Cats and litter: 7 Cat Litter Box Rules and the Best Cat Litter
What type of cat litter does your cat prefer to use? What about most cats? Well, new research has looked at cats’ preferred cat litter types. Read on for our cat litter box rules and to find the best cat litter.
Dr Jo says “It seems that I like to explore cat litter! I even wrote a book about cat toileting habits! Now there’s more to learn about cat pee and poo!”…
Cats often don’t have a choice of which litter to use. After all, it’s the owners who choose. Choices are made according to price, handling ease, recommendations from others and so on. And some cats don’t even have the option of toileting at home, as their owners prefer the great outdoors’ toilet – the soil or, sometimes, the sandpit!
Most owners replicate the litter that their cat was using when they brought them home. And we are lucky that even the tiniest kitten knows how to use their litter tray (compare that to your average puppy’s toilet training!).
People are often convinced that they litter they use is the best. But is this the best cat litter for cat?
Read more about cat toileting habits and problems
Different litter trays suit different cats
7 Cat Litter Box Rules (according to your cat!)
- A litter box for themselves, so one for each feline member of the household. (Especially important if you have litter box woes)
- The litter tray should be placed somewhere that the cat has privacy to use but also has an escape route (and watch out for ambushes from other cats or little human members of the family)
- The litter tray should be kept away from food and water and from the cat’s bed (whose cat actually uses the bed that you paid hundreds of dollars for?! Cats choose their own sleeping locations!)
- The litter tray has to be big enough for the cat. You cat should be able to turn around, squat and when they pee or poo, the waste products should not exit the tray. Try a bigger tray if ‘accidents’ happen just outside your tray.
- The tray should be cleaned as regularly as you can manage or bear. Cats do not like to see urine within their box.
- The cat should be given a substrate (litter) deep enough to dig.
- The cat should be given a substrate that they are willing to use.
Which litter do cats prefer?
It is this latter point, that cats be given a substrate that they enjoy, which creates difficulties. Which litter do cats prefer?
Researchers decided to ask cats. They did this by offering cats the choice of substrates:
- clay granules
- silica in micro-granules
- silica granules
- wood pellets
The study was divided into two sections.
- In the first part of this study, cats were offered identical litter trays, each containing either clay, silica crystals or wooden pellets for 4 weeks…
Result: Cats preferred the clay or silica to the wooden pellets. - Next, the cats were offered clay or silicate, of similar textures, for 2 weeks…
Result: Cats preferred to defecate (poo) in the clay litter.
Other considerations for cat litter choice
- Although this study found that cats preferred clay litter over other substrates, this does not mean that every cat does. If your cat uses the litter you like, why change? Stick to the other cat litter box rules.
- Litter choice is not all about your cat! You have a preference too. It may be the litter that is a reasonable price or one which has the perfume you can tolerate. Choosing these may be false economies, however, if you cat chooses not to use the litter at all! Generally, you use a lot less of the litters that cost more.
- If you decide to swap your cat’s litter, based on this post, please change over gradually Add a little of the new litter to the old. This can allow your cat to get used to the new litter. Or try providing a choice for your cat. Put two litter boxes (or more) side by side and monitor which your cat prefers to use. Stick to their preference.
After you’ve analysed your cat’s litter preferences, you’ll be just like me – fascinated by cat litter and cat toileting habits. Here’s me examining cat litter!
Of course, you’ll want to read more about cats and their toileting habits:
Field assessment of cats’ litterbox substrate preferences
Cat Toileting Problems Solved
Cat Toileting Problems Solved book
And even more about Cat Litter!
Tidy Cats: Cat Litter by Purina, product launch and review
Don’t you love a day at work when you get to cuddle kittens and wear cat ears? I do! Here’s my Tidy Cats launch experience…
I’m always on the lookout for products and routines that ease the routine of cleaning the cat litter tray. It’s a job that no one likes to do! Cat toileting problems are definitely the number one issue with cats. And while health issues and stress often play a part in why your cat does not use their litter box, it is often the litter that causes issues.
Is it possible to get excited about a cat litter? Lol. Well, if it is, I am excited about the launch of Purina’s new cat litter Tidy Cats. Here’s the launch video, where I answered questions about cat toileting…
OK, so cat toilet habits will never be a sexy topic!
But give Tidy Cats a go. It is easy to use, clumps really well, does not smell. If it has a negative, for me, it is that cats tend to track it across the floor a little when they exit the tray. I put a towel or mat underneath to gather this – problem solved.
More about cat toileting problems here.
About the author
Dr Jo Righetti is a cat behaviourist, helping people understand their cats. Dr Jo lives with 4 cats and that means a lot of cat litter! More about Dr Jo and Pet Problems Solved.
