Mixing Different Litters?

c1atsite · Mar 23, 2008

(Litters, as in brands of cat litter, not litter as in newborns)

So I typed a response to a different thread and it made me think of this question: Does anyone here mix 2 or more brands of litter to 'create' a litter that meets your preferences?

( http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...86#post2228786 )

Some litters don't have great odor control, but are good in other ways.

Some have excellent clumping ability, but fall short in other ways.

You get the idea.

So the questions are: What litter brand has everything you want? If it doesn't would you mix it with another type of litter to produce everything you want?

artgecko · Mar 23, 2008

The only three types of litter that I've mixed are:
1. WBCL/Chicken feed mixed with FP Scoop (the FP scoop didn't bring much to the party)
2. WBCL mixed with papurrr (mainly used the WBCL to offset papurrs bad clumping...worked ok, WBCL added clumping ability, papurr scoop added affordability. 50/50 mix was most effective.)
3. WBCL mixed with chicken feed (chicken feed is cheap but doesn't do well on odors and some clumping problems...WBCL is great on both fronts, but $$$, mixing 50/50 seemed to work well).

That's it. IMO, if you are using a good litter, mixing usually won't help you out much, unless you're trying to switch brands/types or something.

Art

cococat · Mar 23, 2008

I use a clumping litter and add a big box of baking soda with it. My cat isn't picky. I have used lots of litters before finally settling with this

laureen227 · Mar 23, 2008

i really like the clumping power of scoop away, but dislike the scent - & the unscented is hard to find! i prefer an unscented because i use the cat attract litter additive to help Chip remember where he's supposed to go

i now use exquisicat - inexpensive, as clay clumping litters go, & unscented!

robertm · Mar 24, 2008

I just started mixing (about 50-50) Tidy Cats Scoop (Multiple Cats) with Arm & Hammer Super Scoop and I'm very happy with the results.

I had been using Tidy Cats exclusively, but was very dissatisfied with the clumping ability, or lack thereof. It seemed like if the scooper would even lightly graze the urine clump, the clump would break into about 38 pieces. And since I'm such a stickler for getting every last bit of waste out of the box every time, this quickly became rather annoying.

So I decided to switch to a different litter, and went with Arm & Hammer because it was on sale and I had a coupon, and I'm a sucker for great deals. I poured a little bit into the empty litter box and was absolutely horrified by how dusty it was. I mean, it looked like there had been a nuclear explosion. I immediately said, "Well, I'm not buying THIS again, that's for sure." But just for the hell of it I filled the box with Tidy Cats and mixed the two. Wouldn't you know it --- the clumping has been fantastic, and the cats really like it, probably because it's very sand-like in texture.

So the Tidy Cats is necessary to offset the dustiness of the A&H, and the A&H is necessary for better clumping. Odor control is great with both products, and tracking is more or less normal. Works for us.

c1atsite · Mar 24, 2008

Originally Posted by RobertM

I just started mixing (about 50-50) Tidy Cats Scoop (Multiple Cats) with Arm & Hammer Super Scoop and I'm very happy with the results.

I had been using Tidy Cats exclusively, but was very dissatisfied with the clumping ability, or lack thereof. It seemed like if the scooper would even lightly graze the urine clump, the clump would break into about 38 pieces. And since I'm such a stickler for getting every last bit of waste out of the box every time, this quickly became rather annoying.

So I decided to switch to a different litter, and went with Arm & Hammer because it was on sale and I had a coupon, and I'm a sucker for great deals. I poured a little bit into the empty litter box and was absolutely horrified by how dusty it was. I mean, it looked like there had been a nuclear explosion. I immediately said, "Well, I'm not buying THIS again, that's for sure." But just for the hell of it I filled the box with Tidy Cats and mixed the two. Wouldn't you know it --- the clumping has been fantastic, and the cats really like it, probably because it's very sand-like in texture.

So the Tidy Cats is necessary to offset the dustiness of the A&H, and the A&H is necessary for better clumping. Odor control is great with both products, and tracking is more or less normal. Works for us.

Thanks Robert M _ I'm gonna try this!

And to Laureen, generally I kind of like Scoop Away but I don't like the dust. Not a big fan of the scent either. But it sure does clump well

You can bust dust clouds with a dustbuster vacuum. Start the machine at least 4 feet away from the box, then when the dust cloud comes up, use the dustbuster to bust the cloud.

ryanjay · Mar 25, 2008

to funny i just did this today...I usually use crystal blend by walmart but seems the last batch i got(4 28lb bags) has no odor control to it at all...i just bought a box of arm hammer scoop so threw that in a new litter box and i wanted to try feline pine scoop so threw that in another new box...well the cats LOVE the feline pine......as a bed lol!!! so threw the feline pine(4lbs) in with about 60 lbs of the crystal blend litter and they are using it to death... with all my cats i am going to stick to arm and hammer for a while again(used it for years but switched for some reason or another. dustier then i remember it but the smell is not there at all...and with this many THAT matters lol

c1atsite · Mar 25, 2008

Robert M _ Where are some good places to get these? (good places to shop)?

Thanks again for the idea. I might as well experiment.

eliot'smom · Mar 25, 2008

I mix Scoop Away 1/2 and 1/2 with WBCL...for me, the WBCL was not cutting it in the clumping department, so the clay litter "boosts" it some. Also, I find that the WBCL has a funky smell, and the clay litter cuts down on that. I am lucky to not have a picky feline, though....so I continue to experiment with litter all the time!

robertm · Mar 26, 2008

Originally Posted by c1atsite

Robert M _ Where are some good places to get these? (good places to shop)?

Thanks again for the idea. I might as well experiment.

It should be easy.

You should be able to find at least part of both the Tidy Cats and the Arm & Hammer lines at most chain grocery stores. I don't shop at Walmart or Target (or similar stores) but I would imagine that they'd have them as well.

And I know for a fact that PetSmart and Petco carry them.

I've only ever tried the A&H Super Scoop, Unscented. There are other ones, like Odor Alert and Multi-Cat, but I'm not sure how they differ performance-wise from the Super Scoop. There seems to be so many different Tidy Cats products that it can get very confusing, but I guess as long as you pick one of the scoopable ones it should be decent enough.

Hopefully your results will be as good as mine. But one thing I've found through far too much research on the internet is that there is no one brand/type of litter that has anything close to universal appeal. For every person who extols the virtues of Brand X, there's another person who will list, in excruciating detail, all the reasons why Brand X sucks. It's like switching foods --- it can be a matter of trial and error, and it could take longer than you'd like because you have to go slowly.

c1atsite · Mar 28, 2008

Thanks Robert - I switched back to plain Tidy Cats saying goodbye to Feline Pine Scoop and wow, my nose is so glad to have the old litter back. The cats don't care although my gut is sort of telling me they prefer TC.

And you're right about 2 things. (1) There seems to be 20 or so Tidy Cats; at least they try to color code their products but it's still confusing. (2) The highs and lows of litter and food will always be subject to our and our cats' preferences. It's just the way it is.

Mixing Different Litters?

c1atsite

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artgecko

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cococat

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laureen227

Darksome Duo!

robertm

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ryanjay

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eliot'smom

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