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Lair Litter Log 2013!

stoneandglass

Lairian
Joined
Dec 15, 2013
Messages
49
Points
19
So all things cat litter have been on my mind lately and I thought it could be a good idea to not only ask everyone here a few questions but possibly keep this thread as a kind of review of litters we've used this past year (possible sticky) so we can all compare, perhaps it could be a yearly thing. So here we go!

1. How many cats do you have?
2. How many litter trays do you have?
3. What types of tray do you use? (eg. hooded/boodah dome etc etc.)
4. What are the pros and cons of the tray(s) you use?
5. Where do you keep your litter tray(s)?
6. What litters have you tried this year? Mini review on each would be nice
7. What litter are you using now?
8. How long does a bag of litter last? How often do you do a total tray change?
9. Anything else you would like to mention (additional litter products/accessories you have tried or anything you feel is relevant)

Guess I'll go first! :cat:
1. How many cats do you have?
One - Danzig, four year old neutered male.
2. How many litter trays do you have?
One
3. What types of tray do you use? (eg. hooded/boodah dome etc etc.)
A large hooded tray with the door take off but I think I need to look at changing to something else as Danzig only uses the front of the tray because he likes to sit up straight hen using it meaning he has to sit his upper half out the front. (n)
4. What are the pros and cons of the tray(s) you use?
Pros - keeps Danzig from kicking his litter everywhere when he tries to dig to china. Helps contain smells. :joyful:
Cons - He's too tall for it now as stated above so I'm starting to look at alternatives. :grumpy:
5. Where do you keep your litter tray(s)?
My flat has it's own entrance and then you head straight upstairs to the flat itself. I keep the litter tray down in the entrance in a little coat cupboard area without a door. It's pretty much perfect.
6. What litters have you tried this year? Mini review on each would be nice
Catsan hygiene litter -
it's made of white chips of chalk. It doesn't clump. It doesn't control odor very well as urine soaks into the chips but you cannot really scoop them out so after a few days it starts to get stinky. It is pretty easy to find in shops though. Definitely not a fan. I only got it as I was in a bind.
Sainsbury's odour control cat litter - this is a clumping litter made of grey granules. The litter itself smells pleasant enough to me when poured or scooped. Urine clumps into balls meaning the tray can be kept clean and odor free. Drys out poops, even if they are a little less solid just cover with a scoop of litter and then remove after a few minutes. Very little wastage when scooping. Can stick to bottom of tray if kitty does a big wee but not too much of an issue. Again just scoop dry litter over it and then remove. As you can probably tell I'm a fan of this litter and have used it most of this year but I'm looking for something better as it only comes in small bags.
Worlds best cat litter (the green/black pack. not sure of the name?) - only got this today but it's what Wednesday's breeder uses so I want Danzig to get used to it as I'm sure they'll both go in both trays. I have started mixing it into his sainsbury's litter. He ate a little which made me worry but the pack says it's all natural and cats do this so not to worry. He's used his tray so at least I know he doesn't hate it! I like that it's flushable. Hopefully this will be a keeper.
7. What litter are you using now?
One third sainsbury's cat litter two thirds World's best cat litter.
8. How long does a bag of litter last? How often do you do a total tray change?
It depends out much Danzig manages to kick out! Anywhere from a week to two weeks. I do a total tray changed once a month at the moment because all the waste clumps up nicely.
9. Anything else you would like to mention (additional litter products/accessories you have tried or anything you feel is relevant)
I'm getting a second cat as most of you know in January so this is why I'm so interested in litter at the moment! It's going to be double the trays and double the litter so I want to get it right for the sake of my kitties and my pocket! (y):LOL:


Looking forward to everyone's inputs. I think this has potential to be a great thread :penguin:
 

zoinks

V.I.P Lairian
V.I.P Lairian
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
1,741
Points
368
1. How many cats do you have?
2
2. How many litter trays do you have?
1 - I used to have 2 but they would always use the same one.
3. What types of tray do you use? (eg. hooded/boodah dome etc etc.)
I use the omega paw 'self cleaning' box
4. What are the pros and cons of the tray(s) you use?
Pros:
  • minimal scooping, you turn the box on its side then upside down and all the clumps go into a compartment you pull out.
  • It is hooded and with a smaller entrance so there is less tracking
Cons:
  • More difficult to clean (not majorly)
  • You can't get one of the litter box liners for it
5. Where do you keep your litter tray(s)?
My kitchen, dining room and living room is open plan so I have it in a corner furthest away from the living room part.

