After testing dozens of automatic litter boxes, I can say it’s been difficult to determine which is the best cat litter (or rather, if there is one). Most people will want to look for a low-tracking, clumping cat litter that’s compatible with their litter box. But there are other factors to consider, like allergens, material, the litter box itself, and how you’ll deal with the waste.

In recent years, there have been leaps and bounds in the pet tech sphere as a whole—including where our cats go potty and what litter they go potty in. In the past, the choices were an absorbent clay whose main compound was calcium bentonite, sawdust, or sand. Now, we have high-tech crystal litter, which aims to show health issues through changing color; eco-friendly tofu litter; and all types of clumping clay litter between. After a year of testing litter boxes and scooping tons of cat litter, let me sift through (get it?) the options so you can determine the best type of cat litter for you and your furry friend.

Should You Change Up Your Litter?

There are many reasons why you may want to change your litter. Your cat may be like mine, with sensitivities to strong odors or smells that can cause allergies or allergy-like symptoms like red eyes or itching. Or maybe your cat is long-haired, like mine, and you’re tired of litter sticking to their fur.

If you want to be more eco- (and budget-) friendly, a biodegradable tofu or wood pellet litter may be better, but for these, you’ll need to introduce the change slowly and oftentimes, you’ll have to change the box you’re using. (More on that below.)

As a helicopter pet parent who brushes their cats’ teeth and shaves their butts, I honestly just want to make sure I have a litter that keeps my cat (and me) comfortable, giving them a safe space to potty and an easier time to clean it for me.

I look for, and recommend folks do trial-and-error to find, a litter that has all of these elements:

• Clumping: Many brands claim to clump effectively, but you’ll need to monitor while scooping to see if they actually are, or if they’re leaving smaller bits that sneak through grates while cleaning.
• Scent-free or low scent: Cats can smell 14 times better than humans, and strong odors can irritate their respiratory system and lead to itching, watery eyes, and other symptoms, including not wanting to use the litter box at all because the scent is too overwhelming.
• Low–tracking: Same as clumping litters above, many litters claim to be low tracking, but I’ve found that the best way to lessen litter tracking around the house is to have a great clumping litter and add as much space between the box and the floor. This means that in addition to clumping litter, add accessories like stairs (if your cat is mobile enough), a ramp, or a litter-trapping mat to increase the distance between the box and your floor, to reduce litter tracking. Litters that aim to be low-tracking are generally better at dust control, which also help with general cleanliness and lower irritants.

I’ve tested several types of cat litter from Boxiecat, and although pricey, they have all managed odor well, had low dust/tracking, and scooped easily in clumps (and worked well with my automatic litter box).

Compare the Most Popular Types of Litter

As said before, there used to be super-limited litter options, now there’s tofu, wood, silica crystals, recycled paper, and even nut shells. While something like wood pellets is more-eco friendly and cheaper, you’ll have to factor in your litter box and whether your cat takes to the new litter. (Although slow introduction is key.)

• Clay cat litter: This is by far the most popular litter type, and most closely resembles what cats would be using in the wild. Clumping clay cat litter is what I recommend for most people, as it primarily uses a naturally absorbent bentonite clay. It expands when wet/soiled, making it “clump,” which is easier to scoop and generally more hygienic. However, it’s not as environmentally friendly because it’s not biodegradable and can contain carcinogenic silica dust.
• Tofu cat litter: This relatively new litter is great because it’s environmentally friendly. It’s made out of soybean fiber, making it naturally biodegradable, nontoxic, and way less dusty than traditional choices. If bought in pellet form (the most popular option), they clump well and can even be flushed in the toilet, although it can be pricey and can grow mold if in humid conditions.
• Crystal cat litter: This type of litter is made from silica mined from quartz sand and mixed with oxygen and water to make super absorbent pellets (akin to the absorbing powers of little silica gel packets found in many newly bought items). It’s lightweight and has great odor control. Crystal litter is pricey, not biodegradable or clumping (requires daily sifting), easily tracks, can be an uncomfortable texture for paws, and is difficult for some cats to get used to using. Popular brands like PrettyLitter actually use a special silica formula that aims to track health changes through changing colors based on urinary PH. Although I’m slightly cautious to use it because of reviews of the silica litter being ingested and harming cats and causing respiratory issues because of the particle dust.
• Paper or Wood pellets: Paper and wood pellets are cheap, have low dust and tracking, and are eco-friendly because they’re biodegradable. (Paper pellets are also great for injured or post-operation pets because the litter is low-dust and there’s less chance for litter to get stuck in wounds.) However, this doesn’t control odor well, is non-clumping, and needs to be changed frequently (you’ll probably need a sifting litter box). Wood pellets are also often made of pine and can have an overwhelming scent.
• Walnut shell cat litter: Made from crushed walnut shells, this is often used as a much lighter, more natural alternative to clay litter. It’s lightweight and has a similar texture to clay, and is biodegradable. Although it can track, spoil if in moist conditions, and requires frequent emptying/cleaning.
• We don’t recommend corn cat litter, as corn is prone to a toxic mold called aflatoxin. This can cause health issues for cats and in humans who have asthma or COPD and are immunocompromised or elderly.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his eldest son Lachlan could be among the investors who will take control of TikTok in the United States.

