Over the past year we've had the opportunity to try out a few different cat litters. The kitty litter market is ever-expanding, with litters made from a wide variety of materials such as clay, corn, silica gel crystals, recycled paper, wheat, and walnut shells. One thing I'm asked on a regular basis is why I always choose scoopable cat litter.
Growing up my mother always used non-clumping litter, and when our cat Sebastian was diagnosed with kidney disease he was urinating so much it was nearly impossible to keep his litter box clean without completely changing it on a daily basis. Once we made the switch to clumping litter I never looked back.
While everyone has their own personal opinion as to which brand makes the best scoopable cat litter, here are 4 reasons why clumping litter (regardless of the brand) is the only choice for me when I go to the pet store...
1) Ease: A quick clumping cat litter makes scooping much easier because urine is trapped in firm, tight, odor-sealing clumps that are easy to scoop. Clumping litters trap liquids before they seep to the bottom of the box, eliminating wasted time spent chiseling and scraping.
2) Cleanliness: The ability to scoop and remove soiled litter from the box means that the box stays cleaner longer. As soiled litter is removed from the box, it can simply be replenished by adding an equal amount of fresh litter. Cleaning the entire box must still be done at least once a month, but still less often than with a non-clumping litter (usually at least once a week).
3) Economical: While non-clumping litters are much less expensive on store shelves, you still end up going through more litter because during the cleaning process the entire litter pan will need to be dumped. Cats scratch to cover up their business, causing urine-soaked particles of litter to mix with the clean particles of litter, and there's no way to separate the soiled particles from the clean without starting from scratch. Our fastidious felines know there is still urine present, causing "accidents" that aren't really accidents at all...
4) Health Monitoring: So much of what's going on with our cat's health can be observed in their litter pan. Changes to urine output will be picked up on more quickly with clumping litter. For instance, frequent itty bitty clumps can indicate a UTI, larger and more numerous clumps can be an indication of illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease and thyroid issues. Having gone through all three of these diseases with my previous cats I'm hyper-sensitive about monitoring the quality and quantity of Mudpie's clumps.
Of course as with anything, the #1 determining factor as to which litter you use depends on which one your cat prefers. They do have the final say because it's their potty! Speaking from personal experience, my cats have always preferred non-scented clumping litter, and 95% of the time I'm able to scoop immediately (which they really appreciate). You would never accept using a dirty bathroom, and your cat shouldn't have to either!
Wag.com is the purrfect place to visit for all your litter box needs, and to help you save some money on potty purchases this holiday season we have a $50 gift card from them to give away! To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good luck everyone!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Nakturnal. I am being compensated for featuring this content but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Nakturnal is not responsible for the content of this article.
45 comments:
We half use scoopable litter, and half this fine silca sand that does an awesome job of absorbing! We're pretty happy with both choices.
We use clumping cat litter, whatever is cheapest. Luckily my cats aren't too picky.
We've used scoopable litter for so many years, I can hardly even remember the "old days" when the box had to be completely changed every week. What a chore that always was!
What a great post! I've also always thought that scoopable litter is the safest and cleanest way to go. My kitties like World's Best corn cat litter, a clumping kind, and so that's what I get. I'm glad they are fond of corn litter, as I have asthma and tend to have more flareups if clay litter is used. You are so right, though, in saying that the kitty gets the final say! (It seems like everything is that way around here, though...)
Thanks, Melissa. Scoopable litter is the only kind I use, too.
I usually buy Tidy Cat Scoopable litter. Thanks for the chance.
Sue B
We usually buy the Target brand of scoopable litter.
Our mom and dad agree, that they have to use a clumping / scoopable cat litter. Due to Dragonheart's asthma, we also have to be careful about dust and scents!
We are owned by two fur babies and they have expressed their preference for Clump and Seal litter. As the chief litter box cleaner I too prefer Clump and Seal since it not only is easier to clean the clumps out of but it helps with keeping the odor down. Also there is no dust when the boys are taking care of their business. Fingers crossed we are the lucky one to win.
Usually go with Tidy Cats.
I usually buy plain clay one, but I do like the Arm and Hammer scoopable.
We like the clumping litter too.
Purrs Georgia,Julie and JJ
Hope I could join the giveaway for our kitty friend.
Lily & Edward
Pawsum give away. We luv scoopable clumpin' litter. Mommy says she knows she always took care of her kitties but da memories of those no clumpin' ltters must be so bad, cuz she can't even member da litterboxes of all those kitties dat came befur. MOL We've got our paws crossed we win. We could fur sure use some more litter and other supplies. Big hugs to ya'll.
Luv ya'
Dezi and Raena
Scoopable litter is our favorite. Thanks.
I buy Swheat Litter.
Only scoopable. We switch between two brands ... one has tighter clumps and the other tracks less.
We used the store brand clumping litter from Fleet Farm.
We use scoopable litter too!
We use Tidy Cat.
We use clumping litter too. Purrs
Non-scented, clumping clay for us.
The mom says it's clumping litter for us!
I buy the clay litter that costs $4 for 25 pounds at Walmart.
We use Clump and Seal. King Jesse is very picky and will really let me know if I have to buy the wrong stuff.
Ms. Mouser likes Tidy Cat. She likes the scoopable litter.
Right now we are using okocat brand
I like using a scoopable litter for the kitties.
I've always used clumping litter and wouldn't try anything different.
Iusually get tidy cats but am always looking for different brands to try!
We use Tidy Cat scoopable/clumping kitty litter. Thanks for the giveaway.
i like the Tidy cat light weight, but i look at different ones when i shop
We mostly use Tidy Cat scoopable cat litter, but do buy other brands at times. We have three cats, and recently I had to set up a small litter box actually ON our cat tree (I found a cardboard box the little litter box fits in, covered it with plastic, and used a staplegun to attach it to the tree - and I can take the litter box out to clean it - my older girl, Moko, was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and one of the symptoms is drinking and wetting a lot and she was starting to go on the furniture - now she's using that box). We go through a LOT of cat litter.
We've always used clumping litter and I've always produced a ton of pee for someone who doesn't drink water. We used to use whatever scentless litter we could find onsale but now pretty much stick to Precious Cat although TW likes the new one at Chewy.
With 3 cats, I like Clump and Seal the best.
Always the clumping litter for multiple cats. I can't remember the brand but it comes in a giant tub with a black top.
I use an unscented scoopable clay litter. I can't use plant based litter because Jack eats it :)
We use ScoopAway scoopable litter. prizewinner (at) hotmail (dot) com
I buy Scoop Away clumping litter or Fresh Step.
Fresh step
We usually buy Dr. Elzey's Precious.
I just saw this on FB. Thanks for this opportunity. We normally use Precious litter. I agree with your points above on clumping litter. For years I used non clumping only but that was some time ago now.
We always buy Arm & Hammer!
Arm and Hammer is what we usually buy.
I am using Fresh Step
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