Choosing the right cat litter!

When a cat appears in the house, the owners try to create all the necessary conditions for its comfortable living. In this case, an important point is the choice of toilet filler. Many pet owners prefer wood filler; it is natural, inexpensive and safe, and cats also like it.

Such products for cat litter boxes are made from sawdust and shavings, which are safe for the health of animals and humans.

The following types of wood fillers are distinguished:

• Absorbent.
• Clumping.

To choose the best product, you need to consider the following characteristics:

• “Opinion” of the cat. You can purchase several types of fillers for testing, and based on the animal’s reaction, you can determine which one he likes best.
• Compound. It should not contain harmful chemicals that can harm the health of the animal. For example, silicon dioxide.
• Age of the animal. For example, a product with large granules is not suitable for a kitten.
• Flavors. They help eliminate unpleasant odors in the litter box, but not all animals prefer their litter box to smell like sea breeze or lavender.
• Absorbency. Wood pellets should not only absorb moisture well, but also retain odors.
• Convenient disposal. It is worth choosing a product that can be flushed down the toilet.

We present a rating of the 12 best wood litter for cat litter, based on user reviews and ratings.

How to choose the right filler

Main parameters that determine quality:

1. Adsorbing and deodorizing properties - the ability to absorb moisture and reduce odors. These properties depend on the composition of the material from which the filler is made and the technology of its production.
2. Safety. It should be taken into account that some types of fillers may contain substances that can cause allergic reactions in both animals and humans. If the litter is used for kittens, it must be safe if accidentally ingested, the same if there are small children in the house.
3. Ease of use and disposal.

An important element when choosing a filler is its price. The filler is a consumable material and therefore part of the monthly family budget will be spent on its purchase. Here it is important to choose an affordable price-quality ratio that will completely suit the owner.

Tips for choosing

When choosing a filler, pay attention to several main aspects:

• Age of the animal. There are universal fillers suitable for cats of different ages. There are fillers only for adults and only for kittens.
• Compound. As a rule, absorbency, reliability and frequency of replacement will depend on it. There is a table with the types of composition, their advantages and disadvantages in our article a little higher.
• Volume. Pay attention to the frequency of replacement. The higher it is, the larger the product package should be. Otherwise, the filler will run out at the most inopportune moment.

Price

The price of fillers varies widely and depends mainly on the material used and the production technology used by the manufacturer.

The cheapest fillers are made from sawdust, paper and grain industry waste.

Mineral fillers belong to the middle price category - they are made from natural minerals and their mixtures.

The most expensive and modern ones are silica gel fillers. Silica gel is a mineral synthetic sorbent obtained by the interaction of sodium silicate (liquid glass) and sulfuric acid.

The most famous and popular fillers in the domestic market are the following brands : “Pretty Cat”, “Barsik”, “Kotyara”, “Kuzya”, “Zoonik”, “Siberian Cat”, “Pi-Pi-Bent”, “Brava” Clean Paws”, “C.C. Cat” and others.

Popular imported ones : “Catsan”, “Cat's Best”, “Cats Choice”, “Silicat”, “Super Cat”, “Fresh step”, “Kat Step”, “CleanyKat”, “Ever Clean”, “Ultra Lite” and etc.

Wood fillers

They are made from wood waste from the processing of pine, spruce and, less commonly, fir. They are granules that, when exposed to moisture, swell and crumble into small components.

Due to their low cost, wood fillers are in good demand and popularity. Many people prefer this type of filler because of its naturalness. Wood filler is safe for animals, especially kittens.

The wood of pine trees contains resins, which give the wood filler antiseptic properties. After use, the filler can be applied as fertilizer.

It absorbs moisture quite well and eliminates odors, but these indicators are lower than those of other types of fillers, so the filler needs to be changed more often; it is consumed faster.

Another drawback is lightness. When burying, the cat can scatter it around the tray, so you need a deep tray with sides rounded inward.

Scattering into fine dust, it sticks to the paws and spreads throughout the apartment.

If you prefer this type of filler, guided by considerations of naturalness, safety and cheapness, then it would be a good idea to purchase a special closed toilet with a mat.

The walls of the closed toilet will not allow the cat to scatter the litter around the tray, and the mat will clean the paws from adhering particles and prevent them from being dragged around the apartment.

When using this filler, a tray with a grid is also convenient; whole granules will remain on the surface, and the used ones will be sifted through the grid into the tray.

Wood filler differs from other types of fillers in its ease of disposal. It can be flushed down the toilet. To avoid clogging, rinse off the filler in small portions.

Wood filler: pros and cons

Pros:

• LOW PRICE
• ECOLOGICAL CLEANNESS
• USE FOR KITTENS
• EASY TO DISPOSAL

Minuses:

• HIGH CONSUMPTION
• STICKS TO FEET
• REQUIRES FREQUENT REPLACEMENT

Fillers made from corn and paper are similar in properties and price to wood fillers.

PUSSY-CAT oceanic

No less economical and inexpensive (70 rubles) is the PUSSY-CAT “Oceanic”. Two 4.5 liter packages are enough for a month.

The structure of the filler allows it to be flushed down the toilet. The granules are absolutely harmless to animals, since they are made exclusively from environmentally friendly natural zeolites.

