Guest Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 We are currently using the Tidy Cats Breeze litter system - 2 cats, 1 box. It's super neat, doesn't smell, but replacing the pellets and pads costs us about $40/mo. I think that's really high for cat litter. (Is it?) We tried switching the older cat (when it was just her) to a traditional litter a few months back and while she did fine, it was just a mess. So, is litter mostly created equal when it comes to the mess factor? If not, what do you use? If so, how to you avoid it being such a mess. I thought it interesting in the other thread that someone used a storage bin as opposed to a traditional litter box. I'd prefer our bathroom tile to not feel like we're at the beach, iykwim! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 We use a traditional litter box with Fresh Step clay cat litter. I also use a plastic liner in it to make it easier to clean, but that's just a personal preference. I can't stand the scoopable litter. With the clay litter, the wet evaporates, with the the scoopable you have to scoop it out and it's sort of like cement. The scoopable litter also has more dust than the clay litter does. I find the clay litter doesn't stick between their toes as much, either, so less is tracked around the house. I do put a disposable blue underpad (from the incontinence section) under the litter box to catch any accidental overspray and to give the cat a few steps to let the litter fall out from between her toes. The cat has a hood on her letterbox, the kittens do not (they are in separate rooms right now). I've noticed my kittens are fairly neat in the litter box, they bury their waste whereas my older cat does not. Our previous cat didn't bury his waste, either. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the fact that they were feral cats that lived outdoors for quite a while or not. Seeing the kittens bury was quite a surprise to me, although it certainly was a pleasant one! I scoop boxes daily and do a complete litter change once a week. With two boxes, I use a about 2/3 of a 21 pound bag of the Fresh Step Clay cat litter, which I purchase at Target for about $10 per bag. The cat pan liners are $8.99 for 15, which is a seven week supply. Underpads are $8.99 for 18. So, if I am dong my math right, i spend about $7.50 per week to clean two litter boxes, so about $28 per month. Oh, I just found that I can order underpads from Target much cheaper online if I order a larger quantity. Off to do some price comparisons. Even cheaper on Amazon. I added them to subscribe and save. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I have two cats and two large litter boxes like this one. I mostly use Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat litter, but recently I've tried Arm and Hammer Clump & Seal and am really liking it. IMO finding the right litter is a balancing act between finding something that controls odor well, isn't too dusty and clumps well. My cats won't have anything to do with any alternative/natural litters like crystals, World's Best, Feline Pine, etc. They might use clay, but I can't stand it. I follow the litter box cleaning/maintenance method detailed here. Using it, I rarely ever have to wash/dump the entire box. No more than once a year at the most. This method requires using a generous amount (depth) of a litter that clumps very well and diligent daily cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 We use a traditional litter box with scoopable litter and a litter genie (though not the actual Genie brand). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 If you let your cats go outside at all, just train them to go outside. Take the litter box out and show them where it's now kept. At first they will start whining at the door to be let out when they need to go. In a few days, they'll just make sure to go while they are out (especially if you make a point of putting them out first thing in the morning and an hour before you go to bed, no food or water overnight). I've never had a cat that didn't catch on in less than a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Bumping because we have several cats and their boxes get really smelly although we scoop daily and change often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I use a Martha Stewart sifting litter pan...love it because I rinse the pan nightly and the litter seems to last longer...there are more steps than just scooping though Also, we use fresh step scoopable. It is the best at odor control to me. Never had issues scooping it either, if I use enough litter in the pan that is. Too little litter and it does adhere to the bottom. Easy fix, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candicane Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We just use a plastic container litter box, litter (can't remember the brand), and liners (Johnny Cat brand). There's nothing fancy about it. Since it's kept in the garage, next to a vent and an almost open side door, it doesn't smell much. It gets changed out once a week on trash day, which is enough with two cats. As for the littler going everywhere, yeah it happens, but we sweep it up when we change the litter box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We use the Cat Genie. It flushes itself, so no clean up for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelfeet Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I have 4 cats, three are permanent and one is a foster. We have two lidded litter boxes. I buy crystal cat litter by the 15kg bag. I do not like scooping litter, so basically every 2.5 days I dump both boxes out completely, wash them with dish soap and refill with more crystals. It takes literally 5 minutes to dump and wash. I love crystal cat litter as it absorbs the odours. It costs me 40-50 USD per month. When I lived in Canada I had a room under the stairs that I installed a cat door into. I used 4 litter boxes: 2 extra large, 1 normal, and one giant under the bed storage box. I would fill them all up using approximately 25kgs of clumping clay. They would be scooped 1x a week and changed completely every month. I found it was harder to clean, smellier, and way more time consuming than crystals. It only cost about 15$ a month because clumping clay was cheap at costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I like Fresh Step, but have used scoopable & thinking of switching, out cats make such a mess that sticks to the box, I really need to get a new litter box as well. So following. