Choosing the best litter for your cat: our advice

A cat litter that doesn't stick to paws, effectively controls odors, is healthy, and environmentally friendly. Finding the ideal cat litter is not an easy task. In this article, we give you tips on how to choose the best cat litter for your cat (and for yourself).

The Importance of Choosing a Good Cat Litter

As cute as they are, cats are sensitive creatures and very particular. Regarding their diet: they need a complete and balanced diet that provides all essential nutrients for their health. But their needs don’t stop at food. They are also very picky about their cat litter.

For Their Well-being

Our furry friends place great importance on hygiene. They groom themselves constantly, even after a little petting session. And when they need to do their business (big or small), they expect a litter box that’s worthy — clean, comfortable for their paws, and pleasant for their noses. Otherwise, they might avoid the litter box or hold it in, which can be dangerous for their health.

And For Their Health

Cats are prone to urinary tract diseases like cystitis, an inflammation of the lower urinary tract. This causes pain and difficulty urinating.

The causes of cystitis are varied: congenital malformations, kidney stones, tumors, infections. Often, the exact cause cannot be determined — called idiopathic cystitis. The mechanisms are not fully understood but seem linked to stress: moving house, arrival of a new pet or child, transport, etc. Stress can also be caused by the cat litter!

Important: If your cat shows urinary problems, contact your veterinarian immediately.

To prevent and avoid relapses, it is recommended to:

• Prefer wet food as it contains a lot of water and dilutes the urine;
• Offer more water points;
• Use calming pheromones;
• Provide elevated places for playing and resting;
• Spend more time with your cat;
• And of course, provide a clean and suitable cat litter.

A good cat litter is therefore important. It contributes to well-being and prevents urinary diseases!

But we as owners also suffer from unpleasant side effects. Some litters do not absorb odors (hello gas mask), stick to paws and spread throughout the house. The vacuum cleaner game — no thanks.

The cat litter must satisfy both: the cat and the owner.

Which Cat Litter to Choose?

There are many types of cat litter: plant-based, mineral, clumping, non-clumping, silica, scented, etc. The choice is difficult. Let's get an overview.

Mineral Cat Litter

Introduced in the 1950s, it was the first commercial cat litter! It consists of small stones of various sizes made from clay minerals (natural or synthetic) or sand. Examples include bentonite (sometimes sodium-activated for better absorption), calcium silicate, kaolinite, attapulgite, and illite (green clay).

There are clumping and non-clumping mineral litters.

What is clumping cat litter?

When in contact with urine, the grains clump together. This makes it easy to remove solid and liquid waste without changing the entire litter box content. Disadvantage: litter can stick to paws! Non-clumping litter does not bind urine.

Mineral litter is very absorbent but binds odors poorly. Also, it is very dusty, which can be problematic for respiratory issues in cats or humans.

Another downside: mineral litter is very environmentally unfriendly. It comes from non-renewable resources (clay from quarries), is neither recyclable nor biodegradable. After use, it belongs in the residual waste bin.

Dust and ash from burning are harmful to the environment. Some products contain chemical additives (fungicides or pesticides), e.g., bleached or scented litter.

Not ideal!

Advantages of mineral cat litter:

• Absorbency
• Texture
• Price

Disadvantages of mineral cat litter:

• Dusty
• Environmental impact
• Poor odor control

Silica Litter

A mineral litter made of transparent blue crystals, consisting of silica gel made from sodium silicate (from sand) and sulfuric acid.

It stands out for its strong absorption. The crystals bind urine and especially odors very well.

Easy care: only solid waste needs to be removed. It does not stick to paws and produces little dust.

However, it barely clumps. The urine is simply absorbed by the crystals. So it is difficult to remove individual spots; you have to change the entire litter content.

Although some manufacturers recommend monthly changes, more frequent changes are advised. The crystals get moist over time, promoting bacteria growth.

Silica gel is a non-renewable resource. Dust can irritate respiratory tracts.

Silica litter is usually more expensive than mineral litter.

Advantages of silica litter:

• Absorption power
• Odor control
• Little dust
• Non-sticking to paws

Disadvantages of silica litter:

• Low clumping capacity
• Costly
• Non-renewable resource

Plant-based cat litter

This litter is made from natural ingredients. It can be made from hemp, wood, corn cobs, or fir.

100% natural, this litter has many advantages: besides being eco-friendly (biodegradable and compostable), it is absorbent and effectively traps unpleasant odors. Also, its texture is particularly appreciated by cats, much softer on their paws than other types of litter. Its scent is natural, and it produces very little dust.

Some are clumping, others are not. If you choose clumping litter, be aware that it contains a glue that removes the natural, recyclable, and compostable aspect of the litter.

Unlike other types of litter, plant-based litters have a very low environmental impact. The raw materials used are recycled; they are not specifically produced. The litters are made from by-products of the wood industry, and corn cobs are unsuitable for consumption.

Most are made in Europe (France and Germany). This reduces the environmental impact linked to transport. Furthermore, they are biodegradable and compostable. You can definitely compost them!

However, be careful with feces which may contain very resistant forms of parasites such as oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii (the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis). In any case (with or without feces), do not use compost containing litter for plants intended for consumption, such as your vegetable garden.

Which type of plant-based litter to choose for your cat?

There are different plant-based litters. Some are fiber-based and others are pellets. They are all absorbent, but fibers tend to stick to the cat’s paws. Very light, they can also get caught in your cat’s fur. If you have a Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat, or British Longhair, you might find some litter all over your house. Pellets turn out to be a better option.

Among the different components, wood is the best option: it perfectly traps odors.

Whatever solution you choose, favor litter certified NF Environnement. This certification guarantees that the products are of good quality and environmentally friendly throughout their life cycle.

Ziggy’s (happy) cat litter

At Ziggy, we chose a non-clumping plant-based litter that is ultra-absorbent (up to 600%), made from crushed resinous wood pellets. No problem of litter sticking to paws or fur!

And like all our products, it is French. A plant-based litter is no longer really ecological if it is made on the other side of the world, right? And to top it all off, Ziggy litter is NF Environnement certified.