The Geohellas Cat Leader Crystal Non-Clumping Cat Litter is the silica gel option in the Cat Leader range - non-clumping crystals that dry urine out instead of sealing it in, light to carry and the longest-lasting bag per cat in the line-up.

Key Features

• 3.8 litre bag
• Silica gel crystals, each granule riddled with microscopic pores that pull liquid in fast
• Non-clumping - you scoop solids and stir, rather than lifting wet clumps
• Geohellas rate a bag at one month for one cat, 15 days for two cats and 10 days for three
• Lightweight and low tracking compared with any clay litter
• Fresh lavender aroma

How Crystal Litter Works

• Clay holds urine inside the granule. Silica spreads it across an enormous internal surface area and lets the water evaporate off, so what is left behind is dry
• That is why there is nothing wet to scoop, and why the tray stays light
• The crystals darken and yellow as they fill up. When they stop drying out between uses, the bag is spent
• Stirring daily is the whole technique. It moves saturated granules down and brings dry ones to the surface, and skipping it halves how long a bag lasts

Using It

• Fill to about 3 to 4 cm - shallower than a clay litter, because the granules work by surface area rather than depth
• Remove solids daily and stir the rest while you are there
• Replace the whole tray rather than topping up. Crystal litter is changed, not refreshed
• Keep the bag sealed between fills. Crystals adsorb humidity straight out of the air, so an open bag in a UAE summer loses capacity before it gets to the tray

What It Is Not Good At

• You cannot judge how much a cat has urinated, because there is no clump to look at. For a cat being monitored for kidney disease, diabetes or cystitis, a clumping litter tells you far more and is the better choice
• Some cats dislike the feel of crystals underfoot. Switch gradually
• It is an inert mineral, so it does not compost or break down. The environmental case is that you throw away far less of it by volume

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

• This item is currently out of stock
• Not the first litter for a very young kitten, who may still mouth everything. Start them on a plain non-clumping litter
• Silica gel is not toxic, but it is not food. Call your vet if a cat eats a meaningful quantity or starts vomiting or straining afterwards
• Never flush it - 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