6. What litters have you tried this year? Mini review on each would be nice
I only use Dr Elseys premium clumping cat litter which I like. It works well in my litter box as it clumps nicely and it covers the smell not too bad when I had that problem. It is a good price too you can get a big 40lb (I think) bag for 12 on Amazon

7. What litter are you using now?
Dr Elseys
8. How long does a bag of litter last?
How often do you do a total tray change?
A few weeks. I scoop once a day and do a full change every week or 2
9. Anything else you would like to mention (additional litter products/accessories you have tried or anything you feel is relevant)
I got a litter genie which is nice saves me taking the litter down to the trash after every scoop and I put the stinky butt baby wipes in there too.

:)
 

stoneandglass

Lairian
Joined
Dec 15, 2013
Messages
49
Points
19
Yaaaay thanks for responding ^_^ I;m actually wondering about getting the omega paw self cleaning box. I hope Alfie and Dippy are well
 

Ashdm

Lairian
Joined
Oct 29, 2013
Messages
75
Points
64
I try and avoid catsan or any supermarket brand litter at all costs. They are not very cost effective. I have been using Cats Best Oko Plus for years but have recently changed 1 month ago. I used to swear by cats best as it was natural and clumping. I have 3 cats and 2 litter boxes. I have 2 large Ragdolls and an average sized sphynx and they use hooded trays. I had to buy the catit jumbo litter tray as the dolls are ao big. It's a pretty massive box and takes up quite a large space in the bathroom but on the plus side it was only £20 for such a big box!! The Ragdolls can stand up without having to hunch their heads so they are happy to use it with the door closed which is amazing for smells. I changed my litter to 'professional classic cat litter' from zooplus online. I had never heard of it but read a review and I completely swear by it now!! It's fantastic. The cats best used to track everywhere, I'd even find it on my bed. This new litter hardly tracks out of the tray. I also use a kitty litter bin so I don't need to trail out to the wheelie bin everyday. A bag of the cat litter is £10 and last me about 5 weeks, that's with 3 cats going in one tray. I only dump out the whole tray every 6 weeks as the litter clumps so so well, waste never touches the bottom of the tray and makes it into that concrete sticky mess. My litter trays have never been so clean. Scooping their poop has never been so easy. And as I have very hairy Ragdolls, if the tray is messy, it sticks to their fur. I have never had to clean their rear ends with the new litter. I tend to get all my supplies online from zoo plus as I am in the UK and find all shops here over priced for most of the special stuff I want for my cats.
 

ElvirasMum

Gold Lairian
Notable Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2012
Messages
4,980
Points
338
So all things cat litter have been on my mind lately and I thought it could be a good idea to not only ask everyone here a few questions but possibly keep this thread as a kind of review of litters we've used this past year (possible sticky) so we can all compare, perhaps it could be a yearly thing. So here we go!

1. How many cats do you have?
3 - 2 Sphynx girls and 1 Domestic Short Haired Girl
2. How many litter trays do you have? 3
3. What types of tray do you use? (eg. hooded/boodah dome etc etc.)
2 hooded, 1 open plain short tray
4. What are the pros and cons of the tray(s) you use?
The hooded - there aren't any cons
The open plain tray- it gets tracked and kicked up a bit
5. Where do you keep your litter tray(s)?
1 hooded in the downstairs powder room; 1 hooded in my home office; 1 open tray in my bedroom
6. What litters have you tried this year? Fresh Step Extreme Odor control. Like that its tight clumping and can diffuse a Sphynx stink bomb when they've gotten into food that they shouldn't
7. What litter are you using now? Fresh Step Extreme Odor control
8. How long does a bag of litter last?
38 pound box, between 2 and 3 weeks
How often do you do a total tray change? How many times do I get Sphynx stink bombed?
9. Anything else you would like to mention (additional litter products/accessories you have tried or anything you feel is relevant)
 

nfaerie

Senior Lairian
Senior Lairian
Joined
Jun 1, 2013
Messages
676
Points
153
1. How many cats do you have?
1
2. How many litter trays do you have?

