13 Days Till Christmas

We covered Litter Boxes.
Now we will cover Litter.
I am low on clever today.
So...







Maybe all litter should sparkle?
I should make sparkly litter!
Glitter Litter?

Milo thinks it's a stupid idea. 

I agree with Milo.
Though a trail of glitter would be a bit more pleasing to see than a trail of litter...

I may not be giving up on this idea yet - My idea.. no stealing!
Or at least give me credit... by credit I mean monies.

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Types of Litter


Non Clumping Clay
Clumping Clay
Deodorized  Clumping
Crystal
Paper
Natural (Wheat, Corn, Pine)
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So what do you use????
It depends on the cat, the age, and the situation...oh and what you can afford.


I will start this off with what I consider to be the best Cat litter.. what I would buy.

 I am a big fan of this litter, and I recommend it all the time.

I use this litter most of the time. It is lower in cost than the odour buster..but not as good.
It is kitty quantity thing..more kitties than monies.






These are also the two brands we use at Pet Valu for the Kitties we have for adoption.
Fresh 4 Life is a Pet Valu Brand
OdourBuster is a Canadian Product, made in Quebec.
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Non Clumping Clay Litter

When I need to use non clumping I use this. 









Pros

• Cheap
• Easy to use
• Can be used with small kittens
• Less dust
• Less litter tracking
• Less litter sticking to fur

Cons

• Does not minimize odor as well as others
• Needs to be replaced sooner
• Harder to keep clean
• Can not removed urine in one clump

We use this type of litter for Kittens because some young kittens are known to eat or lick litter.
If they ingest this litter it should just go through their systems.

I do not like using it for anything other than kittens because it does not keep the odors down, nor does it seem as sanitary.

Clumping Clay Litter
Consumer Info

Pro

• There are many different varieties of Clumping Litter to choose from.
• It can be cheap
• There are multi cat varieties
• It reduces the smell
• It is easy to use
• Easy to clean

Con

• People clean it less - which means it can not do its proper job
• It can be expensive
• Some types are very dusty
• It can cause respiratory issues- just like any particles floating in the air. 
• Not appropriate for very young kittens
• Not good for any cat to ingest 
• Bacteria & Mold may grow if the box is not cleaned 
• The bags and Boxes seem to be in cahoots with Chiropractors - jerks are heavy!!

I recently bought this because it was on sale - The smell of this was horrible. It gave me a headache. It was Lavender... I guess.
The initial scent was bad enough.. then the cats started adding their own smells.. and whoa.
You have to be aware of what scents your cat is willing to put up with. Poor things cant plug their tiny noses.
- This could also lead to kitty not using the litter box!!



Crystal Litter
Consumer Info

I have used Crystal Litter a few times - though I am not sure why..it must have been given to me to try.
Didn't fancy it.
Urine puddling at the bottom was just... icky.
Also I think it's weird.




Pro

• It's super absorbent - this allows for less litter box changes
• No dust
• Excellent odour control 
• Cost Effective 
• Smaller Bags = Less weight, easier to carry
•  Less chance of bacteria or mold growth

Con

• It's weird and some kitties may think so as well and not want to use it
• The Crystals are a bit rough and some cats may not want to walk on them
• Urine tends to pool at the bottom of the litter box after it has reached its absorbancy rate
• It is not healthy for a cat or kitten to eat any of these crystals - and if you have ever met a kitten.. they will try!
• Not really a multi cat product

You also can choose from different scented litters - deodorized litters- deodorizers that can be added


Natural Litters
Consumer Info

It may be simpler for you to just click the consumer info link than for me to list a pro and con list that I know little to nothing about.
Natural Litters are Biodegradable - Corn, Walnut, Pine, Paper, Wheat

This of course is newspaper pellets
I believe I dislike this more because it reminds me to people declawing their poor kitties.

Apparently this Litter which is Corn..I hate corn...
Is considered to be very good. Not sure if it's worlds best... how would you know? Cats may hate it but in showing their hate they poop on it!...

Corn ...Seriously? I just don't get it. Who looked at corn and said.. hmm this kinda looks like kitty litter!

I need to do some research on Pine. I thought cats were not suppose to have anything with pine. 

A bag of this was ripped at the store so they used it for out rescue kitties in there. I did not like it. 
It did not have superior odour control !
Our cats seem to react to the organic varieties in negative ways. They get irritated eyes.
I am not sure why, it could be a combination of a few things - one being the smaller area in which they spend their time.


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I do not know much about these natural litters - Much like a cat - I do not like change!I use clumping clay litter - yes there can be possible negative effects if kitty eats the litter - though many have and it manages to go through them.
The big worry is with kittens and it getting into their lungs - so I do not use it on them.

• If you have people coming over for the holidays and you normally use a generic clumping kitty litter - I suggest spending a little more and buying Odour Buster, or Maxx Cat for small areas. Or another type that you think would be helpful. 

• Changing your cats litter prior to company coming over may be a bad idea. 

Kitty needs to get use to the new litter. Some cats are rather easy and just go with the flow.. others..not so much.
It is a stressful season for all, try not to add anymore stress on yourself or your meows.

My suggestion for surviving company any litter box issues?

*If you are moving the box to a more hidden location - do it a few days in advance.
1. Dump out the box prior to your guests coming
2. Clean the Box with what you would normally clean it with
3. Wash the floors around where you normally keep the box - or where you plan on keeping the box
4. Open a box of Baking Soda and put it by the box - it will help remove the odours from the air without adding anything to the litter.
or
Get an unscented - or very mildly scented pet odour remover ( they sell them at the Dollar Store )
5. Do not over feed Fluffy, hold off on the wet food ( Unless that is all you feed ) You can feed them after your guests have gone for the night or right in the morning if you have guests coming over for dinner.
6. If anyone complains about the smell of the litter box - suggest they scoop it or gently remind them of a time they have not smelled like flowers.
...then throw catnip on him and run! Just kidding.. that would be mean...
Final thought - spraying air freshener to try and cover up litter box odour just equals ...
Really odd smelling flowers. 
You can not make a smell go away by adding another smell, all you can do is confuse people and try to make them guess wtf they are actually smelling.