So many different cat litters!

[redsquirrel]

I am pretty sure we are getting a new cat in the next couple weeks. I have owned many over the years, but haven't had one for almost a year. I always used the clumping litter and didn't investigate other options. Now, with this new cat I figured I should look at my choices. Whoa. Who knew there were so many different kinds of cat litter?

 

Here is are my priorities: That the cat use it, and that it really controls the cat odor. I don't want something that just masks the odor with perfume. I am leaning towards the crystals, but don't know much about them. I don't even know how it works.

 

So, what say the hive? Clumping? Wheat based? Corn based? Paper based? Crystals? Clumping mixed with crystals? Some sort of system that trains the cat to use the toilet? (actually, I would LOVE that)

[justLisa]

I am pretty sure we are getting a new cat in the next couple weeks. I have owned many over the years, but haven't had one for almost a year. I always used the clumping litter and didn't investigate other options. Now, with this new cat I figured I should look at my choices. Whoa. Who knew there were so many different kinds of cat litter?

 

Here is are my priorities: That the cat use it, and that it really controls the cat odor. I don't want something that just masks the odor with perfume. I am leaning towards the crystals, but don't know much about them. I don't even know how it works.

 

So, what say the hive? Clumping? Wheat based? Corn based? Paper based? Crystals? Clumping mixed with crystals? Some sort of system that trains the cat to use the toilet? (actually, I would LOVE

 

that)

:lol: I say you go for this option

[Melissa in NC]

I prefer the wheat based one. I am allergic to pine so I avoid those. I do not like the dust from the clay based ones and I am not sure how the crystals break down over time in the land fill.

[Mergath]

Cat litter is one of those things where you get what you pay for. Don't get the cheap litters, because they do nothing to control odor. We use Tidy Cats. I think it's the one for 24/7 odor control, but I know I've got the multiple cats kind, too. Both work great.

[jennsmile]

I was thinking you meant Litters of cats...LOL!

[Nestof3]

I subscribe to this delivered on a regular basis. I could probably find something similar at a feed and seed store, but I have been lazy.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176CC20/ref=wms_ohs_product

 

Pros

No unpleasant odor from the product -- actually, it smells nice

No litter dust all over my stuff

 

Cons

It's hard to scoop out urine because it essentially causes the pellets to turn to saw dust. This makes it smell of ammonia if you don't stay on top of it.

 

I have found just putting a shallow layer works best.

[redsquirrel]

ooh, I am allergic to pine. I didn't think of that. Good point. Thanks!

 

I have never done an automatic Amazon delivery thing-y. Cat litter might be a good place to start.

[WagsWife]

http://www.amazon.com/Tidy-Breeze-Litter-Multiple-1-Count/dp/B001411SK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344889539&sr=8-1&keywords=breeze+litter+system

 

I LOVE this litter system! I am not a cat person at all. One of the biggest reasons is the litter box. I can't STAND walking anywhere near a litter box because of sandy litter on the floor. I also don't like the digging around for clumps of waste. The Breeze system eliminates both of these issues.

 

The only thing I smell is feces when our cat first goes. As soon as we notice it, one of us scoops it out and flushes it in the toilet. Our cat only goes once a day...so it is very easy. The urine drips down onto a disposable pad, that you change once a week (more if you have multiple cats.) The only time I smell cat urine is if my daughter forgets to change the pad. Every once in a while, the clay pellets will fall out, but it is not near as messy as a regular litter box.

[Pawz4me]

None of my cats has liked any of the alternative litters. As in totally refused to use them, no matter what I tried. So that's not a battle I fight anymore and just stick to a good quality unscented clumping litter. If money is no issue than I truly believe the very best clumping litter is Ever Clean. But it is significantly more expensive than Tidy Cats, Arm & Hammer, etc.

 

Of course a lot of odor control has to do with how the litterbox is maintained. Scoop at least once a day. Use plenty of litter. I keep a roll of paper towels and a bottle of very diluted water/bleach and clean up any stuck-on residue each time I scoop (which is at least twice a day). That does a lot to keep the box clean and control odor.

[ktgrok]

Fresh Step. It has carbon in it that neutralizes the odor. Same stuff they put in odor eater shoe inserts. It works SO SO SO SO SO SO much better than any other brand. Serioulsy...the only problem is that it works so well I don't notice when my son hasn't cleaned out the box. It works so well he can skip for days and days and I don't notice. I've tried EVERYTHING, and work in a vet office, and have been to lectures on inappropriate urination by veterinary behaviorists at national conferences. You want scoopable, that is what cats like best. The crystals tend to end up with wet spots that stink if you don't stir it well enough each day. Many cats hate the pellets, and the natural wheat/corn based ones can grow mold and mildew.

 

Get Fresh Step. (Tidy cat is the next best, but it is a far step down. Arm and Hammer is awful, and store brands are useless).

