Multiple indoor cats can often = mountains of litter.
In my quest to find an affordable, sustainable and effective cat litter, I have purchased many different types over the years for my two pets and our foster cats.
One of the shelters I fostered with provided bags of paper litter, which was simply shredded paper. When I soon realised that this ‘litter’ wasn’t a good option, I bought an actual paper litter which consisted of pellets. I was curious to see how successful this type of litter would be.
Why Shredded Paper Litter is Used
Paper cat litter certainly ticked the box for being sustainable; being made from recycled paper, it makes use of existing resources and is biodegradable.
Admittedly it is low dust, which means it doesn’t aggravate those of us with allergies and reduces mess. It's obviously not scented, which again can make it a good option for people who are sensitive to fragrances – obviously we’re not the ones using the litter, but the perfume can linger throughout the home.
It is also very lightweight which makes it easy to transport and lift. This might seem like a strange consideration, but once you’ve had aching biceps from lugging a bag of heavy litter, you’ll want to opt for a lighter option. Keep in mind though, that there's various types of lightweight litters available now.
My Challenges with Shredded Paper Litter
The biggest issue I found with paper cat litter was that it wasn’t as absorbent as other litter types. Not even the most ardent feline fan enjoys the smell of cat pee, and I found myself having to clean the tray as soon as it was used so that the house wouldn’t get the ‘Eau de Cat’ aroma. This wasn’t always possible, so coming back home resulted in the oil burner being plugged in and the windows opened!
As I had to change the litter more frequently, this meant having to buy more to replace it, which became costly. One of my cats wasn’t a fan of the paper litter and unfortunately started to refuse to use the tray which contained it.
Shredded paper cat litter can be an easy option, but I found it to be more trouble than it is worth. With other litter types on the market which are also biodegradable, natural and sustainable, I chose to switch out the paper for a more absorbent option with less hassle.
