Many great things come along with cats – cleaning their litter box isn’t one of them. Without high-quality cat litter, you may find your Siamese rejecting it quicker than you can open the packaging.
If the texture is all wrong, or if it only smells inviting to you, they may prefer to do their business on your fluffy white carpet instead.
To save you time and money, I have gone ahead and tested 5 different cat litters on my 3 felines, to find which one works best! I’ll be testing to find out their clumping ability, odor control, how much dust they produce, and much more.
Before we figure out which litter business helps your kitty do their business (i.e in the litter box, not the carpet) we first need to understand the different types of cat litter and their material benefits.
Clumping litter vs non-clumping litter
Most litters (except crystals and wood) are made from absorbent clay. This is great for neutralizing odor and absorbing waste. While all clay litters work with the same premise, two different types are commercially produced: clumping and non-clumping.
Non-clumping litter could be considered an old-timer of the litter world. It’s been around longer than most of us have – its main component being calcium bentonite. It can hold its weight in fluid and should be replaced after reaching its saturation point. This litter will usually last around a week if you have one cat with a standard-sized litter box.
Generally, non-clumping litter is less expensive than clumping.
Sodium bentonite is what you’ll find inside clumping litter. This is what clumps your litter together when it comes into contact with moisture. Taking this into consideration, clumping litter should take less cleaning than non-clumping, since you can easily scoop it out. For clumping litter, it is recommended to scoop the box every day, completely replacing the litter every two to four weeks.
It is also said that clumping litter is capable of absorbing more waste than non-clumping, and it’s usually better at absorbing smells. So, if you’re looking for a litter that is easy to clean and maintain, clumping litter may be better for you!
Clumping pros:
Clumping cons:
Crystal litter vs clumping litter
Made with silica gel beads, crystal litter has the ability to absorb nearly forty times its weight in moisture. It traps the odor and moisture at its source, keeping your kitty litter long-lasting.
It may be less popular than clay litter, but it is virtually dust-free. This means less mess and kinder to people with dust allergies. If your cat suffers from asthma, crystal litter will be much more beneficial than clumping litter.
Both clumping litter and crystal litter are relatively easy to clean. Clumping litter is great for value considering you only have to scoop out the clumps and top up the litter when needed. Crystal litter can last up to four weeks until it needs to be completely changed and cleaned.
Whereas crystal litter may have a bad rep for cats’ health, it’s actually clumping litter that could potentially be dangerous. There is a small chance that if your cat ingests the clumping litter, the moisture could cause it to swell up, resulting in an internal blockage.
Crystal litter is generally more expensive than clumping litter and it could be considered harder to clean. However, crystal litter is a great option for people with allergies or those with extra smelly feline friends!
Crystal pros:
Crystal cons:
Pine pellet litter vs clumping litter
Pine litter is made of wood pulp, meaning it’s a natural product. The pine is ground, pressed, and sanitized. Then, it’s made into pellets. When your Siamese goes to do its business, the pellets work to absorb the liquid. The natural pine scent can help reduce odors but may have a hard time masking poop smells.
Pine litter is also very lightweight, unlike clumping litter. Due to this, some brands are actually flushable. They’re easily broken down, and you won’t have to worry about then clocking your plumbing system.
As we know, clumping litter is super easy to maintain. Whereas pine litter is notorious for not clumping. However, you may be able to find some pine pellet litters that dissolve and turn into clumps. But, they’re harder to find and are much more expensive than usual pine and clumping litters. Pine pellet litter will need a complete change and clean every fourteen days or so.
One of the biggest downsides to pine pellet litter is fussy cats are usually not fans. If your cat is especially picky about their toilet, you may find pine pellet litter is a good choice for you, but not for your feline.
Pine pellet pros:
Pine pellet cons:
Wood ltter vs clay litter
When it comes to your feline’s health, litter made from wood is a much better choice. Clay litter produces a large amount of dust, which is made up of crystalline silica. When this is inhaled, it can cause upper respiratory problems.
If cost is a concern to you, clay litter is the most budget-friendly option there is. However, wood litter may seem more expensive by the pound, but it will last significantly longer than clay litter since it has to be replaced less frequently.
While wood litter may be your preference due to less tracking and easier clean-up, your Siamese may not be too happy. Wood litter has a history of not meshing well with cats, for some reason, they just don’t like it.
