Cat Litter
Making the Right Choice

In days gone by, before the advent of commercial cat litter brands, cat owners used large, flat cardboard boxes filled with garden soil, river sand or ashes. Whilst this sufficed, there was obviously a need for a more hygienic scoopable litter box filler that required less frequent changing.

In an ideal world, your cat would probably prefer relieving itself in the privacy of a secluded, escape-proof garden with ample dry, soft grainy soil. Their natural instinct is to dig a hole, deposit urine and feces and then cover it up. Cats are meticulously clean, so a 'toilet' of this size would satisfy their hygiene needs and also disguise their whereabouts from other inquisitive cats. So, in our opinion - this is the best cat litter box.

Enter Kitty Litter! In the 1940's the first, non-clumping clay cat litter was introduced by Edward Lowe. The discovery happened quite by chance, when a customer enquired whether their company, who produced industrial absorbents, had anything that she could use for her feline's litter tray..........

Today there are a plethora of brands available. Each has its pros and cons. It is our intension to provide you with sufficient information on the cat products out there and for you to decide what good cat care is.

We have spoken to many breeders, veterinarians and have read much on this subject and this, combined with our own experience, we are able to provide you with valuable information that will assist you in choosing the best cat litter.

TYPES OF CAT LITTER

CONSIDERATIONS

• The effect the product will have on your cat's health
• Your cats preference
• The effect the product will have on the environment
• The effect on your health and that of your family

Whilst researching the subject we realized that every cat-lover should have a criteria for judging and selecting a cat box filler:

FELINE LITTER NEEDS TO BE:

• the right texture and consistency and needs to mimic natural sand as close as possible
• made from a substance that keeps dry and clean and is easy to dig in
• scoopable, meaning it doesn't break up when you remove it from the cat box
• free of artificial dyes
• odorless meaning that it should be free of perfume and chemicals. (Keep the litter box clean and there is no need for deodorizers).
• biodegradable, environmentally friendly, preferably made from a renewable resource and should be flushable
• dust-free or dust should be at an absolute minimum (prevent respiratory problems and reduces tracking)

• the right weight and texture to reduce tracking. (the lighter and fluffier it is, the more tracking you will have)
• easy to maintain and clean.
• safe and not cause adverse health problems
• from a reputable company that labels their brand and lists the ingredients
• easily accessible and available in trial packs to allow you to experiment with and find the right product for your cat
• affordable

Following the above tips will almost certainly prevent a common complaint we hear, that of: cat not using litter box!

Cat urine odor is unpleasant - Here is some excellent advice on how to deal with the problem.