[Kebo]

http://www.amazon.com/Tidy-Breeze-Litter-Multiple-1-Count/dp/B001411SK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344889539&sr=8-1&keywords=breeze+litter+system

 

I LOVE this litter system! I am not a cat person at all. One of the biggest reasons is the litter box. I can't STAND walking anywhere near a litter box because of sandy litter on the floor. I also don't like the digging around for clumps of waste. The Breeze system eliminates both of these issues.

 

The only thing I smell is feces when our cat first goes. As soon as we notice it, one of us scoops it out and flushes it in the toilet. Our cat only goes once a day...so it is very easy. The urine drips down onto a disposable pad, that you change once a week (more if you have multiple cats.) The only time I smell cat urine is if my daughter forgets to change the pad. Every once in a while, the clay pellets will fall out, but it is not near as messy as a regular litter box.

 

We have this system, and I really like it. Easy to clean, and no dust at all. However.....only one of my cats will use it happily. So, I have a second box filled with this litter: http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Best-Multiple-Clumping-Packaging/dp/B000QSMQ62/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344890556&sr=8-1&keywords=World%27s+best+cat+litter. So far it's my favorite clumping litter, and I've tried a lot of them.

[Tressa]

I just did a little cat care for a friend who uses Swheat Scoop. I had never heard of it. It clumps a little. I didn't think the odor was too bad. It kind of reminded me of the smell in the barn.

[Unicorn.]

The best one I've ever found for odor control is Tidy Cats with the red lid.

 

:iagree: We have 13 cats, and Tidy Cat red is the absolute best!

[ourjourney]

we use the wheat, but it tracks everywhere. currently in search of a low/no tracking litter.

[redsquirrel]

thank you so much for your advice. I am still making a decision. I feel myself leaning towards the crystals.... it looks so easy. We will only have one cat.

 

I guess we could try it for a couple weeks and see if we like it. If not, we go back to the clumping.

 

I just HATE walking into the house and smelling the cat pee. We keep our box in the basement and I could smell it all the time! DH thinks it was because the last cat was getting very old so her pee got stinkier in the last couple years. He is prob right. She was a very unlikeable cat in every way. :lol:

[ktgrok]

thank you so much for your advice. I am still making a decision. I feel myself leaning towards the crystals.... it looks so easy. We will only have one cat.

 

I guess we could try it for a couple weeks and see if we like it. If not, we go back to the clumping.

 

I just HATE walking into the house and smelling the cat pee. We keep our box in the basement and I could smell it all the time! DH thinks it was because the last cat was getting very old so her pee got stinkier in the last couple years. He is prob right. She was a very unlikeable cat in every way. :lol:

 

Fresh Step is MUCH less stinky than the crystals.

[redsquirrel]

really? I will give it a shot. I so much want to have this cat and NOT have a stinky house. We have a plan to get a small garbage can with a lid to keep next to the box. I am hoping if we keep the clumps in that it will smell less. Before, dh just put it in a bag and closed the bag. He said it would smell no matter what. I think a lid will help. Someone else suggested getting activated carbon and sprinkling it on the used litter.

 

DH is a vet's son and grew up cleaning the kennels etc and living on a farm. His fully admits his standards for animal stink are prob not the norm.

[Laurie]

Many cats hate the pellets, and the natural wheat/corn based ones can grow mold and mildew.

.

 

I've been buying World's Best (made from corn) for a long time. (And I clean out the box many times during the day so wet spots aren't there very long.)

 

One of our cats became asthmatic and just recently a second cat had to see the vet for bad wheezing which turned out to be allergic bronchitis. The test showed that there are several things that he's allergic to, but his highest number was for Cephalosporium, a soil-borne fungus that attacks corn and other cereal grains. Since our cats are all housecats I decided it was time to try another litter that isn't plant-based and see if their breathing problems get better. I hope so because Flovent inhalers aren't cheap.

[whiskeywife]

We use Worlds Best cat litter. It's expensive but well worth it IMO. It is great at clumping and absorbs the odor. We dont' have a basement so the litter boxes are upstairs and the only time I can smell anything is if the cat forgets to cover up the pee/poo.

[Amber in SJ]

Get the Tidy Cat Breeze litter box. Instead of the super expensive litter & liners refills use the Feline Pine & these liners

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QW3EA8/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

 

They come in a box of 100 & you cut them in half to line the urine tray.

 

We have two cats, a tiny house and DH is ridiculously sensitive to smells. This is what works.

 

Amber in SJ

[redsquirrel]

I was looking at that litter box. So fancy, lol. Now they need to come up with a cat litter rumba!

 

Very clever to use the chux pads! So, do you just reuse the cardboard box underneath and line it with the chux? Then I guess you toss the litter and the chux and reuse the box? Or does the chux pad go right in the self cleaning litter box?

