Choosing the best cat litter.

Last Christmas we took in a sickly young cat and nursed him back to health. We chose Purina One brand cat food since that is a brand that has worked well for our dog, and we chose Arm & Hammer clay kitty litter because sick kitties can let out some horrible smells!

When we realized that Kitty Max had no intentions of leaving the comforts of our home, I quickly began a mission to find the best kitty litter for our family! This litter would need to be light weight, affordable, safe, and something that the cat was willing to use. 

Try & Learn

My family’s top complaints about standard clay kitty litter were the weight, the scent, and the fact that our dog was way too interested in the litter box. First we tried Tidy Cats Lightweight Free & Clean Unscented , which sounded like exactly what we needed! The light weight was not light enough for my arthritis and although the smell of the litter was not offensive to our noses, the jug lasted less than a week. I assume it would have lasted a little longer if he wasn’t sick, but not long enough for me to afford this stuff long-term. 

So we switched back to our trusted Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal while I researched our other options. For how long it lasted, arm & hammer was a better deal in our house. 

Winner: Fresh Step Crystals Premium Cat Litter

I saw a special deal to try Fresh Step Crystals with Amazon Subscribe & Save. I was initially worried that the non-clay material would make our dog sick. And I wasn’t so sure about these claims that a single 8-pound bag would be enough to fill a littler box. But we tried it and …

• Our dog, who eats almost everything that resembles edible, does not try to eat Fresh Step Crystals!
• An 8 pound bag really does fill the litter box! Not quite as full as I would like, but full enough to do its job.
• There is a light smell when you open the bag, but as long as we clean and stir the litter every day or two, we really don’t notice that there is a litter box in the laundry room!
• When used as directed, this stuff really can last about a month! (Scoop the poop, stir the crystals daily to make sure liquid doesn’t pool, don’t mix with any other litters and don’t use a litter box liner – liners make it too hard to stir.)
• Potential Con: The cat is willing to use this litter, but he doesn’t really like it. We have a doggy door, so he does the majority of his business outside. This is a good thing for us. Infrequent usage means the litter still seems OK after 2 months! At this point we change it anyhow because eww.

What about Pretty Litter?

In theory I love the idea of a cat litter that changes color, depending on my cat’s health! Unfortunately, Pretty Litter currently has negative reviews on Amazon. I will wait for them to improve the product before I purchase it.