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We have 10 cats and 5 litter boxes. I use the pine pellet horse bedding you can get at Tractor Supply - 40lbs for 5-6 dollars. It keeps the odor down better than anything I have ever used, and is a lot cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Wow, so many different options! Thanks for the replies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We have one litter box with top for two cats and use arm and hammer litter. We use the multi cat, not the double duty type. We found double duty didn't work as well with odors. We scoop at least once a day. * we have two other basic litter boxes in areas where the cats occasionally get to unexpectedly, just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 How do you wash your box? I haven't been using liners in our storage container box (looks like your top entry one except no lid) and the last two times I've changed it I've realized the plastic itself has started absorbing urine odor. Blech. So I'm going to throw it out this weekend and start fresh again, but I don't want to let that happen to the new box. I've assumed liners were the best way for me to do that, but I don't know what kind of liners I could find to fit such a large box (oh, maybe the clever cat brand ones?) I never have this issue when I'm using pine pellets for our foster cats. If you keep the litter deep enough, you should rarely have problems with the bottom of the box getting soiled. We have this box: http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Paw-Self-Cleaning-Litter-Pewter/dp/B005E2S77C which you roll to clean. It is faster to clean than scoop boxes but it has some drawbacks. Sometimes if not tilted just right, litter comes out the entrance when you roll it. In order to add more litter, you have to tilt the whole box on its side. Also, taking it apart and putting it back together are a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We have 10 cats and 5 litter boxes. I use the pine pellet horse bedding you can get at Tractor Supply - 40lbs for 5-6 dollars. It keeps the odor down better than anything I have ever used, and is a lot cheaper. Are these the kind of pine pellets you are talking about? I have heard of other people using these as well. Do they work really well? I guess so if you have 10 cats, huh? I have to use Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract but I am wondering if I could mix the two to stretch out the litter further. Pine Pellets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We've at times had a covered box, 1-4 boxes, used clumping litter, used liners. At the moment we use 1 box with pine litter, no cover, no liner. Both dh and I like the pine pellets best. They smell good and they disintegrate when wet so you can see where to scoop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I tried the Arm and Hammer stuff. I didn't like the perfumy smell of it. Yeah I could see that the scent of the litter might bother some. We don't mind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We keep the litter box in the bathtub. :-) It helps that we are empty-nesters in a big house with lots of unused bathrooms, lol, but I gotta tell you, it was a great day when I figured that out, and I'd try to do that if I lived in a smaller house with a regularly used bathroom! We use a litter box with a cover, which keeps litter and stuff from being kicked over the sides. After many years, many cats, and many different brands/kinds of litter, we finally found some litter that is made from wheat. Awesome stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We keep the litter box in the bathtub. :-) It helps that we are empty-nesters in a big house with lots of unused bathrooms, lol, but I gotta tell you, it was a great day when I figured that out, and I'd try to do that if I lived in a smaller house with a regularly used bathroom! We use a litter box with a cover, which keeps litter and stuff from being kicked over the sides. After many years, many cats, and many different brands/kinds of litter, we finally found some litter that is made from wheat. Awesome stuff. Oh my goodness, love that idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We use Dr. Elsey's senior formula. It's not cheap ($17/bag before any coupons) but she likes it and there is NO CATBOX STINK at all. None. It also easily lasts her 3-4 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We keep the litter box in the bathtub. :-) It helps that we are empty-nesters in a big house with lots of unused bathrooms, lol, but I gotta tell you, it was a great day when I figured that out, and I'd try to do that if I lived in a smaller house with a regularly used bathroom! We use a litter box with a cover, which keeps litter and stuff from being kicked over the sides. After many years, many cats, and many different brands/kinds of litter, we finally found some litter that is made from wheat. Awesome stuff. We did that at our former house. The master bathtub was a big, jetted tub that no one ever used. It was a very convenient place for a litter box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckens Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Our cats are toilet trained. When Loverboy met me, he thought I was crazy for doing this. Since then, he has helped other people move who had not cared for their litterbox. Now he's a believer. The good parts: --I simultaneously toilet trained 3 adult cats to use the toilet. --Our house is small (it's a trailer), and we don't have a basement to hide a litterbox. Our house doesn't smell at all from "litter box." --We save a ton of money on litter. How to do it: http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-toilet.htm Other details: --We have to empty the bowl as soon as the cats use it. This is easy since I am home all day; however the cats like to go 2 minutes after we turn out the lights and get into bed at night. --When we travel, we board the cats at the vet so they don't get confused about a litterbox in a certain location IN the house and the toilet. 