Things to Consider Before You Choose Your Next Cat Litter

Healthy Cats |  November 15, 2018

Have you thought about switching cat litters? Many people are moving away from clay litters due to environmental concerns but don’t know which natural cat litter to consider. Other owners need to switch litters due to allergies or other practical concerns.

To find out how to find the litter that will work best for your entire household, we talked to Mercer Island Store Manager Taylor Richmond. As an eight-year Muddy and cat owner, Taylor had plenty of advice to help cat owners navigate finding the right litters for their cats.

MB: If you have a new cat or you’re a new cat owner, how do you decide what cat litter to choose?

TR: I like to consider the age of the cat. For cats under a year old, try to stay away from clumping litters, especially clumping clay litters. There is a chance that younger cats will ingest their litter. Clumping litter can actually be pretty dangerous if it gets into their digestive system. There are some kitten-specific clumping litters. The sand is a lot finer, but these litters tend to be really dusty.

Owners of adult cats that can use any litter should think about if they want clumping litter or pelleted litter. Clumping litter tends to be the most popular because people want clumps that they can scoop out when cleaning the litter box. But I find that pelleted litter tends to have better odor control, and it tends to have less tracking and less dust. Pellets tend to be more absorbent, and they trap odor more efficiently.

Because pelleted litter doesn’t clump, it does take a bit more work to maintain the litter box. You do have to switch out all the litter a bit more often than clumping litter because you’ll never get every single wet litter pellet when scooping. You will need to toss all the litter and replace the litter every few weeks.

There are some pelleted litters that clump. The pellets are very small, and they lightly clump. People who want a pelleted litter but prefer clumps for cleaning purposes like this litter. There are tradeoffs because these pelleted litters are very light, so they track more than other pelleted litters.

Light litter also makes it easier for cats to move the litter box. I had a top-loading litterbox with a very light litter in it, and my cat managed to accidentally overturn it. Once again, there are tradeoffs when picking a litter.

MB: For people who don’t know how to clean a litter box with pelleted litter, can you explain how to do it?

TR: It’s interesting because with pelleted litter when it comes down to it, you can use a spoon to remove the used litter. You can usually spot wet pellets because they change color and sometimes, they change size. You want to scoop out as many of the wet pellets as possible but know that you’ll get some of the dry pellets, too.

When you’re scooping the poop out, you do want the pellets to fall through holes in the scoop. So for those jobs, you do want a scoop with wider gaps. We have one scoop with little circular holes that tends to work best for pelleted litters.

After you scoop, you want to add enough litter so there’s always about three inches of litter in the box. Every few weeks, dump the whole litter box out and clean the box with the cleaner of your choice. Then fill it up with three inches of clean litter.

Some people like litter liners, which are bags made to fit your litter pan. Then you can just pour the litter into the liner. Then when you change the litter box, you just tie up the bag and remove it.

MB: After you decide what texture to consider, how do you decide what cat litter material to try?

TR: I find that material type is primarily customer preference. I always ask if anyone in the house has any sort of allergies if I’m asked for advice. Sometimes pets will have grain or corn allergies, which makes these litters not a great option. Sometimes, we as people have really bad dust allergies, and clay litters can aggravate them. I have a grass allergy, so I avoid grass litters.

Odor plays a big role in what litter people choose. My roommate switched to a different litter that he likes. He has noticed that he needs to clean the litter box more regularly or he notices a smell.

It’s good to think about the type of odor the litter itself creates. Material types smells vary, and some litters can smell quite pleasant. If you want a litter with very little scent, walnut and clay litter are both good options.

After that, litter choice is really about preference. I will have one customer rave about how wonderful one litter is, and I will have another customer will immediately switch away from it. I always tell customers to pick a litter and try it out. And if you don’t like it, use our return policy and exchange it for a different litter to try.

MB: Many cat owners look for good ways to prevent litter from escaping the litter box. Do you have any words of wisdom for people who want to reduce litter tracking?

TR: First, you should look at the litter box you’ve chosen. If the litter box is uncovered, get a top to prevent your cat from kicking litter out of the box. There are plenty of covered litter boxes to choose from if you would like to switch away from the one you already have. You can also try a top-entry box, so your cat has to jump on the box top first. That can catch some of the litter before it goes onto the floor.

If you still need help preventing tracking, you can try litter mats. Some are smaller and made to fight right outside the door of a covered litter box. Some are larger so that the surround the entire litter box.

If your problem is still not solved, you would need to try switching to a new litter. Pelleted litter, especially heavier pellets, don’t track as bad as a sandier clumping litter.

But unfortunately, especially with clumping litter, there’s always going to be some level of tracking. Some litters will track less than others, but there’s always going to be some tracking. But as long as you vacuum regularly, it won’t be as noticeable if you follow my suggestions.

MB: For cat owners that want to change litters, what do you recommend to make the cat litter swap easier for your cat?

TR: Just like you should transition between foods, you want to transition between litters. This is crucial if you’re changing textures. Transitioning between one clumping litter to another clumping litter is usually simpler because the texture is the same. Cats feel the change in the litter when they walk on it. So, if the feel is different, you may want to take a full week for a slower transition.

I recommend cleaning out the litter box completely and pouring a small amount of the new litter on the bottom and then pouring the old litter on top. When your cat is digging around, your cat will mix the two litters for himself. He’ll discover the new litter underneath the old litter, which increases the chance it won’t upset him.

Every day or so, clean the litter box, making sure to mix in a bit more of the new litter afterward. Keep some of the old litter on hand, if you feel the transition is happening too quickly, feel free to add a bit of the older litter as well. By the end of that week, you should only be using the newer litter to top it off, and you will be well on your way to phasing the old litter out completely.

