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  1. #1
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Cat litter recommendations please!

    New to cats, I bought the litter that seemed to work the hardest per the box it came in. Something or other Clump and Seal. I'm not impressed! Would love suggestions.

    Every other week (night before garbage day) I dump the litter box and wash it with dish soap. Then dry it and spray and wipe it with diluted bleach. I coat the bottom with baking soda then add litter. I clean it daily and add litter when needed as well as baking soda.

    Her poop reeks so bad I keep "courtesy matches" in the utility room and have to use them daily. I have her on Natures Variety Instinct grain free dry food and some raw twice a day. When she's used to raw I'd like to switch her and only use dry food if I'm away. She eats anything.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Sue-Ram's Avatar
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    I use Maxx Scoop Multi Cat 24/7 Clean laundry scent. It really does smell like clean laundry. My male cat is a jerk and he thinks that he's the litter box monitor. Whenever he hears my other cat in the litter box he has to check out what she's doing, then he waits to pounce on her when she gets out. Sometimes she'll just lie down in the the litter box and wait for him leave before she gets out, so she pretty much always smells like clean laundry too.
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  3. #3
    Senior Dog sheltieluver's Avatar
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    I use pet supply plus brand litter I get 40 lbs for 10 dollars I like it I've also used walmarts brand and petsmart brand they were about the same price for 40 lbs I liked them better than. Tidy cat and the pricer brands.

  4. #4
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Some cats just smell worse than others. I can feed all five the same food but Andy stinks. The others just smell. Now the kittens are bigger I have been able to go back to clay litter which clumps up fine for us. I did use something made of wheat when they were small (kittens have been known to eat litter and the clay can be a disaster if it clumps inside them) and it was harder to clean up because it didn't clump but it didn't smell like the clay does. The wheat stuff was really expensive.

  5. #5
    Senior Dog charliebbarkin's Avatar
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    Interesting, we were just having a conversation with a cat breeder about litter. She lost a young cat and had a cat-autopsy (whatever that's called in real terms?) and turned out the cat was all clogged up with clumping litter. She said that they can breathe in the dust and lick the remnants off their paws, ingesting the litter and it clumping inside of them.

    One type of litter recommended was Feline Pine.

    It could be the food stinking up the poop. Or maybe your cat got into something while she was out exploring. Or maybe it is more overwhelming because it is closed in the utility room. Usually I would recommend going raw or grain free for a cat to cut down on the smell, but you are already doing that. Maybe a different food would help. I feed my cat fromm or Nature's Logic, and had my mom switch to fromm because her cats had really smelly poop. No more issues in her house and never an issue in mine. I tried raw with our cat but with all the traveling we do, it was not conducive to our lifestyle.

    I use an automatic litter box with the crystal litter made for it. ScoopFree.
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  6. #6
    Senior Dog
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    One thing that I want to caution against...that you may or may not decide is a good thing to try to contain odors...is a covered litter box of any type. Most litters, clumping or not, contain an ingredient that contains or breaks down into dust....which can get into your cat's lungs at an even greater speed if it's contained within the box. Clay, wheat, corn, pine, newspaper....definitely contain dust. I think the pure crystal ones do, too, but I won't swear to it. I tried all of these (though Charlie refused to use anything other than small particle litter....lots of trial and error) and couldn't get past the dust to evaluate anything else about them except for the clay. I always found it funny that the non-clay ones would tout how dust-free they were when, in fact, they were the worst. I guess, to them, dust-free meant no clay dust (since they didn't contain clay to begin with).

    One of my cats had asthma and I had a continuing search for the least dusty product I could find. Since you don't mention dust as a concern of yours, I won't elaborate on that search. But the litter I found to be the best was one from PetSmart....it absolutely contained odors (maybe my cats just didn't stink as much...no offense....I can't compare....but I had as many as 5 cats at one time...with three boxes....and never noticed any odors unless I was standing next to a fresh poop before it was covered). That litter was Exquisicat Fragrance Free Multi-Cat formula....although it could be called something else by now (haven't needed litter since 10/12).

    I also don't recommend the thought of putting an air cleaner in the litter box room....the dust will fill the filter almost immediately and then the cleaner just spreads it throughout the house...without really eliminating that kind of smell in what I think you'd consider an adequate way.

    If litter doesn't do it for you, maybe try one of those one-drop odor killer products:

    Amazon.com : Tap-A-Drop Original : Pet Odor And Stain Removers : Pet Supplies

    This stuff really works for human bathroom odors....guess it would work for cat, too.

  7. #7
    Real Retriever BogeyBaby's Avatar
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    I use Blue Buffalo clumping cat litter. It is made of walnut shells so it doesn't deplete a natural resource (clay). It is dark brown, like coffee grounds. It does a very good job clumping and containing odors. It is a bit dusty as I believe all litters are. At one time I used World's Best cat litter but couldn't stand the smell (made from corn cobs or corn husks).

    I also got this Amazon.com - CritterZone Pet Air Purifier with Cord - Ionizer Air Purifiers air purifier. I've had it over a year, makes little noise and so far hasn't gotten clogged up by any dust.

  8. #8
    Puppy PuppyLove28's Avatar
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    Hi!
    I am a volunteer with a cat rescue, so lots of experience using different types.

    First, have you had her tested for parasites? Occasionally parasites can cause really, really stinky poops.
    Like other posters have mentioned, some cats just have stinkier ones than others. But I would say its best to rule out that its anything that may require medical attention.

    In terms of brands, I like the better quality ones. I know its something you just toss out, but it makes such a difference when its good quality. The one from Costco (name slips my mind) is dirt cheap, but there is sooo much dust and it gets on everything!
    I stay away from any 'scented' types - when mixed with urine they smell gut-wrenching awful!
    If you can spend a bit more, I love World's Best. It's wonderful, but definitely more expensive.
    Sweet Scoops is healthier for them, but doesn't trap odour well. Same with Yesterday's News
    For a mid-tier one, I found that MAXX cat works the best. It absorbs the smell well.

    Have you tried a different type of litter box? Like one where they can walk in, up a ramp and then into the centre where the litter is? Those are good for keeping litter and smells contained a bit better.

    You can also try a Gastro food which might help with tummy issues.

    Lastly, I recommend a Lamp Berger. That thing works like magic and keeps the smell of multiple cats (and stinky kittens!) at bay.

    Good luck

  9. #9
    Senior Dog doubledip1's Avatar
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    We use Fresh Step clumping. $17.99 for 42 pounds at our local wholesale store, holds clumps pretty well. I don't notice a smell but I scoop every day or every other day. She also has a ScoopFree automatic with the crystals that goes off half an hour after she goes, which is great for if we're out of town for the week. I find the ScoopFree gets a strong urine smell.

    If you're using any kind of pine shavings litter, I highly recommend just going to Agway, Tractor Supply, Country Max, local farm supply store, etc. and picking up the shavings meant for horses. Same thing, but same price for a lot more.
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  10. #10
    House Broken Kelly524's Avatar
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    I use Tidy Cats, usually the multi-cat version. It seems to do pretty well as far as containing odor. For mine, when Nash was younger, he had the nastiest, smelliest poop ever! Hallie's wasn't so bad. Now that they are older it isn't nearly as bad. I'm not sure how old your cat is, but maybe it will get better as it gets older.

 



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