Which cat litter?

So since this is my first kitten, I am not sure which cat litter is best. So far, I have been using Fresh Step which has been good when it comes to odor control, but it seems that it just doesn't clump very well. I have had recommendations for Tidy Cats (immediate odor control) and Arm & hammer. Which one clumps the best but still does well w/ controlling odors? Thanks in advance!

You know, I think you are going to get a varied answer. I use all three of those brands. I've pretty much stopped using arm & hammer lately though because I decided it didn't clump as well as the other two brands, plus it costs a bit more. I think tidy cat probably clumps the best, but the smell control isn't quite as good. The crystals blend though probably works the best for smell control. Some people like the small spaces brand, personally I think the fragrance is awful. Fresh step definitely has a fragrance.. the draw back is that it is dusty and the dust carries the smell of the litter. The bottom line is that as long as you and your cat are happy.
BTW the equiscat litter from petsmart isn't bad either.. that's the only generic I've ever thought was good.
There are other litter type options too though.. traditional clay, corn based, wood pellets, paper pellets, wheat (swheat scoop), pine, silica pearls. Some of these are more natural, though can be more expensive and maybe not as good for odor control.

We use Special Kitty from WalMart - its worked well for us.

How old is your kitten? I recommend Feline Pine. Urine turns to sawdust and is flushable or can be used on a compost pile. It smells lovely and piney. It is really easy to scoop the poop out and it lasts a long time!

He's about 3 months old. I've seen the Feline Pine stuff, but I really want something that clumps

Regular Arm & Hammer has been fine for the cats I've had. My place is pretty small and gets very hot in the summer so odor control is important (covered litter boxes with odor filters also help). Scooping once a day and changing the litter weekly seems to work OK. I also mix in a little of the Arm & Hammer litter deodorizer after scooping. No dust kicks up while scooping but there's a little bit when pouring a bunch of new litter into the box.

When I've fostered stray/feral kittens, I start them off on the non-clumping Fresh Step until they've stopped snacking on the litter, then I transition them to the clumping Arm & Hammer. Usually can do this by 6-8 weeks of age.

Tidy Cats clumping is very good, too - I might pick some up the next time it's on sale and see how the kitties like it.

i like arm and hammer

but i also use Worlds best cat litter, i don't know if you can use that with kittens tho
(its made from corn)

I am a HUGE fan of World's Best Cat Litter. Its made from corn and one of the safest litters around. Very low in dust (no respiratory problems) if eaten it is digestable (since its made from corn) and 1 17# bag can last 1 cat a whole month. The only downfall to it is if you dont have some type of matt outside the box to clean their feet, they tend to leave little yellow footprints everywhere. I found out about Worlds Best when i got my first cat and I have never ever tried any other litter because i'm 100% satisfied with this. They also have a program where you save 9 UPC's send them in and they will send you $28 in coupons towards future purchases of more litter. Hope I sold some people (Former pet shop worker)

Also heres a link to Worlds Best website http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/

oh wow, thanks! i did not know about the UPC deal!

i have one cat who will not poop in the WBCL- i found out when the only box with the Arm and hammer litter was being cleaned (i was gradually switching them over because i LOVE WBCL!! i wish i had found it sooner)

well he let me know what he thought of that, he pooped in the tub! LOL

so i have to keep one box of the other stuff just for him


i will have to check out that UPC thing

thanks

I use chicken feed( egg layer crumble) /// It works like worlds best but is about 70% less ... a 50 lb bag runs 7.50-10.50 and one bag last two jumbo boxes a month... If you dont mind non clumping wood pellets are very very cheap

I've been a long time user of TC Small Spaces for my 2 spayed females. It clumps well, but does NOTHING for urine odor. (and I scoop every day.) I also use litter deoderizer that another poster mentioned. It helps, but not much. I'd like to try the pine litter....does it clump at all tho?? how is it to scoop??

Originally Posted by laureen227

may i just say - that is a GORGEOUS signature!

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Thanks, laureen227 - it's very touching that your signature is a tribute to the life of Mouse - s/he must have been a very special cat. Nice touch matching the letters of her/his name to the color of her/his eyes.

Coming back on topic, Lil' Bee, whose eyes are peeking out of my signature, was rescued as a little kitten but retained a lot of feral behaviour such as trying to bury her food. She took very well to Fresh Step and using an indoor litter box.

I am a big fan of WBCL too, but in this humidity, add a little baking soda to make it last longer

I went from litter pearls, to Swheat Scoop and finally World's Best. Litter pearls are okay, but they just soak up the urine and I find this discomforting. I am not a big fan of seeing tons of yellow pearls everywhere - yuck. Now, Swheat scoop is great except for one big flaw, it sticks to the bottom. The first time I did the monthly cleaning, I noticed a layer of litter on the bottom and it was not coming off! It was like super glue. It took me 30-45 minutes to clean the box fully. Also, beacuse I was not able to initially scoop the litter out, the urine began to break down into ammonia - horrible cleaning experience. Anyways, World's Best, it is called World's Best for a reason; it is perfrect and unmatchable by any other litter I have tried. If you can afford it, use it!

it sticks to the bottom.

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That's the problem I've been having with Fresh Step. I think I am going to try the Arm & Hammer and see how it goes (not sure which one though)

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

We use Special Kitty from WalMart - its worked well for us.

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i just picked up some of this stuff, i was very pleased with the price! it contains more cat litter than fresh step but costs less than half the price! it looks almost exactly the same too. one thing makes me a little skeptical of how well its going to work is on the front of the cantainer it says "scented" but i dont smell any scent on it at all. anyway for the price its definately worth it to try it! thanks for the suggestion Goldenkitty

i also picked up some feline pine to try, i was shocked at how inexpensive that stuff is, especially if it lasts as long it says it does on the bag!