Every cat owner is familiar with traditional clay litter, whether you started it or are still using it today. However, when scooping up that dusty litter box becomes too much to bear, you may have discovered an interesting alternative: shredded paper. Shredded paper is a dust-free alternative to traditional cat litter, but is it useful?
Yes, shredded paper is a good choice for litter if you don’t want to choke on litter dust every time you scoop the box, and it has reasonable humidity control capabilities.
Benefits of Shredded Paper and How to Use It
Shredded paper cat litter has many benefits besides being dust-free. Its most notable advantage is that paper is extremely cheap and available. anywhere. Most cats quickly adopt it when switching from regular clay litter, and it’s also environmentally friendly. Feel free to shred some at home or buy a commercial product. Just be sure to use plain paper or newsprint using soy-based ink. Some newspaper inks can be toxic, so you should avoid using newspaper or printing with petroleum-based products.
The downside to using shredded paper is that it doesn’t absorb as much moisture as clay litter. It must therefore be changed frequently, otherwise it will start to smell very quickly.
If you are still unsure about paper litter and want to compare it to other types of litter or know which types of litter to avoid for your cat, you have come to the right page. Read on as we break down all this information and more.
![Shredded paper](https://www.catster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Shredded-Paper_Hafiez-Razali_Shutterstock.png)
The 5 types of cat litter: advantages and disadvantages explained
The world of cat litter can be confusing to follow: this litter is better in this area, this one is worse in this area, this one is cheaper, and so on, ad infinitum. To help you put everything side by side on paper, we’ve compiled all the pros and cons of the most popular types of cat litter you can use in your cat’s litter box today. Carefully consider the pros and cons of each to choose the best litter for your cat and your home.
1. Paper Litter
![Paper litter](https://www.catster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Paper-Litter_ice_blue_Shutterstock.png)
Benefits
- Widely available
- Affordable
- Can be recycled at home from newspaper
- Modest moisture absorption
- Dust free
The inconvenients
- No odor control
- Must be changed frequently
2. Clay litter
![Clay cat litter](https://www.catster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clay-cat-litter_BW-Folsom_Shutterstock.jpg)
Benefits
- Clumps into easy-to-collect lumps
- Lasts longer than paper
- High moisture absorption capacity
- Generally has good odor control
- Most popular and widely available form of cat litter
The inconvenients
- Generates dust
- Follows easily
- Potentially harmful ingredients
3. Silica gel litter
![Silica gel litter](https://www.catster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Silica-gel-litter_Valentina-Zavrazhina_Shutterstock.jpg)
Benefits
- Fantastic for absorbing moisture
- Effective in controlling foul litter box odors, requiring fewer changes
- Does not produce dust or streaks
The inconvenients
- More expensive than other types of litter
- Some brands can be toxic if accidentally consumed
4. Wood Litter
![Cat litter made from sawdust](https://www.catster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_1722885592.jpg)
Benefits
- Clumps well
- Easy to clean
- Decent for controlling odors
- Biodegradable and non-toxic
The inconvenients
- Dear
- Pine and cedar products can be toxic to cats if not properly treated. It may be best to avoid them.
5. Cereal litter
![grain cat litter](https://www.catster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/grain-cat-litter_LisaSaeng_Shutterstock.png)
Benefits
- Clumps well
- Produces less dust than wood pellets
- Biodegradable
- Easy to clean
- Gentle on your cat’s paws
The inconvenients
- Dear
- May be difficult to find
What Types of Cat Litter Should I Avoid?
There are several types of litter that you can use with varying degrees of success, but it is important for you to know that there are also litters that you want to avoid. You might encounter them at your local pet store. looking for the perfect cat litterso make sure to memorize and stay away from the types of waste listed below.
Types of cat litter to avoid:
- Crystalline silica: Not to be confused with silica gel litter, this type of litter produces an irritating silica dust that can be seriously dangerous to your cat’s respiratory system and is also toxic to ingest.
- Essential oils: Although some types of oils used to mask odors in litter are suitable, some are very toxic. We recommend avoiding all products containing essential oils to be safe.
- Pine shavings: Pine contains toxic compounds called phenols. These phenols can be removed by drying the chips in the oven. Undried shavings can be toxic, so make sure the product you use is kiln dried.
![woman cleaning cat's litter box](https://www.catster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/woman-cleaning-cat-litter-tray_New-Africa-Shutterstock.jpg)
Conclusion
Cat litter isn’t anyone’s favorite topic, but it’s important enough to merit a discussion on the best types, which may be waste paper. Shredded paper litter is an inexpensive way to ditch dusty clay litter if you have access to a lot of paper and don’t mind changing it often as it tends to get stinky very quickly.
Featured image credit: Sahat, Shutterstock