There are many options for cat litter available today. The rule of thumb says to leave it alone if it’s not broken. It’s not always bad to try a different litter. Be vigilant when you experiment with different litters. You’ll need to quickly clean them out and go back to the “old reliable”. Let your cat choose the final litter.

I have first-hand experience of the difficult task of choosing a cat’s litter box, and the subsequent use of cat litter. Open or closed, large or small, manual or automatic, not to mention the number of boxes required, is what you need to consider when choosing a cat litter box. We have two cement mixing containers on our enclosed porch for my family of four cats. There’s also a rectangular open litter box in the dining area, and an individual box on top of a cage. Zippy and Wolverine use the cement boxes. All use the open box, but it is primarily for our senior Biskers (16 years old). The private box, on the other hand, is reserved for Snoopy.

It can be difficult to decide which litter is best for each box. Clay, clumping or natural with newspaper, wheat, corn scratch, pine or clay. Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages. My household wants: no tracking, easy cleaning, minimal dust, choice of cat, but also financially feasible.

I have used and tried all the cat litters above. When I experimented, I used a box in the dining room. To make sure that the litter was used by Biskers and Snoopy, I stayed true to my list. Biskers, our senior cat is more prone to accidents. We wanted to make sure that the dining room box was to her liking. Joe and I also need to make sure that Snoopy is not affected by the litter because she suffers from 26 allergies.

The following litters are used in the boxes after months of testing:

Stall Dry is used for the cement litter boxs on the enclosed porch. Stall Dry is mainly used in horse stalls. It’s a fine powder litter that tracks and creates dust when poured. The Stall Dry is able to handle the ammonia smell very, very effectively, even though this often goes against my expectations. The clumps also make it easy to clean out the cement boxes, and Zippy and Wolverine both use them. The value of a 40lb bag is between $15.00 and $25.00.

I use either newspaper or clumping litter for the box in the Snoopy cage, which is 5ftx7ft, and also the box in the dining room that Biskers uses. The clumping litter is not as good for tracking or mud pouring, but it is easy to clean and Snoopy does not react. I can also get clumping kitty litter in any store, including Family Dollar or Dollar General, for less than $10 per 20lb. I can buy multiple boxes during the month, and keep some for emergencies. I use newspaper pellets. Snoopy does not react to it, Biskers loves pawing at it, and the litter is easy to find where to wash. It is harder to bury feces in the current litter, so it will eventually smell if you don’t clean it. This litter is only available online or in pet stores. The price of a 30lb sack can vary from $15 to $25.

I don’t only use one type of litter. I have experimented with different types of litter for several months, noting the cost, who used what, Snoopy’s reactions, and tracking and scent. These were the results. Cost-wise, I also try to buy two bags of newspaper and stall day pellets every time I visit the pet shop. Every month, I try to buy three boxes of clumping cat litter. After I have cleaned out the litter boxes, every fourth or sixth month, i have enough to refill them and I still have some left over in case I forget to go to the store and buy any litter.