What's your kitty litter?

[Bossy Monkey]

Amelia, the bossy monkey, breathes somewhat loudly (snuffly, if you will) and her eyes are nearly always running, tending to build up a brown discharge. The vet was not concerned by any of this, so I'm not very concerned either, but some folk on the intertubes suggest that using a clay-based clumping litter, like the Fresh Step I buy, can have these type of effects. So, what kind of kitty litter do you (cat owners) use, can you recommend it, and do you have any experience (preferably good) with dust-free or nearly dust-free kitty litter?

"Yoah bweath smells loik kitty littah!"
"I WAS CURIOUS!"

[HopeHoops]

1. THE CHEAP SHIT!

Johnny Cat or something like that. Whatever you can get a 25 lb bag of for less than $10. The "clumping stuff" is code for "spend a lot of money on our bullshit that you'll throw away just as quickly as the cheap clay stuff".

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I get that crystal stuff.

It soaks up the pee, dries up the poo, and absorbs smells pretty well. It costs a little more than some other kinds but you don't need to change it as often. It also doesn't scatter all over the floor as much.

[Erva]

3. Feline Pine

or some other pine pellet litter. No dust and it doesn't get stuck to paws and end up all around the house. It smells like pine ;)

[ghostsofgiants]

4. Yesterday's News.

It is excellent.

[Mike 03]

5. Tidy Cats Scoop Instant Action

I am really worried about cat litter in general because so much of it contains silica, which is not only bad for the cats but a known carcinogen for human beings.

[grasswire]

6. Fresh Step but not clumping

I hate the clumping stuff. It sticks to kitty claws. Yuck.

[texanwitch]

7. A big, giant sand pile in the back yard,

It is way in the back.

I don't miss a cat box.

[Captain Hilts]

27. Having indoor/outdoor cats is the way to go. They love the adventure of 'going' outdoors.

Picking just the right location. Digging just the right hole, etc.

[SoxFan]

8. Cedarific

Works really well at reducing the nasty ammonia stink, and it cleans up easier than the clay stuff.

[DeepBlueC]

9. I've used clumping clay litter, crystal litter, but crystal I think is bad

My vet says the crystals are hard on a cat's feet but I also began to think about the fact that they are SILICA crystals and there is this thing called silicosis that I wasn't willing to risk for me or for my kitties. Supposedly because they are crystals one does not inhale them but what starts out as crystal must produce some dust with the pouring and packaging and putting it into the boxes and pouring it out (friction) and those last two jobs are done with your face in whatever is blowing off. The clumping stuff does create a lot of dust. I keep one box in a storage closet and everything in there (luggage mostly) is now covered with a fine film I have to vacuum off periodically. I wouldn't be surprised if the dust is getting to her. My neighbors used to use something that looked like little pellets and supposedly could go right into organic recycling systems and that was just to eliminate the dust at which it did very well. But with all the dust free stuff you have to dump the whole box of litter when it is fouled which means that Bossy Monkey will be stepping into a box already peed in a number of times before you discard it and I wonder of the ammonia fumes are an issue. They certainly can be if any litter isn't cleaned regularly but I like the idea of clumping litter and continuous cleaning but the dust...

I'm still using clumping litter, but not happy with it either.

[Bossy Monkey]

20. People say the dust from the clumping clay litter is silica, too

I looked all over the Fresh Step box but can't find anything about what it's made from. I guess you're not required to list ingredients if the product isn't food. Fresh Step's website claims that the scoopable litter is 99.9% dust free. Funny how I have to wear a surgical mask when refilling the litter tray, though. (To be fair, the dust isn't much of a problem the rest of the time. But the fact that the monkey RUNS from the box nearly every time she uses it is not what I'd call a good sign.)

Fresh Step's FAQ doesn't mention silica in their clumping (scoopable) litter; limestone is listed in the ingredients, I guess taking its place. I dunno, I'd hate to think I'd given the poor silly cat asthma due to being a slave to TV advertising. I'll probably get a second litter tray and fill it with one of the suggestions from above or below and see if she likes that better. If she does, we'll make the switch. At the least, it would probably be better to get something without perfume. Monkey isn't suffering exactly, but I'd sure like to see her breathing easier (literally).

