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I need a good cat litter
ddahcmai
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've been using a wheat based litter for my two cats because I didn't want them eating a bunch of clay when they were kittens, but the stuff smells horrifically of ammonia even just a day or two after completely changing it. They're old enough now where I don't have to worry about them eating the litter anymore, but there are so many choices I don't even know where to begin. Would any of you cat owners out there be able to recommend me what you think is the best clumping litter I can buy? I sleep in the same room as this stuff, so odor free is really a top priority.
And I just tried for 20 minutes, but for some reason all obligatory cat pictures are failing to upload. Sorry guys.
And I just tried for 20 minutes, but for some reason all obligatory cat pictures are failing to upload. Sorry guys.
ddahcmai on
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I use Fresh Step clumping litter for multiple cats. I've always had better luck with it than anything else, although this time my husband picked up the Arm and Hammer super scoop stuff and that seems to be holding up pretty well too.
Worst experience was with Tidy Cats litter. That stuff reeked almost immediately.
edit: awwwwwww. We're square.
There we go!
we currently run 4 boxes in our house. 2 have the wheat, the other 2 are scoop away since we get it for like 11 bucks at costco.
the scoop away is alright, it is more dusty than the wheat and i find it kind of excessively perfume and it kind of sticks to everything. back in california though, the costco carried Litter Purrfect which is clay but not very dusty and smells like lemongrass. if i could get that out here i would.
keep in mind you should slowly get them used to having a different litter. our guys like to pee in the clay and poop in the wheat
My experience with odour has been that we'll only ever smell something right when the cat is pooping, and it will dissipate as soon as he buries it. The only other time I smell anything is when I'm cleaning the box and accidentally break a clump in half. Then I'll get a weak ammonia/feces smell that dissipates immediately upon removal of the soiled litter.
Make sure your litter boxes are big/deep enough and there's a good enough layer of litter to properly bury their waste. Exposed waste that doesn't get buried can be a main cause of you smelling the cat box. And of course, clean it every day.
But yes, the cheap stuff in general is what you want. Don't be afraid to try different brands -- the litter isn't different enough to bother [most] cats. What you're looking for is how hard they clump (which you can mostly tell in the corners) and how dusty it is when you dump it in.
If the box still reeks with clay litter, it might be something with their diet, but you'll probably enjoy it much more than Swheat. A friend of mine used to use that and it sucked when he had me watch his cats for him, because it stunk.
I don't put in a ton of litter, and I just add a little more after I scoop some out. Seems to control odor well.
We tried to switch them to Feline Pine clumping litter over the course of a couple weeks, which...didn't go so well - they decided to poop in the box but do their other business on a loveseat in our den, which thankfully we needed to replace anyway. Switched back to the clay and everything was again kosher.
o_O
There, I fixed it for him. A lot of people like the wheat/clay stuff because you can flush it down the toilet, instead of putting it in a bag.
Corn, not clay. Don't do this with clay litter.
As for clay litter, my wife would hit me if I didn't point out that there's a significant environmental impact to its production and disposal. A quick web search turns up the following:
"Clay-based cat litter must be (strip) mined. The United States Geological Society estimates that 85 percent of the 2.54 million tons of clay used in this country every year is used for absorption of pet waste, with cat litter being the dominant. There are about 20 companies operating such mines in 10 states. (For detailed information on clay mining operations, see “U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Information 1996” and “U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook 2001” both by Robert L. Virta.) "
a. you don't to fully empty the box like you do with clay litter
b. it is generally cleaner because you can literally scoop it at any point easily
c. it lasts longer for me
d. it is better for the environment and your health
I had tried wheat before... and pine... and hated them.
I've also tried other brands of corn litters and not thought they worked as well, but that could be marketing working on my fragile brain.
When I first read it I thought he had some demented OCD tendencies and would just pick up a scoop whenever he used the toilet and flushed it down, for no reason. I didn't even get that he owned cats.
Peen, you can run this by your wife:
http://www.moderncat.net/2008/11/13/toilet-training-your-cat/
It's essentially a damned-both-ways situation. The only solution is to not own cats, which isn't a solution at all.
Isn't that stuff sharp?
I use a Litter Robot myself, and then use a combination of Tidy Cats and Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat litter. Can't seem to find a link for it, but I get it at Petsmart.
Used to use Fresh Step, but that stuff put off a lot of dust from the litter robot and the fragrance was REALLY strong. The cats smelled like Fresh Step deodorant constantly. The mix I've got now doesn't put out as much dust, and, doesn't really smell like anything.
Here's how it works: http://www.yesterdaysnews.com/Using/SeeHowItWorks.aspx
The cat drags this around the house MUCH LESS than any regular or even clumping litter we've tried.
I hope no one's going to tell me it causes cancer or is bad for the environment or something because I'm not sure I'd go back to clay-based litter anyway.
0431-6094-6446-7088
I am actually thinking of changing to pellets for the the garage rabbits as 8 30x30 pans with pine shavings will start to smell after 2 days and pine is not that absorbing so I end up with soggy metal pans that are starting to rust after many years.
For my Cat I use Max Scoop Small Spaces. His box is in the laundry room and again I don't get smells. I love this stuff. It is preicy but after having done most litters this one is the best I have had at controling cat smells. I did try to go pellets with him but that was a bust as he likes digging in dirt. He likes it so much that the dirt under the deck is his favorite box and only uses the inside one when he has too. I love changing a box every 6 months!
obligatory pics.
You wouldn't know there were cats anywhere. It never smells.
They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.
Yeah I think I have been doing it wrong as far as corn litter, because I'm too paranoid of clogging up my shitty NYC apartment plumbing and then having to explain to my grumpy super why I was flushing cat litter. So I use the corn stuff (because the clay dust from the stuff I used in my last apartment made me feel sick and got everywhere) but I scoop into little bags. Maybe the toilet method would make me more diligent about the scooping though.
The thing that sucks about the corn stuff is it gets everywhere. But I prefer corn everywhere to chemicals and clay and its fucking gross dust.
I was worried about that too at first in my old tiny New Haven apartment. But, when I started just scooping it every time I went in the bathroom, there was never too much to flush. If you put it in the toilet and just leave it for a few minutes, the clumped litter really breaks down too into little pieces.
It does get places (but not as bad I think as the clay litter dust)--but that is why I get the NY Times ;-) I lay out the sports section and Real Estate to collect and spilled corn.
No smell, clumps good, but is kind of dusty. He seems happy with it, so we just leave it alone.
Thank you!
Used clay for years and this stuff does stink a lot less. The nice thing about the pine litter is that it doesn't track everywhere like the granulated does. The box with Swheat Scoop we have in a spare bathtub and that helps with the tracking too.
PSN: Broichan
Works like a charm even with my 3 huge monster cats.
This is what I use for my two cats. Works great.
Makes it nasty and smelly real fast and sorta destroys the bonus to using the litter maid if I have to hand clean it every time one of them pees.
Obligatory cat pictures: