Getting the Right Cat Litter

Cat litter box is a must if you own a cat because that is the place where your cat can urinate and defecate instead of doing it all over the house.

Cat litter is the material that is used in litter boxes or trays to absorb urine and moisture from feces. By doing so it helps to reduce any odors. Earlier, cat litter boxes used to be filled by sand, but today a lot more absorbent materials are available on the market. Cat litter generally consists of super absorbent clay minerals, able to absorb their weight in water.

When choosing a litter, consider its health and environmental effects and also your cat's preferences. They may not be aware if their litter is going to a landfill, but they may be finicky about how their litter smells and feels. Your cat will tell you they don't like it by their behavior, so if you are having problems in this area, a switch of the type of litter you are using may solve it.

There are several different types of cat litter available on the market today. The most popular types are:

1. Traditional clay based cat litter: This is the most common kind used and available at present. The clay minerals used are very absorbent and helps prevent cat urine odors. This clay provides odor control, but additional products can be added to control super cat urine odors. The disadvantage of clay based litter is that it needs to be replaced frequently.
2. Scooping / clumping cat litter: This litter consist of bentonite clay. The benefit of clumping litter is that it does not need to be changed as often as traditional clay based litter. Bentonite clay clumps together when it is moist, therefore the cat owner can easily replace only the soiled litter. The whole contents of the cat litter box also needs to be replaced on occasion but not nearly as frequently as the traditional type.
3. Crystal based / Silica gel cat litter: This type offers improved cat urine odor control. Crystal based cat litter has the highest moisture absorbency and when stirred regularly, it only needs to be replaced once a month. The disadvantages of crystal based type is that it is often difficult to see when it needs changing and a puddle of urine will appear at the bottom of the litter box. The crystals form lumps which can be messy when it accidentally rolls underneath furniture. Some cats even refuse to use the crystal based type because of the lumpy texture and some cat owners fear that it might be unhealthy for their cat to lick its paws after using its litter box.
4. Plant derived / Bio-degradable cat litter: Advantages of bio-degradable type are that is easy to flush and is environment friendly. Bio-degradablelitter cannot be harmful to your cat's health and is low in dust thus ideal for asthmatic cats. This type can be made of wheat, peanut shells, wood shavings, corn cobs and other natural products. The disadvantage of the bio-degradable type is the cost.

Cat litter boxes or trays are containers that are placed in a cat owner's home. Cat litter boxes are made of a non-absorbent material like plastic and filled with absorbent litter. The most common kind of litter boxes are plastic litter trays. Other enclosed cat litter boxes varieties are also available. Plastic liners can be used to line trays. This makes it easier to empty. Cat litter trays with built in mechanisms that helps you empty the litter can also be purchased.