Let’s face it: As a lot as we love our cats, coping with cat litter isn’t anybody’s concept of a very good time! Not solely do we’d like our cats to be pleased with the litter, however it additionally must be comparatively problem free for us to scrub.
For those who’ve determined that you simply wish to begin utilizing an eco-friendly cat litter, however you’re unsure what form is finest and even tips on how to go about switching over to a brand new litter, we’ve received you coated.
On this article, we focus on the completely different sorts of eco-friendly cat litter obtainable and tips on how to swap to a brand new one efficiently.
What Precisely Is Eco-friendly Cat Litter?
For those who’re involved concerning the setting and wish to maintain your carbon footprint as small as potential, eco-friendly cat litter might help. This sort of litter is usually made utilizing biodegradable supplies which can be recycled and renewable. It may also be byproducts from different industries, which implies it has gone by means of minimal processing and is sustainably sourced.
Disposing of eco-friendly cat litter may also be almost guilt free, on condition that it’s biodegradable and compostable.
Easy methods to Change to Eco-Pleasant Cat Litter
A lot of this relies on your cat and what you’re in search of in a litter. Nonetheless, right here’s a normal information:
1. Do It Steadily
Cats should not followers of change, notably with regards to their meals and litter. One of the simplest ways to introduce new litter is to do it slowly and steadily.
Combine a small quantity of the brand new litter with their common litter. Within the first week, purpose for about 20% new litter to 80% outdated. Within the second week, do 40% new litter to 60% outdated, and so forth till your cat is barely utilizing the brand new litter.
Whereas making this transition, place the brand new litter on the underside with the outdated litter on prime.
2. Keep away from Too A lot Change at As soon as
Don’t introduce your cat to new litter if there are different issues already happening within the family. For instance, if you happen to’re switching litter since you’re getting a second cat, it’s not a good suggestion to change your outdated cat’s litter. They are going to be coping with the stress of the brand new cat already.
Don’t think about making a change if the rest is happening, such as you’re transferring, having a brand new child, or doing renovations.
3. Set Up Extra Than One Litter Field
In case your cat appears reluctant to make use of the brand new litter, think about organising a second litter field with one more new litter. You are able to do this with greater than two if desired.
For instance, you possibly can put down one litter field with walnut, one other with pine, and a 3rd with bamboo litter. This offers your cat a number of new litters to select from and might help you pinpoint the litter that they like probably the most.
4. Make It Acquainted
Cats could have preferences on the kind of litter field as properly, for instance they might not be used to a coated or self cleansing field. Maintain the kind of litter field constant, and the placement comparable, when switching to new cat litter. Usually cats favor to make use of litter bins which can be clear, straightforward to entry and really feel ‘safe’. Keep away from putting bins in noisy areas and put them away from their meals and water bowls.
5. Reward Your Cat
In case your cat remains to be reluctant, give them a deal with or reward each time they use the brand new litter. Like almost all animals, cats are meals motivated, so giving them a high-value deal with once they use the litter would possibly encourage them to maintain utilizing it.
6. Maintain Attempting
So many issues about cat litter can postpone your cat, the feel and the odor being the most important components. For those who’re attempting out a litter and your cat would relatively pee on the ground than go within the litter field, you must get a brand new one.
Attempting out a number of litter bins can come in useful, however it does imply spending fairly a bit of cash for all of the completely different litters. Go for the smallest or least expensive bins/luggage potential. In case your cat is recurrently going toileting outdoors of their litter field, or there are some other modifications of their conduct, get them checked out by your vet to ensure there are not any underlying medical points that want addressing.
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What Are Eco-Pleasant Cat Litters Made From?
There are many eco-friendly cat litter obtainable, from fairly a wide range of supplies! When selecting, remember to take into accounts any allergy symptoms you or your cat might have. The next are all obtainable as cat litter, and every has its benefits and drawbacks:
- Bamboo: Bamboo isn’t the commonest of pure cat litter, however it’s absorbent and respectable at odor management. Nevertheless, the clumps are inclined to disintegrate.
