Kitty Litter with Less Dust

[xineohp]

I'm a new to kitty caretaking and I am providing a residence to 2 cats (Mercedes and Pebbles) as of last Saturday (March 6) and so far it has been a great joy having them in the house.

However, cleaning the kitty litter has not been so joyful. The problem hasn't been cleaning it (I clean it twice a day, once before I go to work and again when I come home) so much as it is the dust.

The kitty litter I bought (Petco scoopable kitty litter) gets very dusty. It's dusty when I scoop and certainly dusty when I change the litter. About the only thing good about it is that it clumps very well.

So if I'm breathing this stuff and it's not good for me, it can't be good for my residents.

What are the really good alternatives that won't dust up when I change the litter and scoop or when my cats scratch?

Also, are there any particular techniques that I could use when I scoop or change the litter to reduce dusting?

Thanks!

 

[icklemiss21]

There are lots of different types of litter

I use a corn based litter called World's Best Cat Litter, it still has a little dust to it, but its corn dust instead of clay dust, there is also SwheatScoop which is the same but wheat - I find WBCL clumps better and the clumps are not as sticky causing a mess in the litterbox

Feline Pine and Yesterday's News etc come in pellet form, but are not clumping litters (FelinePine does have a clumping formula but I find it more dusty than regular litter and so light it tracks everywhere)

Then there is crystal based litters, good ones will not have dust but most cats don't like them, but the dust particles it does have are related to respiratory issues

 

[alleygirl]

My cat Riley has breathing problems and the one I use for him is Dr. Elsey Precious Cat. It is more expensive but worth it, since it is virtually dust free, but still scoops well.

They sell it at Petsmart, etc.

http://www.petfooddirect.com/Product...ing-Cat-Litter

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by AlleyGirl

My cat Riley has breathing problems and the one I use for him is Dr. Elsey Precious Cat. It is more expensive but worth it, since it is virtually dust free, but still scoops well.

They sell it at Petsmart, etc.

http://www.petfooddirect.com/Product...ing-Cat-Litter

Awesome!

 

[gloriajh]

Cats being forced to breathe that litter dust - especially in the covered litter pans - is one of my pet peeves.

I, too, have found the "World's Best Cat Litter" acceptable.
PetSmart's store brand - copying the "World's Best Cat Litter" brand - is not as good - it creates more dust than World's Best Litter.

 

[rapunzel47]

Another vote for World's Best.

 

[sharky]

Wood pellets will work if you do not mind non clumping litter..

I personally use chicken feed (similar to worlds best and swheet scoop mixed together and not as processed) this for me works well with 5 cats and 4-7 boxes

 

[merrytreecats]

I second Swheat Scoop and especially world's best for low dust. Both are very low dust, World's Best probably the best overall--if you don't mind shelling out a few extra dollars each time, it is worth it.

Stay away from anything clay based, basically. The dust isn't even just annoying and cough inducing, clay has silicates in it, which cause lung damage over time that is permanent if you have cats that "churn" the litter up a lot and create a sort of dust storm whenever they use the box. If you hear your cats coughing when they're using the litter, change the litter to something less dusty!

Swheat Scoop I had mixed results with--it seems to track on my cats' paws more easily and get all over the floor and doesn't clump as well.

 

[icklemiss21]

Regarding the price of World's Best, while it is more expensive per bag, I find I do not have to do a complete change as often so it doesn't work out that much more per month compared to the price per bag

 

[xocats]

Dr Esley's Precious Cat (found at PetSmart) is the best clay by far, with almost no dust, but we can't use it because my cat Dexter gets asthma from clay littler.
Check their web site for a full cash rebate for one bag, any size.

We use Worlds Best Cat Litter, scoop....
it has dust but it not toxic like the additives in clay.
It you want to try it, call the company and ask if they will send you some coupons.
Facebook and twitter have occasional offers too.

 

[killerapple]

I switched Batman to World's Best Cat litter and while his little paws get quite dusty after it's been trampled for a while, it's totally safe for him (and me) so the dust doesn't bother me - it's a good type of dust

When he leaves the litter box, his little paws are all white from the dust and he has to lick them off, but I think that's much safer than his (and my) lungs breathing in silica dust.

Patches (my feral who is in her own room) is using the Arm & Hammer Essentials/Naturals - it seems to be completely dust free. My only complaint about that stuff is it's so light weight, it tracks everywhere, but I'm working on figuring out better litter mats, etc.

 

[icklemiss21]

Maybe its because Batman is black, its more noticeable, but I have never noticed mine having really dusty paws with any litter?

 

[killerapple]

It only happened when we switched to World's Best - he didn't get white paws from the Arm & Hammer multi-cat. He just doesn't match his litter

I'm thinking since it's safe to be ingested, it's ok that he licks it off his feet.

Edit: I should clarify that I really do like World's Best litter.

Been using it a couple weeks now and so far, I really like it.

 

[xocats]

Isis, my black beauty, has yellow dust on her face and paws after using the box filled with WB.
If I see her, I simply wipe off her face, if not, she does.

I will say that she looks really silly with a yellow streak down her face.

With Dexter, my white kitty, the dust does not show on his fur.

I have to change out the litter in a couple of days and am thinking of using less and changing it out more frequently because after a couple weeks of stomping, scratching and various other maneuvers, the granules tend to break into powder.

 

[c1atsite]

Originally Posted by xineohp

What are the really good alternatives that won't dust up when I change the litter and scoop or when my cats scratch?

Also, are there any particular techniques that I could use when I scoop or change the litter to reduce dusting?

Hi xine, welcome to the Cat Site

If you hate dusty litter and you don't mind a non-clumping litter, I highly recommend Tidy Cats original (in the yellow & red packaging)

Its dust control is really really great, and so is the odor control, however here's the con: Scooping it is not exactly easy because it "crumbles". To solve that, I use a chef spoon exclusively for litter. (Pic provided below. The 2 in the middle because they don't have slots)

Yes it's a strange solution but it works. Often you can buy these at a 'dollar' store.

If you find a litter you like but it's dusty and you don't want to switch, you can start a handheld vacuum such as the Dustbuster a few feet away from the litter box, then bring the vac to the cloud and "bust" the cloud. (Yes, another strange solution

 

[xineohp]

i noticed that when i tried dusting my house the other day, the dust wouldn't stick to my electrostatic duster.

i realized then that this was the clay cat litter that was getting around the air in my house!

so i have go to find at least a healthier kitty litter litter alternative if i'm going to get a coating of dust in my house. my cats and i share the same air. what's bad for them is bad for me.

thanks for your help everyone!

 

[xocats]

Once again...if you have a PetSmart in your area and want to use a scoopable clay litter, give Dr. Elsey Precious Cat a try. Almost no dust and no scent at all.
http://www.preciouscat.com/
Other stores might carry it too. Check on their site.
Good luck.

 

[shanynne]

I use Nature's Miracle, 100% natural, it's corn based, very little dust that I have noticed (but there is some about 1%) and it's flushable.

 

[xocats]

Originally Posted by Shanynne

I use Nature's Miracle, 100% natural, it's corn based, very little dust that I have noticed (but there is some about 1%) and it's flushable.

We use Worlds Best which is corn but dusty. Is Nature's Miracle all corn and does it have an artificial scent?

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by xocats

We use Worlds Best which is corn but dusty. Is Nature's Miracle all corn and does it have an artificial scent?

natures miracle is a mix corn and pine ( not sure but I remember pine scent being mentioned on the bag ) when you open the bag it is corn and shredded pine