Cat Litter

Nov'2021: So we are now owners of a kitten, and will probably add a 2nd in the spring. (We originally intended to get both at the same time, which affected litter box planning.)

Which requires "waste management".

So, I read the Wirecutter article

• don't get auto/mechanical box
• bought the Frisco High-Sided 24in box
  • but the wife hated the color, so I returned it (chewy.com UI bad - link from Wirecutter offered only a single color, had to different search to find separate page for each color)
• bought "Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter"

Then the wife decided we should try the fancier and more expensive BreezeXL box because of the anti-smell pee tray/etc. So did that.

Then decided we'd want a 2nd box for upstairs, where there's less space, so bought a smallish generic box at Petco.

Then the breeder said we should start with FelinePine litter because that's what the kittens are used to. So we bought some of that.

1st batch

• FelinePine in both boxes - not bad

2nd batch

• mix of FelinePine and DrElsey in each box (partially because FelinePine is running out, and want to try the recommended.
• conclusion: DrElsey seems more gross/ashy

3rd batch

• Breeze (7lbs) + DrElsey + tiny bit FelinePine in Breeze box; DrElsey + littleFelinePine in small box
• hmm a couple times the Breeze box smelled terrible
  • might have been gastro side-effect of distemper shot
  • DrElsey generates big clumps of pee-clay, which can be tricky to distinguish from poop-clay

4th batch: Dec10: https://twitter.com/BillSeitz/status/1469052368595652614

• just Breeze in Breeze box (full 7lbs doesn't seem like enough)
• FelinePine + DrElsey in small box
• Dec17 update: Breeze box stinks for brief period after a poop. Pee-pad is really heavy after a week. Upstairs box rarely pooped in. Sticking with same plan until the DrElsey is gone, will probably just stick full FelinePine in that box from that point onward.

Jan11 update: purposely haven't changed Breeze litter (the label says you only need to swap monthly), only swapped the pad weekly. Now the last 2 days the cat's hindquarter stank. Swapped the litter, and the smell didn't recur. So didn't make it a full month, but still, multiple weeks is pretty cool.

• (for the upstairs box we're now at 100% FelinePine)

Jan28: swapped Breeze

Feb15: swapped Breeze because cat had a couple wet poops which spread a bit, so had dumped more of the pellets.

Pondering prices

• Breeze 7lbs = $20
• FelinePine 7lbs = $12

Jun'2022 update

• small box just generates mess, because it's too small - inside/top dimensions are 16.5 x 14
• the Breeze non-XL (original) is supposedly 20.5 x 15.5, but I'm always dubious about inside/outside
  • they say the XL is 27.5 x 18.5, which I would call 24 x 14 (measuring mine on the inside/top)
  • so once I knock some bits off, it doesn't feel much bigger than what we have
• so ordering the XL