Siliga gel

Crystal cat litter is typically made of silica gel, a porous granular form of sodium silicate. The litter beads come in a variety of sizes and shapes, the most common being pieces similar to that of a fine gravel.

The good

The main claim to fame of crystal litter is that it has far better absorption qualities than conventional or clumping litter; the more liquid that is absorbed the better the odour is retained. This being the case, the litter lasts longer (up to a month) than conventional or clumping litter and does not seem to be affected by changes in temperature (E.g. house heats up but the litter does not increase in odour).

The bad

Crystal litter like most products is not perfect. Some cats are particular about litter and will not take easily to crystals. In addition, crystal litter can be up to double the price of conventional / clumping litter meaning that although it lasts longer, the increased cost of the litter eliminates any potential savings.

The verdict

Many cat owners swear by this product particularly where odour retention is an important requirement (E.g. within a small apartment). For me however, the increased cost of the litter does not outweigh the additional benefits. I would agree that the odour retention is improved with crystal litter (and typically Charlie’s litter will last a week longer as well) however this I believe tends to lead to owners not cleaning / changing the litter as regularly (ideally your cat’s litter should be cleaned daily and replaced every few days). Put simply, I would rather buy recycled conventional litter and spend the savings on better quality pet food for my cat (and if odour is a problem, then maybe try some of the odour reducing pet food that is now available).

Verdict: 7/10

Addendum: Modernpet have just posted a great cat litter comparison; although the products are all American based, the review is a great read when considering what litter is the most appropriate for you and your cat(s). 

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What are we talking about?

There are many produces of recycled cat litter on the market, all of which are primarily made from recycled materials. Materials typically used are shredded paper or other wood related products.

This review today is concerned with the recycled cat litter. The litter is typically made of recycled paper products and has the added bonus of being biodegradable.

The good

Recyled cat litter is really one for the ‘Greens’; it is made from recycled products and biodegradable, making it very friendly to the environment. A big positive for me. In addition, the product is lightweight (very handy when carrying the large bag from the supermarket to home) and is relatively inexpensive when compared to the alternative litters.

Performance on the whole is very good. The litter seems to absorb most liquid and our cat Charlie took to the litter straight away, after previously being used to using the crystal style litter. The litter typically lasts about 5-7 days (cleaned daily) until requiring a complete change.
The not so good

Odour retention is not quite as good as the other varieties. After each litter change (which is more frequent than crystal litter), the litter tray does require a quick rinse / clean to remove liquid stains that have soaked through the litter to the bottom of the tray surface.

Verdict

Recycled litter is my preferred for a number of reasons. The litter is recycled and biodegradable which is a big plus in an already heavily polluted environment. This coupled with the relative inexpensive and great availability (it can be purchased from virtually any supermarket these days) are benefits I feel that outweigh the slightly lower performance with odour / liquid retention. Finally, no complaints from our cat makes it an easy purchase (with change to spare!).

8/10 Recommended

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