[InkAddict]

10. We use the Breeze system...

Dehydrating pellets dry and deodorize feces; deodorizing pads for urine in tray beneath pellets that one changes out as necessary, about every other day to third day. Pellets last about a month. No dust and very few pellets get kicked out of box, of course, our kitties aren't exuberant scratchers; if several escape the box, one can pitch them right back in the box. It's a change to get your kitty used to it, but if they take to it: NO ODOR EVER if you scoop the dried up poop daily.

[MorningGlow]

11. Tidy Cats multiple cat regular clay litter

Can't use clumping litter--one of our females gets bad UTIs from it (yep, that dust is killah). So we have four litter boxes for three cats (including the one who refuses to poop wherever some other cat has gone before--for her, we have a giant sheet of heavy-duty plastic on the floor in the litter-box room). All boxes get changed and scoured completely the night before trash day. Seems to work all right except for the neurotic one, for whom NOTHING will ever be acceptable. :eyes:

[madinmaryland]

12. It comes in a yellow bag, and is not the clumping shit.

Tidy cat, maybe. That is our daughter job. I just buy the stuff, she changes the shit!

[Kali]

13. cheap UNSCENTED store brand clay

this time of year they go outside alot. current fave location seems to be the big pile of corral dirt/disintegrated horse manure that is spread around the apricot tree.

[emilyg]

14. Fresh Results

been using it for yrars. Flushable. Best litter. Wal-Mart carries it.

[realisticphish]

15. Arm & Hammer unscented

I love it, controls the scent perfectly

[Captain Hilts]

26. Little Skeezix likes it too. nt

[applegrove]

16. All I know about kitty litter is if you use the stuff that doesn't clump very well

your cats will go on strike and go outside the box in protest. Someone gave me a huge bag on the stuff and I had to throw it out.

[Bossy Monkey]

24. Supposedly, you can't just switch, as cats are Republicans

You have to have two litter boxes, one with the old stuff and one with the new and let them choose. For multiple cat households, this might mean 2 x the number of cats or 2 x the number of cats + 1, which would be a huge pain in the ass. I accidentally bought the regular kind of Fresh Step (in a bag, not a box; I didn't realize it was different) and the monkey rebelled. Like you I threw it out. If I make a change, though, I'll be doing the two-litter-box method. (Fun in a small apartment.:))

[applegrove]

28. I didn't use to boxes when I made the switch. I just cleaned the old box out and filled it

with the new, better kitty litter.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

17. I use Yesterdays' News

Made from recycled newspapers, lasts a long time and is incredibly odor-absorbent. Max likes it fine.

[Duer 157099]

18. Feline Pine!!! The best!!

Once I discovered this, I never looked back! It's pellets made from compressed pine sawdust, and when it gets wet, the pellets expand and essentially fluff up into sawdust - totally flushable too.

Smells good, no tracking of little pebbles everywhere. Can't recommend it highly enough!

[tabbycat31]

23. Feline pine's great

when the cat uses it properly. TAbby would piss in the feline pine, but would shit right next to the box.

[jobycom]

29. I use it, too. Biodegradable, smells better, and if you keep it clean, not too trackable.

If you let it go too long, though, it makes a mess.
http://www.felinepine.com/

[MrsBrady]

this is what i use

http://www.naturemakesitwork.com/catalog/prod_detail.php?id=83

I have 3 cats. It's on the pricey side, but it lasts longer than clay litter.
I've tried everything. This works best for me....or this is what the cats like the best.
I think it tracks less than "worlds best".

I find that it's my plastic cat boxes that get urine on the sides of them that stink more than the cat litter.
I just have to clean more than I really want to.

It's a good thing they are cute. :)

I tried the cheap stuff. I don't like the dust for them or me. And I had to change the entire thing too often.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. I don't use kitty litter

but my cats do. :evilgrin:

[lizziegrace]

21. I use the Breeze system

No dust and the urine is collected in a pad. I have asthma and the dust, along with the urine/ammonia smell really makes me sick. I hardly even notice the box. Scoop the solid stuff daily and flush it.

[tabbycat31]

22. Wegman's brand clumping

I tried Feline Pine for awhile, but Tabby did not like that litter and would shit right next to the box.

[Captain Hilts]

25. Arm and Hammer clumping. the ONLY way to go. nt

[JitterbugPerfume]

30. Tidy Cat for multiple cats

Mandu wont poop in certain kinds , and he is a little pooper. Mostly my cats poop outdoors , except in Winter