3 cats x $7/day x 4 to 7 days = expensive! Your cat(s) may be fine moving back and forth from toilet to litterbox. Our cats do fine when we are gone all day for a day trip out of town. --I had trouble getting all of the cats through the last step, so we just stay at the silver bowl step. In retrospect, it may have been that one of our cats had constipation that would release poop at inopportune times and places. We're happy where we are now, so we probably won't attempt the last step of removing the bowl again. --My silver bowl was slightly too small to fit in the toilet seat. I went to my local hardware/lumber store (with the silver bowl). I explained what I was trying to do, and I asked them to cut (out of thin plywood) a "collar" for the silver bowl. They happily accommodated me. --Our cats have claws. The toilet seat is all scratched up from their claws, so if we ever move from here, we will have to replace the seat. --I recently learned that sea otters are dying of toxoplasmosis. If there is any chance of the toilet waste going to the sea, this may not be the best environmental choice. If your cats are indoor cats and you want to do this, make sure the cats have been tested/treated for toxoplasmosis before doing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Are these the kind of pine pellets you are talking about? I have heard of other people using these as well. Do they work really well? I guess so if you have 10 cats, huh? I have to use Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract but I am wondering if I could mix the two to stretch out the litter further. Pine Pellets Yep, that's the stuff. And it is great for keeping down odor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We have this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We just get the cheap stuff so that we can afford to change the whole thing twice a week. We have one cat who is technically my 22 year old son's, eats supermarket food (which I would upgrade before upgrading the litter), and a covered box. I'm not a fan of digging for buried treasure and kitty is very fastidious, so this works for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 We have 2 of the rolling style litter boxes. I haven't seen those posted yet. My kids are in charge of litter and if they're rolled often enough, we don't clean the whole thing out very often. We buy Petco's bulk clumping litter - we reuse the big plastic bins to fill them. I usually wait for 2 to be empty to have them refilled. I have no idea what we spend per month on litter! I suspect it's about $30 for 2 cats. You can also watch a video on this page if you want to see how to roll the boxes. http://www.petco.com/product/2611/Omega-Paw-Roll-n-Clean-Litter-Box.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Is that where you buy yours? We buy our litter usually on Amazon and it's a bit cheaper. We went from Cat Attract to Precious Cat. Same line of products, but PC is a bit cheaper. I also find coupons in the bottom of the litter bag so if we do buy it in the pet store I try to remember our $1 off coupon. I buy our Cat Attract at a local feed store. I can get the 40lb bag for about $18 which is half the price then Petsmart sells it for. Does PC work in the same way? We have one with litter box issues since his blockage and surgery 4 years ago. If I buy a cheap or different litter I literally have to fight with him to get him to go but with the CA, he just gets right in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 We are currently using the Tidy Cats Breeze litter system - 2 cats, 1 box. It's super neat, doesn't smell, but replacing the pellets and pads costs us about $40/mo. I think that's really high for cat litter. (Is it?) We tried switching the older cat (when it was just her) to a traditional litter a few months back and while she did fine, it was just a mess. So, is litter mostly created equal when it comes to the mess factor? If not, what do you use? If so, how to you avoid it being such a mess. I thought it interesting in the other thread that someone used a storage bin as opposed to a traditional litter box. I'd prefer our bathroom tile to not feel like we're at the beach, iykwim! I needed a high sided litter box without a cap on it as the kittens won't go in the ones we have with caps. They also kick their litter everywhere! I ended up with the breeze litter system when I went to the pet store today. I hope they take to it, we'll see. Did you ever replace yours? I priced Breeze supplies and they are cheaper on Amazon than they are at PetSmart. ETA: Best Amazon prices for Breeze supplies are $38.99 for 6 - 3.5 lb bags of pellets ($1.85 per lb) and $44.99 for 10 - 4 pk. bags of pads ($1.12 each). If the cats take to the box, I am going to try the pads from the incontinence section. I might have to cut them down to size and I might have to change them more frequently, but they are only 13 cents each, so it might be well worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 No, I ended up just staying with the Breeze system since it works. When I started pricing out some of these others ones that I was considering, I just decided to stick with it. It appears maybe I wasn't paying all that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 We just replaced both of our litter boxes. We're using these now, and they are fabulous! I actually bought just one to try it out, and it worked so well, I bought a second one just a few days later. Takes all of 30 seconds to "roll" the box and dump the tray. As the actual space inside where the cats do their business is a bit smaller than a standard box, we "roll" the box every day rather than scooping every few days. It's still brilliant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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