Best Cat Litter for Small Apartments: What to Consider When Choosing Cat Litter
- Abi
- September 25, 2022
- 7:34 am
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In many ways, cats are well-suited for apartment living. Their cat litter may not be, though. Let’s look at the best cat litter for small apartments.
Small apartments, lofts, and studios can get overwhelmed with the smell and dust from a cat’s litter box. The litter box can make your whole apartment smell, even if you just have one cat.
The dust from your cat’s litter box can coat furniture and floors and make everything in your apartment dirty. Even your clothes can smell like a litter box if you use the wrong cat litter in a small apartment. Let’s look at the best cat litter for small apartments. We’ll help you decide which litter is right for your home and cat.
Best Cat Litter for Small Apartments: Buyers Guide
To find the best cat litter to use in your small apartment, you’ll need to consider several factors. These include the following features.
Price
Budgeting is a fact of life. The best cat litter for your apartment isn’t an option if it’s too expensive.
Ease of Use
We all have busy lives, so you’ll want your cat litter to be easy to pour into the litter box. You’ll also need the process of cleaning the litter box to be simple.
Dust
A dusty cat litter could be a big problem for a small apartment. Unless you have a litter box with a dust-control system, dust will be an essential factor in choosing the best kind of cat litter for a small apartment.
Odor Control
In a small space, odor control is a crucial cat litter consideration. You will need a cat litter that will keep odors under control.
Clumping
Whether your cat litter clumps can be a personal choice, but clumping cat litter does make cleaning the litter box easier.
Weight
Cat litter can be heavy, so if your small apartment is upstairs, you will want to choose a lightweight cat litter to make it easier to carry into your apartment.
Materials
Cat litter materials are also a matter of personal choice for pet owners. Clay litter is the oldest type of cat litter, but it can be dusty. Silica gel cat litter does a great job of absorbing odors without a lot of dust, but cat owners worry that ingesting the silica gel could harm their pets.
Biodegradable cat litter made from pine chips, wheat, corn, soybeans, or recycled paper is another option for pet owners.
Types of Cat Litter
The cat litter types available online and in pet stores, supermarkets, and retailers have different features. The best cat litter for small apartments will be the type that meets the unique needs of apartment-dwelling cat owners.
Clay Litter
Clay cat litter is absorbent, and for many people, it is the preferred cat litter. It’s among the least expensive options, but the odor becomes a problem as this litter absorbs moisture. Often, you must empty the whole litter box.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Absorbent
- Scented varieties are available
Cons:
- Dusty
- Odor can be a problem, so clay litter has to be emptied often
Non-Tracking Litter
Litter that gets stuck to your cat’s paws will wind up all over your small apartment. Non-tracking litter is the best cat litter for a small apartment for that reason. Non-tracking litter comes in larger granules too big to stick to your cat’s paws and fur.
Pros:
- Non-tracking litter keeps your small space cleaner
- Your cat’s paws and fur stay cleaner
- Non-tracking litter makes less dust than finer cat litter
Cons:
- Non-tracking litter can cost more
Clumping Litter
Clumping cat litter forms into clumps when your cat uses the litter box. This clumping makes cleaning the litter box easier since you can scoop the chunks out of the litter box. The clumping action comes from the addition of bentonite to clay cat litter.
Pros:
- Easier to clean
- You don’t have to empty the entire box – just scoop out the chunks
- Affordable
Cons:
- Since clumping cat litter is made of clay, dust can be a problem
Odor-Eliminating Litter
Odor-fighting is a vital cat litter feature for cat owners who live in small apartments. Most often, odor-eliminating cat litter is clay cat litter that contains charcoal or baking soda. Odor-eliminating cat litter can be unscented or scented.
Pros:
- Absorbs cat litter odors naturally
- Unscented and scented varieties are available
- It comes in versions that also are clumping and non-tracking
Cons:
- Dust can still be a problem
Biodegradable Litter
Another option for apartment-dwelling cat lovers is biodegradable cat litter. Made from wheat, corn, soybeans, or recycled paper, biodegradable cat litter won’t have a harmful impact on the environment or your cat. Dust won’t be a problem either, but these make cleaning up after your cat harder.
Pros:
- Biodegradable
- Dust-free
- Not a hazard to your cat
Cons:
- Odor and absence of clumping mean the litter box will have to be changed more often.
Cleaning Tips
How a cat litter performs in a small apartment has a great deal to do with the type of litter box your cat has. A covered self-cleaning model designed to keep dust contained is essential to keeping your small apartment clean and fresh.
Clumping litter will keep you from having to empty an entire litter box when cleaning. Disposing of an entire litter box full of soiled litter will make trash heavy and smelly.
Silica gel cat litter is dust-free and handles odors and moisture well. However, it is more expensive, and you should be sure your cat won’t try eating it.
Odor-eliminating cat litter will absorb odor. That is essential to keeping your small apartment smelling fresh.
Conclusion
A small apartment exaggerates dust and odor from a litter box, so choose a cat litter that will eliminate odors, keep dust low, and makes cleaning up after your cat easier.
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