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I cannot believe we are having so much drama over cat litter at our house. We used Nature's Miracle for years, but then something changed and it became very dusty. We have tried countless brands since then. I do not want anything scented. Many of the clumping varieties clump like wet concrete and stick to the bottom of the box (even with several inches of litter). We have 4 cats, 4 litter boxes and scoop 2X a day. Is there anything unscented that clumps and will scoop out easily?

Before my elderly kitty decided to quit using the litter box (we now use puppy training pads) we used fresh step crystals. Does not clump but very easy cleanup and no odor. Lasts longer than regular litter and she liked it.

At the clinic we use a littler called Yesterdays News. It is recycled old newspapers and when we board cats or have cats in we use it and in 3 yearts I have never smelled anything at all. This stuff works great and my vet uses it at home as well

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SheltiesMom,

There is a new litter called fesh and clean- less dusty but you use more because the absorbency is different. At first I thought this was terrible but then learned that it absorbed BEFORE it hit the bottom of the box.

I use the pellets that you put in wood stoves. 20lb bag costs about $5. It smells like real wood for a few days when the bag is first opened.
There is some tracking, but minor compared to most.
It is not a clumping litter, but if you put just about 2" in the box, it is very easy to clean. As I have 3 cats, 3 boxes and clean twice a day, cost and easiness of cleanup are very important.

We've had our share of litter drama, too, with five cats. We were happy with Tidy Cats until the manufacturer added "fragrance" to all versions a year or two ago. I'm allergic to fragrance and our lovely Trudy won't use scented litter.

We tried a lot of litters after Tidy Cats and finally settled on Cat's Pride. The "Natural" version of Cat's Pride is unscented and has a sand-like consistency that the cats like. It is not very dusty. It also clumps really well. And the Cat's Pride website has monthly coupons for $1 off each jug of litter.

To avoid the concrete clumps that stick to the bottom of the litter box, keep five or six inches of litter in the box. That way, the p** clumps before it hits the bottom of the box.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sst-a,

sst-a, Thanks for your in-put ~ I agree with a lot of it. I used to use Jonny-Cat Unscented Multiple Cat and was very happy with it; unfortunately it is no longer available here. Maybe it was bought out by another company?

So have been using Tidy Cat that has been satisfactory up until the addition of "scent" ~ wish these manufacturers would do in-depth surveys of people who actually BUY their products! Guess they thought "people" would like it better IF it was "scented." Well, I don't and neither do my cats!

Forgetting the issue of scent, both Johnny Cat and Tidy Cat worked well for us - 6 indoor cats and 7 litter boxes by doing what you suggest: I always keep 4-6 inches of litter in the box so never have had a problem with any "gunk" accumulating on the bottom or sides of the box. BTW, my boxes aren't the shallow boxes sold in grocery stores that are about 4 inches deep/ instead they are about 12" high x 18" long if that makes sense.

But, in the last two years (with two cats in renal failure), I have noticed a problem that their excessive urination causes ~ very similar to the above described "near concrete" conditions even at the top of the litter box although they are scooped daily...

So what to do? Guess I will give Cat's Pride a try - thanks for posting the info re the coupons! With the number of jugs we buy each week, maybe those coupons will help off-set the "sale" price for Tidy Cat! Thanks!

You're welcome.

If you need more info on litters, check out Amazon, where there are lots of reviews of various cat litters. It's kind of amazing how passionate people are in their reviews. There's one litter that some folks love and swear is unscented, while other folks who are sensitive/allergic to fragrance, like me, swear is scented. If you can tolerate scent, I think it's called Ever Clean, or something like that, and lots of people seem to love it.

On the coupon front, you can also get coupons for Cat's Pride each month on various coupon websites.

I'm sorry to hear about your cats with renal failure. Our beloved 18 year old Sam has kidney disease and is starting to get pretty frail, but she still loves her humans, her food, and her outside perch where she "guards the perimeter" while reclining on a cushion. She has just recently started trusting the younger cats to actually defend the perimeter for her. There is an absolutely gorgeous dark orange tabby who is feral, but very interested in our cat family. He definitely wants to hang out with them, but so far Sam and her troops are keeping him at bay, I am such a soft touch that I would welcome this gorgeous guy into our little family (cat colony?), so I suppose I should thank Sam and company for saving me from myself.

Actually, sst-a, this rings a bell with me.

Don't be surprised if that gorgeous dark orange tabby finds a place in your heart and home. It's difficult to describe but every time I have lost a special one, it seems as if they have chosen the one they want to take their place!

In any event, you might be surprised; sounds like he wants to be part of a family - yours?

I use the PetSmart house brand unscented scoopable. Yes, some wets make it to the bottom of the box and stick like concrete. But if you let those dry a few hours they scrap off nicely.

I have 3 cats, 3 boxes in use. I have several spare boxes. When one needs to be washed I set-out a spare. I wash boxes outside.

Another trick I have learned. If a box looks like it needs to be washed but its too cold outside to wash it, set it in the garage for a couple of days. Most of the ick will dry out and can be scraped out. You might not need to wash it, or you can wash it in the bath tub without making too much mess.

Idaho - I like your thought. We've been thinking that our guardian cats in heaven are sending us new frinds. So we're kind of on the same track, we just differ in the timing of it.

JoW - I love the idea of having spare litter boxes. What a great idea.

Thanks, everyone for all the great tips! I wanted to let you know that we ended up with Meijer scooping litter - unscented - and it works great! No more concrete sludge clumps. It stays sort of "dry" and lifts right out. The cats love it, we love it, and you can get it on sale 2/$12! Hope this may help others and thank you again for all the responses and advice

I also have 2 cats, 2 litter boxes and scoop daily. We've been having the same issues with the clump-type of cat litter. I line the boxes with a plastic leaf/lawn bag. This way I can move the box around to 'de-stick' the clumps and make them scoopable. One of my kitties is having bladder issues, and as decided the she likes to p** off the side of the box. What a mess...but you gotta love them

One of my senior citizen cats went blind about a year before he died. He had the house memorized and found the box fine, but he would often have all 4 feet in the box, tail end over the edge. I put the box on an old shower curtain. I could take the shower curtain outside to rinse it off. Thats easier than washing the bathroom floor.