Simple clay cat litters do a terrible job when it comes to controlling odors. Living in a small house with four cats using simple clay litter is no fun, unless you like the smell of cat urine. No.
Clay clumping sand is out of the question. Bentonite clay turns into concrete when it gets wet, hence the lumps. When cats lick the bentonite off their paws or inhale the dust, it can cause fatal intestinal and lung obstructions. The accumulation of cat litter has killed entire litters of kittens and cost many cats their health and even their lives. Digging clay from quarries for kitty litter also causes a lot of environmental damage.
Clay problems started me searching for the perfect kitty litter. It had to be:
- Fragrance-free, because the chemicals in fragrances are toxic to people and pets.
- Soft binders or no binders
- A texture my cats would like
- Durable
- Relatively cheap
Note: All but one of the following litters are available at Petsmart:
I tried the alfalfa pellet sand. OK odor control. My cats did not like the feel of the pellets very much and would not use them. The same happens with wood pellet sand.
Yesterday’s news: Absolutely terrible odor control, stayed damp and soggy, had to be changed after 2-3 days. It is as bad as clay, except for its environmental impact.
ExquisiCat crystals: (More lots) Silica beads provide excellent odor control. Long lasting, stay dry, easy to clean the boxes, nice reusable plastic packaging.
(Less) Expensive, some cats aren’t crazy about the texture and the beads are hard to sweep up. For the rest of your life you will step on small hard beads that will hurt your bare feet.
Swheat Scoop: (More information) Made from wheat bran, the cats loved the texture. Wonderful odor control, soft lumps that can be thrown away, very long lasting. It works great!
(Less) Something expensive. One of my cats developed allergic asthma attacks. As soon as I switched to a pine-based litter, his asthma disappeared. Wheat has many fungal mycotoxins that could have caused your allergy. If my cat hadn’t developed an allergy, I would never have thought about the mycotoxin problem.
Corn litter, for example, the best cat litter in the world: I haven’t tried them, I don’t want to. Corn has many mycotoxins.
LuvLitters to luvlitters.com: Wood pellets that have been kiln dried and do not contain irritating pine or cedar oils. (Plus) Excellent odor control, very durable, easy to pick up, stays dry. Reasonable price given its duration.
(Less) Not available locally, must be ordered online. Some cats don’t like the feel of the pellets at first, but once the pellets break down, they are fine.
ExquisiteCat Spoon Paper Advanced Formula: This one gets the gold star! It looks and feels like clay. Wonderful odor control, lightweight, very durable. Soft lumps, easy to pick up, very affordable. Cats love it; Love it. Highly recommended!