We often like to know what the best is when it comes to choosing something and cat/kitty litter is no exception. In an industry worth $7 billion, there are so many choices out there – brands, materials, and claims – that it can be quite confusing when you’re trying to make the right choice.
In this article, we share our findings and experiences with different types of cat litter, what we think the best type of cat litter is, all things considered, and how to dispose of kitty litter responsibly.
It started with clay
As first-time cat parents many moons ago, we initially picked a clumping clay litter that was scented with lavender. It promised to be highly absorbent, with the addition of sweet smelling lavender to ‘’neutralise’’ odours. It was a logical proposition and we were sold. Plus clay was a naturally occurring substance; it seemed to be the norm for kitty litter so we figured it was okay!
However, in the months that followed, the dust, which swirled up in a dense cloud each time I scooped or cleaned out the litter tray, began to bother me. The dust didn’t seem to bother the cat, but it couldn’t have been good for human or animal health, to inhale that white dust every day!
The other thing that bothered me, interestingly, was the lavender scent. Lavender is well-loved by many people for its calming and soothing effects. It was (and still is) one of my favourite scents but the lavender fragrance in the litter was artificial. It didn’t really neutralise odours as claimed; merely to mask them. And even so, it wasn’t effective. In fact, the smell became quite awful when mingled with the nose-wrinkling smells of a cat toilet. I found out later that perfumes and other artificial fragrances of any sort aren’t good for cats due to their highly sensitive sense of smell. We said goodbye to clay and moved on.
The Best Type of Cat Litter
Over the years, we have tried different types and brands of cat litter in our quest to find the best commercial cat litter. For us, the best type of cat litter is made from a renewable raw material, provides effective odour control without being a health or environmental hazard, clumps well and is compostable. Let us delve into these considerations in greater detail.
A brief dalliance with paper
Since having perfume and strong fragrances in kitty litter was a bad idea, we switched to a paper-based cat litter which was fragrance-free. It ticked the renewable and compostable boxes too. And the fact that it was recycled paper was even better. There was a nice symmetry to it since the humans in the household were using toilet paper made from recycled paper.
Alas, it didn’t perform well – the paper pellets turned into a soggy mess on contact with urine and the litter trays reeked to high heaven. Cleaning was a chore. I missed the ease of scooping, and the longevity of clumping litter.
Plant-based cat litter
And so we went back to clumping litter. But the question was, which material (or substrate)? Clay litter, which is usually bentonite (aka montmorillonite) clay, clumped well but it was out, due to health and environmental concerns, both from inhalation as well as inadvertent ingestion.
Crystal (silica-based) litter also clumped well due to its ability to hold and absorb water but it was a no-no. I personally dislike the awful, unnatural texture, plus it is not compostable, and like clay, its extraction has adverse environmental impacts.
By using health and environmental screens, we effectively ruled out the two most popular cat litter substrates in the market. Thankfully, however, there are now many alternatives which are plant-based and therefore more sustainable. There are a variety of plants and textures to choose from. These include: wood chips, wheat, walnut, rice, or corn husk, and even ‘tofu’. They either have innate properties or, more commonly, additives which enhance their performance in areas such as absorption/clumpability, odour control, and/or shelf life.
Performance can vary between substrates and brands, for example dust can still be an issue, but in general, plant-based litters are the best. They beat clay and crystal/silica litters on health and environmental grounds, and are superior to paper-based litter on performance.
Plant-based litters are also compostable and this is an important factor when it comes to the disposal of kitty litter. We will be discussing the disposal of cat litter but first, let’s discuss clumpability (or clumping ability).
Clumping vs non-clumping cat litter
Clumpability refers to a substrate’s ability to absorb and hold water – the higher the absorptive capacity, the better it forms discrete clumps when it comes into contact with urine. Clumps are simple and easy to remove – by scooping – thus allowing the rest of the litter to remain relatively clean and for longer periods. For this reason, I favour clumping over non-clumping.
