The Geohellas Cat Leader Ultra Compact Clumping Cat Litter is the standard clumping litter in the Cat Leader range - a dense saponite and bentonite clay that forms firm clumps quickly and lets you lift the mess out in one piece.

Key Features

• Clumping clay litter, milled compact so a bag goes further than its weight suggests
• Two scents: Unscented and Baby Powder
• Two bag sizes: 5kg and 10kg
• Forms strong clumps quickly, which is what stops urine reaching the bottom of the tray
• Made by Geohellas from clay out of their own Greek reserves
• The cheapest way into the Cat Leader range

Why Compact Clay Is The Point

• Ultra compact means the granules are dense and milled fine, so each kilogram of litter covers more tray than a coarse litter of the same weight
• Denser granules also lock together faster when wet, which is why the clump comes out whole instead of crumbling and leaving half of itself behind
• The trade is weight. Clay is heavy, and a 10kg bag is a 10kg bag - which is why the Crystal and Tofu bags in this range exist

Unscented Or Baby Powder

• Unscented is the safer default. Cats have a far better sense of smell than we do, and a scented litter that smells pleasant to you can be enough to put a fussy cat off the tray
• Baby Powder is the mild one if you do want a scent, and it is the same note as the rest of the Cat Leader scented range
• If a cat starts avoiding the box after a scent change, that is the answer - go back to unscented
• Scent never fixes a smell. Scooping does

Using A Clumping Litter

• Fill to about 5 to 7 cm. Too shallow and urine reaches the floor of the tray and sticks; too deep and you are just throwing money away
• Scoop solids and clumps out daily, then top up with fresh litter to keep the depth
• Empty, wash and dry the whole tray every two to four weeks for one cat - more often with two or more
• Wash the tray with hot water and unscented detergent. Avoid anything containing ammonia, which smells like urine to a cat and invites them to go there again

Getting The Litter Box Right

• One box per cat plus one spare is the standard advice, and it genuinely reduces the odds of a cat going elsewhere
• Put boxes somewhere quiet with an escape route, away from food and water bowls and away from the washing machine
• A box should be about one and a half times the length of the cat. Most shop-bought boxes are too small for an adult cat
• Scoop at least once a day. More litter does not substitute for scooping, and a cat that finds the box unpleasant will find somewhere else

Changing A Cat Over To A New Litter

• Do not swap the whole box in one go. Cats form strong preferences about what they stand on, and the usual result of a sudden change is a puddle on the rug
• Mix about a quarter of the new litter into the old, then increase it over a week or two
• If you have more than one box, convert one at a time and let the cat choose
• Going outside the box after a litter change is information, not defiance. Go back a step

Which Cat Leader Litter To Buy

• Ultra Compact - the standard clumping litter, unscented or baby powder, in 5kg and 10kg. The default and the cheapest
• 2X Odour Attack - the same clumping base plus the double odour control formula and a fresh scent. The one for a multi-cat house
• Black & White - the premium clumping bag, with an extra strong clump and lotus flower scent
• Outdoor Living Classic - absorbent rather than clumping, heat treated, for covered outdoor and utility trays
• Crystal - silica gel, non-clumping, lightest to carry and longest lasting per bag
• Tofu - plant fibre, clumping, flushable and the lightest of the lot

Who Makes It

• Geohellas S.A. is a Greek technical clays company based in Athens, sitting on one of the largest attapulgite and bentonite deposits in Europe and processing over a hundred million kilos of clay a year
• Cat Leader launched in 2008 and is their own retail brand, sold through pet shops and veterinary clinics in more than fifteen countries
• Because they mine and process their own clay, the mineral in the bag is the same material they sell to industry - which is unusual in a category where most brands buy in

Good To Know

• All four combinations of size and scent are currently out of stock
• Clumping clay is not the best choice for a very young kitten, who may still taste everything. Use a plain non-clumping litter until they have worked out what the tray is for
• Do not flush clay litter. It swells with moisture and will block a drain
• A cat straining, going more often, passing blood, or suddenly avoiding the tray needs a vet, not a different litter. Urinary blockage in male cats is an emergency
• Cat faeces can carry toxoplasmosis. Anyone pregnant or immunosuppressed should avoid handling the tray where possible, and everyone should wash their hands properly afterwards
• Bag used litter and bin it. Keep the tray away from food preparation areas
• Store unopened bags somewhere dry. Any absorbent litter starts working on humidity the moment it is exposed to it