 

I am sure you can tell I am not real clear on how the self cleaning box works, lol.

[ktgrok]

really? I will give it a shot. I so much want to have this cat and NOT have a stinky house. We have a plan to get a small garbage can with a lid to keep next to the box. I am hoping if we keep the clumps in that it will smell less. Before, dh just put it in a bag and closed the bag. He said it would smell no matter what. I think a lid will help. Someone else suggested getting activated carbon and sprinkling it on the used litter.

 

DH is a vet's son and grew up cleaning the kennels etc and living on a farm. His fully admits his standards for animal stink are prob not the norm.

 

We (ds) scoops once a day (or is supposed to). He puts the clumps in a plastic grocery bag, ties it, and puts it outside in the trash can immediately. If I have to scoop because he is at his dad's house i put the bag with the clumps in the garage, and DH takes it to the trash can later. I wouldn't keep the dirty litter in the house, that seems crazy.

[Amber in SJ]

The Tidy Cat Breeze system is a litter box with a grate in the bottom and a drawer underneath. The urine goes through the pellets into the drawer that is lined with an absorbent pad. The poop doesn't go through the grate, but the cats cover it with the pellets.

 

Whenever the cats go poop we use the scooper to shake off the pellets & toss it into the toilet. The absorbent pad gets changed 1-2 times weekly & the litter gets changed weekly. We keep it pretty shallow.

 

It isn't self cleaning or automatic, but there is no smell unless the cats just went poop.

 

Amber in SJ

[redsquirrel]

We (ds) scoops once a day (or is supposed to). He puts the clumps in a plastic grocery bag, ties it, and puts it outside in the trash can immediately. If I have to scoop because he is at his dad's house i put the bag with the clumps in the garage, and DH takes it to the trash can later. I wouldn't keep the dirty litter in the house, that seems crazy.

 

We don't have a garage or anywhere else to keep it. The garbage cans live in the basement. The litter box is next to the garbage cans. Our garbage doesn't stink because we have a food disposer and we don't eat meat. That makes our stinky garbage production minimal. We don't have to take the garbage out for weeks at a time. What is there isn't particularly messy.

[redsquirrel]

The Tidy Cat Breeze system is a litter box with a grate in the bottom and a drawer underneath. The urine goes through the pellets into the drawer that is lined with an absorbent pad. The poop doesn't go through the grate, but the cats cover it with the pellets.

 

Whenever the cats go poop we use the scooper to shake off the pellets & toss it into the toilet. The absorbent pad gets changed 1-2 times weekly & the litter gets changed weekly. We keep it pretty shallow.

 

It isn't self cleaning or automatic, but there is no smell unless the cats just went poop.

 

Amber in SJ

 

Oh, I get it! I thought you were using it with the box that automatically cleans itself. It's called Scoop Free. It has a disposable component, so folks have created workarounds to reduce waste and cost. I thought you were using that.

 

But now, I can see I have a whole nother system to research!

 

Who knew that dealing with cat pee was such an industry?

[Pawz4me]

We have a plan to get a small garbage can with a lid to keep next to the box. I am hoping if we keep the clumps in that it will smell less. Before, dh just put it in a bag and closed the bag. He said it would smell no matter what. I think a lid will help.

 

I think your used-litter-management-system was a big part of your odor problem. Ideally you want that stuff out of the house as soon as you scoop. If that's not possible, then you need to add another layer. Scoop into a plastic shopping bag (make sure there are no holes in it), tie it tightly and then put it in a lidded can. Even then in hotter/more humid weather the smell of that can is likely to be gag-worthy when you open the lid, and some of that stink will seep out even with the lid closed. I personally don't think an unfinished basement is a good place for a litterbox. They often stay pretty humid (at least they do in our area) and that just amplifies the odor.

[Nestof3]

We (ds) scoops once a day (or is supposed to). He puts the clumps in a plastic grocery bag, ties it, and puts it outside in the trash can immediately. If I have to scoop because he is at his dad's house i put the bag with the clumps in the garage, and DH takes it to the trash can later. I wouldn't keep the dirty litter in the house, that seems crazy.

 

We use a grocery bag as well, tie it and throw it in the outside trash can for pickup.

[Nestof3]

I think your used-litter-management-system was a big part of your odor problem. Ideally you want that stuff out of the house as soon as you scoop. If that's not possible, then you need to add another layer. Scoop into a plastic shopping bag (make sure there are no holes in it), tie it tightly and then put it in a lidded can. Even then in hotter/more humid weather the smell of that can is likely to be gag-worthy when you open the lid, and some of that stink will seep out even with the lid closed. I personally don't think an unfinished basement is a good place for a litterbox. They often stay pretty humid (at least they do in our area) and that just amplifies the odor.

 

:iagree: If it will stink in the litter box, it will stink in a trash can.