Litter recommendations?

[AelitaJezebelle]

I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good cat litter that doesn't create dust. I have asthma and cleaning the litter box always stirs up so much dust that I can't breathe right and am coughing for a while afterwards. It doesn't help that her litterbox is in my bedroom because I live in a small apartment with really no better place to put it.

I used tidy cats for a while, but it doesn't mask the odor well and is so dusty.
I now use pretty litter because my roommate uses it and recommended it. It's not bad. Doesn't smell near as much and is pretty easy to clean. It's still dusty though and tracks everywhere.
My coworker suggested scoop away, but reading reviews it sounds like that one's pretty dusty as well.

Are there any litters that are asthma safe?

 

[xlynnbbyx]

Check Arm & Hammer they usually have dust free litters

Arm & Hammer Cloud Control

I have seen many say they use Dr Elsey’s litter as it’s dust free. But I have no experience in that litter. But many say it’s a good litter.

Dr Elsey’s litter

I have gotten Arm & Hammer it does work well for odors and clumping it can be dust free too. Dr Elsey’s I have no experience in as I never used it. I currently use a litter called Cat’s Pride cause it clumps really good. It also controls odors and is light in color so I can better monitor my boys clumps. But I wouldn’t recommend it for someone with asthma as when you first pour the litter it creates a small dust cloud. If the two I mentioned doesn’t work maybe someone else has recommendations.

 

[iPappy]

Dr Elsey's has a respiratory relief litter that I believe is made for asthmatic cats, but it might help asthmatic people too as it says it's very low dust.
Another option would be switching to something like pellet style litter, but, IIRC, the box needs to be emptied out daily or every other day to prevent dust from forming.

 

[Jabzilla]

I use this grass seed litter and have been quite happy with it. There's no dust at all and it forms clumps w/o issue. The only drawback is how light the pieces are which results in it tracking everywhere. I figure that's worth it in exchange for a litter that doesn't cause my cats or myself to cough, doesn't contain chemicals, scent free, and is eco friendly. Fresh 4 Life Eco-Grass Clumping Cat Litter - Pet Valu

 

[IndyJones]

I'm allergic to grsss cat litter. I had smart cat but it was like hayfever in the winter. Defenatly stay away from it if you have hayfever or seasonal allergies.

The bests litter is one your cat will use. And that you aren't allergic to.

I use arm and hammer now. Only used the smartcat when Indy had a hurt foot. (She stepped on a hotplate burner that was still hot)

 

[Alldara]

Any clumping litter will have some level of dust as clumping agents are fine powders.

Fresh News is good. I really like recycled paper based litters.

Any wood pellets cat litter is great though, if you're in a humid environment, Naturally Fresh can get some moulding so I don't recommend for humid places.

Ensure you are using cat litter if going with wood. Litters for other pets may not have been treated to remove phenols which are toxic to cats.

 

[IndyJones]

Recycled paper litters are nice but don't control odor. I found after 3 days the pee smell got quite bad. It is too expensive to just toss the whole thing everyday too.

All litters have advantages and disadvantages

One I absolutly would stay away from is tidycats lightweight. I had nothing but problems with it, it forms a sludge, so dusty that it litteraly stuck to my water heater and left stains I can't remove to this day. On top of all that it is an asthma trigger for Indy.

 

[BeccaCat]

Litter is a pain! I’ve yet to find a good one. My cat has asthma so I tried the Dr Elsey respiratory but I found it to be dusty and not good at controlling odor. Make sure you’re not using one with added scents. I don’t have asthma but when I got my kitties their owner game me their litter and it was lavender and it really irritated my throat.
I use Tidy Cats free and clear (regular weight - the heavy one). It’s not great, but is the best I have found so far. (My female cat is tiny and kind of “sinks” and has to slog through the paper litter. Like a little kid walking through snow).
I hope someone else has a better suggestion for you!.

 

[IndyJones]

Unfortunatly the best litter I have ever used is not being made anymore.

This stuff controled oder but also didn't smell like the perfume counter in the mall. It just kind of smelled earthy.

 

[iPappy]

Unfortunatly the best litter I have ever used is not being made anymore.

This stuff controled oder but also didn't smell like the perfume counter in the mall. It just kind of smelled earthy.

I *hate* perfumed litters with a passion. I don't even like scented garbage bags!
It's too bad that the good products get discontinued like the one you listed above.

 

[tabbytom]

I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good cat litter that doesn't create dust. I have asthma and cleaning the litter box always stirs up so much dust that I can't breathe right and am coughing for a while afterwards. It doesn't help that her litterbox is in my bedroom because I live in a small apartment with really no better place to put it.

I used tidy cats for a while, but it doesn't mask the odor well and is so dusty.
I now use pretty litter because my roommate uses it and recommended it. It's not bad. Doesn't smell near as much and is pretty easy to clean. It's still dusty though and tracks everywhere.
My coworker suggested scoop away, but reading reviews it sounds like that one's pretty dusty as well.

Are there any litters that are asthma safe?

My boy has been using Bentonite Clay Litter for about 7years and it is very dusty and heavy and the litter and dust tracks all over the house. I've switched him to Tofu Cat Litter. I have to put on a mask when I clear his litterbox and with the Tofu Cat Litter, it was much much much less dust. I am asthmatic too.

Here's the journey on the transition from Bentonite Clay Litter to Tofu Cat Litter for my boy. If you have the time, give it a read :- A Documentation on the Transition from Clay Litter to Tofu Cat Litter for my boy

 

[GoldyCat]

I’ve yet to find a litter that isn’t dusty, no matter what they claim. I do find that mixing a clumping clay litter with clumping walnut litter seems to reduce the dust from both.

I suggest you wear a mask as well when you’re scooping litter.

 

[ColorPointOtome]

The Tidy Cats Breeze litter system has zero dust if you use their pellets. If you opt to use pine pellets instead, the dust is very minimal.

The only caveat is that most cats prefer granular over pellet litters. I would try out pellet litter first before investing in the Breeze system because otherwise you will be stuck with a useless litter box

 

[Caspers Human]

I vote for Dr. Elsley.

We switched to it to get rid of all the artificial fragrances. It works just as well as, or better than, the other litters we used and, as it turns out, our cats like it better, too!

 

[eevans3373]

I've tried a bunch of litters. Dr. Elsey won. Clumps well, doesn't track all over and haven't had a problem with dust.

 

[Jewely]

I have asthma and use the Dr Elsey‘s Ultra and have the litter box in my room as well. Tidy Cats was what we used for years until we moved to a very small apartment and I could see how dusty it was. I was struggling when he’d use it at night, stirring up dust while I was trying to sleep(his poor lungs), as well when refilling it and cleaning his business. We switched and I’ve never looked for anything else.

 

[IndyJones]

Its the newer engineered litters that seem to cause the most issues. Older litters were 100% bentnite clay. It works really well but the downside is its heavy weight makes it cost more to ship and distribute. This weight also works in its favor however in that it keeps it from tracking most of the time.

Engineered litters like tidycats are made with clay but mixed with sillica quartz which gives it its light weight.

Do not breath the dust from engineered litters, quartz sillica is a class 1 carcinogen. Most dangerous when airborn.

Ok most clay based litters have a bit of silica but not to the extent that engineered ones do.