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Which type of cat litter works best for you? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Not from around here
Posts: 795
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Which type of cat litter works best for you?
To cut a long story short, I have to keep my cat indoors, and she hates using a litter tray.
She has always preferred to go out, rather than use a tray, but now she has to use one. I am therefore a bit of a novice re litter trays. I always kept a tray, just in case, filled with inexpensive clumping clay litter, from Aldi. Then I used a wood chip pellet type, which, though more expensive, needed changing less frequently. There are seemingly myriad types at the pet stores, so any thoughts on the pros and cons of the different types would be gratefully received. |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Devon
Posts: 8,086
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For litter trays to be enticing to cats they really need to be cleaned frequently I do full tray empties three times a week and obviously empty out as much wee as I can and poos straight after its done.
I use wooden pellets (tho not the ones marketed as cat litter I use horse bedding so its about £6 for 15kg) previously I have used the crystals. I don't personally like the clumping litter but its personal preference and cat preference. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: N/A Just like everyone else!!
Posts: 1,919
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We've used a fair few different types over the year's and still haven't found one that we would particularly like to stay with, it helps to get one the same colour as the carpet.
Just keep trying different type's and see which you and your cat prefer. |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,957
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I use Catsan. Dispose of poos straight away and full clean and litter change once a week. My cat seems happy enough with this.
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,274
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I've tried loads but keep coming back to Catsan.
Supermarkets own brand like Aldi's is cheaper but its a false economy. We mix Catsan with some silica crystals which improves it's absorbency and makes it last longer. Our trays are scooped twice a day with a full change twice a week - or more if needed. I'm another one against clumping litter, I find it far messier! As TWS says, it's all down to your and your cats preference. Experiment with a few different ones and you'll soon find what's best for you. |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 21,645
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Hmm. I use Golden Grey Master clumping cat litter. I scoop out the soiled litter as soon as I'm around and notice. And I do a full litter change... well, I haven't yet needed to. I guess that's because very fine clumping litter actually works, whereas the coarse stuff doesn't. The only downside is some tracking of the litter. Not too much hassle on a tiled floor. Oh, and I use two different scoops - one coarse, and one fine.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,766
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I use Sanicat clumping litter. It has a pleasant smell and is really good at absorbing wee and there not being any real odour. It comes in a box rather than a bag, and has a little spout for pouring it out so it's much quicker/easier to store and distribute. It was £7 from Pets At Home and lasts me ages before needing to buy another box. I don't go mad with the amount I'll put in the tray anyway. No point when the cat usually digs in it and flicks it all over the floor anyway! A little more than what it takes to cover the bottom of the tray is enough, which is a lot less than the packaging recommends!
I dispose of any poo immediately and any clumps formed by the wee get cleaned every two days and every Saturday I'd dispose of all the remaining litter, wash the tray and start afresh. Garfield seems quite happy with that. |
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,262
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Make sure you get a covered litter tray and put a mat down outside the door to catch any stray bits of litter or worse.
We tried a few, but catsan was the best. Scoop daily and clean and refill twice a week. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 1,141
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I buy Cancac for fussy cats as my mum's cat hates the clumping type and the cheaper wood based ones. It doesn't crumble as easily as the cheaper brands and doesn't smell.
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 3,968
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I get Pets at Home own make baby powder fragranced clumping litter. I tried changing to Catsan as I could get it closer to home but my cat was shouting loudly every time he had to use his tray so I switched back.
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,851
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Always found bio catolet paper pellets cleanest and very absobent. Does not break down or get dusty.
If you have a garden, you can burn it as well making a more hygeinic disposal. http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/lightweight-non-clumping-recycled-paper-based-cat-litter-25ltr |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,274
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Quote:
Always found bio catolet paper pellets cleanest and very absobent. Does not break down or get dusty.
If you have a garden, you can burn it as well making a more hygeinic disposal. http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/lightweight-non-clumping-recycled-paper-based-cat-litter-25ltr Just goes to show its all down to experience and personal preference (as well as kitties of course) 😁 |
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Not from around here
Posts: 795
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Thank you all so much for your replies, which I have found very helpful.
Apologies if I don't get back too often, but have limited internet access at the mo.
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,141
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Quote:
I use Catsan. Dispose of poos straight away and full clean and litter change once a week. My cat seems happy enough with this.
Our old girl has two toilets now, one upstairs, one downstairs so I find they both needed changed about 10 days, rather than once a week when using one. I'd also recommended the enclosed, swing door litter trays, gives the cat some privacy, but also isn't as smelly, due to the little filter in the roof! Happy scooping! |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Not from around here
Posts: 795
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Thanks again everyone.
I was wondering why some people prefer 'clumping', and some prefer 'non-clumping'. I've looked at the Catsan webpage, and it seems they do both types. The woody pellets I'm using at the moment (Pets at Home own brand) seem to form a sort of fluffy sawdust where the cat has had a wee, and is not easy to scoop out, but then perhaps it doesn't need scooping, as its pretty inoffensive. Anyway, she seems to be getting a bit more used to using the tray, and I have also started taking her into the garden on a cat leash, which she likes, and will often go to the loo on a patch of twiggy stuff (now like an outdoor litter tray!) She has to stay in, or be attended to outside, because of a sudden loss of sight. But this has been improving since taking meds for high blood pressure. She is an elderly cat, who was abandoned by a neighbour a while ago, so all of this has been a steep learning curve! Sorry, this has turned into a bit of a ramble! LOL at 'happy scooping' above! ![]() ETA Also apologies if I seem to be a bit thick and/or obsessive! |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,957
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Quote:
I'd also recommended the enclosed, swing door litter trays, gives the cat some privacy, but also isn't as smelly, due to the little filter in the roof!
Happy scooping! |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,957
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Clumping litter is generally cheaper and goes a bit further. It's also probably more 'natural' to the cat than Catsan which is like little rocks. My previous cat was on clumping for years and it was fine. I only changed to Catsan when I got a kitten and I read that you're not supposed to use clumping litter with kittens as they tend to eat it and then it clumps in their guts and causes real problems : (
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: East London
Posts: 25,846
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Quote:
Hmm. I use Golden Grey Master clumping cat litter. I scoop out the soiled litter as soon as I'm around and notice. And I do a full litter change... well, I haven't yet needed to. I guess that's because very fine clumping litter actually works, whereas the coarse stuff doesn't. The only downside is some tracking of the litter. Not too much hassle on a tiled floor. Oh, and I use two different scoops - one coarse, and one fine.
So I swapped to 'Professional Classic', and its as good as Golden Grey was in the past. |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Vault 101, Cheshire
Posts: 10,184
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We've tried all sorts, but Catsan seems the best overall. Our cat stays in, so the tray gets plenty of hammer. We clean out anything he does asap and clean the whole tray 2 or 3 times per week.
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