All cat owners know that the choice of filler is a very painful question. After all, it is necessary to take into account not only their preferences, but also the interests of the mustache pet. Modern cats are quite fastidious, not every filler suits them.
How to choose the best cat litter? Try experimenting with different species and find the best option that will suit both you and your pet. Check out our cat litter rating as well.
Types of fillers
Fillers for cat litter are of great variety. You come to the pet store and just get lost from the abundance of bags and sachets. Let's first understand what it is and how they can be distinguished from each other.
More recently, cat lovers used sand, cut paper or sawdust. Unfortunately, none of these materials could hide the persistent smell of feline waste.
Here are just a business turned so widely that sometimes you have to scratch your head and think for a long time what to get for your cat. And as advertising is tempting, we all know firsthand.
Fillers can be divided into two types according to the principle of action.
- Absorbent. It absorbs moisture and unpleasant odors, but does not change its structure, but only the color. The frequency of replacing the contents of the cat litter depends on the layer of granules and the amount of absorbed fluid. As soon as the smell appeared, you need to empty the tray and fill the new filler. This usually happens once in 5-7 days.
- Clumping. When a liquid enters the granules, they form a dense lump, which is conveniently removed with a special lattice spatula. Fresh pebbles are immediately filled. A distinctive feature - the tray must be deep enough to fill a layer of at least 7-10 cm, otherwise the lumps are not formed. This species is very popular among the owners of several cats, who can walk without any disgust in one tray. "Validity" of such a toilet varies from a few weeks to a month.
What are the "magic" granules made of? Oh, there is a rich choice, which manufacturers add so that their product is different from others and attracts buyers. But the main part is divided into only a few positions.
- Clay Here they use bentonite clay, which absorbs well both moisture and odors. Cats consider such a filler as close to nature as possible and enjoy digging into it with pleasure. Dustiness can be noted as a disadvantage; clay particles can stick to paws and spread around the apartment.
- Woody. Well pressed sawdust of coniferous trees. High-eco-friendly material, easily disposed of in the sewer. However, the granules are quite easily “trampled down”, turn into dust, and this is additional garbage. Yes, and you have to change the filler quite often, because the quick disintegration leads to the appearance of an unpleasant smell.
- Corn (grain). Waste from corn cobs, cereals and soybeans. Clean, eco-friendly, flushed into the toilet, perfectly retains the smell. But the granules are so light that they are quickly scattered around the tray. For effective use, the filler is best combined with mineral granules, which are poured on top and prevent the spread of "corn" in the apartment. Unfortunately, in Russia this filler has not yet received wide distribution, it can be purchased mainly only via the Internet.
- Mineral. These are small pebbles from a zeolite volcanic mineral. Its porous structure absorbs, like a sponge, moisture and aromas. Recommended for kittens and for the combined use of different fillers. Flush it in the toilet!
- Silica gel. The modern artificial filler made of the stiffened gel of polysilicon acid. It is considered one of the best at the present time, however, it is not without flaws. One of them - the ease and distribution of the apartment. Not all cats have confidence in him, as he "crunches" and "rustles", and when the liquid hits him, he also hisses a little. And the cost is not happy.
Top brands and manufacturers
Since the first cat litter appeared on store shelves, many manufacturers from different countries picked up the profitable baton. To understand them, of course, difficult. But for each seller there is always a buyer.
If you are the owner of a cat's miracle, then you somehow have to visit pet shops and purchase the necessary goods for your pet. Which manufacturers should pay attention to?
Domestic
- “Clean legs”. The brand first appeared on the Russian market in 1996 with a crumpled filler based on Indian bentonite clay. "Magic" granules have since won one of the leading positions among domestic consumers. Currently under this brand are sold silica gel, mineral, wood and clay fillers.
- Barsik. The trademark owner is Intel, which has been operating in the Krasnodar Territory and in the North Caucasus since 1991. The first hygienic filler for cats appeared in 1998 and is still popular with Russians. In the past 10 years, ranked first, as the most popular and popular brand. Production does not stand still, the range of fillers has 11 species.
- Leading LLC. The company sells lumpy fillers based on bentonite clay, natural wood fibers, and absorbent silica gel under its own brands: Pi-Pi-Bent, "Kotyara"and "CCT"who annually become students and laureates of the All-Russian competition “100 best goods of Russia”.
- Company"Ecosoft" in 1991 released the very first domestic filler under the brand "Murzik." Ten years later, she produced 11 types of different cat litter products. Currently, the product line has more than 20 varieties of pellets for cats. The main focus is on silica gel and zeolite (volcanic mineral), which absorb moisture and odors most effectively.
American
- Ever clea. The company's motto: "Love me, love our home." It is a world-class brand that fights the unpleasant smell of cat waste. He is trusted by millions of people on Earth.
- Cat’s Choice. This brand has a large number of lines of cheap products from bentonite clay with various impurities and wood waste.