The high quality of the product allows you to completely eliminate unpleasant odors, absorb liquid well, and not leave particles on the animal’s fur or paws. PUSSY-CAT granules have ion-exchange and disinfectant properties, which allows you to clean and refresh the air around the cat litter box and prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microbes.

Mineral fillers

Mineral fillers are somewhat more expensive than wood fillers and are also in high demand.

The ability of mineral fillers to absorb moisture and retain odors is better than that of wood fillers.

They are made from natural mineral raw materials - soft clay minerals and hard minerals from sedimentary and volcanic rocks. There are also artificial mineral fillers made from sibit.

In addition to the starting material, mineral fillers differ in:

1. The method of absorbing and retaining moisture – clumping and absorbent fillers;
2. Granule size – large, small and medium granules;
3. Availability of flavoring additives – flavored and non-flavored.

The disadvantage of this type of fillers is their dustiness. During transportation, the granules rub against each other, forming fine dust, which can cause allergic reactions.

Higher quality fillers have a denser consistency and generate less dust.

What is the difference between absorbent and clumping litters?

Absorbent fillers absorb moisture through the entire surface of the material from which the filler is made, without forming lumps. The absorbency is due to the porous structure of the mineral.

Such minerals, for example, include zeolites, which perfectly absorb moisture and insulate odor.

The activity of the absorbent filler is lost gradually. From time to time, it can be mixed to evenly distribute more active and less active granules.

The absorbent filler is replaced at once, that is, the used filler is completely removed, and a fresh portion is poured into the tray, in the volume indicated on the packaging.

Clumping fillers not only have absorbent properties, their granules, when moistened, stick together into a lump, isolating the wet area from the rest of the filler.

A complete replacement of the filler is not required; it is enough to remove the formed lumps with a special spatula. The filler is poured into the tray as needed.

They are made mainly from bentonite clays of different compositions. During the manufacturing process, they can be subjected to thermal or chemical treatment to improve quality.

Natural mineral fillers have antibacterial properties.

Which filler is better at removing odor, absorbent or clumping?

Both fillers cope with odors approximately equally well, but do it in different ways.

Clumping, enveloping the wet area, locking the smell inside the coma. Absorbents, due to their porous structure, are able to absorb urine and neutralize its odor through ion exchange reactions, then evaporating clean water.

Among both there are more and less quality ones, it depends on the composition of the raw materials and production technology.

According to the results of the television program “Test Purchase”, out of 10 popular brands of clumping litter, first place went to the “Pretty Cat” brand. Second and third, fillers from the “Clean Paws” and “Catsan” brands.

Mineral filler: pros and cons compared to wood filler

Pros:

• ABSORBES LIQUID BETTER THAN WOOD;
• BETTER ABSORB ODOR;
• MORE ECONOMICAL AND CONVENIENT USE;
• DOES NOT SPREAD AROUND THE APARTMENT;

Minuses

• MORE EXPENSIVE;
• DUSTY WHEN POURED;
• NOT DISPOSED THROUGH THE TOILET.

Silica gel filler

Silica gel litter is the most modern, highly effective and practical litter for cats.

• Its cost is quite high and, perhaps, this is the only reason that does not allow it to displace all other types of fillers from the market.
• It consists of white translucent crystals with the addition of a substance that eliminates unpleasant odors.
• The granules can be irregular or regular round in shape. Among the white granules, granules of other colors may be present in small quantities.
• They act as an indicator - when urine comes into contact with them, they change color. By their number in the filler, the owner can determine when it is time to replace the filler in the tray.
• The absorption capacity of silica gel is extremely high, and it completely eliminates all odors. Silica gel is very economical, a small amount is enough for two or three weeks for one cat.
• Although expensive, this litter can be cost-effective if you have multiple cats in your home.
• Has an aesthetic appearance.
• Among the disadvantages, in addition to the high price, it is necessary to note the specific crunch that the filler makes during use. Some cats find this crunching sound frightening.

Important! This litter should not be used for small kittens.

Selico-helium filler advantages:

• ECONOMICAL CONSUMPTION

Minuses:

• HIGH PRICE

Katty from Pyaterochka

Katty hygienic litter from Pyaterochka consists of safe and environmentally friendly bentonite clay, which absorbs moisture and unpleasant odors well. In addition, during contact with cat urine, the filler clumps, which allows you to quickly clean the tray without completely replacing the granules.

The product is packed in a thick plastic bag with a capacity of 5 kg. Packaging price – 175 rubles.

See also:

The cheapest Red Price products - what to take and what not to take?

The best litter for Maine Coon

Maine Coon cats are the largest domestic cats in the world, therefore, they excrete the most urine of all cats in the world, therefore, they need the best litter in the world - silica gel.

But seriously, a Maine Coon cat, except for its size, is not fundamentally different from its smaller brothers and all of the above applies to it as well.

For a kitten of this breed, it is better to use natural fillers made of wood, paper or corn. It’s good if the owner takes some of the used litter from the breeder and puts it in the kitten’s tray, so he will quickly understand where his new litter box is now.

In the future, you can use any filler at the discretion of the owner and with the approval of the Maine Coon himself.