Least Messy Litter?

[britishshorts]

I'm currently doing some research on what litter I want to buy in time for my new kitten. I am not sure exactly what 'type' of litter I want, although I do hear that grain based litters have bug problems, which makes me wary to try brands like World's Best.

However, I have narrowed down two criteria that are important to me: I'd love to find a litter that is virtually dust-free and something that effectively controls tracking. In your experience, are there any litters like this? Or would I just have to take measures to control it myself (like buying a matt to put at the entrance of the litter box to control tracking)? What litters have you found least messy?

 

[mservant]

I've never used the grain based litters and found that neither cats nor I liked the pine smell of wood chip or paper stuff - and both tracked badly and didn't contol odour well though not dusty.  I used to use non-clumping clay that didn't control odour too well but some were not too dusty (Catsan for one), but the large bits were a pain under foot when they tracked.  For the last few years I've used clumping clay.  I find it is better for odour control and generally more economical as you don't have to do a complete change every time you scoop.  They vary a lot on dust though.  The best for dust was Sanicat Clumping Gold which was pretty much dust free but tracked horribly.  The clumps were a bit soft too so it did need a complete change every tow or three weeks to keep odour down. I now use Tigerino Canada Unscented clumping clay which is a bit more dusty than the Sanicat but clumps far better so odour control is fantastic and complete changes rare.  I'm sure there are other good clumping ones out there but this suits me for now.

I would avoid buying huge quantities of anything until you find what your cat likes as what fits your criteria may not be to kitties and the resulting mess from tray avoidance is not reccommended.  Start off with either what the kitten is used to, or something very similar, and then try out stuff that is more along the lines of what you think will meet your needs if the first one is not a success.  

There are so many different litters on the market and a lot depends on what your budget is and what your cat will use.

 

[andrya]

. I now use Tigerino Canada Unscented clumping clay which is a bit more dusty than the Sanicat but clumps far better so odour control is fantastic and complete changes rare.  I'm sure there are other good clumping ones out there but this suits me for now.

A lot of people mention this litter. lt's not available in Canada. l've looked it up for somewhere to buy and prices are always quoted in pounds or euros. Funny that it is made here but not sold here. Maybe we have the equivalent under a different name 

For a kitten, the non-clumping type is best until they're older (not for us humans though, l can't stand the stuff).

My guys use whatever clumping litter is on sale when l buy it. We're currently using Fresh Start w/ bicarbonate of soda. lt's just like every other clumping litter, there's not much difference between them. 

The two older cats were using pine pellets before the last kitten came. l LOVED it. The smell is great, it's clean and tidy. l use a large thickly-looped cotton bath mat under each of the litters so most of the residual paw mess stays there. The cats used it and all seemed well until the kitten came and l had to switch litter. The older boys weren't just happy at the switch, they were downright excited to be using clay. l didn't have the heart to switch them back, so we moved on to clumping when the kitten got older.

lf your kitten is okay with the pine nuggets, as the prime litter cleaner l only have good things to say about them.

There's also this product on the market that l've heard rave reviews about but never tried:

 

[lamiatron]

I've used Arm and Hammer (two different types, multi cat and ultra last)

which i've mixed with fresh step crystals

also used Worlds Best Cat Litter (which is THE WORST in my opinon)

I've also used Tidy Cats (does the job, but for 2 -3 days tops)

I did not like any of the mentioned above for 3 reasons, wasteful, does not control odor too good, really dusty, and track everywhere. All of the litters above worked great with no complaints for literally 3 days, and then my whole room would stink up even after cleaning the litter box. Its as if the remaining litter was contaminated, and i'm not surprised if it was, because the clumping ability for all 3 litters was AMAZING with a fresh batch, and then as a few days passed, the clumps broke apart, leaving waste to sit in the box. I had to do a weekly dump and scrub, which my lower back was not liking. And none of them lasted very long either. Every couple weeks I needed litter again. 

I now use Natures Miracle Intense Defense clay litter. Here are the reasons why i love this litter:

1) clumps instantly, in under a minute, with all types of waste

2) its not really scented, but it's great with odor control. Absolutely amazing. 

3) lasts a long time. i've had litter in my box for over a week, the consistency of the litter is still amazing (odor control, clumping abilities) and i have not had to refill the litter

4) the clumps are super strong and does not break apart

5) minimal tracking and minimal dust

From all the litters that i've tried, they have all claimed they were "DUST FREE" or "99% DUST FREE" or "VERY MINIMAL DUST". I've learned that using cat litter, you're going to have to deal with some dust. I've read reviews about WBCL having NO DUST, however, i did encounter dust, it was like a brown dust with that litter, and it looked like soot. i'm sure my cats hated it too.

I think you should start off with whatever you feel is affordable for the time being, and see how you and kitty like it. I would HIGHLY recommend a litter mat, because no matter what type of litter you get, you will have tracking. I wold start off with Tidy Cats, Multi Cat, i felt that clumped the best. I would avoid Fresh Step. I have a friend that swears by Fresh Step, but that litter is SUPER dusty. Like CRAZY dusty. I highly recommend Nature's Miracle. I probably sound like i work for them. But honestly, its the only litter that i've been so happy with for more than 3 days, i'm going to shout it from the roof tops!  Which ever litter you decide to go with, always look up reviews on Amazon, i find the BEST reviews there

Good luck with choosing your litter. And good luck with new kitty.

