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Cat litters used in the olden days, meaning prior to the commercial cat litters now found in neighborhood grocery stores, are literally litters. Usually these were dirt gathered from gardens.

Now, there are a variety of cat litters to choose from. These cat litters, for the most part, are great for the cat as well as good for the environment. The following are tips and advice to make better a cat owner’s selection of the best litter possible for their cats.

Choose wisely

The choice of cat litters should primarily be based on how much this litter will affect the environment just as how much such litter is preferred by cats. Although cats really do not care much about how the litter may soon end up in a landfill, cats really prefer if their litter has no bad scent. They also care if the litter feels good.

Cats have a very keen sense of smell, so it is important that litters have little or no scents that are made artificially. It is also best if the litter contains no dust. It will do cats no good if their noses are irritated since they will try to avoid going thru the litter if it displeases them in any way.

Ask wisely

Cats love the feel of sand with pellets or any surface that has shreds and bits of chunks. It is best that a cat owner know which kind his or her cat prefers.

But to further help a confused cat owner decide, questions such as the following should be best asked:

Is the cat litter easily flushed in the toilet? Is it free from odors? Does the litter contain any form of perfumes or chemicals? Is the litter safe for the cat, the owner, the environment? Does the cat like the feel of the litter? How much does it cost and is it easily accessible?

Be aware

There are environment-friendly litters that are made from newspapers that are recycled. These types of litters can be easily flushed, can easily be burned and are almost a hundred percent free from dust.

There are also litters that came from plants. These litters usually come from corn – its husks, the cob and the corn itself. Byproducts of wheat such as wheat grass are also a source of cat litter.

But the best among all of these are the corn cobs because they are odorless as well as it control odor. It is absorbent as well. They also do not produce a lot of dust and are easily flushed.

Litter from pine and sawdust

These types of litter are also biodegradable. They are made by drying and compressing them into pellet-forms. They absorb moisture a number of times more than their weight until they break down again into natural sawdust. Due to their easily absorbent nature, any odor is naturally eliminated.

Be wary though, pine has natural resins and chemicals that aid in the elimination of insects and odor-causing bacteria because of its insecticide-like properties. This same feature could also cause respiratory damage as well as asthma and allergies. Humans as well as cats may easily be susceptible to such allergens.

Do not be afraid of odor

Odor is one way by which nature tells the un-aware cat owner that it is time to replace the litter. Cat litter should be regularly changed so that bacteria or micro-organisms will not collect in it. If odor persists check the diet your cat is consuming as that may also be the cause.

Cats and Clay

Clay is the most common type of litter being used today. A specific kind of clay made of sodium bentonite has a special feature that when it is urinated on by cats a clump is formed making it more convenient to remove the clumps from the litter. However, such clay is carcinogenic and is easily absorbed by the lungs of cats.

All in all, the choice depends on the cat owner’s preference, budget and favorites. After all, cats are everyone’s best fuzzy, soft, cuddly and gentle meowing friends.