MB: Do you have any advice for people who are concerned their cats won’t want to change litter types?

TR: Some cats are very sensitive to changes, while other cats are more easy-going. All animals have preferences. There are going to be some cats that really prefer one litter to another. If your cat has a distinct preference, and you switch their litter too quickly, they may stop using the litter box. For a picky cat, switching a litter too quickly can also hurt your chances of a smoother transition down the line, even if you do it properly the next time.

A very slow transition is the best for a picky cat. The slower the transition, the better the chance that your cat will accept the new litter. Unfortunately, some cats won’t accept any change, no matter what. In this case, you may be stuck using the litter they like. It depends mostly on the cat, but sometimes the process.

Attractants are an option that can help some cats, but there’s no guarantee your cat will like it. If it doesn’t work for your cat, use our return policy. I tend to recommend attractant to cat owners who have tried a variety of different litter box training methods that haven’t worked, but it’s fine if people want to immediately start with pairing an attractant with a litter.***

Cat gazing at a panting black and white dog

Mercer Island Manager Taylor Richmond loves to talk about all things cats (and dogs!), so if you’re in the area, please stop by the store and say hello. When he’s not at work, Taylor is often adjudicating disagreements between his tabby cat and his roommate’s tuxedo cat.

🌞 🎆 🎉 Summer brings celebrations, late nights, travel and events that can leave your pets feeling uneasy.
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Mud Bay is here to help, offering products that bring calm and comfort to your cat or dog when things get noisy.
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We carry calming collars, tinctures, treats, and pheromones to help your pets handle everything summer brings—Shop Mud Bay in-store or online to find the right calmatives for your pets.
#mudbay #summer #keepcalm #healthypets #calming

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🌞 🎆 🎉 Summer brings celebrations, late nights, travel and events that can leave your pets feeling uneasy. 🐈 🐕 Mud Bay is here to help, offering products that bring calm and comfort to your cat or dog when things get noisy. 🐈 🐕 We carry calming collars, tinctures, treats, and pheromones to help your pets handle everything summer brings—Shop Mud Bay in-store or online to find the right calmatives for your pets. #mudbay #summer #keepcalm #healthypets #calming

Fluff & Tuff`s #IGIVEAFLUFF is Coming Soon!
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Starting June 8th, National Best Friends Day, our friends at Fluff & Tuff are once again kicking off #IGiveAFluff to help put toys in the paws of shelter and rescue dogs who need them most.
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And we want you to be a part of it, and it couldn`t be easier to participate!
Here`s how it works:
📸 Snap a photo of your dog with their favorite Fluff & Tuff toy.
📱 Share it on social media using #IGiveAFluff.
🐾 Fluff & Tuff donates a toy to a shelter or rescue dog.
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Since 2015, with the support of pet parents like you and the generosity of Fluff & Tuff, over 22,000 toys have been donated to shelters and rescue dogs. Want to participate, but you need a Fluff & Tuff toy? Take a tip from Frank and stop by your local Mud Bay or visit us online. Click the link in our bio to learn more about #IGIVEAFLUFF

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Fluff & Tuff's #IGIVEAFLUFF is Coming Soon! 🐾 Starting June 8th, National Best Friends Day, our friends at Fluff & Tuff are once again kicking off #IGiveAFluff to help put toys in the paws of shelter and rescue dogs who need them most. 🐾 And we want you to be a part of it, and it couldn't be easier to participate! Here's how it works: 📸 Snap a photo of your dog with their favorite Fluff & Tuff toy. 📱 Share it on social media using #IGiveAFluff. 🐾 Fluff & Tuff donates a toy to a shelter or rescue dog. 🐾 Since 2015, with the support of pet parents like you and the generosity of Fluff & Tuff, over 22,000 toys have been donated to shelters and rescue dogs. Want to participate, but you need a Fluff & Tuff toy? Take a tip from Frank and stop by your local Mud Bay or visit us online. Click the link in our bio to learn more about #IGIVEAFLUFF

Summer is coming, so be like Goose 🐕 and stay cool 😎 ❄️ on every outing with the Swamp Cooler Harness from Ruffwear.
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Whether she’s out on a trail or enjoying a long walk or run, this harness is built for warm-weather adventures, offering cooling comfort and secure control in one breathable design.
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Shop in-store or online at Mud Bay.
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Summer is coming, so be like Goose 🐕 and stay cool 😎 ❄️ on every outing with the Swamp Cooler Harness from Ruffwear. 🧊 Whether she’s out on a trail or enjoying a long walk or run, this harness is built for warm-weather adventures, offering cooling comfort and secure control in one breathable design. 🌞 Shop in-store or online at Mud Bay. #mudbay #adventures #pnw #dog #summeriscoming

Mud Bay Memorial Day Hours ⏰
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Today, Monday, May 25, all Mud Bay locations will be open from 10 am to 6 pm.
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Delivery orders placed after 2 pm on Sunday will arrive on Tuesday. Store pickup and Instacart will still be available. 🐈 🐕 🚚
#mudbay #holidayhours #healthypets #mudbaydelivery #pets

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Mud Bay Memorial Day Hours ⏰ 🐈 🐕 Today, Monday, May 25, all Mud Bay locations will be open from 10 am to 6 pm. 🐈 🐕 Delivery orders placed after 2 pm on Sunday will arrive on Tuesday. Store pickup and Instacart will still be available. 🐈 🐕 🚚 #mudbay #holidayhours #healthypets #mudbaydelivery #pets