 

[nekochan]

I've tried all types of litter for my cats, and this is my favorite: http://www.tidycats.com/products/breeze
There is pretty much no dust or tracking and it cuts down on odor a lot. Once in a while a few stray pellets get out of the box but they're easy to sweep up. It probably is on the expensive end since you have to buy their box, then buy the pads and the pellets, but since my cats have allergies I've found this to work the best as they don't get allergic reactions to these pellets and it helps a lot with odor.
The down side to the box design is if a cat has loose stools you'll probably have to dump a lot of the pellets and if it's gone through the grate it can be really hard to clean up. However I haven't had much trouble with that, mostly because my one cat who sometimes gets stomach problems will almost always go directly in front of the litterbox if he does (which is gross but actually easier to clean up plus alerts me he's having problems).

 

[molldee]

I find that a lot of cat owners who complain about the odor from using a certain litter don't scoop out the boxes enough. After a cat eliminates, you're supposed to clean it up right away to make sure the odor dissipates quickly. Now I know you can't be sitting there waiting for your cat to poop, but scooping the box at least twice a day should be enough to stop the odors from forming. Many owners just leave the pee and poop clumps till they get so old they start to fall apart, which then contaminates the clean litter.

On that note, I use Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat litter. It has no dust and it's the easiest to scoop. No odors here. (And I have three cats!)

 

[mservant]

On that note, I use Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat litter. It has no dust and it's the easiest to scoop. No odors here. (And I have three cats!)

The Dr. Elsey's Precious does sound interesting and might give it a go if I have any problems with the Canada unscented we currently use - only thing I'm not sure about is how Mouse would take to slightly larger litter gravel.

 

[lamiatron]

I find that a lot of cat owners who complain about the odor from using a certain litter don't scoop out the boxes enough. After a cat eliminates, you're supposed to clean it up right away to make sure the odor dissipates quickly. Now I know you can't be sitting there waiting for your cat to poop, but scooping the box at least twice a day should be enough to stop the odors from forming. Many owners just leave the pee and poop clumps till they get so old they start to fall apart, which then contaminates the clean litter.

On that note, I use Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat litter. It has no dust and it's the easiest to scoop. No odors here. (And I have three cats!)

i think people come to the realization that their litter is not working for them, after they have scooped twice on a regular basis.

Also i don't think people can sit there and wait for the waste to clump...that's also a at a variable rate: some litter clumps faster than others. once the waste is covered and properly clumped, then there should not be any issues with odor.

I'm sure you did not start off with Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Litter, you've probably tried a lot to get to the one that works for you. Thats the tricky part. Getting to brand that works for you and your kitties.

 

[molldee]

i think people come to the realization that their litter is not working for them, after they have scooped twice on a regular basis.

Also i don't think people can sit there and wait for the waste to clump...that's also a at a variable rate: some litter clumps faster than others. once the waste is covered and properly clumped, then there should not be any issues with odor.

I'm sure you did not start off with Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Litter, you've probably tried a lot to get to the one that works for you. Thats the tricky part. Getting to brand that works for you and your kitties.

...And that's why I said, "Now I know you can't be sitting there waiting for your cat to poop." But once you notice poop in the box, clean it out then it won't smell. The litter can only do so much to mask the smell.

Honestly most people I know don't scoop their box out as much as they should be doing... I work at a pet store and frequent several cat forums, and it's very common. Complaints about the litterbox being stinky, expecting the litter to cover the smell, when they leave it sitting there for days.

I did start out with different brands but that was more for dust and clumping ability not odor because I scoop my boxes twice a day, sometimes more if I'm home for longer.

 

[lamiatron]

...And that's why I said, "Now I know you can't be sitting there waiting for your cat to poop." But once you notice poop in the box, clean it out then it won't smell. The litter can only do so much to mask the smell.

Honestly most people I know don't scoop their box out as much as they should be doing... I work at a pet store and frequent several cat forums, and it's very common. Complaints about the litterbox being stinky, expecting the litter to cover the smell, when they leave it sitting there for days.

I did start out with different brands but that was more for dust and clumping ability not odor because I scoop my boxes twice a day, sometimes more if I'm home for longer.

i definitely scoop about 1-2 times per days, also dependent on how long i'm home with my babies. 

And i agree with you about people not cleaning out their boxes even at least once a day, because i read reviews else where...people talk about scooping once a week, and when you buy litter, it tells you on the box or bag, to scoop every couple of days???? it doesn't make sense. 

 

[dianamc]

I had the Breeze and my cat would not poop in it.  I ended up using two litter boxes.  From the Breeze site, this is not too uncommon and none of their fixes worked.  It is a fairly expensive setup but my cat had urinary issues (didn't realize it until she had to be euthanized) and she urinated a lot.  The vets missed the boat there.  Anyway, if it works for you, it is okay but beware that not all cats will fully accept it.  OTOH, she took to urinating in it just fine. It is a pellet layer and a tray with a pee pad.

We are now using World's Best Cat Litter and it's okay for us.  She does throw it around somewhat.  It's not as heavy as, say Arm and Hammer.