The scoop on newfangled cat litter.

Litter boxes are like feline banks. They're places where cats make deposits that other people get stuck managing. "Cleaning up after your pet is just plain good manners," the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) declares in its literature on "Responsible Pet Ownership." I agree. But this means three to five times a day on average for a cat. Tending to the litter box happens to be the most odious, and often most odorous, task of my life. Unlike my dog's, my cat's waste actually resides not just in my own house but also in my own closet. (I refuse to keep it in my one bathroom or anywhere near my kitchen.)

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Kelly (SPCK) notes that Kelly is not the most diligent litter box cleaner. My cat, Isabella herself, weighed in on the lack of frequency in her own inimitable way; recently, she urinated onto one of my favorite black leather boots. Her obvious show of displeasure suggested that I needed to pay more attention to her toilet situation. Since Isabella doesn't usually display any signs of "cat anxiety" (oh, yes, it's real), I figured the best thing to do was a little cat litter comparative shopping. Basically, I wanted to find a kind that could withstand the occasional lapse in manicure without resulting in a fragrant boot.

I'd always heard that it is hazardous to both your carpet and your feline to mess with a cat's litter; in fact, the ASPCA suggests that an abrupt change in the type of litter used can actually make a cat anxious. The SPCK, though, was already in a state of high alert about its shoes, and so I decided to subject Izzy to a test anyway.

But first, a word from our sponsors: What is cat litter? The most common type of cat litter is made of clay, and it's dusty and pebbly. Within this category are two sub-types: non-clumping and clumping. Non-clumping cat litter has been around since about 1950; as the oldest type of commercial cat litter, it's also known as "traditional," and it works best if you're willing to scoop out the deposits every day and then refill the entire box in a month's time. Clumping litter, on the other hand, is more modern and more popular; when a cat urinates on it, the particles stick together to form scoopable clumps. Clumping is good because you need only replace the burgerlike patties rather than dump the entire litter box and start over again.

I'd always gone with clumping for Izzy because it seemed easier. But I was willing to open us both up to other possibilities, and I discovered that there is both deodorized and not. I learned, though, that this distinction doesn't mean much: Some cats don't like the deodorized kind—just as some people don't like perfumed toilet paper—but this doesn't affect the efficacy of the product. Two newer types of litter exist in addition to the standbys on the market: crystals, which are made of silica granules instead of clay, and organic cat litter, which can be made of corn or of various finely shaved woods such as cedar. Maybe one of these could save my shoes and Isabella's sanity.

The Test
Participants: One woman, one cat, one clean litter box, four litters, and one husband laughing happily in the background, safe from litter duty for a month.

Litters: Scoop Away (clumping litter); Fresh Step Premium Clay Cat Litter (non-clumping); Clear Choice Cat Litter (crystals); World's Best Cat Litter (organic).

Process: I gave Izzy one week with each litter; on four consecutive Sundays, I cleaned and changed her box. In the interim, I followed the package directions (all of them suggest emptying the litter box of its waste at least once a day). They also warn against pregnant women and immune system-challenged folks performing this duty, as cat feces can cause a disorder known as toxoplasmosis.

Week 1 Litter: Scoop Away (clumping)

Cost: $10.99/28 pounds (39 cents/pound)