Tips for Choosing the Right Cat Litter

1 The Main Types of Cat Litter

Litters sold today come in many forms: bentonite, plant-based, crystal (silica) gel, eco-friendly paper, and more. The three most common are bentonite, plant-based, and crystal (silica) litter.

Most of the world’s bentonite comes from Chifeng, China. Many bentonite products use fancy names with ‘stone’ or ‘rock’ in them, but they are essentially the same material in different shapes — just white-grey spherical or crushed granules.

2 Bentonite Litter and the Dust Problem

Many owners chase ‘dust-free’ bentonite, but that is unrealistic. Naturally, the better the clumping, the more dust there is — relatively more, though not unacceptably so. Yet to claim ‘dust-free,’ many bentonite litters add large amounts of chemical binders to improve clumping.

Cats lick their paws every day, especially after the litter box or meals. Residue between the toes gets licked in, carrying those chemical binders into the body. That is why choosing a pure, natural litter is so important for your cat’s health.

3 Tofu (Plant) and Crystal (Silica) Litter

In the early 2000s, seeking eco-friendliness, Japan developed the world’s first plant-based litter from soybean pulp — what we call tofu litter. Its advantages are that it is flushable and, in its unscented form, purely natural; the drawback is clumping slightly weaker than bentonite.

Because some tofu litters deodorize poorly, makers add various chemical fragrances — peach, green tea, banana — to mask the smell of waste. These are all artificial scents and are hard on a cat’s kidneys. Crystal (silica) litter is, in truth, just silica gel: purely chemical with nothing natural. It is cheap (catteries often use it because it can be washed and reused), but if eaten it sends a cat straight to the hospital and can cause ‘silicosis’ — dust-related lung disease.

4 How to Use Cat Litter Properly

Many people skimp and add only about a centimeter of litter, then a single pee glues everything to the tray and they blame the litter. The correct method: pour a depth of 5 to 7 cm, scoop daily, and change the whole box every week or two. The deeper the layer, the more economical it is. Also, there is no need to buy a giant litter box — that just wastes litter. A cat only needs about two-thirds of its body inside the box to do its business.