What is the Best Cat Litter?

What makes a particular brand or type of cat litter the best cat litter depends on factors like odor control, clumping ability, dust levels, your cat’s preferences and your preferences.  We’ll discuss several options in this post.

In this post, we’ll cover:

• • • What is the Best Cat Litter?
    • What’s in Kitty Litter?
    • How to Clean the Litter Box
    • How Often Should You Clean the Litter Box?
    • Really Cool Litter Boxes!
    • Help With Litter Box Training
    • How to Save TONS of Money on Cat Litter!

What is the Best Cat Litter?

What is in Kitty Litter?

As we’ve discussed, there are several different types of cat litters available, but most of them fall into three categories: clay-based litter, silica-based litter and biodegradable litter.

What’s in kitty litter depends on which category the litter falls into.

For more details about the ingredients in various types of cat litter, read my post, What’s in Kitty Litter? (includes video).

That post covers:

• • • What is in Cat Litter?
    • Pros and Cons of 3 Types of Cat Litter
    • Can Cat Litter Be Dangerous to Cats and Humans?
    • What is the Best Cat Litter?
    • Help with Litter Box Training

How to Clean a Cat’s Litter Box

I’m not necessarily an expert, but I have had cats all of my adult life and I’ve often been told by house guests that they would’ve had no idea I had cats because there’s no kitty litter box smell in my house at all.

So I’ll quickly share with you my tips on how to clean the litter box.

I scoop the box daily.  I keep a scoop and a tie-able plastic bag near the litter box.  I put the poop in the bag and tie it up each day, then at the end of the week I throw the bag away.

You can also get one of those small garbage cans with a lid.    You could also consider using poop bags so you can throw it away every day instead of accumulating it in a bag all week.  I also keep the small, plastic produce bags from the grocery store.  They work well and I save money on poop bags.

How to Clean the Litter Box

You should throw away any cat litter in the box and wash the box with soap and water at least monthly.  Dish soap is good.  Don’t use bleach or any strong-smelling cleaners.

Cats are extremely sensitive to smells and some may refuse to use the litter box if there’s some kind of smell.  Dish soap and warm water is sufficient.

Dry the box completely, then sprinkle some baking soda in the box (my secret ingredient).  Refill with clean cat litter.

By the way, that’s my boy, Whiskers, in the pics in this article.  In this one, he’s Mr. Long Arms LOL

How Often Should You Clean the Litter Box?

For years I had more than one cat, so I would scoop daily, then actually clean the litter box weekly.  Right now I only have one cat, Whiskers, so I don’t feel it’s necessary to clean the box weekly.  I scoop it every day, then clean it with dish soap and hot water once a month or so.

Kitty Litter Boxes

For several years I had the plant litter box shown in the picture.  It sat in the corner of my dining room and seriously, no one ever knew it was a litter box!  You can purchase it here.  

Make sure this box is big enough for your cat to easily move around in, and if you have two cats, make sure they’re both ok with using it (some cats don’t like to share a litter box).

I once purchased a self-cleaning cat litter box and I don’t recommend it.  First, it scared the crap out of my cat and second, it did a lousy job of “self-cleaning!”  For more advice about this, watch cat expert Jackson Galaxy’s video, The Truth About Automatic Litter Boxes.

But if you still want to check into those, you can find some here.

Now I’m loving the “furniture” hidden litter boxes you see in the picture.  They’re so pretty and they double as a beautiful table to hold a lamp or other decor items.  You can find those here.

And of course just a regular litter box is inexpensive and probably a cat’s favorite as it’s not covered and is easily to move around in.  You can find a nice selection of all types of litter boxes here.

For Help with Litter Box Training

One of the fastest ways to get your cat to use the litter box is to know the most common reasons why they don’t want to!  Watch my video for 5 reasons why your can’t won’t use the litter box (that’s my boy, Whiskers, on the thumbnail!):

If you’re having any difficulties with your cat not using the litter box, read my articles:

How to Stop a Cat from Urinating in the House (includes a video).  This one goes over 10 common reasons why cats won’t use the litter box.

How to Get Your Cat to Use the Litter Box (contains video)

How to Stop a Cat from Urinating on the Bed (contains video)

How to Save Money on Cat Litter

Recently I came across this video on YouTube about using wood pellets as cat litter. I’m using this method, and it’s easy and it’s saving me a ton of money.

One thing, though:  Keep some regular cat litter on hand because if your cat gets diarrhea, it’s really hard to clean up with this type of litter.  Use regular litter until they’re over the diarrhea.

Also, if your cat is declawed, pay attention to make sure they’re ok with using this wood pellet litter.  Even years later, cats can have sensitivity and pain in their paws from being declawed.

I Donate to Animal Charities

Thank you for visiting my website. I hope the information in this post has helped you decide on the best cat litter for you and your cat!

You should know I receive a small commission on some of the products I recommend on my site.  I donate 10% of those earnings the animal charities listed here.

If you found my site to be helpful, please share it with your friends and family.

Also, please consider making a donation so I can continue to create content to help pet owners. Thank you!  Debra

For More About Cat Care, CLICK HERE