Quality affordable litter?

extinctosaurus

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Hey guys, I need some advice on what cat litter to use. Right now we're using Arm & Hammer Multicat (we only have Nyx but we bought it when we thought we were going to get two cats, but then she had kittens :x).

We scoop every night and replace a bit of the sand in there each time, then we replace the entire thing at the end of the week. But, most of the box of litter is then used up by the end of that week (probably a quarter or less is left) and at 10-15 dollars a box it gets expensive each month
Is this normal? The litter also smells really bad to me even though we scoop it thoroughly
Is there a litter you guys use that might be a bit cheaper? Or... something :x
 

catsallover

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I like Tidy Cats Multicat Scoop with crystals, but since I have 4 cats (who are becoming more and more indoor cats, as they age), someone here suggested the Special Kitty (Walmart brand) scoopable with crystals (comes in a 28lb bag, not a bucket
), and although it is a little dustier, it is doing a great job. I also have a bucket of Target brand scoopable to try (was also suggested here
) to try next time, to see which one I like better. The Special Kitty was about $6-7 a 28 lb. bag; the Target was a little more for the same size, around $8? if I remember right, which is still a good bit cheaper than the $11-12 for the same size Tidy Cat.

If you do a search, there are lots of threads around here about kitty litter!
Good luck!
 

sharky

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Chicken feed aka layer crumbles .... about 10$ for 50 lbs ...

Swheet scoop about 24 $ for 40 lbs...

What are you feeding ???
 
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extinctosaurus

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I've been feeding dry Purina Pro Plan in the morning, and then a bit of the canned soft food in the evening (chicken). I did notice the canned food makes her breath smell more but the poops smelled terrible even when I wasn't feeding her soft food at all :\\
 

jpawz

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The fav litter around here is the Scoop Away (purple box) . One is less scented than the other (I forget which one...). But both clump great, seem less dusty than the others.

We are just finishing a box of A&H and I find it way too dusty. I literally can watch the dust rise after I scoop. Thankfully I have a window in the laundry room. Ack.

The Scoop Away particles seem firmer than the A&H too, which makes everything easier (clumping, scooping, less dust....)

I only replace litter once a month. But to compensate I also do mini cleanings every week (sort of a cheat but keeps things easier with 5-6 boxes). I use litter box wipes (am actually thinking of making my own) and add a bit of litter every few days. My cats don't like too much litter in the box.

My husband is ultra sensitive to dust and litter and he actually is amazed because we never have litter smells; you can poke your head right in the box and it smells pretty fresh and clean.

oh, pricewise--you can find sales for a 20lb box for @$7...which is excellent. Otherwise a reg 14 lb box is about $6. Though that goes on sale a lot too for $4.99, and I often have coupons for a buck off.
 

goldenkitty45

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I'm using the A&H Multicat and like it - doesn't smell bad to me. I just keep adding litter to it, scoop, and change it all once a month. Seems to work better if you have a deep pan and can put about 3-4 ins of litter in there.

The cheaper scoopable litters tend to be more dusty. A&H is less dusty IMO.
 

jpawz

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I'm using the A&H Multicat and like it - doesn't smell bad to me. I just keep adding litter to it, scoop, and change it all once a month. Seems to work better if you have a deep pan and can put about 3-4 ins of litter in there.

The cheaper scoopable litters tend to be more dusty. A&H is less dusty IMO.
Isn't it weird--I see a lot of people say they find the A&H less dusty but I find it MORE dusty?!

Not only do I see the dust rise in the room (yes I actually stand there after I scoop and watch haha ) but on the pans themselves (and the hooded ones) have dust covering them in a couple days when I use A&H..but not the Scoop Away.

Oh well?!
 

gailuvscats

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I cannot stand to breath in the dust from the commercial litter, and the scented ones could kill me. Can't imagine the poor cats having to breathe in that crap twice a day.

I use chicken crumbles in the winter and swheat in the summer. Reason is last summer the chicken crumbles smelled a little sour on hot days, the swheat doesnt do that.

