Kitty Corner
Keep your feline fine: Kerrie McKeon, Bideawee's Feline Behavior Coordinator shows you how!
Let's Talk Litter, Part Two
For those of you who missed "Let's Talk Litter, Part One," please click here for guidelines and rules of thumb for litter box selection and maintenance. One of those rules of thumb is:
Find the type of litter your cat will use and stick with it! If you must switch litters, always do so gradually and be prepared to return to your former brand if your cat won't accept the new one.
In part two, I'm exploring the pros and cons of different types of litter so you can try and choose the one that's right for you and your feline friend.
Clay Litter
Pros: Clay litter is inexpensive, it can be used in smaller amounts than other types of litter, and it can be easily changed completely each day for excellent odor control. Additionally, it is easy to find in almost any store and most cats will accept it.
Cons: Clay litter can be dusty and the dust can aggravate asthma symptoms in humans (and cats!), it's not easy to remove wet waste without dumping entire box, and gets stinky very quickly!
Scoopable Litter
Pros: It comes in several varieties and may be clay be clay, pine, wheat, or corn based. Many of the varieties are "natural" or biodegradable, with good odor control, and most cats will accept them. It is much less dusty than plain clay litter, it is less irritating to those with allergy/asthma problems, and often more cost effective because scooping extends time between "dumpings."
Cons: It tends to be more expensive, your cat may "track" litter around your house, and if you cat gets accustomed to them, keep in mind that corn and wheat based may be harder to find in the supermarket (although that is slowly changing).
Pellet Litter
Pros: Pellet litter offers the bonus of being low-tracking, it is often made from recycled or natural materials (paper, pine), good for "litter eaters," and is not dusty.
Cons: Some cats will not accept pellet litters, odor control is not as consistent with some brands, and it can be hard to scoop unless a special wide-slotted scooper is used.
About Kerrie McKeon, Feline Behavior Coordinator
Kerrie McKeon grew up in New Haven, CT with two loves: performing and cats. The former love (performing) took "center stage" early on and Kerrie graduated from Penn State with a degree in Theater Arts, then moved to Chicago, where she spent eight years working in theater. Eventually, the East Coast called her back and she came to New York, where the latter love (cats), a love that had never waned, inspired her to make a drastic career change and join the team at Bideawee.
Kerrie began her career at Bideawee in the Manhattan Adoption Center as an Associate and immediately impressed everyone—two-legged and four-legged alike - with her natural ability to communicate both with the cats and with potential adopters. Kerrie quickly became the star of the Adoption Center, embodying Bideawee's mission of getting to know each one of our animals and each and every one of our adopters so that we can make the best possible match.
In the past few years, as Feline Behavior Specialist, Kerrie has spearheaded initiatives to better the lives of our feline residents, such as requiring toys in every cage and encouraging the construction of even more cageless living space for the cats. She regularly holds educational workshops for the public and for staff at all three Bideawee locations in order to improve our understanding and our relationships with our feline friends. As a member of Bideawee's Case Management Team, Kerrie also has a direct impact on the cats living with us, constantly making adjustments and improvements to better the lives each and every one of them.
MORE KITTY CORNER COLUMNS FROM KERRIE:
Let's Talk Litter!
Getting Kitty Ready for Baby
Moving With Your Cat
How to Get Some Sleep If You Have a Noisy Cat
Playtime for Seniors! Older Cats Are Frisky Too!
Ideas for Inexpensive, Homemade Cat Toys
Sew Velcro strips into the sock opening so it can be closed up and easily reopened. Next, fill the sock with batting, scrap fabric, or dried catnip, and seal shut. In no time, your kitty will have a new favorite plaything!
