Even outdoor cats need kitty litter and boxes, and no matter how often my cats try to turn my backyard into their own personal oversized outdoor litter box, they always return to the comfort and safety of their own little “bathroom” in my hallway.
With multiple cats, a few visitors, occasional foster kitties, and foster bunnies and ferrets, my litter boxes are like football stadium bathrooms during halftime – there is a waiting line! Because of my schedule I limit myself to three litter box changes a day – morning, noon and night, meaning there are hours in between where I don’t have time to deal with problems.
Even though most veterinarians and cat experts will recommend against sudden changes in brands, I buy what works when it’s on sale. Occasionally I bring home a store brand. My cats couldn’t care less. Most cats don’t, actually.
So – my goal is to get a litter that does its job, absorbs orders and clumps immediately. It also needs to be affordable. Those requirements alone totally eliminate the new “green” litters made from pine shavings. I got a free sample once and I did try to use it. My cats had no idea what to do. They sniffed, they pawed, they meowed and they looked at me with expressions saying they doubted my sanity. After their initial inspection, each one in turn ran outside to do their business. Out went the pine shavings.
I tend to alternate between Fresh Step, Scoop Away, Arm and Hammer and Tidy Cats. I resort to Tidy Cats only when one of the local stores has a great deal and I have a coupon. Even though it clumps well, for some reason it has a tough time masking the overwhelming odor of kitty urine. I can solve the problem by sprinkling regular baking soda into each litter box but it’s another step I don’t really have the time or patience for.
Scoop Away does what it promises. It congeals quickly and is easy to clean. When I actually use the scoop to clean I appreciate the fact that each clump stays in one piece as compared to some other brands where the clumps are fragile, and the minute I try to pick them up they disintegrate into smaller clumps that are more difficult to find and take away.
Fresh Step actually smells great, right from the box. I have even found my kittens trying to sleep IN the litter box when I have it filled with Fresh Step. I really hate admitting this, but when I learn I have unexpected guests coming, I have even made bathroom sachets from the (clean!) litter itself and placed them in the guest bathroom drawers.
However, the granules are pretty large and because of their size, they don’t clump quite as well as I’d like. It’s a real toss up between the great smell and the imperfect clumping ability.
My cats actually seem to prefer Arm and Hammer for some reason. When I bring that home and start filling the litter boxes, they gather around as if I were handing out fresh tuna fillets. I don’t know what the attraction is; obviously it’s something they can perhaps smell but I can’t. Once the boxes are filled, they jump in and roll around until the litter is spread over the entire hallway. The litter clumps well and completely negates any odors at all. It’s rarely on sale, however, and a regular supply of this can run over $40 a week without sales and coupons.
I have also found that some local grocery stores have their own store brands that are quite good. For instance, Publix and Winn Dixie have very affordable and quite acceptable litter that pours easily, averages $5.99 for 20 pounds, clumps well and stays clumped, and reduces odors. The only problem I have with these store brands is that the litter itself resembles fine beach sand. When I brush and comb the cats every day, I find these grains of sand imbedded in their fur.
Overall, the top brands do what they say. Coupons are frequent, and some stores even do “buy one get one” specials on a regular basis. I tend to stay away from pet stores because they are usually more expensive and when they do have sales, they aren’t as good as the regular grocery stores.
