Are you looking for the perfect cat litter for your Maine Coon?
The fur on their paws, legs, and between their toes can make choosing the right litter particularly difficult. In our search for the right litter, we have analyzed some of the key components.
Let us show you what you should look out for when choosing the right cat litter. After that we are going to show you 3 of the best cat litters you can get for your Maine Coon!
(By the way, if you need a litter box for your Maine Coon, we also have an article on that!)
Common Considerations for Litter
- The first characteristic to look at in a litter is the texture. From sandy to pellets, or fine to coarse, different textures produce different results
- Another aspect is the scent or smell of the litter. Scented, natural, and odor-eating are some common offers
- Lastly, there is type of material. Cat litters are made from all sorts of ingredients, including clay, sand, crystals, and even recycled materials such as cardboard
To help us formulate our picks, we had to go through each of these characteristics and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each type of litter. Read on to discover what we found.
The Trick to Texture
Finding the right texture of cat litter for your Maine Coon can be a challenge. A balance must be struck between the comfort on your kitty’s feet and the prevention of tracking litter all over the house.
While finer litters and non-clumping litters can feel the most natural for your feline, we ran across several issues that stem from this type of litter. These include:
- A tendency to get stuck in your Maine Coon’s fur
- Higher “dust” content that makes you susceptible to inhaling litter dust during cleaning or changing of the cat box
- Difficulty trapping and eliminating odors, resulting in a need for more frequent cleaning and replacing of litter
On the flip side of this, you can also find litters that use larger and coarser mixes that contain granular material, crystals, or pellets.
While these sometimes do better at trapping odors and are not plagued by the litter dust associated with many fine litters, these textures present their own issues. The following list outlines these.
- Large and uncomfortable chunks can be rough on your cat’s sensitive paws
- Bigger pieces can often become lodged between the toes of your Maine Coon
- Litter that has been tracked across the floor can be painful on human feet too
Taking all of this into account, we believe that our recommended litters strike a happy medium to provide you and your cat with the best balance for bathroom bliss.
Scent Made Simple
As humans, we tend to be drawn to scented and perfumed products that give us the feeling that something is fresh, clean, or otherwise pleasant.
Cats, on the other hand, are often wary and uncomfortable around powerful smells, even the ones that we might consider to be “good smells.”
This is especially true when talking about the area where they go to do their business. One of the challenges here is to find a litter that keeps us from smelling the unpleasant odors of the cat box but without strong scents that may discourage your cat from using their litter box.
The following litter characteristics are important to achieving this goal:
- Completely natural, unscented or very lightly scented, litter material
- Highly absorbent materials that encourage soaking up of fluids and odors
In addition to these qualities, you can take several steps in your care surrounding the litter box that decrease the likelihood of foul-smelling odors escaping the cat box. Try these habits and tips:
- Scoop out your Maine Coon’s waste material at least once daily
- Completely clean out the litter box and replace old litter at least once per week
- When dealing with more than one Maine Coon, use larger, multiple litter boxes
Following these guidelines, we feel you’ll agree with our top picks for the best litter your Maine Coon deserves.
Master the Material
The single greatest influencer of your litter’s qualities and characteristics is the type of material used in making the litter. This makes it the most important consideration when tracking down the litter that is right for your fluffy kitty.
No matter what material, there are a couple of important qualities to be on the look-out for:
- Clumping litter that sticks to waste and itself to prevent it from hitching a ride out of the box on the back end of your cat
- Comfortable for your cat to walk on, so as not to encourage them to seek out other potty areas if the litter hurts their feet
- Safe and natural, to avoid your cat becoming ill if it is accidentally ingested
Now that we have outlined all the unique considerations that we took into account when deciding the best litter to use with your Maine Coon, let’s meet the products.
1. Arm & Hammer Platinum Clump & Seal
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The first product that we feel best meets the needs of your Maine Coon is Arm & Hammer’s Platinum Clump & Seal. As far as we are considered, this litter does the best job of checking all the boxes.
