Weight

Standard Weight * Lightweight * Which to Choose

Cat litter comes in basically two weight classes: standard and lightweight. The distinction on weight mostly applies to clay litter, but many of the biodegradable litter options are also lightweight.

Standard Weight

“Standard” weight for litter is based on traditional, non-clumping clay litter. In this case the weight is really a weight-to-volume comparison. If you compare 1 pound of standard weight litter to 1 pound of lightweight litter you’ll see that the lightweight litter takes up a lot more space.

Advantages:

• Liked by most cats
• Good for cats with arthritis or mobility issues because it’s very sturdy to stand on
• Good for large/heavy cats because they won’t sink into the litter
• Lower dust and lower tracking than most lightweight options
• Cats who like to throw litter around while digging can’t throw this litter as far as lightweight litter

Disadvantages:

• Can be difficult for people with back pain or certain disabilities to handle

Lightweight

Advantages:

• Easy to carry, which is particularly nice for people with mobility issues

Disadvantages:

• Large/heavy cats sink into the litter more than they would a standard weight litter
• Lightweight litter shifts a lot and can make cats with arthritis or mobility issues feel unsteady when using the litter box
• Sticks to fur and in between toes easily and can be tracked everywhere
  • Particularly bad in areas with dry air or high static electricity
• There have been many reports of cats becoming ill or having allergic reactions to some lightweight litters

Which to Choose

	Standard Weight	Lightweight
Kittens (<6 months old)	✓
Juvenile /Adult (6 months to 6 years)	✓	✓
Senior (7 years to 15 years)	✓	✓
Super Senior (>16 years)	✓	✓
Asthma / Allergies	✓
Overweight / Obese Large / Heavy	✓
Cats who throw litter while digging	✓

---