Catsan, Sanicat or Ever Clean cat litter?

Which to buy

Pick Catsan for a kitten, or if you would rather empty and refill the whole tray each week than scoop clumps. Catsan says Hygiene Plus suits kittens, and Cats Protection advises avoiding clumping litter for kittens, because they explore with their mouths and swallowing clumps could block the gut.

Pick Sanicat for one adult cat when you want an unscented clumping clay. Sanicat says its coarse granules cut down tracking and dust, and it uses active oxygen rather than perfume against smells.

Pick Ever Clean for two or more cats. Multi Cat is sold for shared, heavily used trays, and Ever Clean says a 20L bag lasts up to 4 months. It is scented; the Extra Strong Unscented is the same clumping clay without the perfume.

Price per litre is only half the sum

With Catsan, you lift out solids daily and empty and refill the tray about once a week, Catsan says. Cats Protection notes that non-clumping litter may need replacing more often because urine is harder to remove. With Sanicat and Ever Clean you scoop out the wet clumps and top up, so a bag goes further.

So work out a month, not a litre: how many litres fill your tray to the maker's depth, and how often you empty it. Weight is the other difference. Ten litres of Catsan weigh about 5kg; the same volume of clumping clay is closer to 9kg, which counts if you carry bags upstairs.

Scent, switching and the bin

Cats Protection warns that a fragrance that seems mild to us can overwhelm a cat, and a strong one may put some cats off the tray. All three brands sell an unscented version, and it is the one to start with.

Change litter slowly: mix a little of the new one into the old and increase it over at least a week, as Cats Protection suggests. All three makers say used litter goes in the household bin, never down the toilet.