How to Choose Cat Litter

It’s not that easy to arrange a place for the cat’s litter box. Should the litter box be covered or uncovered? Is a rug needed? What litter should you choose? Or maybe it’s better to toilet train your kitty.

At 5-Minute Crafts, we know what it’s like to have all these questions. So we decided to find as much information as possible about one of the most important elements of the cat’s litter box, the litter.

Biodegradable litter

This litter is made from natural plant resources, such as sawdust or pine wood (it has a rather strong pine smell, which means there is no need to use any additional chemical aromas). Wood is a highly absorbent material. Upon coming into contact with liquid, the pine pellets turn into sawdust and settle to the bottom of the tray, leaving fresh and clean pellets on top. However, solids must be removed manually, as they can’t be absorbed. Among other things, this litter is also environmentally friendly.

Clumping litter

Clumping litter is made from particles of clay that stick together into clumps when they absorb liquid, which means this litter makes it much easier to keep the litter box clean — you only have to remove what’s necessary without replacing the entire batch of litter. It’s important to know that this litter usually doesn’t smell, which means it can’t mask unpleasant odors coming from the litter box. You can find scented versions on the market, but they are fragranced with artificial chemical scents.

Clumping litter is usually well received by cats because it feels more natural to them.

Silica gel litter

Silica gel litter has the highest absorbency of any type of litter and excellent moisture control, and it completely eliminates odors for a long period of time. A package weighing 4-5 pounds is sufficient for a month of use for a healthy adult cat. For comparison, you’ll need 20-30 pounds of clumping litter for the same period of time. It’s important to lightly stir the crystals daily to collect solid waste. When the crystal litter is saturated, it begins to smell and changes color slightly — the white crystals become yellowish.