The United States has forcefully sought to take TikTok’s US operations out of the hands of Chinese parent company ByteDance for national security reasons.

Since returning to power in January, Trump has repeatedly delayed implementation of the ban while a deal has been sought.

He has negotiated with Beijing to sell the platform’s US operations to a consortium of investors he describes as “patriots,” including ally and tech giant Oracle’s boss Larry Ellison, and entrepreneur Michael Dell.

On Sunday, he added more names to that list.

“I hate to tell you this, but a man named Lachlan is involved… Lachlan Murdoch, I believe,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

“And Rupert is, is probably going to be in the group. I think they’re going to be in the group. Couple of others, really great people, very prominent people.”

Earlier this month, right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s children reached a settlement in their long-running legal dispute over control of the media empire, cementing his eldest son Lachlan’s leadership.

Lachlan Murdoch, who officially took control of Fox News and News Corp as part of the deal, is Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son.

The elder Murdoch built a right-wing conservative media empire spanning the United States, Britain and Australia.

On Saturday, the White House said the board of the new company that would control TikTok’s US operations would be dominated by American citizens, and that a deal could be signed “in th coming days.”

© 2025 AFP

Almost immediately after the cyberattack, a group on Telegram called Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters, claimed responsibility for the hack. The group name implies a potential collaboration between three loose hacking collectives— Scattered Spider, Lapsus$, and Shiny Hunters—that have been behind some of the most high-profile cyberattacks in recent years. They are often made up of young, English-speaking, cybercriminals who target major businesses.

Building vehicles is a hugely complex process. Hundreds of different companies provide parts, materials, electronics, and more to vehicle manufacturers, and these expansive supply chain networks often rely upon “just-in-time” manufacturing. That means they order parts and services to be delivered in the specific quantities that are needed and exactly when they need them—large stockpiles of parts are unlikely to be held by auto makers.

“The supplier networks that are supplying into these manufacturing plants, they’re all set up for efficiency—economic efficiency, and also logistic efficiency,” says Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, a professor in systems security at Swansea University. “There’s a very carefully orchestrated supply chain,” Shaikh adds, speaking about automotive manufacturing generally. “There’s a critical dependency for those suppliers supplying into this kind of an operation. As soon as there is a disruption at this kind of facility, then all the suppliers get affected.”

One company that makes glass sun roofs has started laying off workers, according to a report in the Telegraph. Meanwhile, another firm told the BBC it has laid off around 40 people so far. French automotive company OPmobility, which employs 38,000 people across 150 sites, told WIRED it is making some changes and monitoring the events. “OPmobility is reconfiguring its production at certain sites as a consequence of the shutdown of its production by one of its customers based in the United Kingdom and depending on the evolution of the situation,” a spokesperson for the firm says.

While it is unclear which specific JLR systems have been impacted by the hackers and what systems JLR took offline proactively, many were likely taken offline to stop the attack from getting worse. “It’s very challenging to ensure containment while you still have connections between various systems,” says Orla Cox, head of EMEA cybersecurity communications at FTI Consulting, which responds to cyberattacks and works on investigations. “Oftentimes as well, there will be dependencies on different systems: You take one down, then it means that it has a knock on effect on another.”

Whenever there’s a hack in any part of a supply chain—whether that is a manufacturer at the top of the pyramid or a firm further down the pipeline—digital connections between companies may be severed to stop attackers from spreading from one network to the next. Connections via VPNs or APIs may be stopped, Cox says. “Some may even take stronger measures such as blocking domains and IP addresses. Then things like email are no longer usable between the two organizations.”

The complexity of digital and physical supply chains, spanning across dozens of businesses and just-in-time production systems, means it is likely that bringing everything back online and up to full-working speed may take time. MacColl, the RUSI researcher, says cybersecurity issues often fail to be debated at the highest level of British politics—but adds this time could be different due to the scale of the disruption. “This incident has the potential to cut through because of the job losses and the fact that MPs in constituencies affected by this will be getting calls,” he says. That breakthrough has already begun.