Tidy Cat Lightweight Litter - Page 4

whitelinen · ‎03-09-2010

On 1/17/2014 cyndog said: Too bad it's not good because I don't like to lift the heavy litters either. I do like the other poster and buy 2 14 pounders instead of a giant one. The corn litter I tried was the same way, like floaty sawdust, what a mess that was.

Cyndog, I tried the corn based litter too, and it was a mess as well. I had high hopes for it cause it's a sustainable resource.

Hope they keep working on the corn formulation. I would rather use it than buying the gravel that has to be dug out of a pit somewhere . . .

whitelinen · ‎03-09-2010

On 1/17/2014 cyndog said: Too bad it's not good because I don't like to lift the heavy litters either. I do like the other poster and buy 2 14 pounders instead of a giant one. The corn litter I tried was the same way, like floaty sawdust, what a mess that was.

Cyndog, I tried the corn based litter too, and it was a mess as well. I had high hopes for it cause it's a sustainable resource.

Hope they keep working on the corn formulation. I would rather use it than buying the gravel that has to be dug out of a pit somewhere . . .

sonnysky · ‎09-30-2013

Thanks for the review! I have a coupon and was planning to buy....I will stick to my heavy jug from Costco.

Rosehill_1 · ‎11-06-2013

Whitelinen, I feel your pain. We have 6 cats who are rescues and strays. We had a huge litter dust problem- it was so bad that I almost lost two lemon trees which were being wintered over in the same room- the dust was just everywhere! I now buy Tidy Cats Breathe Easy-it's says 99% dust free on the label, but it doesn't seem all that it's cracked up to be. It is lots better than the old stuff I was buying (regular Tidy Cats or Arm & Hammer). 20# are about $12.99 at Pet Smart. I was warned on the Pet Forum here about how bad most cat litters are for animals and humans. Something like this below: (just google cat litter problems)

My cat, Ce Ce, is not overweight yet I couldn’t figure out why she was wheezing after she came out of her litter box. My vet thought it was asthma, I didn’t think so but what did I know. On the advice from my vet, I tried four different types of cat litters but Ce Ce kept wheezing. After doing some research online, I began to notice that a number of articles mentioned the cons of litter containing crystalline silica. Some cat litters that contain this processed mineral can cause respiratory problems, asthma, and lung cancer in both cats AND humans. Crystalline silica dust is also a suspected carcinogen, associated with bronchitis and tuberculosis.

The two ingredients that make the litters toxic are crystalline silica & sodium bentonite. Clay-based cat litters contain crystalline silica, the main component in sand, rock and mineral ores. A possible health threat from clay-based litters is posed by silica dust, which can be kicked up and breathed in by both cats and humans. Prolonged exposure to silica dust causes silicosis, a cancerous & fatal lung disease. Silicosis creates inflammation and scar tissue formation in the lungs, reducing the body’s ability to extract oxygen from the lungs. As the disease progresses, pulmonary and cardiac impairment may occur to the point where oxygen must be supplied continuously to sustain life. Once silicosis has developed there is no cure for the disease; however, silicosis is preventable if one can reduce silica dust exposure. Although exposure to this dust is of great concern, the effects on cat owners exposed while cleaning their cat's litter box are virtually unknown. Cheery thought, isn’t it?

Who knew that you would have to wear protective headwear to clean out your cats litter box? If this is so harmful to humans, then why is it okay to use it on animals? That’s a topic that I will tackle another day. In the meantime, I have tried throughout my years of cat ownership, many brands of clumping cat litters. Below are my findings. Now, I realize that this isn’t a very scientific method of testing and I can only share with you my own experiences and observations, but I hope it can give some insight.

The below litters contain Silica gel (sodium silicate). I have tried them all and they all clump really well & the litter smelled perfumed – almost a bit too much for my liking. I was using one of these litters with Ce Ce and I did notice a lot of dust would be present when re-filling her litter box and when she was kicking the litter around. This is also when I noticed the wheezing was at its worst.

Fresh Step
Scoop Away

Arm & Hammer
Premium Choice
Tidy Cats Scoop Multiple Cats

These litters below do not contain clay or silica. They are all flushable & biodegradable. They all work very well and I have listed what each litter contains that makes it more desirable for both you and your pets health.

Cat Country Elite formula - made of wheatgrass fiber. Slight odor and clumps pretty well.
Feline Pine - made of yellow pine. My cat did not like the texture on her paws and refused to use the litterbox.
Swheat Scoop - made of processed wheat. This is my all time favorite. No odor and clumps great.
Good Mews - made of recycled paper. I did not like the odor but it clumped well.
PaPurr litter - made of recycled paper. Again, I did not like the odor, but it clumped well.
Worlds Best Cat Litter - made of corn kernels. It smells a bit odd, but clumps well.

After a few weeks of using Swheat Scoop, I noticed the wheezing that Ce Ce had experienced was gone. I am positive that the change in litter is what did the trick. I also feel much better knowing that my pets’ health and possibly my own will not be in jeopardy from something as simple as cat litter.

AlleyCat · ‎03-10-2010

I have 6 furbabies and my experience with different litters is quite extensive. I used Swheat Scoop for a little over a year but the dust was just terrible. It was everywhere plus Swheat Scoop doesn't clump well. The clumps just fall apart when scooping. I use two litters currently in separate boxes. The first is World's Best Cat Litter. It is mostly dust-free but not completely, however, the clumping ability can't be beat IMO and it's corn-based which I like. I also use natural pine pellets that I get from our local Tractor Supply store. It is actually horse bedding but it's the same as Feline Pine pellets but at a fraction of the cost. It's called Natural Pine Equine Pelletized Bedding. It's 40lbs for only like 5.99. 1 bag lasts a very long time.

whitelinen · ‎03-09-2010

WOW--rosehill what great information! I really had no idea how what terrible things are in my furbabies CL!

Going to look for Swheat Scoop and give it a try. That was a thoughtful and insightful post, really appreciate it rosehill. I have three boys; two are rescues (one was a feral kitten, the other from an Alzheimer patient who who went into full time care) and one is a former breeder cat who acts feral. They have had tough lives to I make sure they have the best here with us. It's kind of like Upstairs Downstairs at our house--cats rule up and dogs down.

It works for us. Everyone coexists peacefully but the boys race around upstairs knowing the dogs won't join in and and hurt them unintentionally.

whitelinen · ‎03-09-2010

Alleycat, and thank you for letting us know about your experiences in CL!!

I have used Word's Best and I think I will go back to it. It tracked but not as bad as the TCLW. I will have to try the pine pellets, as well. I have two boxes in my Cat Room but I have the same product in each box.

Do different cats choose different boxes, have you noticed? I know that the breeder cat (a Himalayan) chooses one box and the two short hairs use the other. The Himalayan had a terrible odor when he first came to us so I'm thinking it even offended the other two cats!