If you have ever tried to switch out your cat's kitty litter for a different type for any reason, without getting their approval first, you probably found out the hard way that it doesn't matter what you think. Maybe one brand is too dusty. Maybe one has an overpowering smell that you aren't particularly fond of. Maybe another one just doesn't contain the orders associated with a litter box. It could be anything. In the end... if your cat doesn't like it, then it's not going to last long in your home.

The Conklin household has tried several different kitty litters over the years for various different reasons, and the simple truth is that your cat ultimately makes the final decision.

There are several types of cat litter, all of which have certain things that make them a good choice for your cat. Let's see... there is clumping litter, non-clumping litter, crystal litter, pine litter. There is even litter made out of recycled newspaper. And that is just a few of them. Which one is the best? The answer is... whatever your cat likes the best.

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We were using the regular non-clumping litter for a while. It worked okay, and the cats didn't seem to complain about it. It was too difficult to maintain though. The pee would collect at the bottom of the box and cleaning it was a bit trying.

We went to the clumping litter next. It made maintaining the box much easier. As long as we kept up with it, it was a good experience for us and the cats. However, even though it said "Low Dust" on the box, it would pretty much coat everything within a few feet of the box. The plus was that the cats really seemed to like it.

We tried the pine litter once. That failed miserably from the get-go. The cats were ultimately not a fan of it. So, we got rid of that and went back to the clumping litter and the dust.

One of our cats was sick and not grooming himself, and the clumping stuff was cementing to his paws. He was putting them in the water dish after using the box. Not good. So, we tried the recycled newspaper litter. That lasted about a day. The cats really didn't like it and it was kind of difficult to clean. On to something else.

We tried the crystal litter. At first, it seemed like it was going to work out well. It was very light and easy to clean, and the pee absorbed into the crystals. The crystals did turn an ugly shade of yellow though as it got closer to the time to change the box. Eventually, the cats must have decided they didn't like it. They weren't pooping regularly, and one of them started to pee in the bathtub. Ugh. So... it was back to the clumping litter.

Despite the dust, the clumping litter was where we ended up. In the end, it was just like I said. It doesn't matter what we liked... it was the cat's decision in the end, ultimately.

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