If you’re lucky enough to have a kitty who is not so picky, and the price isn’t a concern to you, wood litter may be the go-to.
If you’re on a budget or your kitty simply doesn’t like wood litter, clay may be a better option for you. Sticking to clumping clay means it’ll be much easier to clean-up and you’ll save money in the long run.
At the end of the day, whichever litter gets your Siamese to do business in their office, is a litter that’s worth trying!
What is the best cat litter?
Now we know the different types of litters out there, and you’ve hopefully picked a type that’ll work for you and your cat, let’s get into the tests! Below you’ll be able to find which litters are best for clumping, are biodegradable, good for the environment, and many more.
What is the best bitter for multiple cats?
Keep in mind we have three cats, and the first litter that attracted them, and amazingly they all preferred, was the Ultra Clumping Crystals.
Normally, cats enjoy having their own litter box, that’s why it’s recommended you have multiple litter boxes for multiple cats. However, even with the array of options presented to my kitties, they all fled to this litter.
The Ultra Clumping Crystals are made to be scooped only twice a week. With multiple cats using the same box, you’ll have to scoop more. That being said, it definitely lasts longer than your usual litter.
This particular litter turns to a jelly-like substance, making it easier to scoop out without emptying the entire box. It also produces little to no smell, meaning if you do have multiple cats, they won’t be smelling up your entire household.
The only downside I did find with this litter was its high-track rate. Multiple kitties roaming around the house tracking litter everywhere isn’t ideal. However, it is important to note the litter box I used for this litter has quite low sides and usually tracks litter, no matter the brand. Therefore, changing to a box with high sides or a cover might reduce the track rate. If you also have kitties who don’t kick litter out much, I’m sure this won’t be a problem!
All in all, this was undeniably all 3 of my cat’s favorite litters. So, it seems no matter the personality or preferences of the kitties, they enjoy this litter! I’m guessing the fact it is super soft on their paws has something to do with this.
What is the best clumping litter?
All of the litters we tested except one had clumping properties. So, it was stiff competition! Looking at the results from our own tests and the reviews on Amazon, the best clumping litter has to be Boxiecat Air.
This ultra-lightweight plant-based litter traps urine and other liquids in airtight clumps, meaning the litter stays clean and dry. Thanks to this, it makes it a lot easier to gather up the dry clumps to clean out the litter tray. It is also non-stick, therefore it’ll make it easier for you to clean out the clumps and also the whole tray when it comes to changing the litter completely. I also read that it’s great for long-haired cats, since the clumps don’t get sticky or attached to their fur.
The downside to this litter is also the high-track rate. Maybe a different litter box or a covered box will stop this from happening, and if you value lightweight litter with great absorbance then this could be something you can workaround.
Which cat litter is best for odor control?
Now, this one has a winner hands down! I was incredibly surprised how Feline Pine had absolutely no smell whatsoever. All litters claim to be odor-free, but if you’ve tried as many as I have, you’ll realize that’s not true. Even if they have a small amount of smell, it’s still a smell. But with Feline Pine, I didn’t notice any sort of bad odor. It actually gives off light, pine fragrance that isn’t irritating at all.
This litter is only made from natural materials, and the reason why it can contain the smell so well is that pine naturally neutralizes ammonia.
I do have to say, my cats enjoyed peeing in this box but they prefer a different litter for poop. This could be the reason it doesn’t smell, but I highly doubt it. Even on Amazon, this litter has raving reviews for its ability to mask all odors.
If you’re looking for a litter that completely masks odor without giving off any chemical smells, I can highly recommend Feline Pine! But do keep in mind this is a pellet litter, so it may take some time for your kitty to become accustomed to the texture.
Which cat litter tracks the least?
Since I used different litter boxes for different litter, tracking was, ironically, a little difficult to track. Litter tracking has a lot to do with the litter box as well as the litter itself. (if you’d like to see which litter box is better for litter tracking, you can check my test on litter boxes here!)
That being said, Dr.Elsey’s Ultra Litter had little tracking! This is actually super surprising since this is the litter we have used for years, but we always noticed a high-track rate. After changing litter boxes for this test, tracking was gone!
I don’t think I’ve ever come across a litter, especially clay-based, that doesn’t track. However, this one tracks a lot less than the other litters we tested. They use a unique formulation of medium grain clay that helps keep the litter inside the box.
