what type of cat litter is the best for less mess and what is the best type of litter tray too???my

[Willowy]

I think the usual age recommendation for clumping litter is 4 months. . .past the age when they eat everything and are clumsy in grooming :tongue2:. Of course it would depend on the individual kitties, too. As for the wood chips, I'd guess that if they're safe for chicks, they're safe for kittens, too :dk:. Chickies are very sensitive.

 

[tabbymommy]

By the time that the transition is full they should be old enough

 

[stealthkitty]

By the time that the transition is full they should be old enough

Do you mean the transition to using clay litter? The problem is, we haven't yet found non-clumping clay litter and I don't want to give them the clumping kind until they're old enough. Maybe we'll get lucky and find a place that carries it, but until that happens I think we'll have to use alternatives like wood chips or shredded paper. But since they should be old enough in a couple of months, it shouldn't be a great inconvenience.

I think the usual age recommendation for clumping litter is 4 months. . .past the age when they eat everything and are clumsy in grooming

. Of course it would depend on the individual kitties, too. As for the wood chips, I'd guess that if they're safe for chicks, they're safe for kittens, too

. Chickies are very sensitive.

Thanks for this, Willowy. We'll just watch them, and once they're over 4 months and past the oh-so-clumsy stage we'll start mixing clay litter in with the stuff they're used to.

 

[mimilane]

Hi Stella,

I've been boarding cats in my cattery for 5 years and have tried almost every type of litter on the market.  Just 2 weeks ago, a breeder friend recommended Ever Clean cat litter.  I'm actually boarding one of her cats and she sent along a sample of the litter as a trial.  Well!  I was blown away!!  There is no smell at all!  Look it up online and see what the manufacturer says.  It's a process I'd never come across and does it ever work well.  As for the type of litterbox, I always use the covered ones but I remove the 'window' clear panel that fits the entrance opening.  I find cats don't like the clear plastic but will willingly use the litterbox without it.

Good luck.  

 

[emmapenguin]

To be honest i never thought about any danger from litter, my kittens have turned 9 weeks old and went straight from wood chips to gravel-type cos i had i left over from my other cat. they have been fine. they are more interested in playing and exploring than eating things they shouldn't.

 

[cgreidy]

I have two covered litter boxes, my cats still manage to get litter outside the box! Sometimes you just have to accept the mess or become a bit ocd!

 

[bentliy]

Feline Pine is good. Comes in pellets, which gradually disintegrates into soft, almost sawdust form, or the shredded kind that already looks like sawdust. Easy to pick up if it DOES track, no strong odors but great odor control, and works best with a hooded litter box. There are some litter boxes where the bottom portion tapers; smaller at the entrance, and the wall is higher at the back (for those kitties who like to stand up when they aren't quite done yet.) 

Clays and scoopables have been horrible trackers for me, and too easy to fling out of the box.

 

[bugsy]

Use a big plastic storage bin with tall sides.  Leave the lid on, or don't.  Just cut an entry hole.  You can get one that is bigger and taller than any litter box for a fraction of the price.  As for litter - a good clumping litter will solve a lot of problems.  Some are really crumbly and don't clump well and it's not necessarily correlated with price, so I would look at some reviews and try a few kinds.  

I personally use wood pellet litter, using a tray where the used pellets sift to the bottom so there's never urine in the main compartment.  This is less expensive and more environmentally friendly, so those are my reasons for doing it.  

I wouldn't worry about keeping the litter box obsessively clean.   Scoop it once a day and replace it all once a week (or even less often, depending on the particular litter box traffic in your house).  When I clean the litter box out completely, I just spray it with hot water and I really only scrub it with cleaners once in a great while.  As long as I can't smell it, I think it's clean enough.  I don't believe that cats are adverse to eliminating where they can smell their own scent as long as it's reasonably clean and tidy.  

Have a look at. www.brit-pet.com. A must if using wood pellets