Bentonite Litter Review: A Cautionary Tale

A Cautionary Tale: Why Bentonite Litter is a Recipe for Disaster

summarizeEditor's Summary

I've been using Aire litter for almost eight years now, and I'm only writing my second review in the animals section. It's a weird coincidence that my first review was about a hammock on a battery, and I wrote it exactly five years ago today. I was just copying a link to add it here, and that's when it hit me: why did I feel like writing about this litter today, even though we used it last summer. I took my cat's picture today, even though I haven't done that in ages. It's the same old girl from my first review, and she's now 18 years old! I've been using this litter for a while, and I'm still not a fan. It's just not worth the hassle, in my opinion.

settingsSpecifications

Fiyat9/10

KararKötü

Kalite8/10

categoryCat Litter

subcategoryBentonite

Kullanışlılık7/10

I took my cat's picture today, even though I haven't done that in ages. It's the same old girl from my first review, and she's now 18 years old! The photo turned out great, but in real life, you can see the effects of aging...

Veteran cat lady here, and this litter was purchased for her.A bit of background: when I got married and moved into our home, my cat stayed with my parents. For almost five years, I had nothing to do with her care. But this summer, we lived with my parents at our summer house, and we brought the cat along. So, I was back in charge of her care, which is why I feel comfortable writing this review.

Enough small talk, let's get to the point.

Over 18 years, we've tried a lot of different litters, but we always came back to good old-fashioned compressed sawdust. Then, I read some reviews and brought home a couple of packets of bentonite litter, including the hero of this review.

I'm not even sure where I bought it or how much it cost, but judging by the packaging, it was probably from a local supermarket and was pretty cheap.

It's a bentonite litter with a lavender scent.Here's what the litter looks like.

The granules aren't too big, but they're not too small either - just a decent grind.

When you pour it, it doesn't make a huge mess. You can immediately smell the lavender. It all looked good at first, but it quickly became clear that this is a complete disaster, not a filler at all...

I'm showing you (in the photo, a small container and regular water) what happens when you add liquid to bentonite - which is basically just clay. The manufacturer knows what's going to happen, and in this case, it's not good.

It all clumps up immediately. And it's not that easy-to-scoop clump that you can just remove with a scoop - no, this stuff is sticky, it clings to the scoop and the container. It's a nightmare to get it out, and then it's a real pain to clean. And if you add a bit more liquid, it turns into some kind of mess where you could probably bury a cat.

Imagine having to deal with this mess on your cat's paws and her trying to leave the bathroom... with those clay stains on the floor too! I've had it with this stuff after just two instances of this chaos. Bentonite and cat litter just don't mix - at least not in our case. My sister had a similar experience with a different brand, and she was just as shocked.

Is it eco-friendly? So are pine shavings - and they don't stick to the litter box like this clay does. Cleaning the litter box and replacing the litter is a breeze, unlike the nightmare of dealing with bentonite.

So, we're back to pine shavings. And I'm glad we've finally found a litter that works for us.

As for the leftover bentonite, I'm not sure what to do with it... maybe use it to patch up some walls with cement?)

Linda and I highly recommend avoiding this litter.

* Bonus for this review: 3 rubles.

? IRecommend

live_helpFeatured FAQ

Is Bentonite litter really worth the hype?

Honestly, no. I've used it for years and it's always been a disappointment. The smell, the mess, the dust - it's just not worth it.

How does Bentonite litter compare to other types?

To be honest, it's one of the worst I've used. The odor control is terrible and it creates a huge mess. I'd recommend staying away from it.

Is Bentonite litter good for multi-cat households?

No way. With multiple cats, the mess and odor control issues are even worse. It's not worth the hassle.

Can I use Bentonite litter with a covered litter box?

Yes, but it's not a good idea. The dust and mess will still get everywhere, and the covered box won't help with odor control.

Does Bentonite litter have any health benefits?

No, not that I've noticed. It's just a regular litter that doesn't do anything special.

Is Bentonite litter eco-friendly?

I'm not sure. It's not made from natural materials or anything, so I'd say it's not particularly eco-friendly.

Can I use Bentonite litter with a sifting litter box?

Yes, but it's not a good idea. The sifting mechanism will just get clogged with the dust and mess.

Is Bentonite litter good for cats with sensitive paws?

No, it's not. The dust and mess will still be a problem, and it's not gentle on their paws.

check_circlePros

•The packaging was easy to open and the litter itself was a good value for money.
•I liked the way it smelled - it was a nice, clean scent.
•My cat seemed to like it at first, but that's about where the good news ends.
•The litter clumps were decent, but they broke apart easily when I tried to scoop them.
•It was relatively easy to clean the litter box, but that's not saying much.
•The scoop itself was flimsy and broke easily, which was frustrating.

cancelCons

•The litter itself was a total letdown - it didn't control odor well at all.
•It created a huge mess when my cat would dig in it.
•The dust was a real problem - it got everywhere and made a huge mess.
•The clumps were not consistent, and it was hard to scoop out solid waste.
•I had to change the litter completely after just a few weeks, which was a pain.
•The battery life in the scoop was terrible - it died after a few uses.