Felines given an abundance of choice when it comes to relieving themselves

Could you imagine voluntarily eating cat litter? Three years ago, veterinary surgeon Pauline Taylor watched a sales person mix a spoonful of corn-husk kitty litter into a glass of water, then drink it.

'My mouth went open, I reckoned if this lady had this much confidence in the litter, it really was all-natural,' she recalls.

Nowadays, finicky felines have an abundance of choice when it comes to relieving themselves. 'There are a lot of different types of cat litter, depending on where you look [in Hong Kong] and your budget,' says Taylor, who is also the director of Pets Central.

According to Taylor, cat owners can find traditional litter made of clay (in sizes from small pebbles to fine grain), but also recycled paper, bark-type litter, biodegradable corn and silica crystals.

For those on a budget, supermarket cat litter starts at about HK$30 to HK$40 for a small bag, while larger bags of biodegradable (and flushable) will set owners back about HK$300.

'Budget is important for a lot of people, they generally choose on budget. But if a problem starts, then they will look for an alternative,' says Taylor, who has owned 14 felines over the years. 'You name the different types of cat litter and I've tried it. Some you don't need to change for a month, some are water soluble and others you throw into the garbage. Those are not very environmentally friendly.'

For some cats, Taylor says, cat litter can get stuck in the paws. 'Particularly long haired cats, litter can get stuck far between the pads, and not cleaned. It can be difficult to get out, so owners need to watch out for this,' she says.