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Which cat litter type is best ​for cats?

Dr Jo Lewis MRCVS  |   13 Sep 2021   |  5 min read        
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The best cat litter to buy your cat is quite simply the one that has the most natural properties when approached from your cat's perspective. They're answering a "call of nature" after all, so this is one area of our cats' lives where we can, and need to, keep things as close as possible to an authentic, natural feline toileting experience.

So that means choosing a cat litter that has the following features:
  • Is not scented - so that's a big fat NO to anything that you think smells nice like fields of lavender or baby powder or anything else that's been artificially added to the litter. But it's also a NO to litter that smells like what it's made of - so for example, wood based litters can smell strongly of wood oils (cats don't tend to like pine oils for instance). Newspaper cat litters smell of surprise, surprise newspaper dye - I'm not happy with my cats delicate little bodies being exposed to high levels of ink or wood oils every time they answer a call of nature.
  • Is soft on paws - cat paws and pads are highly sensitive areas, so the finer and more sand-like a cat litter is a better choice than for instance large hard crystals or pellets that look like poultry feed.
  • Forms clumps with any liquid waste your cat passes - a good clumping litter allows you to remove all of the urine as well as faeces every time you scoop. You do need to put a lot more litter in the tray, but it means that you have empty out all the litter, wash and replace it far less frequently so it's more economical and easy to keep the tray clean longer term. Most importantly though it helps keep the tray smelling fresher for both you & your discerning feline - essential if you have more than one cat or want to stop or prevent house soiling.​ 
  • Is not too dusty - cat litter dust gets aerosolised and inhaled when you've just emptied a new bag of litter and when cat's dig in it. Some litters are worse than others and some get worse when they have been overused and are overdue being disposed of. This dust gets all over their feet and faces and in sensitive areas like eyes and inhaled into airways. It can lead to conjunctivitis, coughing and wheezing. It's especially concerning in cats with asthma (eg Siameses) but isn't great for any cat being so close to the litter and sniffing being part of the prelude to each litter tray performance.
  • Has antiviral properties against Feline Coronavirus (FCoV - not Covid-19!!). If you have multiple cats and any of them carry or are known to shed feline coronavirus (FCoV) in their faeces, then there is recent evidence to suggest that Fuller's earth litter (a bentonite clay based cat litter) is better at deactivating the virus and reducing transmission between cats. This type of clay-based cat litter tends to be dusty, but a relatively dust-free US brand called Dr Elsey's Cat Attract cat litter fared the best in the particular study which you can read in the Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery, 2020. The big problem is the cost and availability here in the UK.​ ​

Which litters do you recommend trying?

No cat litter seems to meet all these requirements in my opinion, but I find that World's Best Cat Litter seem to make the best clumping corn-based cat litter (the clue's in the name!) and the Catsan Ultra Cat Litter is the best clumping clay-based litter. 
Corn-based litter
​for multi-cat households
Corn-based litter
​for single cat households
Clay-based litter
for single or mult-cat households

Are there any safety issues to think about with cat litter?

Never use clumping cat litter with young kittens < 12 weeks of age or for other curious cats that have shown prior tendencies to eat strange things. When eaten, the clumping cat litter binds together into clumps within the moist digestive tract which can cause fatal blockages of the gut, especially in young kittens.

Always make sure cat litter is stored in a cool dry location and that you have purchase it from a reputable supplier. This is particularly important with grain-based cat litters (eg corn/maize ones) because when stored in warm, moist conditions they can harbour fungal spores and mycotoxins called aflatoxins, which can have serious health implications for your cat. One more reason to turnover and scoop the litter in the box regularly (several times a day) so that warm urine-soaked litter is not left to fester! Open topped litter boxes may allow for cooler, better ventilated litter. Consider whether there is a better place to locate your cat litter box than in a moist bathroom environment or next to a heat source.

** Important info about changing your litter box setup! **

Don't forget that if you're making any changes with your cat's litter box or tray set up (including the litter itself), always offer the new option along side the old one so that your cat can get used to the new one over a week or so. It will look, smell and feel different and they need time to adapt to its presence.

​Sudden changes can result in your cat deciding to "cross their legs" and put off going to the toilet. This can trigger a medical crisis or potentially lead to a decision to toilet somewhere else in your home so it's vital you make any changes not matter how small, very gradual.

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