Cat Litter

Clumping clay is the easy-scooping option: urine forms a solid lump you lift out, so the rest stays clean and a full change is only weekly. Catsan Ultra Clumping Odour Control Cat Litter and Pettex Premium Fullers Earth Clumping Cat Litter are both this type. The trade-offs are weight and dust.

Non-clumping mineral litters such as Catsan Hygiene Cat Litter absorb liquid into the granules instead. They are cheaper and low in dust, but you cannot scoop the wet patches out, so the whole tray needs changing every few days. Many rescues use it, so many cats arrive already used to it.

Wood pellets like Kittyfriend Wood Pellets Cat Litter and Catsan Wood Comfort Non Clumping Cat Litter are light, absorbent and track far less than clay, because the pellets do not stick in paws. They break down to sawdust as they get wet, and the sawdust sinks to the bottom. Cat's Best Original Clumping Litter is a wood litter that clumps: low tracking with easy scooping.

Paper litters such as Breeder Celect Recycled Paper Cat Litter are the softest underfoot and the choice after surgery, with a paw injury, or for kittens that eat what they dig in. Odour control is the weak point, so change them often.

Silica crystal litters like Pettex Silica Litter absorb an enormous amount for their weight, dry out solids and can last a fortnight for one cat. The catch is the feel: the crystals are hard, and some cats will not stand on them. Introduce it gradually.

Naturecat Tofu Litter, Catit Pea Husk Unscented Clumping Cat Litter and the corn-based World's Best Cat Litter Original Unscented all clump like clay at a fraction of the weight. Flushable claims vary and depend on your water company, so check first. World's Best Cat Litter Multi Cat Unscented is the heavier-duty version for two or more cats.

Fill to five to seven centimetres: shallower and the cat hits the plastic; deeper and clumps fall apart. Scoop at least once a day. A full change is weekly for clumping types and every few days for non-clumping, with the tray washed in hot water and unscented soap.

Cats are conservative about litter. To switch, mix a little of the new type into the old and increase the proportion over a week or two; a cat that refuses is telling you to slow down. International Cat Care advise against scented litters altogether, because what smells fresh to you is overpowering at nose height.

Odour is mostly a scooping problem, but a freshener helps between changes. Bob Martin Litter Freshener and Simple Solution Cat Litter Fresh Granules are sprinkled over the litter, and the unscented versions are the ones to reach for. Sanicat Clumping White Cotton Fresh is lightly scented; try it on a settled cat, not a new arrival.

Tracking is worst with fine clay; a textured mat at the tray entrance catches most of it. With more than one cat, keep to one tray each plus a spare, in different rooms if you can, because a cat blocked from a tray will go elsewhere. A sudden refusal to use the tray in a cat that always has is a reason for a vet visit before anything else.