Litter Box Wars

Cynthia B. Whitney
Reprinted With Permission



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There’s clay litter, clumping, crystals, pine, walnut or newspaper pellets, corncobs, cracked corn, the list goes on and on. There are so many types of litter box fillers available these days – which should you use?

Although not one of the most appealing aspects of cat ownership, if you have a housecat, you have a litter box. What you use to fill it to absorb the natural wastes from your cat is up to you. We all have different needs. What litter works best for you doesn’t necessarily work best for your neighbor.

The basic rule is cleanliness. You, and your cat, want a clean house and a clean litter box. A cat will actually refuse to use a litter box that isn’t clean. So what is “clean”? In general, no smell. To control smell, you must clean the box daily. The more thoroughly you clean the box, such as totally replacing clay litter daily, the less smell.

There is more to smell than odor. It can also mean germs. To keep your cats’ litter box free from germs that could harm him and/or you, daily cleaning is required, including cleaning the litter box itself. A solution of water and bleach (10 to 1) will disinfect the litter box from most bacteria. Some litters can clog sewer pipes, so be careful where you dispose bleach water. If diluted with enough water, a little litter down your toilet is usually safe. Do NOT use Pine-Sol or Lysol around cats. They contain phenol, which has proved harmful to felines. Bleach is your best disinfectant, unless you are using a disinfectant made for animal use, available at pet supply stores.

In general, if you have one cat and one litter box, the most economical litter is the clay type. This does require the most maintenance, however. Unless you totally replace the litter, you will be leaving smelly, urine-soaked litter in the box, which not only has odor, but also carries bacteria. Clumping litter is my personal choice. You remove all soiled litter so little or no smell remains. Washing the box itself is not required as often as with clay litter. But, it is more expensive, and it does track. To minimize tracking, try using a high-sided box like a Rubbermaid dishpan. Also, large plastic storage boxes work great as a litter box. Remember when using clump type litter not to fill the box too deep. Only 3 inches of litter is needed. This will help with tracking, and will allow you to scoop down to the bottom to find all the clumps. If you have carpeting under your litter box, try plastic carpet protectors, with newspaper over it.

If you have a white cat, you might want to use crystals or white kitty litter. For a multi-cat household with a limited kitty litter budget, try untreated cracked corn, better known as chicken scratch. It’s very cheap, and smells better than clay kitty litter. Like the smell of pine? It’s a popular choice with many, but can be costly.

There are many types of litter box fillers to choose from. Each has merit. There is surely one that both your cat will approve, and meets your needs. We should be glad there are so many to choose from. Remember: That’s why they make chocolate and vanilla.