A few questions for the experts...

How much clumping litter does a kitten go through in a month? I'm just looking for an estimate here, trying to finalize my yearly budget. I realize that clumping litter is not prefered for kittens, but my kitten has tried the clay litter and realized that its not so tasty. He is now staying away from eating the new litter.

Is Max Cat Kitten Dry food a good brand of cat food? I have to find a quality cat food without suffering too much for the cost. I'm a senior and high school and have become financially responsible for an 8 week old kitten. Will the Max Cat brand have my kitten eating less food because of the protein content? That would help with the costs.

Has anyone tried the Omega Paw Roll 'n' Clean litter box? It looks relatively simple. Just looking for some reviews.

Does anyone use Fresh Step litter? I'm wondering if anyone is currently not using their Paw Points and would like to send them my way. I know its a far shot but oh well.


Thanks for any help with these questions!

Welcome to TCS.

The amount of litter will depend partly on the size of your litter box. You need to have at least 3-4" of litter in the bottom. Then as you scoop you will need to add fresh litter every few days to keep the level up. A number of different sources recommend one litter box for each cat plus one extra, which means two litter boxes for your one kitty. However, I had only one box for Shareena when I first got her and didn't have any problems.

You could get 30-40 lbs of litter and fill the box to find out how much it really takes. Then figure on maybe 25% more to add during the month. The litter should be changed out completely every 4-6 weeks and the litter box cleaned. I have 4 boxes for 6 cats (yeah, I know--not 1 per cat + 1) and use approximately 100# of litter per month. With your one kitten you won't be losing nearly as much of the litter with scooping.

I tried Fresh Step first with Shareena because a friend recommended it. Worst mistake I made. It is extemely dusty and has a VERY strong scent. I don't know about my poor kitty, but I could barely breathe all night. Couldn't wait to get to the store the next day to buy new litter. Others may have had a different experience with it.

Watch your prices on the litter. The large tubs (27-30#) frequently cost more per pound than the 20# bottle-type containers.

Max is a good food at a reasonable price .. wet food will help with fullness and added protein...

5 grown cats go thru about 85 lbs of natural clumping litter ...

Thanks for the responses. Does anyone know about how much dry food a kitten can eat in a month?

Oops! Posted my response to another thread here.

So now for what I really meant to say. The amount of food your kitten will eat depends a lot on the quality of the food. If it has a lot of fillers, he'll be eating more in order to get the nutrition he needs.

I'm feeding a grain-free dry food, plus I split a 5.5 oz. can of wet food six ways once a day. That makes the wet food more of a treat than a major part of their diet. My three kittens and three cats go through 15# of dry food in about three weeks. I can't tell you how much each kitten eats because they all share the same dishes, but I assume the kittens are eating at least half of it. A kitten needs 2-3 times as much food per pound of body weight as a full-grown cat, which means my 3.5# kittens are probably eating the same amount as my 7# cats.

So, just doing a rough estimate, that would be about 3-1/3# of dry food plus approximately 5 cans of wet food per month for each kitten.

When I started out with just one kitten I was feeding her Purina Kitten Chow and she was eating close to 5# a month with no wet food.

You'll probably have to do some experimenting to find out what kind of food your kitten will eat. If you measure what you put out it will be easier to keep track of what he's actually eating. I don't mean you have to limit him to a certain amount, just measure it instead of simply filling up the dish each time.

an ave 10lb adult goes thru appr 3-5 lbs of dry a month ... so if you have a 5lb kitten it would be about the same...

You don't say how old your kitty is. I go thru about 40 pounds of Fresh Step litter per box each month. About 25 pounds to fill each box and another 15 pounds to top it back up after scooping. That can be stretched a bit because it really only needs to be fully changed every six weeks if scooped every day.

I have had very good success with Fresh Step. It's clumping capabilities are excellent. It does have a perfume scent which I could probably live without. We'll probably try the scent-free if we ever see it.

I have two large Omega Paws boxes. Absolutely love em. Ooops, thanks for reminding me. I haven't rolled yet today! Best thing about them, besides being so easy to scoop, is that you can give the bottom a good whack and free any clumps from a side-pee'er. Now, if I could just get my two kitties to distribute the load a little more evenly between the two boxes. They use one a lot and the other a little, which kind of defeats the purpose of having two boxes.

Originally Posted by hwc

You don't say how old your kitty is. I go thru about 40 pounds of Fresh Step litter per box each month. About 25 pounds to fill each box and another 15 pounds to top it back up after scooping. That can be stretched a bit because it really only needs to be fully changed every six weeks if scooped every day.

