Best Clumping Litter In Canada?

sylorna

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Hey
I feel like I've tried every single litter out there and can't find one I love. Biggest issue is smell since we live in an apartment with 3 cats. All the litters I've tried recently seem to hold the smell even when cleaned regularly. What's your favourite that's available in Canada?
 

crunchie

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Arm & Hammer Litter Clump & Seal Multi-Cat Litter. Feels like a soft sand, clumps well. I only have 1 cat but feel that if it's good for multiple cats it should be great for 1. I clean it 2x day and it lasts.
 
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sylorna

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I'm trying Tidy Cats 24/7 as of yesterday because we came home from the weekend and the box smelled so badly that I had to make an emergency run to the grocery store (the cats wouldn't even go in it). It had had the fresh-4-life Eco Clump, which is a grass litter in it. That stuff clumps well, but the odour control sucks.
I'm surprised at the Tidy cats though, I have never used it before and it didn't have a scent to it! Was expecting something highly scented, and am glad it's not.
I used to get the Arm and Hammer...but I don't remember which one. I also don't remember why I stopped using it. Maybe I'll try it again. I might give Odor Destroyer from Pet Valu another shot too.
Any other suggestions out there? I'm also increasing the frequency of the cleanings so that will help too.
 

Azazel

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What are you feeding?
 
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sylorna

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The vets so diet, which does increase urine output and I think is closely linked to my issues. One of them gets bladder stones so they all eat it.
 

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Is it dry or wet food?
 

Wile

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I just use an unscented low dust non-clumping (and sometimes clumping) clay litter. I've tried just about every cat litter out there (pine pellets, crystals, oko, clumping, newspaper, corn, tidy cats, arm & hammer, etc.), and keep coming back to clay as it doesn't track much and my cats seem to like it. I avoid perfumed litters because I've come to associate their scent with urine, so they all just smell horrible to me now.

If my cats liked the crystal litter I would probably use it as it is even lower dust and doesn't seem to smell like much of anything. It locks away the pee smell really well in my experience. Unfortunately they just don't like it.

The best smelling box is a clean one, so maybe you'll just have to change the litter more often? I also have my boxes under an open window. Doesn't help much in winter, but during the other seasons I have the window open and don't really notice a smell.

Good luck! And if you find anything out there that is really good do share, as I am also always looking for a better option.
 
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sylorna

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I just use an unscented low dust non-clumping (and sometimes clumping) clay litter. I've tried just about every cat litter out there (pine pellets, crystals, oko, clumping, newspaper, corn, tidy cats, arm & hammer, etc.), and keep coming back to clay as it doesn't track much and my cats seem to like it. I avoid perfumed litters because I've come to associate their scent with urine, so they all just smell horrible to me now.

If my cats liked the crystal litter I would probably use it as it is even lower dust and doesn't seem to smell like much of anything. It locks away the pee smell really well in my experience. Unfortunately they just don't like it.

The best smelling box is a clean one, so maybe you'll just have to change the litter more often? I also have my boxes under an open window. Doesn't help much in winter, but during the other seasons I have the window open and don't really notice a smell.

Good luck! And if you find anything out there that is really good do share, as I am also always looking for a better option.
I feel like you and I may be soul mates around litter. I've even made a chart to track my experiences so I wouldn't forget and retry the worst of them.
I wash and sanitize the box at the end of every box or bag...so about once a month. I also replace the box about once a year to prevent bacteria from settling in the scratches on the bottom.
I was wondering about the crystals but wasn't sure how they'd hold up to the pee in my house.
The tidy cats had a bit of a musty clay smell last night but that cleared up once I scooped. We'll see.
 

Wile

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I feel like you and I may be soul mates around litter. I've even made a chart to track my experiences so I wouldn't forget and retry the worst of them.
I wash and sanitize the box at the end of every box or bag...so about once a month. I also replace the box about once a year to prevent bacteria from settling in the scratches on the bottom.
I was wondering about the crystals but wasn't sure how they'd hold up to the pee in my house.
The tidy cats had a bit of a musty clay smell last night but that cleared up once I scooped. We'll see.
Yeah, changing the boxes once a month is really not enough to manage the smell. I have 3 boxes for 2 cats. I wash the boxes and change out the litter every week. There really isn't a perfect litter out there that I have found, but for me unscented clay litter and the once a week system has worked to manage smells.
 

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The best clumping litter in Canada, IMO, got discontinued a couple years ago. I used to buy Maxx Clumping litter, and loved it. Then Purina discontinued it, and I've been searching for a replacement ever since.

