The World's Best Cat Litter (IMHO)
I’ve been a cat person pretty much all my life. Luckily my husband is as well, and we’ve shared our various homes with feline companions for all of our 47 years together. I’m a firm believer in keeping cats indoors; naturally that means certain issues must be dealt with.
Until recently I always used clay-based litters, but I learned that clay litter is strip-mined in much the same way as coal and doesn’t degrade in landfills. I needed an alternative. I did a lot of research and discovered that much had changed in the years we had been catless. Basically there are four types of organic cat litters available: paper, wood, corn cob and wheat husk. I really want a clumping litter and none of the paper based kinds offered that feature so that was out. There are a number of choices in the other three categories and in all honesty they are more expensive that clay litters, some more than others.
My first choice was Nature’s Miracle corn cob clumping litter but I noticed that it did have a bit of an odor, although not strong or offensive like the scented clay litters have. Lily didn’t seem to notice it, and it dissipated after a few stirrings. This is an excellent product, very absorbent and clumps well. The large bag lasted about a month for one cat. It also absorbs odor well.
When that batch was almost gone I decided to try sWheat Scoop, which is made from wheat husks and was slightly less expensive than Nature’s Miracle. It has no odor of its own, and performs just as well as the other. It looks and feels like clay litter, so if you’re switching over your cat won’t even know the difference. Both of these litters are made from agricultural waste products and are 100% biodegradable. They even claim to be flushable, though personally I wouldn’t try it. Some of the reviews I read said they’d had problems with clogged plumbing.
It costs about $22 (before tax) for a 25-pound sack (really big bag) but it lasts about 3 months for one cat so it really isn’t overly expensive. It clumps well, absorbs odor, and has no odor of its own to speak of. You do have to be to wait a while before scooping as the clumps tend to fall apart if you scoop them right away, but that’s really the only complaint I have.