I have had very good success with Fresh Step. It's clumping capabilities are excellent. It does have a perfume scent which I could probably live without. We'll probably try the scent-free if we ever see it.

I have two large Omega Paws boxes. Absolutely love em. Ooops, thanks for reminding me. I haven't rolled yet today! Best thing about them, besides being so easy to scoop, is that you can give the bottom a good whack and free any clumps from a side-pee'er. Now, if I could just get my two kitties to distribute the load a little more evenly between the two boxes. They use one a lot and the other a little, which kind of defeats the purpose of having two boxes.

Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I have three cats, three kittens, and four litterboxes. They use two of them a lot, the third almost as much, and the fourth one for maybe two pees a day.

Thanks for all the help everyone!

Yeah, I rescued these 2 6 week old kittens about 2 weeks ago from the backyard of the house I was pet sitting at. They are wonderful and I love them both. I am currently trying to convince my parents to let me keep the grey one as a family pet; of course, I will pay for all of the expenses (food, litter, vaccines, vet bills, ect.), but I prefer to map out exactly were all of my hard earned money is going so I can save up for emergencies. I've done a huge amount of research, but something must be answered by those who have been there and done that.

So, a few more questions...

1.) I understand that many cat people are very against declawing. However, it is a requirement that my parents have set in place. I have not found any factual evidence to support the claim that declawing is any more cruel than any other surgery such as a spay or neuter. Most of the websites against declawing only have anecdotal stories. Surveys say that most cats with experience pain (as with any other surgery) and mild bleeding at the site. For this question, I'm not really looking for opinions or "declawing is inhumane". I just was wondering if anyone has a price range for a front declaw of a kitten in a metropolitan area (ideally Phoenix, AZ). This would be the surgery, antibiotics, and such, but with no neuter.

2.) Whatdo you all think of Tidy Cats Immediate Odor Control litter? Is it as perfumy as Fresh Step?

Thanks for any help!

Oh, and my sources for the declawing come mostly form the internet and my grandfather. He is a veterinarian, so he is obviously knowledgible on the subject.

I occasionally smell a slight citrus scent when I first pour the Tidy Cats Immediate Odor Control litter into the boxes, but nothing like the Fresh Step. It also doesn't seem to be quite as dusty.

For the record, I am totally against declawing, but I'm not going to lecture you on it. As far as finding out costs, just call around to different vets and clinics. When I was checking on costs for spaying and microchips I found that everyone I called was willing to give me their prices over the phone. Just say you're checking on prices and they don't expect you to make an appointment to bring your kitty to them.

The forum rules contain this paragraph:

3. This website considers declawing a drastic way to curb cat behavior. A painful ordeal for your kitty we would suggest that declawing never be considered for any behavioral issue. Health issues are entirely different. It is up to you as a responsible pet owner to explore all the different options available instead of declawing. Your cat is dependant on you to make wise choices for her, and not put her into any more stress or discomfort. Please be a responsible pet owner and research this subject thoroughly. Understand that if you are pro-declaw in your posts, you will encounter opposition. Please learn more about alternatives for declawing here in our forums as well as on our website itself. Declaw - More than Just a Manicure. Hopefully those of you with claw-related problems will find solutions by spending time in our Behavior Forum.

There are huge numbers of threads about this issue, so I'm not going to go into the medical end of declaws. The basic question is: what is okay to do for your convenience? Is it okay to anesthetize an animal (with the unavoidable risk of death) for your parent's furniture? Would it be okay for you to pay to have yourself anesthetized and your finger nails removed because you simply don't like fingernails? Humans use fingers for much less than cats use claws. Cats claws help cats balance (like on the top of a wooden fence or the back of chair) in addition to helping them defend themselves (if your cat will be doing outside). My opinion is that no surgical procedures are acceptable to preserve furniture.

I appreciate the comments. Can anyone come up with any factual evidence as to why declawing is considered cruel? Hard facts could help convince my parents. Sources need to be provided. Thanks!

There are so many threads on de-clawing on this forum that it seems a little strange for me to look for evidence that will be convincing to you or your parents. You're probably the best person to determine what is convincing and what is not.

One thing I found with a quick search was a link to a long essay with illustrations. It includes citations from two studies about complications. They are old citations.

Also, since softclaws (plastic caps that go on nails) have convinced many landlords that declawing is not necessary, they might convince your parents.