There are moments when I look at a new pet product and think: who, exactly, was this made for?
Because I am fairly certain no cat has ever sat around dreaming of a pink, watermelon-flavored, tofu-based litter experience.
Cats are many things — mysterious, particular, opinionated, occasionally dramatic — but they are not usually looking for novelty in the bathroom department. They are looking for safety. Familiarity. Cleanliness. A place that feels right under their feet and does not assault their highly sensitive noses.
Which is why some of the newer cat litter trends make me want to take a deep breath before I say what I really think.
I recently sat down on my show CAT CHAT ® with feline behavior expert, Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, to discuss one of the stranger trends to emerge when the pet world and TikTok collide. Hear the full conversation.
The Litter Box Is Not a Lifestyle Accessory
We humans love a “cute” product.
We love color. We love scent. We love packaging that makes us feel as if we have discovered something charming and clever.
Cats do not care.
In fact, the more a litter is designed to delight the human shopper, the more suspicious I become on behalf of the cat. A cat’s litter box is one of the most important pieces of real estate in the house. If the cat does not like what is in it, you are not having a branding problem. You are having a sofa problem. Or a laundry basket problem. Or a “why is my cat peeing on the rug?” problem.
That is not the moment to discover that your cat did not share your enthusiasm for watermelon.
Cats Want What Makes Sense to Cats
The best litter products are not built around trends. They are built around feline biology and behavior.
Cats want a texture they will accept. They want a box that smells clean, not perfumed. They want consistency. They want the whole experience to feel natural enough that they keep coming back without making a formal complaint on your duvet.
This is where I think Dr. Elsey’s has always understood the assignment.
Their approach is not “How can we make litter more entertaining for people?” It is “How can we help cats use the box reliably so they stay in loving homes?”
That may not be as Instagrammable as pink litter. But it is a lot more useful.
A Little Outdoors, Without the Gimmick
There is something charming — and very cat-logical — about Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract approach.
Their natural herbal attractant is a proprietary blend of prairie grasses, which is, in its own way, a little touch of the outdoors. Not in a fake, scented, novelty way. In a “this actually makes sense to a cat” way.
For cats who need encouragement, there is the Cat Attract litter, where the attractant is already mixed into their low-dust, hard-clumping, odor-neutralizing Ultra clay litter. There is also the attractant that can be added to any clay litter.
That is the difference between a gimmick and a solution.
One is designed to make a person say, “Oh, how fun.”
The other is designed to make a cat say absolutely nothing — and simply use the box.
The Same Common Sense Should Apply to Food
This is also why I appreciate that Dr. Elsey’s brings the same philosophy to cleanprotein™ cat food.
Cats are obligate carnivores. Their bodies are built around animal protein, not marketing trends, fillers, or ingredients that sound appealing to us but do not necessarily serve them. Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein™ is built around high-quality animal protein, with a focus on what cats actually need to maintain healthy body mass, appetite, and an active life.
It is the same underlying idea: if it is bad for cats, do not do it.
That sounds obvious. Unfortunately, in the pet world, obvious is not always the business model.
The Bottom Line
I am not against innovation. I am against forgetting who the product is for.
If a litter helps cats use the box, controls odor without overwhelming their nose, clumps well, keeps dust down, and respects feline instincts, that is innovation enough for me.
If it also happens to avoid looking and smelling like a summer cocktail, all the better.
Because when it comes to cats, the gold standard is not the litter that makes humans laugh in the aisle.
It is the one the cat actually uses.
Listen to the full CAT CHAT ® podcast conversation: Pink Watermelon-Flavored Tofu Litter?! Are You Kidding Me?!