- Fresh Step. This is a trademark of The Clorox Company, which began to produce its products in 1984. They specialize in silica gel fillers, but do not overlook the clumping species of red cedar wood. The main rule of the company is that cats and a house with a fragrance of purity can coexist.
- Сatsan. This is the brand of the largest US company Mars Incorporated, it has existed for more than a hundred years, although fillers are produced relatively recently, a little more than twenty years. Its subsidiaries are located in 50 countries of the world, so production is put on a grand scale. The special formula and natural ingredients for granules (quartz sand, chalk and mineral additives) have won the love and appreciation of many cat owners all over the world due to their high odor-sealing properties.
- Cats Best. The brand exists since 1878 and specializes in products for animals. For fillers, high-quality wood fibers of coniferous trees are used, the distinguishing feature of which is easy recycling - you can simply flush the toilet. Please note that fiber is used for the production of pellets, not sawdust, so they do not “trample” so quickly and do not carry so much garbage.
Which firm cat litter to buy
Since cats live in almost every home, today there are a lot of companies that produce cat litter. Not every brand can boast of high-quality products, so we collected a rating of only the best time-tested firms, so that you could be sure that your pet will be happy.
Kuzya is a simple and clear name for the manufacturer, which is distinguished by the quality and low cost of its products. Thanks to these qualities, which are fundamental for customers, the reviews about the fillers of the company exceed all expectations. Products of the manufacturer are instantly sold out from the shelves of pet shops, in addition, the manufacturer has regular customers, which indicates a really high quality product.
The first thing to say about Barsik fillers is that for ten years the manufacturer has taken not just one of the leading positions, it is the first in the cat litter market. The demand for the manufacturer's products is growing exponentially, so the brand can safely be considered reliable.
This brand specializes in the production of cat litter made of wood, which is in great demand because the owners of cats note hygienic, pleasant smell of filler. In addition, many pets simply do not recognize useful wood fillers, which is why they are not in great demand, unlike PrettyCat fillers, which all cats simply adore. The firm is not inferior to any similar company in the quality and value of the goods, so more and more customers express their favor for PrettyCat.
Top cat litter rating
In order for your pets to live in harmony and joy, we have compiled a ranking of the best and most high quality cat litter that your pets will appreciate. We are repelled by the reviews of numerous buyers.
In addition, we took into account such factors:
- Manufacturing material
- Ability to absorb moisture
- The smell of filler
- How do pets react to filler,
- The ability to flush the filler into the toilet,
- How fast the filler runs out
- The absence of allergic reactions in cats and in children living in an apartment,
- The price of the filler,
- Can an animal spread the filler around the house,
- The ability to suppress the unpleasant smell of urine,
- The presence of harmful additives in the filler,
- Is it convenient to change the filler.
Cat litter comes in paper packaging. The main thing you need to know, granules fillers are small, medium and large. A filler with large granules is not suitable, for example, a small cat or a kitten, so it is extremely important to estimate the size of a pet in order to choose a filler that will provide comfort not only for the pet, but also for you, so that you do not have to clean the tool throughout the apartment.
The best wood fillers
“Kuzya” is a wood filler, widespread in many stores, featuring a low price, but high rating, is not at all inferior in quality to more expensive counterparts. It is a granule produced by pressing the sawdust. Completely natural raw material that effectively masks the smell of cat litter and does not emit toxic components into the air. Upon contact with moisture, the granules crumble, but at the same time quickly absorb the liquid.
Suitable for different types of trays and very easy to clean, you only need to control the fullness and remove used sawdust in time. Does not produce dust and does not stick to the paws of a cat and the walls of its toilet. The natural composition, which provides antiseptic properties, and the natural look and smell of raw materials for cats make the Kuzya filler practically the best choice.
3 clean feet
“Clean legs” is an eco-friendly filler made from natural pine wood, pre-treated according to a special technology. It is pressed into small granules of convenient diameter for cats, without adding chemical components and harmful substances. Raw material has a high absorption and does not dust when spilling out of the package. According to the research, one package can absorb at least 12 liters of liquid, so that "Clean Feet" has a rather high rating on the market for wood fillers.
Antibacterial properties prevent the growth of bacteria and odor from the tray. The fresh, coniferous scent does not deter the animal, but effectively blocks unwanted odors. "Clean legs" is as safe as possible for the animal and its owners. Flushing down the drain. The optimal ratio of price and quality gave the filler a lot of positive reviews on the Internet.
2 N1 Naturel Green Tea
This fully biodegradable product is manufactured using a special technology developed in Australia. The composition includes fibers of Himalayan cedar wood combined with leaves of Ceylon green tea. The absence of chemical additives makes use safe and allows you to take care of the environment without polluting it. The symbiosis of wood and tea gives raw materials an unusual flavor that does not deter cats and at the same time perfectly eliminates odors when used.
It is very economical to use, since one package is enough for a long period, all this time it is necessary only to remove clumping granules in time from the tray. It is curious that in the reviews they write that "N1 Naturel Green Tea" wood pellets can also be used as a natural fertilizer for plants.