One
3. What types of tray do you use? (eg. hooded/boodah dome etc etc.)
A home - made custom litter box. Basically I got a sturdy thick plastic storage box (black). Dimensions at a guess would be- height 50cm. Length 80. Width 70. I cut one end partially so there would be an easy cat sized entry.
4. What are the pros and cons of the tray(s) you use?
Pros -stops litter flying everywhere when she digs. Very sturdy, and large compared to shop brought regular litter trays. Plenty of room for her to move around and sit and do her business
Cons- doesnt stop odour. And cleopatra has a tendency to jump over the side and put litter everywhere, because she can.
5. Where do you keep your litter tray(s)?
Under a desk with solid sides. It's out of the way but in her room.
6. What litters have you tried this year? Mini review on each would be nice
Breeders best litter-
it's made of recycled newspaper pellets. Used this when I first got her. Doesn't clump and not much smell control. its cheap and light to carry tho. i changed when I realised it was getting stuck in her little paws and she would track it out. Then I noticed her eating bits of it. She has a bit of a pica tendency. Didn't want a paper blockage so I changed to
Max's cat litter - it's little brown solid granules of fibery stuff, looks like maybe made out of some kind of husk of a grain, chopped up tiny. RSPCA approved, apparently all natural. I don't mind her eating little bits of it because it won't give her a gut blockage. It breaks down a bit with the pee and it clumps a little if it is recent. Sticks to poop so you don't have to scoop too much litter out. I like this litter. Has some odour control
7. What litter are you using now?
Max's cat. Litter
8. How long does a bag of litter last? How often do you do a total tray change?

One bag lasts about a week and a half. I scoop the piles of pee out as well as the poop. After that week ish, I need to do a total tray change, because its mostly run out of litter anyway.

9. Anything else you would like to mention (additional litter products/accessories you have tried or anything you feel is relevant)

I used a pooper scooper shovel, then I realised I couldn't pick up the clumps of pee. So now I use one of those little spades for the beach!!!! Kitty litter castles!!!!
 

MollysMom

V.I.P Lairian
V.I.P Lairian
Joined
Sep 23, 2012
Messages
1,918
Points
323
1. How many cats do you have?

2 Sphynx cats

2. How many litter trays do you have?

One giant tray

3. What types of tray do you use? (eg. hooded/boodah dome etc etc.)

Largest one that PetSmart sold, has a removable hood on a hinge and is VERY deep
4. What are the pros and cons of the tray(s) you use?
Pros - the hooded sides help keep *someone* with bad pooping aim in the box more often (no bum hanging over the side)

Cons - the hinges are breaking

5. Where do you keep your litter tray(s)?

We live in a small condo, so next to the washer/dryer closet at the edge of the kitchen
6. What litters have you tried this year? Mini review on each would be nice

Yesterday's News - horrible to scoop (it just swells), almost no odour control. Was recommended by the vet for our cat's allergies

Feline Pine Non-clumping Pellets - Great for odour, they turn to sawdust so it is like "reverse" scooping. But had to stop because one cat was allergic to pine (was coughing)

Arm & Hammer Corn Clumping - Very dusty (even though it says it's not) and cat would sometimes eat it.

Maxx Scoop - Horribly dusty, made our cat cough.

Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat (Clumping Clay)- totally the winner! We go through a large bag every 8-9 days, and it controls door awesome! No one coughs, I can run my hand through it and it is dust-free. Only downside is it is pricey at $16 a bag.

7. What litter are you using now?

Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat


8. How long does a bag of litter last? How often do you do a total tray change?

A bag lasts 8-9 days, which is when we do the total tray change. And scoop daily.

9. Anything else you would like to mention (additional litter products/accessories you have tried or anything you feel is relevant)

We started using Poly Plastic (clear in a roll from Home Depot) cut to size as our tray liner. The tray that we use is too big for any liners that I have ever found. It is super durable, and the scoop doesn't cut it when we are digging. Also great to just pick it up by the corners and toss the whole thing on tray-change day.
 

