Cats will eliminate outside the litter box when the litter box is too full and needs cleaned or when the cat has health issues such as bowel issues, urinary tract infections, bladder incontinence etc.
When the litter box is full most cats will refuse to use the litter box and will go on the floor instead.
So you should keep the litter box clean and prevent it from getting too full which keeps it healthy for you as well as the cat.
Unclean or dirty litter boxes can cause cats to develop infections including urinary tract infections so you should keep the cat litter box clean and remove any poop daily and change the cat litter out at least every few weeks or more depending on how many cats you have.
A cats litter should be changed out at least every 3 weeks to once a month depending on how many cats you have.
If you have one cat or two cats then you usually only need to change the cat litter out every 3 weeks to once a month.
A cat's litter should be changed as often as every 2 weeks to 3 weeks.
You should scoop the cat litter and remove the poop everyday and change it at least every 2 weeks but if you have more than once cat then you may need to change it at least once a week or sooner.
The #1 cat litter is Tidy Cats Naturally Strong Unscented Cat Litter.
The thing that is wrong with clay cat litter is the clay cat litter contains a chemical compound called silica and when inhaled the silica is carcinogenic and when your cat inhales it it gets into the cats lungs and can potentially cause respiratory problems.
The litter that cats should avoid are clumping clay litters that contain sodium bentonite which can be harmful to cats when ingested and some cats may also develop respiratory problems from dust that it produces.
The least dusty cat litter are natural plant based cat litters such as cassava or tofu pellets which are very low dust.
The best clumping cat litter is Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Clumping litter which has less dust and less tracking.
Another good clumping cat litter is Boxiecat Scent Free Premium Clumping Clay Litter.
The safest and most natural cat litter is Sustainably Yours Multi Cat Plus Extra Odor Control which is a cassava and corn based litter that has a soft texture.
It also forms hard clumps upon contact and also emits no detectable scent or dust.
The least toxic litter is tuft + paw Really Great Cat Litter, Petfive Sustainably Yours Natural Cat Litter, Pidan Tofu Cat Litter with Blood Test Particles, World's Best Original Clumping Cat Litter and CatSpot Coconut Non-Clumping Cat Litter.
The #1 recommended Cat Litter is Dr. Elsey's Ultra Cat Litter.
Tidy Cats Cat Litter is also a very good and recommended Cat Litter and also very popular.
The cat litter that vets recommend are cat litters made of wheat, corn or grass litter.
If your cat has any respiratory issues you should use low dust cat litter such as paper litter or wheat litter.
Clumping litter is usually best for most cats although some prefer the non clumping.
There's also low tracking litter as well.
A good cat litter is Sustainably Yours Multi-Cat Plus Extra Odor Control, which is a corn and cassava litter with a soft texture that most cats love.
It forms hard clumps on contact and emits no detectable scent or dust.
Other good cat liters are.
Purina Unscented Cat Litter.
Scoop Away Unscented Clay Cat Litter.
Arm & Hammer Fragrance-Free Clumping Cat Litter.
Fresh Step Clumping Cat Litter.