Does anyone use the lightweight cat litter?

[Deleted]

Are you happy with it?

[Shirley U Geste]

I've tried it.

It is very dusty and flies and tracks all over much more then regular litter.  With 7 cats and 5 boxes that means a lot of mess. 

It seems to stick to all their paws and they lick at them, which bothered me because it can't be good for them to have that in their system.

Odor control and absorption were good. It is nice to not have to carry heavy containers, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[kritter]

I have never used it because pricewise it is too expensive for the crew that I have here.

I used to be a Tidy Cat devotee but switched to the Costco brand which I think is just as good and costs less.

I have two of those heavy containers (35 lb. each) out in my trunk right now that I need to lug in.

[Deleted]

Feb 10, 2015 21:43:23 GMT Shirley U Geste said:

I've tried it.

It is very dusty

Thanks! I was concerned that it might be dusty and they would inhale it. 

[Deleted]

Feb 10, 2015 22:27:52 GMT kritter said:

I have never used it because pricewise it is too expensive for the crew that I have here.

I used to be a Tidy Cat devotee but switched to the Costco brand which I think is just as good and costs less.

I have two of those heavy containers (35 lb. each) out in my trunk right now that I need to lug in.

I have used Tidy Cat for years and am satisfied with it. If I had a Costco membership I would try theirs.

[Deleted]

I've tried it and wasn't happy with it either.  My boy cat pees a lot and it's always stuck to his paws.  And I don't think it absorbs as well or lasts as long as the regular litter.  I use Fresh Step.

On the subject of my boy cat, he really makes me laugh.  He's a total foodie.  And right after he eats, he heads downstairs to his litter box.  I keep telling him that I'm going to subscribe to the Kitty Kat News so he will have a paper to take with him.  Reminds me of the guys I used to work with, heading to the john with the newspaper after lunch. And he's a total slob.  Litter everywhere.  I finally put a bath towel under his litterbox, leaving at least half of it out at the front of the box.  So now I can just pick up the towel and shake it back into the box when I clean it.  I've spent the past few years vacuuming and washing the floor around his litterbox.  I still have to vacuum the litter that he tracks onto the area rug, but it's nowhere near the mess I used to deal with.  He's such a guy!

[Deleted]

What cracks me up is how exuberant my young one is after she uses the litter box. Races around like a crazy cat.

[val2525]

Um, what's considered "lightweight" litter?

[Deleted]

Feb 11, 2015 5:11:34 GMT val2525 said:

Um, what's considered "lightweight" litter?

This: www.tidycats.com/products/lightweight

Although it sounds like the "it’s 99.9% dust free" claim is less than 99.9% true...

[kritter]

As soon as my Lucy hears me scooping the litter boxes in the morning she will drop whatever she is doing and run to the litter boxes to both poop and pee.

Never fails, every morning.

She will always go into one that I haven't scooped yet so I have to wait until she digs, covers, and then digs and covers again.

Its like "Oh wait, you need to get this too".

[Shirley U Geste]

At least she goes in the one that hasn't been cleaned yet.

With mine it never fails that they stand around and wait until a box get cleaned and then they go in and do their business. 


Another thing about the lightweight litter...

The dust is a real pain to clean up. You have to used a dry duster and nothing damp, because it comes from clumping litter the dust itself tries to clump if it gets damp. Meaning you get a gummy mess on surfaces.  


The best litter I have ever used is Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal. That stuff totally kills odor, isn't dusty, and it barely tracks out of the box at all. But it's pricey and to me it seems like it makes bigger clumps which uses more of the litter so the box doesn't last as long as other litters. Just not cost effective with 7 cats but would be great for households with only 1-2 cats.   They have just come out with a lightweight version of it but I have not tried that one.

[kritter]

I can't even remember when I only had one or two cats. I think it was back in the 1990's. 

[val2525]

Does the Arm & Hammer come in an unscented version?

I use Cat's Pride Fresh & LIght, probably the least dust of any version I've bought. But I just have the one cat.

[Shirley U Geste]

Does the Arm & Hammer come in an unscented version?

It didn't when I tried it.

But the odor was actually kind of nice, not chemically like some of them. 

[val2525]

My cat is allergic to the scented stuff. His little paws swoll all up and it cost $750 to find out the cause. $710 to the 24 hour vet who couldn't figure it out, gave him meds that make him poof up like a puffer fish, then kept him overnight and discharged him with a 'we have no clue' and then returned the wrong meds (not what I'd brought in the night before). Took him to a cat only vet ($35 visit and $5 for antihistamines) who diagnosed it in less than 5 minutes and with only 3 questions.

[Shirley U Geste]

Oh gee Val, I forgot poor Hootie was allergic. 

Have you tried the wheat or alfalfa based litters for him? 

[val2525]

He can use most any litter, just has to be unscented. I like the one I get at Big Lots, but I don't think it's the 'lightweight' stuff y'all are talking about. Hoots seems to like it. Pooh doesn't seem to care at all as long as he has a poop box.

[Shirley U Geste]

Pooh lives up to his name then. 

You would know if it's lightweight.  When you pick up a container it feels like it's almost empty.   Amazing that they can do that.  Just too bad it doesn't work as well.  

[kritter]

Thankfully all my cats seem to just go with the flow and take the path of least resistance.

They use whatever is in the cat box and eat whatever is in the bowls.

[Deleted]

Feb 11, 2015 4:43:29 GMT @alliebean said:

What cracks me up is how exuberant my young one is after she uses the litter box. Races around like a crazy cat.

Ours do that too. Makes me laugh every time.

[Deleted]

Mine do that as well. It's like they're really proud of their "accomplishments".

[val2525]

Or they're feeling light and airy after dumping such a load.

[Deleted]

Feb 15, 2015 5:57:48 GMT val2525 said:

Or they're feeling light and airy after dumping such a load.

[Deleted]

Oddly enough I saw one of the lightweight brands (can't remember which one) on sale in the supermarket as it has been discontinued. Maybe they are not that popular.