I used Petsmart's own brand for a while, and it was ok. But too dusty.

I'm now using Arm & Hammer - Double Duty, and it's doing the job well enough, but the perfume smell is quite strong. I think they have a scent-free version, but I haven't found it yet.

I only have my Ruby, and I don't find my house smells litter-boxy. Neither do people who visit. And I do ask. LOL.

I rarely, if ever, dump all the litter and throw it out, however, every week I dump it out (temporarily) so I can clean the litter box. I use litter box wipes, which are a bit pricey, but do a great job cleaning. I get them at Walmart.
Litter Box Wipes (40ct) - Petkin

sylorna sylorna : How many cats do you have? And how many litter boxes? The "recommendation" is one per cat, plus one.

Here's a few TCS articles that might be helpful:
How To Minimize Litterbox Odor
How To Choose The Right Cat Litter
Cat Litter - The Dust Settles
When And How To Switch To A New Type Of Litter
How Often Should You Clean The Litter Box?
 

Azazel

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The so is dry, I do also feed wet food, which is grain free turkey pate
Dry food causes smelly bulky and soft poo because it is loaded with carbs that cats can’t process properly. Wet food will produce less smelly poo. It will also work better for bladder issues as the number one thing you can do to prevent bladder and urinary infections is to increase water intake. Ideally cats should be on an all wet diet because they have low thirst drives and need to obtain moisture from their food. Dry fed cats are at an increased risk for bladder and urinary problems (yes, even the so-called “prescription” diets don’t help). For more information you can consult:

Cat Urinary Tract Diseases: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection
 

Erin80

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I like the Costco litter.
I always found the Arm and Hammer to smell awful. It never worked for us.
 

Genesis123

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Hey
I feel like I've tried every single litter out there and can't find one I love. Biggest issue is smell since we live in an apartment with 3 cats. All the litters I've tried recently seem to hold the smell even when cleaned regularly. What's your favourite that's available in Canada?

I'm not in Canada (in USA), but the only litter I really like and trust is "Swheat Scoop" -- my cats like it, too. It's probably available in Canada. There is a variety for Multi-Cats. It's natural wheat, smells great, naturally clumps. I trust it for both adults and kittens.

One thing I must tell you is that if you feed your cat commercial cat food (perhaps "dry", in particular), the poop will smell so, so much worse than "homemade food". Let me rephrase that: So, so, so, so much worse than homemade food.

Can you make your own cat food?.... Canned fish, a little well-cooked pasta or rice, a mashed vegetable (like peas), or chopped spinach....? Maybe try it for a week and see if its an improvement? My cats love the juice from the cans of vegetables, too [helps keep them hydrated]. You can prepare the food in advance & refrigerate it for the week.

Suggestions (recipes my cats like):

Tuna in water, a little pasta, a little mashed peas.
Salmon, (canned) chopped spinach. (A little pasta can be added, too.)
Mackerel, (canned) mashed mixed vegetables.

(My cats prefer pasta to rice. They eat around the rice... and vegetables unless they are mashed.)

I read that meat should be. at least, 50% of a meal, but I think it should be, at least, 75%... They are carnivores, but need a few other nutrients.

You can add a touch of vegetable oil, too, every now & then. It's particularly helpful n treating and preventing worms ["rice-like].

So, Swheat Scoop and homemade food. That's my suggestion. LOL.
 
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sylorna

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Yeah, changing the boxes once a month is really not enough to manage the smell. I have 3 boxes for 2 cats. I wash the boxes and change out the litter every week. There really isn't a perfect litter out there that I have found, but for me unscented clay litter and the once a week system has worked to manage smells.
You change your clumping litter box co
Yeah, changing the boxes once a month is really not enough to manage the smell. I have 3 boxes for 2 cats. I wash the boxes and change out the litter every week. There really isn't a perfect litter out there that I have found, but for me unscented clay litter and the once a week system has worked to manage smells.
I've never known someone who replaces their clumping litter once a week. My mom didn't replace hers for like 5 years, so I thought my once a month was pretty good!

Thanks for the tips :)
 
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sylorna

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I used to use Maxx cat too. It really was a great litter.
I find a combination of white vinager, dish soap and water does a fantastic job of getting the smell out of my boxes. Much better than the Lysol I was using before! The box wipes sure sound handy though!

We have one jumbo box. I know that I'm a bad cat mom for doing this, but the reality is that we don't have the room for more than one, especially since they have to be jumbo high sided ones. I wish we had a house, but its just not in the cards I'm afraid...we don't even have closets with sliding doors...the current box hides under my computer desk in the living room.

leOTE"rubysmama, post: 4723999, member: 65762"]The best clumping litter in Canada, IMO, got discontinued a couple years ago. I used to buy Maxx Clumping litter, and loved it. Then Purina discontinued it, and I've been searching for a replacement ever since.

