Just tried clumping litter for the first time

Total NEWBIE here with cats!  I've got 4 kittens and started with the Special Kitty clay litter - was working very well.  I actually dump it daily (don't flame!  I know it's not green!) and sanitize the box and was pretty happy with it but of course it's a wasteful system.  So I figured I'd start experimenting with other litters.  Got Tidy Cat clumping and NOT impressed at all.  First, it made SUCH a mess - the stuff must stick to their paws like crazy.  Second, even though it clumps pretty well, tiny pieces of the clumps do break off and I can't imagine it's going to smell fresh very long.  So I'm just going to keep trying to find the perfect litter system. 

Maybe baking soda in the box would allow the clay to only be dumped every OTHER day, cutting my usage in half.  I can try that. 

I do read about how people say they use clay and only dump once a week - not sure how that works because it seems to smell pretty bad on Day 2 even though I'm taking out the poop.

Thanks!

Hi.   I use clumping litter only, so I can't help with your query.   However, just wondering how old your kittens are, because I've seen other posts on this board where people advise that clumping litter should not be used with kittens as they may eat it.  Just wanted to mention it.

Edited to add:   Clumping can be messy with the tracking, but for the cleaning the box, I use paper towels and litter box wipes to clean anything that sticks to the sides/bottom of the pan.

Yeah, they're a little on the young side - I'm guessing they're 3.5 months, so not quite the 4 months they recommend.  I have been using clay until now for that reason, but now I think I prefer the clay because it doesn't get tracked around so much, but there are many litters out there to try.  I was just wondering if anyone else wanted to share their perfect system   Of course, I'm going to search the archives, too, and I'm sure there is a LOT to be learned there, too.

Which Tidy Cats scoop litter are you using? Some clump better than others, IME. Try Active Spaces, Dual Power, or Small Spaces. Also, what kind of scoop are you using? Try to find one with fairly narrow slots so you can get all the little bits out.

Changing regular litter every day is excellent for odor control, but, as you've found, not so great for the environment or your budget. For the enviromental aspect, you could try something like pine pellets or corn cob horse bedding (if you have farm stores in the area). There are other natural litters available, but those are the cheapest.

The stuff I got was "Instant Action" Tidy Cats clumping litter.  I just grabbed one totally randomly.

I've been using special kitty clumping and like it so far. Better than the rest I've tried.
I have a large rug under it to help with the mess. I just dump the litter from the rug back into the box.
But I only have two adults.

You could try pellet litter made from recycled paper . I have never used it so not sure how economical it would be or how good it works.   I have always used  Tidy Cats Clumping Litter ..  It is the best I have found .  No odor  , solid clumps , economical . 

Yes it does track , most cat litter will .. I  mainly use Tidy Cats because of the low dust , better for my cats ..

I read a trick that after scooping the poop, just to tip the litter back and forth and use a child's shovel to get that pee stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan and that works pretty great!  I think I can, at the least, start only dumping every other day.  Maybe even every 3rd day.  At least that will save a bit and I'll be on the road to figuring out the best system for me.  I'm going to hold off for awhile on the clumping just to be certain these guys are over 4 months - 2 more weeks and it should be a sure thing they are 4 months old.

I put a small rug at the litter box exit. Not 100% effective, but it helped with the tracking.

I do have a rug, too.  It's actually a rag rug (the really fluffy ones where the scraps of fabric make a 'shag' type thing).  I was concerned at first it would confuse the kittens and they'd pee on it, but so far, seems they haven't.  Due to it having so many nooks and crannies, it really traps the litter nicely.  But compared to the regular, the clumping still made much more mess.  But I will give it another try in a few weeks.

I just came across this rug on Amazon. Haven't used it myself, but the reviewers rated it highly:

I've been using Fresh Step now and I love it!   The stuff I tried first was little tiny balls, so I think that's why it tracked *so* badly.  But now I'm loving the clumping litter!