There are all sorts of cat litter on the market. But some of them are harmful to both your cat and the environment in the long term, with carcinogenic properties. Many of you buy these litters because you don’t want any smells. Silica, scented, crystal—if you care about your cat, throw that stuff away.If you have a house with a garden, keep your cat’s vaccinations up to date and have a secure garden, the best toilet for a cat is the garden itself. “But it might pick up germs, it might get sick,” and so on. It gets sick, then gets better, then doesn’t get it again—that is the worst of it. Don’t treat your cat as if it were made of glass. It’s a cat. Its ancestors rule the forests and boss elephants around in Africa.
If you don’t have a house with a garden and live in a flat or apartment, there are two options. One is the natural clay litter we call bentonite—unscented, of course. Although it still has an environmental impact, it is an ideal toilet litter for your cat.
The other is pellet litter, or what we call pine-pellet cat litter. Some cats get used to it easily; others don’t. Ours, for example, just wouldn’t take to it, even after months of trying. These litters consist of little elongated pellets that swell as they absorb liquid and then break down into fine material. At first, though, your cat may not get used to peeing on these larger pieces. Give it a try for at least one or two months. If the cat still doesn’t take to it, you can mix it with bentonite litter.
You can find both types of litter I recommend for less than many of the silica, scented and similar products on the market. And because pellet litter breaks down when it gets wet, a 20 kg sack can last for months, depending on how many cats you have.
Now, about the smell. If you clean the litter box regularly, it won’t smell much. But you may be busy and unable to find the time to clean it consistently. In that case, after the thorough clean when you empty and wash the whole box every week or ten days, spread a thin layer of litter, sprinkle a little baking soda over it, and then add the rest of the litter on top. Baking soda is quite effective at keeping the smell down.
Good luck with it all. Kisses to you!