I used Petsmart's own brand for a while, and it was ok. But too dusty.

I'm now using Arm & Hammer - Double Duty, and it's doing the job well enough, but the perfume smell is quite strong. I think they have a scent-free version, but I haven't found it yet.

I only have my Ruby, and I don't find my house smells litter-boxy. Neither do people who visit. And I do ask. LOL.

I rarely, if ever, dump all the litter and throw it out, however, every week I dump it out (temporarily) so I can clean the litter box. I use litter box wipes, which are a bit pricey, but do a great job cleaning. I get them at Walmart.
Litter Box Wipes (40ct) - Petkin

sylorna sylorna : How many cats do you have? And how many litter boxes? The "recommendation" is one per cat, plus one.

Here's a few TCS articles that might be helpful:
How To Minimize Litterbox Odor
How To Choose The Right Cat Litter
Cat Litter - The Dust Settles
When And How To Switch To A New Type Of Litter
How Often Should You Clean The Litter Box?[/QUOTE]
 
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sylorna

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Unfortunately wet food is something we struggle with here. Aside from the fact that we could never afford to have all 3 cats on wet food exclusively, nor could we find the time to feed them throughout the day as they would require; the cat with the bladder stones outright refused to eat the so wet food. The dry so with high protein wet combo works for them and I don't want to mess around with it because I could never afford the $2000 it would cost me to have surgery if I were wrong and she needed stones removed.
I get that a lot of people feel very strongly about wet food/home made food/ raw food, but in some cases it doesn't work.
Also, the problem is a urine smell, and it's in part because the dry food makes them drink more water and pee more...it's part of how it ensures she doesn't keep stones in her bladder.

Dry food causes smelly bulky and soft poo because it is loaded with carbs that cats can’t process properly. Wet food will produce less smelly poo. It will also work better for bladder issues as the number one thing you can do to prevent bladder and urinary infections is to increase water intake. Ideally cats should be on an all wet diet because they have low thirst drives and need to obtain moisture from their food. Dry fed cats are at an increased risk for bladder and urinary problems (yes, even the so-called “prescription” diets don’t help). For more information you can consult:

Cat Urinary Tract Diseases: Cystitis, Urethral Obstruction, Urinary Tract Infection
 

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I am a fan of Arm and Hammer Clump and Seal Multi Cat litter. We have nine cats and do not have the room for more than four boxes. I have an exceptionally strong sense of smell and have tried sooooooooo many brands, and it is the best. I scoop twice a day, but that is more because of the volume of cat poop than the smell. I used to completely empty and scrub each of the boxes every two weeks; however, since we started using Clump and Seal a couple of years ago I scrub them once every two months, and that is just for my own edification.
 

Azazel

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Unfortunately wet food is something we struggle with here. Aside from the fact that we could never afford to have all 3 cats on wet food exclusively, nor could we find the time to feed them throughout the day as they would require; the cat with the bladder stones outright refused to eat the so wet food. The dry so with high protein wet combo works for them and I don't want to mess around with it because I could never afford the $2000 it would cost me to have surgery if I were wrong and she needed stones removed.
I get that a lot of people feel very strongly about wet food/home made food/ raw food, but in some cases it doesn't work.
Also, the problem is a urine smell, and it's in part because the dry food makes them drink more water and pee more...it's part of how it ensures she doesn't keep stones in her bladder.
I understand where you’re coming from but I have to respectfully disagree with much of what you said. I feed 3 cats on mostly raw and I spend less than 40$ a month on each raw fed cat and that’s with buying expensive cuts of meat. It’s possible to do it cheaper.

If I had a cat with bladder stones I would do everything in my power to get them on a high moisture diet. It’s not that high moisture “works” for some cats and not others. It’s a fact that cats have low thirst drives and absolutely need high moisture in their food. Your cat is drinking lots of water because he is dehydrated, not because the kibble is working. My cats on all wet drink zero water because they are properly hydrated. Cats in the wild do not go to water holes to drink. I’m not trying to say this stuff to make you feel bad, I know you’re doing your best. But I feel like it’s important for you to know that cats need high moisture and high animal protein foods. Especially those prone to bladder stones.
 

RejoiceErb

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I use Special Kitty Clumping Unsented litter. I am not sure if it’s available in Canada though. Probably. It’s really good, and one of my cats who is sensitive to litters has no problems with this one.
 
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