The downside to the litter has to be its ability to cover the odor. Out of all the litters we tested, this one smelt the most. This could be fixed using a different box or odor neutralizer if you’re having a hard time finding a litter with a low-track rate.
Which cat litter is biodegradable?
We all love natural cat litter, especially when it’s biodegradable! World’s Best Cat Litter doesn’t contain any synthetic additives, chemicals, or perfume. This means it’s completely safe to throw outside once you’ve finished with it. It’s actually made of whole-kernel corn, with a texture gentle enough not to deter kitties from using the box.
It also doesn’t produce a lot of dust nor does it track too much. It claims you can “clean less: buy less!”
The only thing that I didn’t enjoy so much was its distinctive smell. Since it’s made from corn, it smells like corn. If you don’t mind this smell, then it probably won’t be a problem for you. According to Amazon reviews, many people don’t even notice it. But for me, it was something that definitely made me think twice about this litter.
Which cat litter is dust Free?
Dusty litter not only irritates allergies and tracks mess everywhere, but it is also unhealthy for your feline. That’s why we absolutely love Ultra Clumping Crystals! These no smell crystals claim to be 100% dust-free, and I have to say I can agree.
If you have a cat with asthma, I can recommend this litter over clay litter any day. Most crystal litters are virtually dust-free since they are made with a solid substance over a clay-based substance that tracks a lot.
what cat litter is best for the environment?
While we’re searching for a litter that is best for our cats, it’s important to think of the environment too! That’s where Feline Pine comes in, a litter that’s made for the environment, by the environment!
This natural litter is made from renewable southern yellow pine and natural Guar Bean Gum. From my tests, I noticed these wooden pellets have a unique ability to disintegrate into sawdust when wet.
The fact it’s made from wood means it absorbs all smells and it also has next to no tracking.
The only downside to this litter is it’s no clumping, so it may be difficult for you to clean. That being said, it is also flushable and biodegradable, so these are great options for the environment!
What Cat Litter is Best for Allergies?
If you suffer from dust allergies such as asthma, you may have a hard time finding a litter that agrees with you. Boxiecat Air is a clay 60% lighter than clay, which produces little to no dust. They claim the litter is 99.9% dust-free, and I have to admit I didn’t notice much dust being produced.
The key to a great litter that doesn’t irritate allergies is finding one that doesn’t produce a lot of dust. That’s why it’s better to stay away from most clay-based litters when you can. Boxiecat Air is a plant-based litter, so it is quite unlikely it will trigger any dust allergies you may have.
This litter is lightly scented, but they claim this is more for the cats’ benefit than the humans, so you may not even notice it.
Which Cat Litter is Flushable?
If you prefer a litter that you can flush, World’s Best Cat Litter may be what you’re searching for! This litter is completely septic safe, perfect for flushing instead of filling your trash with dirty litter.
I have to admit I didn’t try flushing this litter. I always avoid flushing anything down my toilet that’s not supposed to be there, even ones that are certified safe. That’s just due to past experiences with my old piping system. That being said, I did check Amazon reviews and many people said it flushed down their toilet without any problems.
If you want a litter that gets rid of the hassle of scooping and cleaning, I can recommend this litter!
Which cat litter is best for Siamese kittens?
I have to say, my favorite and by far the favorite litter of my Siamese kitties is the Ultra Clumping Crystals! The fact that it’s 100% dust-free means it’s super healthy for my cats and they seem to love how soft it is on their paws.
I have yet to notice any smell coming from the litter, but I do change it quite often due to all 3 of my cats using it at once. If you have 1 Siamese kitty, you can scoop it twice a week, and it’s easy to do so thanks to the wet litter turning to jello.
I’ll definitely continue using this litter, just in a different litter box!
The Bottom Line
After testing these 5 liters, it’s safe to say I’ve learned a lot about litter and a lot about my own cats! I was rather surprised with which litter they ended up choosing, and that just goes to show you’ll never really know what works until you try it.
I hope this test gave you an insight into the world of litters, and hopefully, you can find one that works for you and your kitties!
The final results:
We gathered all the health tips tailored toward maintaining your Siamese cat’s optimal well-being. Check it out here: Siamese Cat Health: A Complete Guide
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