Fresh Step Cat Litter

Has anyone noticed that a few months ago Fresh Step changed their litter from a fine litter to one with carbon fighting odor things in it. Its not a fine litter anymore so I dont think it clumps nearly as good as it did. The scoops fall apart more and leace bits in the litter box so it needs a thorough cleaning more often. I'm looking for a new clumping clay litter that will keep a small apartment odor free (have never had a problem with Fresh Step odor) and not as dusty. Whats Tidy Cats like? Any other suggestions? 

I always liked Tidy Cats 24/7. I never had any complaints besides the scent.  But I really wanted to try unscented and they didn't offer one.  I like Fresh Step fragrance free.  It controls odor well but it is way too dusty for us.  We've tried Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat (because everyone seems to love it) and it was dust-free but the odor control wasn't 100%.  Our solution is to mix Dr. Elsey's and Fresh Step....with mostly Dr. Elsey's and just a bit of Fresh Step added in for odor control.

We've also tried Cat's Pride Fresh and Light, unscented.  It was pretty good with odor control and low dust.  But I did not think the clumping was very good.  I'd try it again but can't find it at Wal-mart right now. 

Which kind are you buying? If you are getting the Extreme kind, or multicat, I would step down to regular or the plain plain clay kind. *nods*

The only kind at the Walmart here that I buy it from is Extreme or Multicat.

I like the Tidy Cats Premium line. I'm using the blue one right now (Power Bits? Or something like that), but green and orange are good too. I always found Fresh Step to be too heavily perfumed.

ilovemia said:

The only kind at the Walmart here that I buy it from is Extreme or Multicat.

Click to expand...

Yup. That's why it's so chunky. Try somewhere else to find the original kind.

Willowy said:

I like the Tidy Cats Premium line. I'm using the blue one right now (Power Bits? Or something like that), but green and orange are good too. I always found Fresh Step to be too heavily perfumed.

Click to expand...

I will try that. Thanks.

Minka said:

Yup. That's why it's so chunky. Try somewhere else to find the original kind.

Click to expand...

I tried when I went to the city (if you can call it that, 42,000 pop.) and they didnt have it at Walmart or Pet Supplies Plus (this is 60 miles from home). They also dont have it at Walmart in the townthats 20 miles away. I live in a little town (pop. 1,900) and all we have is a Dollar General and there was none there either when I checked. Just a bit frustrated with it. Thanks though. Ididnt know they still carried the other. Its not on Walmart.com either. 

ilovemia said:

I tried when I went to the city (if you can call it that, 42,000 pop.) and they didnt have it at Walmart or Pet Supplies Plus (this is 60 miles from home). They also dont have it at Walmart in the townthats 20 miles away. I live in a little town (pop. 1,900) and all we have is a Dollar General and there was none there either when I checked. Just a bit frustrated with it. Thanks though. Ididnt know they still carried the other. Its not on Walmart.com either. 

Click to expand...

It's right here silly ^^
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Step-Regular-21lb-Cats-Cats/14664729
&
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Step-Scoop-25lb/14977306
&
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Step-Regular-14lb-Cats/10313503

Minka said:

It's right here silly ^^
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Step-Regular-21lb-Cats-Cats/14664729
&
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Step-Scoop-25lb/14977306
&
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Step-Regular-14lb-Cats/10313503

Click to expand...

Well, sure, but shipping for litter would be exorbitant, and small-town Walmarts sometimes don't have a full selection. Or they sell out before you can get there. The Walmart in the town my parents live in barely stocks at all when the students are gone (it's a college town). Pretty crummy for the people who live there full-time :/.

Willowy said:

Well, sure, but shipping for litter would be exorbitant, and small-town Walmarts sometimes don't have a full selection. Or they sell out before you can get there. The Walmart in the town my parents live in barely stocks at all when the students are gone (it's a college town). Pretty crummy for the people who live there full-time :/.

Click to expand...

You just have to make sure you get a free shipping coupon first ^^

I-use-Cats-Pride,it-comes-in-a-jug,and-you-can-get-it-in-the-grocery-store-or-Family-Dollor,its-also-less-expensive,than-the-other-good-clumping-litters.

Not-the-one-in-the-bag,you-have-to-get-the-one-in-the-jug.

The-one-with-the-pink-top,is-like-fine-sand,and-I-never-had-a-problem-with-odor.But-I-also-pick-every-day-after-work,and-I-have-a-box-for-each-cat.The-only-time-I-notice-the-clumps-fall-apart,is-if-one-just-peed.Otherwise,the-clumps-are-hard,and-easy-to-pick.

The-one-with-the-red-top,is-like-the-fine-stones,per-say,similiar-to-Tidy-Cat-clumping.It-has-even-better-odor-control,more-like-you-can-smell-it,when-you-walk-in-the-cat-box-room.It-too-clumps-very-hard,unless,they-just-peed.But-the-smell,is-not-over-powering,like-Fresh-Step.

Both-are-very-good-clumping-litters,and-still-less-expensive-than-Tidy-Cat-or-Fresh-Step.

If-you-like-the-fine-sand,and-you-have-an-order-prob,add-a-box-of-baking-soda,to-the-litter,but-honestly,since-I-switched-from-clay-litters,I-no-longer-have-to-add-the-baking-soda.

What-you-feed,also-affects-what-the-poopies-smell-like,and-how-much-water-intake-your-cat-has,also-affects-the-concentration-and-smell-of-the-urine.Mine-are-fed-wet-mixed-with-water,so-its-real-soupy,it-keeps-them-flushed-out,thus,the-urine-is-not-so-concentrated.

