Kitty litter solutions for a small space.
- WAL writer
- May 4, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 5
Cats are fastidious. You could even say they are a bit obsessed about cleanliness. A healthy and happy feline will groom herself for a good portion of the 4-6 hours she's awake. So, litter is no laughing matter to your cat. Here are some tips to make her happy about visiting the loo.
Cat to litter box ratio 1:1(+1)
1 cat = 2 litter boxes, 2 cats = 3 litter boxes
Litter Box Placement
Choose a quiet place away from high traffic and noisy areas. Look for a spot out of the way but accessible for easy cleaning.
Consider the bathroom, since it's vented and typically tiled, so easy to clean. When guests visit, just move the litter from the bathroom floor into the shower or tub to keep it out of sight. Be sure to put a mat or towel underneath it to protect the porcelain from scratches. Under the bathroom sink is another possible litter location.
Remove one door from the vanity cabinet and hang a curtain. There is potentially enough room here for the litter box and its supplies. If you rent, be sure to re-hang the cabinet door before you move.
If you have a storage closet, consider removing the door and hanging a curtain.
There are also some very attractive and functional pieces that are designed just to hold litter boxes. Multi-functionality is an important consideration to small space living. So, if you can hide the box in plain sight and get additional surface space, do it. If you're handy it won't be too challenging to adapt a credenza or sideboard into a stylish powder room for Precious. I'm on an antique/vintage road trip quest to find a sideboard for just this purpose.
Kitty Litter Choices
We've always used an inexpensive clay based clumping litter, but the dust and tracking causes too much work and health risks in a small space. So we're upgrading.
The choice of litters on the market is extensive. Corn, wheat, wood, walnut shell, grass and paper-based renewable litters advertise low dust and minimal tracking/kicking issues, so I tried a couple and here is what I found.
In our small apartment we have two cats and room for two litter boxes. During the Great Litter Experiment of 2024, one box contained their old clay litter and one box held the new litter.
Pretty Litter - I fell for Martha Stewart's marketing campaign and picked up a 3.62kg bag for $34.95 ($0.97/100 grams). The bag was easy to carry. The litter sat unused for 24 hours, but then the cats checked it out. They weren't the only ones needing time to adjust. It took me awhile to get accustomed to stirring and not scooping. Pretty litter does not clump. Its silica gels absorbs the urine and stirring is necessary in order to break it up.
I was skeptical, but its absorbency is impressive - to a point. It has no scent but I sure can smell the urine when stirring. It is advertised to last a month for one cat but it didn't. And there is dust. Pretty litter has the same tracking problems as inexpensive clay brands. There is a lot of tracking/kicking but because the silica gels are clear, it's less noticeable - unless you are barefoot.
X I will not re-buy Pretty Litter because it's too expensive, tracks too much and smells horrible after a short time. If I had a sick cat that needed to have his health monitored by testing his urine then I might buy it, but otherwise, save your money. Sorry Martha.
Nature's Miracle Premium Clumping Corn Cob litter is $24.99 for 8.16kg bag ($0.30/100 grams). The bag is heavy although the built-in handle helps. Upon pouring it, there appears to be little dust and it has a pleasant natural scent of corn.
The box sat unused for a week but eventually they tried it. It clumps and masks smell very well but after a short time it starts to stick to the box and the scoop.
There is tracking and some dust but it is much better than clay litter and Pretty Litter.
X When washing up the box and scoop, the litter left a slick, gelatinous substance in the tub that was most unpleasant. For that reason alone I would not buy it again, but otherwise it is much better than clay based litter.
Tip: You can place an inch or so of the old litter on top of the new to help cats adjust to new litter.
I bought a 4.5kg bag for $22.99 ($0.50/100gms) of Fresh4Life .
I poured the litter into the box and the cats came running, jumped into the box and immediately began to eat the litter! The litter went back in the bag and was removed from the apartment. The label says it is made from grass but my cats smelled it and thought it was catnip.
X X I feared a bowel obstruction followed by a serious vet bill if this product was left near my cats for any period of time. What can I say? My cats are stoners.
okocat costs $26.99 for a 5.7 kg bag ($0.47 /100g ). It is easy to carry and has eco-friendly packaging. okocat comes in different pellet sizes and we chose the sensitive paws variety as opposed to the larger pellets that reduce tracking and dust.
It clumps well and masks the smell really well. Tracking is also good and although there is some dust it is overall the best litter we have tried.
So okocat is the litter this family has settled on.
I want to mention Naturally Fresh walnut shell cat litter. My friend has three cats and a two bedroom apartment and she highly recommends it. Due to a nut allergy we couldn't try it but she says it's low tracking and low dust, clumps well and masks smell well. Her only criticism is that when scooping, more clean litter gets collected than should. It is economical, costing $32.99 for 11.8kg bag ($0.28/100g).
It is the best price of all the litters tried.
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