Emily0404

V.I.P Lairian
V.I.P Lairian
Joined
Apr 20, 2013
Messages
2,242
Points
313
So all things cat litter have been on my mind lately and I thought it could be a good idea to not only ask everyone here a few questions but possibly keep this thread as a kind of review of litters we've used this past year (possible sticky) so we can all compare, perhaps it could be a yearly thing. So here we go!

1. How many cats do you have? We have 6 (only the Sphynx use the litter trays - the others go outside)
2. How many litter trays do you have? We have 3
3. What types of tray do you use? (eg. hooded/boodah dome etc etc.) we have 2 open and one hooded.
4. What are the pros and cons of the tray(s) you use? They prefer to poop in the hooded tray and wee in the open trays
5. Where do you keep your litter tray(s)? 2 upstairs and one downstairs
6. What litters have you tried this year? The same as the breeder uses
7. What litter are you using now? Breeder select. Made from recycled paper
8. How long does a bag of litter last? It lasts week( 25 kg)How often do you do a total tray change? Every day.
9. Anything else you would like to mention (additional litter products/accessories you have tried or anything you feel is relevant) I sanitise with pets at home sanitiser.
 

GoldHazel

Gold Lairian
Notable Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Messages
12,086
Points
653
So all things cat litter have been on my mind lately and I thought it could be a good idea to not only ask everyone here a few questions but possibly keep this thread as a kind of review of litters we've used this past year (possible sticky) so we can all compare, perhaps it could be a yearly thing. So here we go!

1. How many cats do you have?
I have 5 sphynx cats.

2. How many litter trays do you have?
I have 4 litter boxes.

3. What types of tray do you use? (eg. hooded/boodah dome etc etc.)
Regular litter boxes (no hoods, etc.) except for the one in the family room.

4. What are the pros and cons of the tray(s) you use?
The one I have in the corner of the family room has a hood, but the whole thing looks like a terra cotta potted plant!
The pro for that one is that NOBODY knows it's a litter box and the two dogs can't play "sand box". LOL
One of the other litter boxes I have upstairs is HUGE and more than one sphynx can get in at one time! It gives them plenty of room to "circle" and go where they want to go without filling up the litter box with waste in no time.

5. Where do you keep your litter tray(s)?
Family room, master bathroom, master bedroom and spare bedroom. (But that's only because I have three different situations going on here right now with the sphynxes. Otherwise, I'd just have two, maybe three litter boxes.

6. What litters have you tried this year? Mini review on each would be nice
I have tried Feline Pine Original and Feline Pine Scoopable, most of the World's Best litters, Kitten Attract Litter and clay litters that two different breeders used.
I highly suggest using the Attract Litters if your kitten or cat has a problem not using your litter box.

The reason why I stopped using Feline Pine Original was because I found it more economical to use the Feline Pine litter pan with it so that the "saw dust" from pee would fall through the holes to the bottom pan, BUT the litter pan was quite small and even though I had a few of them, there wasn't a good amount of room for each sphynx to "circle" and choose a good spot. Cleaning the Feliine Pine litter pan was a time consuming event each week. The litter (soiled or not) would get caught in the holes of the upper tray and I'd have to use a tool to forcefully push them out (one hole at a time) in order to clean the pan.
The Feline Pine Clumping Litter did NOT clump well at all, so never bother purchasing that one.
The Original Feline Pine is shaped like little pellets and when they got on your hardwood or tile floors, they would roll all over the room. Painful if you stepped on them wrong with no shoes on, but not that crumb feeling of most litters on the bottom of your feet.
I would absolutely suggest that people try the World's Best Litter if they are looking to try something new and different. I also suggest that they try the different scents and varieties.

7. What litter are you using now?
World's Best.
Every one of my sphynxes that came from a breeder using clay litter actually preferred World's Best or Feline Pine instead of the clay once I got them home. So the clay litter here was never used (that's why I didn't say which brands they were). So now I'm using World's Best (different varieties).

8. How long does a bag of litter last? How often do you do a total tray change?
I honestly can't say, but I buy the biggest bags I can usually find and all I can say is that it lasts me a good amount of time.
With my HUGE litter box, I'd say about every two weeks I do a total change and wash down of the tray. The smaller litter boxes about the same if one cat is using it...and more if multiple cats are using it.
I scoop ALL day long because my three boys especially are pee pee and poopy machines. :)
 
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