Choosing the Right Cat Litter
Being the fussy creatures that they are, cats need a litter that they are happy with or they are likely to turn their nose up at it altogether and eliminate in a spot of their choosing somewhere else in your home.
Generally there are 2 types of cat litter – clumping and non-clumping.
Clumping litter is rather cleverly designed as it forms hard clumps around the urine or feces making the soiled litter easy to remove with a slotted scoop. The loose, unsoiled litter can remain in the tray to which nothing more than a quick refill is needed. This is the most common form of litter that is used by cat owners. There are downsides however, that every time the tray is scooped out or refilled, dust floats free of the litter and disperses around your home. In order to avoid breathing it in whilst you are dealing with the litter, a face mask can be worn.
Another problem is that clumped litter has a tendency to stick to your cat’s paws and therefore gets deposited around your home. Sweeping it up produces yet more dust, so regular vacuuming is needed. Placing a special mat around the litter box helps minimize this problem – these can be bought at pet stores or from the vet. On rare occasions, clumping litter can actually clump on the cat itself which requires medical treatment, so if your cat is prone to squatting when going to the toilet, it may be wise to avoid clumping litter altogether.
Non-clumping litter absorbs rather than hardens into clumps so it is impossible for it to get stuck to a cat. Also it is heavier and larger and more difficult to be deposited around your house via your cat’s paws. It also creates far less dust. The downsides however are that the absorption of urine makes the litter box smell unless it is emptied entirely every day and refilled, but doing that would mean you would go through a large amount of litter every day and there is more work involved for you. Regular scrubs with water and soap are also required to prevent smells.
There are alternative litters such as absorbent crystals available which are designed to combat all of the problems outlined above, however be aware that your cat may not enjoy such a product and could avoid the litter tray altogether. if you are going to change the litter, make it easy on your cat by making the change gradually, mixing the old and new types of litter for a while first. Cats are creatures of habit and don’t respond well to change.
If your cat is avoiding the litter tray, it may well be due to the type of litter being used. Trial and error is sometimes required (and a lot of patience) but if the outcome is a happy cat using the litter tray, then it is well worth the effort.