Chicken crumbles is organic and inexpensive. If you search this site for it, you will find a lot of info.
also, using clumping eliminates the need to change litter every week. I scoop and keep the rims and inside sides of the box clean, but I don't dump it that often. Also, I don't have it very deep. Only about and inch, to 2 inches. Ihave three boxes for three cats. small medium and large. the small one is for Fang to pee in exclusively, which he does. and the others do not.
 

alice_curiouser

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The fav litter around here is the Scoop Away (purple box) . One is less scented than the other (I forget which one...). But both clump great, seem less dusty than the others.
Word to this. We only recently started using the Scoop away, but we've been very happy with it. Before that we used Arm & Hammer or Walmart's brand.

We scoop several times per day - keep scoopers and cans next to each box so it's easy to do whenever we pass a mess - but do full (dump the whole box) cleanings rarely.
 

renny

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I LOVE the President's Choice Green litter. It's very similar in texture and clumping to World's Best...but a lot cheaper.
 

bnwalker2

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Scoop Away is the brand I prefer to use. I can't stand the non-clumping litters. I have tried Arm & Hammer and was fairly happy with it, except that it's pretty expensive and doesn't last very long. I ran out of Scoop Away and haven't been able to get out to the store yet this week and I've been having to use the Tidy Cats multiple cats that I had laying around... I HATE it, it's not a clumping litter so I have to change the entire litter box every day because the urine doesn't clump.
 

jenny1124

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I've been using Feline Pine just because that is what the breeder used. I like how it doesn't smell and doesn't have dust.. but I hate that it doesn't clump.

When I look into her box, I feel like it needs an entire box change even when it doesn't because of the sawdust.

I am looking for a new litter as well..this stuff is getting kinda pricey!
 

littleraven7726

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we are going back to target brand scoop & walmart special kitty scoop with crystals. they are both less dusty than most of the name brand litters. and i think $7-$8 for 28 lbs is alot better in price. even with coupons name brand litter kills my budget. neither one has a strong scent either. scent-wise i like the walmart litter better, but ease of purchase has me lean towards target brand because i shop there more. the wal-mart litter comes in what look like feed bags but it is scooping litter.


if you have a petsmart near you, 40 lbs goes on sale for $10 or less regularly too. i just can't stand the dust in their litter.

we used to use tidy cats before they changed the formula. if you watch, it goes on sale at the same time a month at target for about $10 for 35-40lbs, and i used to combine the sale with coupons i collected.
unfortunately the guys do not like the new texture of tidy cats.
 

deelovely79

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Sswheat Scoop - No smell, clumps decently and it's flushable. The 40lb bag is on sale @ PetFoodDirect for $22 and they have it in my local supermarket so you may want to check the grocery store.
 

white cat lover

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I've used & liked:

Special Kitty w/ crystals($6-7 for 30 lbs)
Hy-Vee Multi-cat($8 for 30 lbs)
Tidy Cats(not the red pail)
A&H High Performance
Swheat Scoop

I liked the chicken crumbles, but I'm apparently allergic to it, so that was a no go. I currently use A&H High Performance/Swheat mix & Hy-Vee multi cat, depending on the box. One cat will only use the "natural" stuff & another only uses clay.
 

beandip

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There are some I would like to use, and I may experiment...but with so many cats, cost and clumping power are important to me. I used to use the clumping Special Kitty, and it worked well (about $6/28lbs). Now I get clumping Tidy Cat at Sam's. It's $11 for 38lbs. It seems a little less dusty than Special Kitty. Sam's also has a house brand that's OK too, it's $10 for 40lbs. If you have a Costco or other similar store they might have a good deal too.
 

angie8

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Another Scoop Away user here...........tried just about everything else out there at one time or another and kept going back to it. It clumps solid, and the litter stays clean so I rarely need to replace it--just refill the litter boxes when the level gets too low--saves $$ on litter in the long run. No problems with odor, either. Having 8 cats is a real test for any litter and Scoop Away stands up to the traffic in and out of the boxes wonderfully!
 

misty8723

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I use Sweatscoop, but it's kinda dusty. Not as dusty as clay. I also only have to change it totally about every 4 weeks, so it's still cheaper than the clay you have to change every week.
 

deljo

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I use Walmart Special Kitty for multiple cats. It has crystals, not much dust & doesn't have an offensive odor. It is about $6.70 for a 28# bag, and at that price is a lot cheaper than some of the other brands. It clumps hard and I only change about every month or month & a half.
 
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