- Coconut: Coconut husk makes an amazing cat litter. It may be clumping or non-clumping, and it’s light-weight and fully biodegradable. However it may be messy and onerous to seek out for buy.
- Corn: Corn cat litter has been round for some time. It may clump and is light-weight, virtually dust-free, and infrequently flushable. Nevertheless, it isn’t all the time the most effective at odor management.
- Grass seed: Grass seed litter clumps, is sort of dust-free, and is tender on the paws however tends to trace.
- Paper: Recycled paper might be clumping or non-clumping, absorbent, and dust-free. However odor management may be a difficulty.
- Pine: Pine litter is a biodegradable cat litter that’s been round for some time. It may be clumping or non-clumping and doesn’t monitor too badly, however it isn’t all the time good with odor management.
- Tofu: ‘Tofu litter’, produced from soybean byproducts, is dust-free, clumps, doesn’t monitor, and reduces dangerous odors. Nevertheless, the clumps don’t all the time keep collectively and may get a bit mushy.
- Walnut: Walnut cat litter is produced from the fibrous materials discovered inside walnut shells. It reduces dangerous odors and is absorbent and dust-free. It tends to trace a good bit, although, and doesn’t all the time clump properly.
- Wheat: Wheat cat usually litter is flushable and good at clumping, however it may be fairly dusty.
- Wooden: Wooden cat litter is produced from completely different sorts of wooden, so there are numerous choices.
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What to Look For in an Eco-friendly Cat Litter
Home cats are descended from wildcats that reside in a desert setting, so they have an inclination to favor a sand-like texture of their litter.
When looking for an eco-friendly litter, it’s worthwhile to think about the feel and scent of it in your cat. However you’ll additionally want one thing you can work with, as some are extra difficult to take care of than others. Many of those sorts of cat litter won’t clump in addition to clay or silica, so that you’ll have to weigh what’s extra essential to you.
Learn opinions (three-star opinions make a pleasant stability between destructive and optimistic), and search for the important thing features that may make or break a litter: mud, monitoring, clumping, and odor management.
What’s Flawed With Conventional Cat Litter?
Conventional Clay
Clay is the preferred cat litter and has been across the longest. It’s recognized for its means to soak up and maintain liquid and offers good odor management.
However conventional clay doesn’t clump, so it wants frequent altering; usually, all the litter field needs to be dumped, cleaned, and replenished as soon as every week.
Bentonite Clay
Sodium bentonite is what causes conventional litter to clump. Actually, it might improve to fifteen occasions its dimension. Clumping litter is sort of common, notably as a result of it’s straightforward to scrub. Nevertheless, there have been considerations concerning the mud from the sodium bentonite being inhaled and inflicting respiratory points. If ingested the clay may cause critical gastrointestinal points when it swells up. Additionally, the clay generally used is obtained from strip mining which is damaging to the setting.
It’s as much as every cat proprietor to weigh what’s finest for his or her cat and discuss to their veterinarian relating to their considerations.
Silica
Silica gel makes up the crystallized cat litter that can be fairly common. It’s absorbent and offers good odor management, and is long-lasting. There haven’t been any main research on the potential dangers, however up to now it’s thought-about secure except ingested.
It’s made with silicone dioxide, which is a pure materials that kinds into tiny pearls. Whereas it’s typically thought-about secure, some silica litter is tough in texture, and lots of cats dislike the way it feels on their paws. It’s additionally not biodegradable, and since silica is derived from quartz, mining operations are vital to acquire it.
Conclusion
Altering your cat’s litter would possibly go extremely properly, or it would find yourself taking a substantial amount of your time and persistence earlier than your cat adjusts.
Since litter is such an integral a part of cat possession, your cat have to be okay with their litter. When you decide on a brand new litter, remember to learn the directions on one of the simplest ways to make use of it.
There’s no query that you simply’ll have to undergo a little bit of trial and error when switching to an eco-friendly cat litter, but when performed proper, you’ll have a barely smaller carbon footprint and hopefully, a happier cat.
Featured Picture Credit score: Lightspruch, Shutterstock