Here’s a look at why it tops our list of best litter for Maine Coons.
Texture
This premium litter is both gentle on your cat’s paws and tough on odors and fluid. The moisture activated micro granules are fine enough to provide superior comfort, but also allow for the necessary clumping that best seals and eliminates odors.
This results in rock hard clumps that will not break apart as you remove them from the box. It is also a dust-free formula, so you won’t need to worry about breathing it in while cleaning the litter box.
Scent
While it is not completely unscented, the fragrance is gentle enough to not bother most cats. At the same time, it has just enough strength to give you that satisfying scent of fresh and clean litter when you deal with it.
In addition to the slight fragrance, it utilizes its powerful sodium bicarbonate (commonly referred to as baking soda) to do the heavy lifting. This base is a natural deodorizer that is effective at trapping and eliminating bad odors.
They are so confident in their formula that they have a 7-day odor-free guarantee with every box.
Material
The secret behind Arm & Hammer’s Platinum Clump & Seal success lies in the patented Clump & Seal recipe.
- A professionally developed blend of limestone, bentonite, and guar gum facilitates the features that put this litter on top for us.
- With the assistance of a few other plant-derived particles and preservatives, these ingredients come together to effectively seal and destroy your cat’s odors before it ever has a chance to reach your nostrils.
- Even when you get close up and personal to clean and change the cat box, you won’t be subjected to malodor.
While all of these benefits have us convinced that Arm & Hammer Platinum Clump & Seal can get the job done, it is important to try it for yourself.
Each cat is different and unique, which means that he or she may prefer one type or style of litter over another.
The only way to ensure you have chosen the best litter for your fur baby is a good old dose of trial and error. Just in case this top pick doesn’t pan out, read on to find out more about our other two recommendations.
2. Precious Cat Pack Ultra-Premium Clumping Cat Litter
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Our next product comes courtesy of an experienced veterinarian known as Dr. Elsey. His more than 25 years of experience working directly with cats gives him a unique insight into the needs of both cats and their owners.
This led him to embark on a journey of creating a litter that is not only preferred by cats, but also easy to maintain for cat’s owners.
Driven by a desire to see less cats in shelters or subjected to abuse as a result of bad behavior, he believes that better litter leads to less accidents and happier lives for everyone involved. Here is a look at what’s inside.
Texture
Through rigorous testing and trials of different combinations of materials, Dr. Elsey arrived at an ideal formula. The result is a litter that is conducive to walking on and won’t irritate the bottom of your Maine Coon’s sensitive feet.
This scientifically tested and tried recipe also encourages your cat to dig by emulating the natural environment your cat instinctively looks for in a toilet area.
At the same time, it is hard-clumping so that it has the ability to trap all the bad odors from your cat’s waste with ease.
Scent
In addition to having a texture that is specifically geared towards a cat’s natural instincts, Precious Cat litter is also scent free. It is 100% free from any perfumes, fragrances, or deodorants.
Even cat’s that are extremely sensitive to smell should have absolutely no problem using this product.
On top of this, Dr. Elsey’s formula is hypo-allergenic, which means it should not cause irritation to sensitive human skin as well. This makes it a great option for owners who have sensitivities to many of the chemicals used in traditional scented litters.
Material
Just because it has no intentional “good” smells built into it, there is no reason to expect anything less than great odor control from this litter.
- Using medium grain clay with non-tracking granules makes for a heavy clumping formula.
- The highly absorbent properties of clay prevent excess fluid and moisture from reaching the bottom of the litter box.
- Granules that react with moisture facilitate excellent clumping that will not easily break apart when being handled. It has the added benefit of being particularly suited to both traditional litter boxes as well as sifting or automatic machines.
Even though it may have fallen short of our top slot, Precious Cat Litter from Dr. Elsey is a top-notch product.
Backed by years of experience working with thousands of different cats, you and your Maine Coon will appreciate the difference.