I used to prefer Fresh Step over Tidy Cats.  Less dust IMO.  But, now I use a Petco brand called Johnny Cat.  It is wonderful!  I have to stock up when they have it because they are almost always sold out.  It is fine, very absorbent, less dust and much, much drier than the other 2 brands... Not to mention CHEAPER!  You can get 40lbs at Petco for like $10 whereas both Fresh Step and Tidy Cat for the same weight you are looking at about $20-$30.    It is not sold at Walmart but I think you can get it online?  Not sure but I get it at Petco.  It is wonderful.

Here's the link from Petco for it.

http://www.petco.com/product/7411/J...Cat Litter (1017500)-_-jonny cat litter-Broad

P3 and The King said:

I used to prefer Fresh Step over Tidy Cats.  Less dust IMO.  But, now I use a Petco brand called Johnny Cat.  It is wonderful!  I have to stock up when they have it because they are almost always sold out.  It is fine, very absorbent, less dust and much, much drier than the other 2 brands... Not to mention CHEAPER!  You can get 40lbs at Petco for like $10 whereas both Fresh Step and Tidy Cat for the same weight you are looking at about $20-$30.    It is not sold at Walmart but I think you can get it online?  Not sure but I get it at Petco.  It is wonderful.

Here's the link from Petco for it.

http://www.petco.com/product/7411/J...Cat Litter (1017500)-_-jonny cat litter-Broad

Click to expand...

Thanks. I will look into this when I do my monthly out of town shopping next week. I looked up the link and it looks good so will see. 

Isn't Jonny Cat a non-clumping litter? I do always have one box with non-clump in it but I hate how often it needs to be replaced. If we're talking non-clumping clay, I do prefer Fresh Step over Tidy Cats. Tidy Cats is dusty and gets muddy when wet, and Fresh Step non-clumping isn't too heavily scented. But clumping Fresh Step makes me want to rip my nose off :tongue2:. It made my entire house smell like the litter scent.

After trying probably every clumping litter on the planet :lol3:, I still always go back to the Tidy Cats Premium line. For non-clumping I usually get Cat's Pride (but that's more a matter of price and availability, not preference. I do like Fresh Step non-clumping best but I haven't tried Jonny Cat recently so that might be better).

Oh---I thought it was funny to see Jonny Cat described as a Petco brand! It used to be THE litter brand in all the grocery stores. I'm pretty sure that's what we used for my childhood cats. But I did notice that it isn't easy to find anymore. . .I ran their store locator and the only places near me that have it are Petco and Petsmart. Maybe I'll get some next time I'm there. And they do make a clumping litter! I didn't know that. But it's in a jug not a bag.

Willowy said:

Isn't Jonny Cat a non-clumping litter? I do always have one box with non-clump in it but I hate how often it needs to be replaced. If we're talking non-clumping clay, I do prefer Fresh Step over Tidy Cats. Tidy Cats is dusty and gets muddy when wet, and Fresh Step non-clumping isn't too heavily scented. But clumping Fresh Step makes me want to rip my nose off

. It made my entire house smell like the litter scent.
After trying probably every clumping litter on the planet

, I still always go back to the Tidy Cats Premium line. For non-clumping I usually get Cat's Pride.

Click to expand...

Thanks Willowy. I thought it was clumping but itjust says clay. Will not be getting it as I definately want clumping!!!

Mine clumps fine enough for me?  I don't know?  But we don't have it in grocery stores here... Just Petco.  Don't knock it just because it's cheaper.  Paying more doesn't always mean paying for better quality.  I thought so, too, but sometimes you're just paying for a name.  It is much drier and doesn't need to be replaced as often as it does not get as wet as Fresh Step, Tidy Cat or the other name brands but if you want to pay more or listen to those that are knocking it... It is up to you.  I've never heard anyone say anything bad about Jonny Cat.  In fact, just the opposite.  It is almost always Sold Out here as they can't keep it in stock, it's so good.

If you see my edit, they do make a clumping litter. But I don't know if your local stores would have it. I've never seen it, and I really thought I tried them all!

Well, the jonny cat I get clumps good enough for me.  Like with Fresh Step, I liked it better than Tidy Cats because it was less dusty and didn't turn to mud when wet but Fresh Step hard clumps and sometimes it sticks so it's harder to remove it.  That is my experience..... I tried Cats Pride.  I like it better than Fresh Step and Tidy Cat but again I thought it was really expensive for the small packages you'd get or the box it come in.  I came across Jonny Cat a few months ago and I hesitated as I had never heard of it and it was very cheap for such a large amount.  But the clerk told me they can't keep it in stock, it's so popular and she uses it and loves it.  I tried it and I am very impressed, too.  It has good reviews.  A good price and it clumps but not super hard clumps, just enough to remove the waste and it stays dry pretty much entirely better than Fresh Step or Tidy Cats.

I've moved alot in the last 4yrs, I used Fresh Step in San Francisco, no problem.  Now I live in Iowa, moved 3 different apartments & for some reason an awful smell seemed to follow me it never crossed my mind that it was or anybody else that it was the cat litter.  Then while shopping I bought a giant box of Cats Pride litter used it & NO MORE SMELL!!!  I really don't under stand what happened between Iowa & California that changed  Fresh Step smell so awful

They could have changed the formula for the Fresh Step. Companies often do that without informing the public. Most corporations see consumers as just money supplies.