But if you're ever in a bind and wondering if you can use rice as kitty litter, the answer is yes! As with many great discoveries, I discovered that rice can be a good substitute for kitty litter completely by accident.
Tests show that pyrolyzed rice hulls are most effective with feces. As soon as the litter comes into contact with feces, the moisture and odor are absorbed immediately and a film crust is formed on the surface to make it free of odor and easy to scoop up.
There are many DIY litter options that are tried and tested. Mixtures of chicken feed, baking soda and cedar shavings (great for absorption, but it does attract rodents!) or dish soap, water, shredded paper, and baking soda (Usually items you already have, but takes a long time) are just a few combinations.
Rice is a great absorber. However, it is messy and will not mask the smell of ammonia caused by cat urine. Don't overfill the litter box because the rice granules will expand when wet.
Cat litters are primarily made of clay and other minerals, natural ingredients such as pine, wheat or corn, or synthetic crystallized silica.
The Components. Clumping litter is made from clay materials, such as bentonite. Clay is naturally porous and absorbs excessive amounts of moisture. The clay granules soften when they absorb liquid and stick together forming clumps, which cat owners can easily remove from the litter tray.
You've probably heard that you should put your phone in a bag of rice in an attempt to dry it out if it gets wet, but after some thorough testing from the folks at Gazelle, it turns out there is something that will absorb way more water from your damaged device. It's kitty litter!
Clay remains the most common type of litter, and that's what we'll focus on in this guide. Plus, cats like clay. Clay is similar in consistency to soil, as veterinarian Alexandra Medley pointed out, so going in a clay litter will feel pretty natural for your cat.
Sprinkle baking soda in your box.
Yes! Baking soda is 100% non toxic. Mixing a little baking soda with the litter can help absorb pet urine odors. Cats typically detest artificial scents, so we recommend you avoid any scented soda options.
Scented litter
A thin layer of baking soda placed on the bottom of the box will help absorb odors without repelling your cat.
What Type of Litter Is Best for Your Cat? The best choice is biodegradable litter because they are made from materials that are safe for cats and the environment. Biodegradable litters include cat litter made from corn cobs, pine pellets, or wheat straw; sand; and paper-based (non-clumping) clumping litters.
While corn flour is preferred, other constituents which can provide similar characteristics to the cat litter can be used, such as wheat flour, for example.
Potting Mix (or garden soil) is actually a very natural product for cats to use instead of a litter tray! Many cats choose to do a complex contortionist act in order to poo and pee into pot plants!
Best Overall: Fresh Step Advanced Cat Litter
Crowned Ochoa's top pick, this clumping litter is formulated to be 99.9 percent dust-free.
Best Cat Litter Overall: Dr. Elsey's Ultra. Best Cat Litter For Clumping: Boxiecat Scent-Free Premium Clumping Clay Litter. Best Dust-Free Cat Litter: Arm and Hammer Slide Easy Clean-Up Clumping Litter.
“Cats will sometimes jump into the litter boxes and often use them while, and right after, their people have scooped them,” says Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant. “Cats love clean litter boxes, ones that are freshly scooped and don't smell of excrement.
After months of testing, our overall favorite is Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Litter, which clumps well, absorbs scents even better, and won't spread dust everywhere. We've found it to be especially effective in multi-cat households.
It's made from sustainably grown corn (not mined or drilled like clay litter), with no added chemicals, so it's pet, people and planet friendly. And, World's Best Cat Litter® is tested and proven flushable* and septic safe, so you can scoop and flush without worrying about clogging the pipes!
Clumping litters are linked to a wide range of cat health problems including diarrhea, vomiting, kidney and respiratory problems, lethargy, etc. Clumping litter forms a hard, insoluble mass when it gets wet. It also produces a fine dust. When cats use the litter box, they lick themselves clean and ingest the dust.
Less Contamination. Non-clumping litters don't clump around your cats “solids”, so they can get spread around and contaminate the rest of the litter, which isn't only unsanitary but can also be dangerous as cat poo may carry Toxoplasmosis or other harmful bacteria.
Sand absorbs moisture, but it doesn't clump, so scooping your cat's litter box daily can be a challenge. When you pair this with the fact that sand offers no odor control, it's easy to see why the litter box will need frequent cleaning. If you already use a clumping litter, then switching to sand will be a big change.
How Often Should You Change the Cat Litter? If you use a clumping litter, it's best to scoop the box daily and change it out completely at least monthly. If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks.
It's all personal preference, and priority should go to what your cat wants, not what you want. Just keep in mind that these other options are expensive, slightly less effective (they don't form a tight clump, making it harder to scoop and clean), but are more environmentally friendly.