more choice for natural kitty litter. In comparison to clay litter, these entirely walnut shells are highly absorbent, effectively regulate odors, and also form clumps. This kind of organic cat litter is particularly tempting because it produces less dust, but based on the amount that a cat kicks it around, some types appear to release red or brown dust. Cat litter made of walnut shells has a granular texture and decomposes naturally. Some pet owners even believe that this kind of litter endures longer in their homes than other types they've tried.
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