It uniquely caters to the needs of the most sensitive cats and owners alike, while still doing a great job at accomplishing the main purposes of a great litter: feeling natural for your cat, being easy to clean for you, and odor-fighting for all members of your home.
3. Naturally Fresh Quick-Clumping Cat Litter
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If you can’t find what you need in the first two picks on our list, hang in there! Our last recommendation goes a little bit of a different direction than most traditional litter formulas.
While our other two picks use more common litter ingredients, like clay and other mineral-based fillers, Naturally Fresh Quick Clumping Cat Litter is made from a rather unique main ingredient.
True to its name, it is completely renewable, healthy and non-toxic, and 100% biodegradable. At the same time, it manages to tick all the boxes in our checklist of needs for Maine Coon Cat litter.
Texture
Contrary to many of the cheaper, clay-based litters on the market, Naturally Fresh does not contain dust or stick to your cat’s paws and fur.
This prevents unpleasant accidental inhalation during cleaning and the unintentional distribution of litter around your house.
It is also gentle on paws and will not cause pain when walked on. While the ingredients of this blend are furthest from a cat’s natural environment, it still does a great job of imitating this feel so that your cat will feel comfortable about doing their business in the box.
Scent
Like the Ultra Precious Cat litter by Dr. Elsey, Naturally Fresh Quick Clumping Cat Litter does not have any added fragrances. This makes it an ideal candidate for cats who are extremely sensitive to perfumed or scented litters.
Not to worry though, it still has the superior odor control you need to keep your home from being overcome by the smells of your litter box.
It has been found particularly successful from cats or owners who suffer from asthma since there is no risk of breathing in any dust or harsh chemicals.
Material
By now, you are probably wondering what this wonderful mystery ingredient is. As strange as it may sound, the Naturally Fresh formula consists of 100% natural walnut shells! Yes, you heard that correctly.
- In fact, the manufacturer claims that this blend is up to three times more absorbent than leading brands of clay litter.
- This means longer lasting litter and less clean-up for you. With its 100% natural, environmentally friendly, and biodegradable properties, we can only think of one thing that may stop some from trying it out. An allergy to nuts!
So, if you like to stray from the beaten path and are not allergic, go ahead and give this atypical product a try. Maybe you’ll find that it leaves the competitors “in the dust” (literally!) and saves you some time by lasting longer between changes.
Also, being that it is made from an annually renewable resource, you shouldn’t have to worry about prices being driven up by lack of future supply.
Worst case scenario, if it doesn’t work for you, is that you can dump it in your backyard and not worry about it since it will naturally return to the earth with no problems.
The Key Points
To summarize our findings when digging into what makes for a quality litter that you can use for your Maine Coon, we can boil it down to three main points.
- The first is that like all cats, Maine Coons prefer a litter whose texture is both comfortable on their paws and reminiscent of their natural outdoor environment.
- The second has to do with the fragrance of the litter. While many cats are able to withstand a small amount of scent to their litter, most are not fond of strong, scented, litters. Your best bet is to use a litter that is either very lightly scented, or not scented at all.
- The final and the most important aspect of your cat’s litter is the material from which it’s made.
Ranging from fine sand to rough granules, cat litter can be bought in a variety of ingredients. It is your job as owner to find something that is easy for your cat to use, doesn’t get caught up in the thick fur on your cats under regions, and isn’t a nightmare to clean up and dispose of.
In Conclusion
Now that you are aware of our top picks, you will be able to make the best-educated decision for yourself and your long-maned friend. We believe that these three options will meet the needs of the large majority of Maine Coons and their owners.
However, it is important to recognize the Maine Coons, just like you or I, each have their own personality and preferences. The only real way to arrive at the right answer for both of you is to take a swing at it.
Go forth boldly into the bathroom battleground and become your fluffy hairball’s hero!
Now it is time to get the right litter box for your Maine Coon! Read this article to learn more!
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