There are hundreds of cat litters on the market. Have you ever had a hard time choosing a good litter? I once blindly followed the recommendations on the internet because I didn’t know the characteristics of each litter, and after trying nearly 30 different types, I just couldn’t find one that was suitable for my cat and my home environment, so today, I’m going to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each type of litter for you!
1: Mineral Litter
“Mineral Litter” is actually a must-have for novice cat owners, and it is also the most common type of cat litter on the market. It is small in appearance, heavy in weight, and composed of sodium-based pescetto, clay, or various types of ores, with some manufacturers adding activated carbon to increase its deodorizing effect. The grains of sand can completely encapsulate feces, and when exposed to water, they will coagulate into a ball shape. It is also recommended for all beginners because it matches cats’ natural habit of going to the toilet in natural sandy soil!
Advantages: Strong coagulating power, good odor coating effect, widely distributed on the market, easy to remove.
Disadvantages: Heavy weight, heavy litter after use, dusty, high litter fall rate.
2: Tofu litter
Tofu litter is made from tofu dregs, starch, and food-grade cornstarch, and usually comes in long, thin strips with a light soybean aroma, so it’s okay for cats to accidentally ingest it. This type of litter will also automatically solidify into a block when it meets water, but the difference is that tofu litter can be flushed directly into the toilet, making it easier to dispose of afterwards. However, because it is made of natural materials, it is susceptible to moisture and insects after opening and needs to be used up quickly, making it suitable for veteran cat owners!
Advantages: Fast condensation, good flavor coverage, lightweight, water-soluble and environmentally friendly.
Disadvantages: Combined with poop, it will become smelly, bacteria will grow quickly, high price, easy to be ingested (need to buy natural tofu litter).
3: Crystal Litter
Crystal litter is the least popular item in pet stores, and the least recommended of the 5 categories because it’s made up of deodorant silica, which absorbs water from urine or feces through the countless tiny holes in the particles, making it a very strong deodorizer. Although it is made up of chemical products, it is as safe as crystal and quartz and does not produce toxins, so you can use it with confidence. To use Crystal Litter, you need to use a double-layered litter box with a pee pad underneath to soak up excess urine. Because of its odor-absorbing power, it’s ideal for office workers who are away from home for long periods of time.
Advantages: fast absorption, good odor coverage, no dust, light weight.
Disadvantages: Cannot cover the stool, easy to produce odor, need to change the pad (will produce garbage), the crystal sand that is full of water is easy to disintegrate (difficult to clean), pure chemical products (not friendly to the environment).
4: Wood pellet litter (pine litter)
Wood pellet litter grit is processed and pressed from leftover wood pellet, and can be categorized into disintegrating type and coagulating type according to its nature. The disintegrating type has low encapsulating power for poop, and when it encounters moisture, it will disintegrate and turn into powder, which is slightly dusty and requires the use of a double-layered litter box; the coagulating type has the same effect as tofu litter and mineral litter, and when it encounters poop, it will encapsulate and coagulate. Pine litter is also a disintegrating type of wood pellet litter and must be cleaned up immediately after it melts or the urine odor will permeate the air. （The problem with pine sand is that it is often made from furniture waste, so there is a suspicion of residual glue, and it contains formaldehyde, which can be harmful to fur babies!
Advantages: natural wood aroma, good deodorizing effect, less dust, light weight, low sanding rate, cheap price.
Disadvantages: poor wrapping effect, poor deodorizing effect, easy to be dispersed, not easy to clean.
Paper litter
“Paper litter” as the name suggests is cat litter made of paper. Although the odor-absorbing and covering effect is relatively common, the process is quite environmentally friendly. It can also be thrown directly into combustible garbage and flushed down the toilet, which is very convenient for recycling. The paper litter has good absorption, it will not be adsorbed on the cat, and it is not easy to fall out of the cat litter box. The sand drop rate is low and it is very easy to clean. This cat litter is suitable for environmentally friendly little sharp soldiers who fish for cat litter frequently!
Advantages: light weight, low sand drop rate, super environmentally friendly, not easy to breed mosquitoes and flies
Disadvantages: Poor coating effect, ordinary deodorizing effect, slight dust
The above 5 types of knowledge about the common cat litter on the market, do you know how to choose cat litter after reading it? If you want to put it in the toilet, the editor recommends mineral sand the most; if you want to put it on the balcony (in a ventilated place), you can consider tofu sand and pine sand!