Trying New Litter - Swheat Scoop

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Took my cats to the vet because they were itching a lot and poor Butch had a bunch of scabs along his back and under his tail. After examining the cats the vet said he saw no signs of fleas so he concluded it must be allergies of some kind. He gave each of them some Revolution and a shot of Depo. It's been a couple days and Butch's scabs are almost all gone and they both seem to be feeling better.

Considering the allergies I thought perhaps the litter I was using (Fresh Step Simply Unscented) might also be a culprit, so I started researching some new litter. This morning I bought a bag of sWheat scoop. Reviews seem generally favorable, but the main draw is that it doesn't contain any clay and there is no dust. I can attest to the no dust because when I poured it in the freshly cleaned litter boxes there was nothing.

However, when Coda examined the box she peed on the floor, so I'm not 100% sure how well this will work. I've also been reading some more reviews of this product and have discovered that some have made the following complaints: it's just as dusty as clay litter, it is made from wheat and can attract bugs, it does not clump as well as clay litter and makes cleanup a chore.

I have no experience with any of these things yet so I was wondering if anyone else has tried or been using this litter and what your experience with it is?

 

[duckpond]

I did try the Swheat scoop in my quest for a dust free natural litter. I didnt like it that well, i did find it got dusty with a bit of use, and the clumping was not the best.

I think i have tried almost every litter out there

I ended up with, and still use a grass litter, i started out with pioneer pet grass, and still use it occasionally, but i found abound grass litter that my local Kroger store caries and i like it even a little better. Grass litter is dust free, at least these two are, and clump really well, better than clay i think. the cats like this litter after the first week or so getting use to how light weight and fluffy it is.

I also like a lot. Litter maid walnut litter, the only place i can find it is walmart. It is dust free, and clumps well. all the cats like it a lot. I think it may track less than the grass litter. I tried blue buffalo walnut litter, but i found it dusty. the litter maid is not.

I also use Dr. Elsey's respiratory relief crystal litter, not the clay one. The crystals are very fine sand like, not the big hunky ones. The cats all like it, and it may be my favorite litter of all for ease of use.

These are all dust free, fragrance free, and are the ones i have stuck with. I think with litter you have to try several to see which you and your cats like. I have 4 cats, and 5 boxes, so i keep some of each of these three litters out at all times. LOL i think they like to have choices

i also find with nautral litters that there is one scoop i like to use. makes life so much easier with the large holes.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - just a comment regarding a litter I just tried, Only Natural Pet shaved pine - it's a little dusty, and sticks to the Big Guys feet...I'm not all that impressed with it compared to littermaid's walnut and their corncob litters.

 

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duckpond, thanks for that info. We'll see how it goes with this sWheat stuff. At least at Chowhound they have a policy that if you buy a product from them and it doesn't work out you can bring it back for a full refund.

 

[betsygee]

I've been using sWeat Scoop for a few years now. We did have one of the litter boxes outside in the catio and it attracted bugs so that one is clay but we don't have that problem with the indoor boxes.

I don't remember my cats having any problems switching to it, though I might have started out with half their old stuff and half new to get them used to it. I honestly don't remember how I made the switch.

This is from a TCS article about changing litter:

...if you do decide to try something new, make sure you transition from one type to another gradually and always leave a litterbox with the old kind of litter around until you’re sure your cat is happy with the new litter.

 

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Well this litter was a bust. I had to go to work, but when I came home I found they had used their litter boxes. The bust came when I tried scooping the litter - it does not clump very well and pieces crumble everywhere, which makes it impossible to find them because it's all wheat colored!

For the time being I refilled their boxes with the Fresh Step and I'll return this litter an get my money back. I'm not sure if the Fresh Step is causing them any problems, but it definitely is the best clumping litter I've ever used.

Maybe I should just stick with what works.

 

[Neo_23]

I like the grass litter by Fresh 4 Life. Works really well.

 

[Ardina]

I've never tried swheat scoop, mostly because I've been scared off by the reports of bugs. But I have been transitioning my cats from Dr. Elsey's to smartcat grass litter.

I finally switched over one of the litterboxes completely to grass litter. I did invest in a good litter mat to catch the tracking, and it seems to be doing the job! So no odor, no dust, excellent clumping, a little prone to static, but overall pretty good! Mishka seems to prefer the grass litter; Saipha has used the grass but prefers the clay in other box. We'll see if she gets a little more willing to use the grass as I let the clay box get dirtier.

 

[duckpond]

Well this litter was a bust. I had to go to work, but when I came home I found they had used their litter boxes. The bust came when I tried scooping the litter - it does not clump very well and pieces crumble everywhere, which makes it impossible to find them because it's all wheat colored!

For the time being I refilled their boxes with the Fresh Step and I'll return this litter an get my money back. I'm not sure if the Fresh Step is causing them any problems, but it definitely is the best clumping litter I've ever used.

Maybe I should just stick with what works.

If clumping is a big issue for you i would definitely recommed a grass litter, it clumps better than any natural litter i have found. I think it normally out clumps clay. I know chewy has several, and last time i was in a petco i saw several there as well. im sure amazon does to, don't know where you shop Abound is my favorite brand, but i only find it at kroger?