Choosing Cat Litter: Part Four – Crystals, Pellets, and Others
by Misty Hampton
When setting up various cat litter preference tests for my cats, there were some top picks, and then there were some litters that were difficult to report on because my cats rarely (or never) used them. The following litter types and selections were not their favorites.
Some notes about non-clumping litter: Non-clumping litter doesn’t seem designed to keep up with odor in a multi-cat household. The litter needs to be dumped out frequently and the box needs to be washed regularly. That just isn’t practical or economical for our household.
However, non-clumping litter is an appropriate choice any time it is desirable to dump out the litter more often for sanitation purposes – in case of illness or in an animal shelter setting, for example.
PrettyLitter Original Unscented, Non-Clumping
Material: silica gel
Cats use it ⭐✰✰ I tried this litter because I thought my cats might appreciate its texture – like fine sand. But secretly, I hoped they wouldn’t like it because it’s really expensive!
In a week-long comparison of PrettyLitter vs. clay, my cats used the clay litter 95% of the time. So, while they did use the PrettyLitter, they clearly prefer clay.
Clumping ✰✰✰ I didn’t realize when I bought it but it’s a non-clumping litter, designed to absorb urine. You just scoop the poop and stir the box. Over time, the crystals go from white to amber, and that’s how you know it’s time to change the litter. Well, that and the overpowering ammonia smell…
Low dust ⭐⭐✰ This litter has fairly low dust.
Low tracking ⭐✰✰ I didn’t notice much tracking, as my cats barely used it. But tracking is a complaint about PrettyLitter that I have seen online.
Odor control ⭐✰✰ Since it’s non-clumping, PrettyLitter builds up odor within a short amount of time. For us, it didn’t seem like it would keep up with our multi-cat household.
*Economical ✰✰✰ PrettyLitter costs a “pretty penny”! Each bag cost about $24. One bag is supposed to last a month but, realistically, a multi-cat household will likely go through two or more bags.
Eco-friendly ✰✰✰ Silica gel is mined and processed overseas, making PrettyLitter the least eco-friendly litter of the products we tried.
PrettyLitter has a new clumping formula, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t speak to its performance.
From what I’ve read, it clumps well and has improved odor control. It’s slightly cheaper, but still expensive and not eco-friendly. If my cats had shown a preference for PrettyLitter over clay (based on its texture), I would give the clumping formula a try. As it is, I’ll pass on it for now.
Some notes about pellets and crystals: Step in cat litter pellets once – or, better yet, crystals – and it’s easy to understand why many cats don’t like them. They are uncomfortable to step on! Cats evolved in a desert environment, so they’re naturally inclined to dig in sand, not pellets or crystals.
That said, families with allergies may benefit from using pellet litter, if their cat will accept it. Pellet litter is dense, so there is usually minimal dust and tracking. For families who have allergies to the most common litter materials (clay, wood, grass, grain, etc.), there are a wide variety of specialty litters available online. Most of these are in pellet form. My advice would be to buy just one bag initially and try it alongside what your cat is currently using before signing up for a subscription.
Dofu Cat™ Tofu Cat Litter
Material: soy
Cats use it ✰✰✰ Over a period of five days, my cats didn’t touch this litter, even after it was blended with clay. I’m not sure if it was the aroma or the texture, or a combination.
Clumping ⭐⭐⭐This litter clumps just as well as clay.
Low dust ⭐⭐✰ This litter has fairly low dust.
Low tracking ⭐✰✰ This is a lightweight, clumping pellet litter, so tracking is an issue. Luckily, these pellets aren’t that uncomfortable to step on. It feels like stepping in uncooked rice.
Odor control ⭐⭐✰ This litter claims to have great odor control. I can’t really speak to this, since my cats didn’t use it.
Economical ✰✰✰ This litter is one of the most expensive we tried. It cost about $30 for a month’s supply.
Eco-friendly ⭐⭐⭐ Tofu litter is a food industry byproduct. It’s biodegradable and sustainable.
Sustainably Yours® Large-Grain Formula
Material: corn mixture
Cats use it ⭐✰✰I tried this litter because I thought my cats might appreciate its texture. Although I tried the “large-grain” variety, the texture appears finer than traditional corn litter. When I touched the clean litter in the bag, it felt like tiny plastic beads in corn starch! No surprise then that, over a period of five days, my cats used this Sustainably Yours litter less than once a day.
Clumping ⭐⭐⭐This litter clumps exceptionally well, similar to clay.
Low dust ⭐⭐⭐It has very low dust.
Low tracking ⭐⭐✰My cats didn’t use this litter very much. When I stepped in some clean litter myself, I found it came off my feet really easily, unlike other litters that have a coarser texture.
Odor control ⭐⭐✰I can’t really speak to odor control over time, since my cats didn’t use this litter very much.
Economical ✰✰✰This litter is relatively expensive. As of June 2024, a medium-sized bag cost more than $20.
Eco-friendly ⭐⭐⭐Corn litter is a food industry byproduct, made from leftover material. It’s biodegradable and totally sustainable, as the brand name suggests.
What’s the Best Cat Litter? It Depends.
To conclude this four-part series about choosing litter, I recommend readers make an informed choice about what cat litter they want to try. If you want to find out what kind of litter your cats will use, you can set up a preference test like I did.
*All prices are as of June 2024.
About the Author
Misty Hampton (CCBC, FFCP) is a cat trainer and behavior consultant and owner of Fellow Creatures Pet Consulting . She started teaching at age 12. For 13 years, she was an instructor for a home-schooling community. Since 2001, she has been a math and science tutor. Now, she is a life coach for teens and young adults as well. She also runs a birding club for Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation.
Her passion is helping people better understand misunderstood animals. She shares her life with her husband Jesse and their five cats: Linus, Jasper, Abigail, Pearl, and Piper.
In Case You Missed It…
Choosing Cat litter: Part One – What Is a Preference Test? by Misty Hampton
- The most important consideration in choosing a litter is whether the cats will use it. You can go through all the effort to find a litter that ticks all the boxes for you, but it doesn’t matter if the cats won’t use it. This comparison will help consumers decide what kind of litter you want to try, and help you set up a preference test to determine what kind of litter your cat(s) will use.
Choosing Litter: Part Two – Comparison of Different Types of Cat Litter by Misty Hampton
- Let’s look at features that are important to people: clumping, amount of dust, tracking, odor control, cost, and sustainability.
Choosing Cat litter: Part Three – Top Picks by Misty Hampton
- Here are my overall top picks, ranked based on cats’ preferences and features that are important to people.
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