There is also another good and compelling reason for using clumping litter – it enables you to monitor the urinary health of your cat. The size and the number of clumps tell you how much and how frequently your cat is urinating. According to this excellent explainer, a reduction in the size, or an absence of clumps can be signs of cystitis, which is a painful condition which requires veterinary attention.
The case for using non-clumping litter is when you have young kittens. This is because of the risk of kittens ingesting litter. When ingested clumping litter absorbs water and forms clumps inside, it can cause serious gastro-intestinal problems in young kittens. So to err on the side of caution, it is better to use non-clumping litter, such as paper or wood pellets, until the kittens are grown.
Disposal Matters – How to Dispose of Cat Litter
Why you shouldn’t flush
Keeping litter and litter trays and boxes clean is an important factor in odour control. It’s especially important if you want to prevent or solve litter box problems.
With clumping cat litter, it means scooping out clumps and poo every day and cleaning out the entire litter tray/box, on a regular basis. You may be tempted to flush the contents of your scooping efforts down the toilet. Convenient as this is, and despite what the packaging says, it is a bad idea.
This is because you could be spreading toxoplasmosis from cat faeces and you could end up with a plumbing nightmare from kitty litter clogging up the pipes.
Therefore, when it comes to the clumps and poo, it’s best to bag and bin.
Which bin?
What about the used kitty litter that you toss out during a litter box cleanup? Do you chuck it into the general waste bin (red lids), bound for landfill? Can it go into the green/organics bin? How about throwing it in the garden and/or home compost?
In Australia, the answer depends on where you live and what your local council says. Here in Melbourne, a check on the websites of metropolitan councils says kitty litter goes into the general waste bin, whereas in some regional shires in Victoria, kitty litter can go in the green/organics bin. Confusing, isn’t it?
Let’s take a moment to understand the terms biodegradable and compostable. They are often used interchangeably but they are actually quite different. Understanding the distinction will help us better assess and manage the impact of our cat litter.
As explained in TreeHugger, many of our manufactured things are technically biodegradable, i.e. they break down into their components from the forces of nature. However this can take days, months, decades, a hundred, or several hundred years depending on the chemical structure.
The term compostable, on the other hand, refers to something which can
biodegrade under specific, human-driven circumstances. Unlike biodegradation, which is an entirely natural process, composting requires human intervention. During composting, microorganisms break down organic matter with the help of humans, who contribute the water, oxygen, and organic matter necessary to optimise conditions. The composting process generally takes between a few months and one to three years
TreeHugger.com
Given this distinction, all types of cat litter are biodegradable but only plant-based litters are compostable. Compostable can either be to home compost standards or to commercial facility standards. And compostable is what counts if you want to divert kitty litter from landfill.
So if your local council says kitty litter can go into the green/organics bin, this probably means the contents are bound for a commercial composting facility. And you would need to be using a compostable, i.e. plant-based, cat litter, in order not to contaminate the lot.
Composting kitty litter at home
If your council says kitty litter should go into the general waste bin, you can still divert some, if not all, of your compostable kitty litter from landfill.
Home composting is the way but to do it safely, you will need an understanding of how composting works (e.g. hot vs cold compost systems) and take precautions accordingly. Many home compost systems are likely not hot enough to kill off harmful microorganisms so unless you are confident yours is a truly hot system, it’s best to only toss generally soiled kitty litter into your compost heap and put clumps and faeces into general waste. Or invest in one of those commercial pet waste composters, which use special enzymes to safely break down pet waste, including poo, inside a container. We have yet to test it ourselves but would love to hear about it in the comments if you have.
Concluding remarks
The best type of cat litter is made from a renewable raw material, provides effective odour control without being a health or environmental hazard, is clumping, and compostable.
Plant-based cat litter such as wood chips, wheat, walnut/rice/corn husks etc, ticks all the boxes; they are your best choice if you want a cat litter that is good for your cat as well as the environment.