Look at the little face of your cute, adorable and surprisingly docile (for now) munchkin. What do you see? A top predator that’s responsible for the death of more than a billion invertebrates each year in Australia? A hunter that achieves an impressive success rate of around 30% when trying to catch prey? A lazy bum who just finished tearing down your favourite set of drapes?

Personally, I see the latter, but each on their own. That said, there is no denying that your little cat, while likely quite lovable, still has a wild, sporadic side that becomes self-evident the moment you are not around.



What Makes Them So Special?

Cats are not fully domesticated, not like dogs, at least, and for this reason, they retain some of the ingrained instincts found in their feral counterparts. In fact, cats entered human society just 9500 years ago (https://www.science.org/content/article/genes-turned-wildcats-kitty-cats), which is much later than the first instances of dog domestication.

Have you ever wondered why cats bury their waste, while other pet companions don’t? Well, that’s their instincts at play. In the wild, cats disperse their poop in order to hide their scent from larger predators and/or make their presence invisible to smaller prey.

The consequence of this instinct is that most kitties can be fully potty trained by the time they’re six to eight weeks old (https://www.petgevity.co.uk/blog/how-to-litter-train-a-kitten). But you will need to invest in litter. And here you have two main options: either you go for the traditional route and go for clumping cat litter, or you select something a bit more absorbent, but without clumping properties, and buy crystal cat litter.

Do They Really Need a Litter?

In short? Yes. It’s quite important for their cognitive development, actually. While it’s convenient for us, as potty training a cat is significantly easier than going through the same process with a dog, the ingrained urge of cats to bury their faeces and urine is actually in their genes. Cats bury their waste:

• In order to keep their living place clean
• And to hide their scent

Can you just give them a flower pot or something and call it a day? A bit unorthodox, but not unheard of. It might work in an emergency, sure, but purposely designed litter has some benefits compared to plain soil that are hard to ignore.

• High-quality litter has superior odour control compared to sand, soil, or sawdust and is more absorbent than other types of materials.
• It’s fantastic for absorbing moisture, and it can be a way to keep bacterial growth at bay and keep your kitty comfortable
• It’s cheap, widely available, encourages consistent litter use, and, in many cases, it can last for quite a long time

Purpose-made litter is advantageous, and it’s probably the first thing you should invest in as a cat owner. A kitty that doesn’t use her litter box is a sign of concern, and it can indicate either long-term stress or some quite serious health issues that should be addressed by a veterinarian. It’s not really a recommendation. Do you want to keep your kitty healthy and stress-free? Then you will need to invest in litter. But don’t forget that you have many different options to choose from.

Why Choose Clumping Cat Litter?

For one thing, it’s the most popular and widely available type of litter around. Clumping clay is convenient to use; it’s quite efficient at controlling persistent odours, and it’s also cheap to purchase. Personally, it’s the option I most often go to for my girlfriend’s cat. But like with any product, there are both pros and cons to consider.

Pros:

• Top-quality clumping cat litter (https://www.petshopdirect.com.au/shop/category/clumping-cat-litter) is easy to scoop, as it can encapsulate the cat’s waste. You can, therefore, remove clumps without replacing the entire litter box, which is quite convenient.
• Clumping litter is long-lasting, and a full box can often go around a week or two without all the litter needing to be replaced. It varies from cat to cat, of course, but clay-based litter is often praised as being cost-effective
• It’s widely available. Clumping cat litter is sold in pretty much any pet shop, online or offline. So, even when WW3 starts, and our aliens’ overlords start to ration our supplies, you can be sure that clumping clay-based litter will still be around.

Cons:

• It’s quite heavy. Clumping cat litter is efficient at what it sets out to do, but it’s not exactly a joy to carry around, and oftentimes, refilling the litter box can be quite cumbersome.
• More importantly, however, is the dust. This varies from brand to brand, but since it’s clay-based, clumping litter is prone to leaving dust trails, which can become an issue if your cat suffers from upper respiratory issues or you are not exactly a fan of dusty paw prints all over your favourite sofa.



Why Go for Crystal Cat Litter?

Personally, I think crystal cat litter are a perfectly respectable alternative to clay-based litter. Since they are made of silica gel, litter crystals are fantastic when it comes to moisture trapping. However, as you can imagine, they are not exactly perfect and they still have their own set of downsides.

Pros:

• Crystal cat litter are close to perfect when it comes to odour control. They absorb moisture quickly and therefore they are great for preventing bacterial growth
• They produce no dust, which makes them a good option for cats with respiratory issues
• Just like with clay-based options, crystal cat litter can last for weeks before needing complete replacement.
• They are lighter than clay litter. Which is something that your lower back will likely come to appreciate.

Cons:

• They don’t clump, which means the waste stays in the silica gel until the whole tray is replaced
• Some cats might not like the texture, as it doesn’t exactly resemble the soft soil that clay-based litter tries to replicate.
• Crystal cat litter can sometimes be more expensive than clay-based litter options.