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Crystal Litter
Recommendations
There are several crystal litter options on the market -- some better than others in terms of absorbency. The actual size of the crystals is critical (not too large).
Specific Litter Recommendations After a great deal of experimenting with various litters (and lots of feedback from other owners) I've found several other good options for crystals. I'm sad to report the rumors have been confirmed that as of the beginning of March 2010 Target no longer offers their Pet Essentials (Target's own) brand of crystals. Further, Mimi Crystals have been banned in California. Other brands that are still available are:
Regarding Fresh Step, I've found that often you can actually get a better price at Target, Walmart or similar large retailer rather than your local pet store -- where they tend to jack up the price on crystals a fair amount for some reason. During this whole development process I did a lot of experimenting, and we have found that a crystal size almost exactly like the Fresh Step seems to work best. The larger the crystal size, the more it is able to absorb moisture and hold odor -- but crystals that are too large tend to cause problems. The smaller size tends to "track" less.........but not absorb as much. So there's a bit of a trade-off. About 4 to 4 1/2 lbs. per change works the best -- with 4lbs being on the low side. Definitely not more than 4 1/2 as it will overload the machine. As far as what works the best, the actual size of the crystals is critical. Based on feedback from customers, the following crystal litters have been found to definitely be too large and will NOT work properly:
As mentioned above, the least expensive source for that most people have found for Fresh Step is Walmart and Target -- and one of our fellow cat owners from Florida (thanks David) forwarded me Clorox's product locator link to help find stores that carry the Fresh Step. Here's the link: And from John in Canada -- for those folks in the Northland where stores often carry a different line of products: "Fresh Step crystals are not available to buy on their own in my area.I've tried other brands but they were too coarse and the raking didn't work properly.They just bunched up.
However, a couple of weeks ago while in PetSmart I noticed
a product where the crystal were somewhat finer as you can see through the clear plastic jugs that they come
in, so I thought that I would give that brand a try.
I would just like to report to you that they work
great.........The odour control is not quite as good, but not bad at all.I compensate for the difference by
sprinkling a little Arm & Hammer Fresh 'n Clean Cat Litter Deodorizer in with
them.
The product's name is:
Dr.Elsey's
Precious Cat
# 1 Long Haired
Cat Litter
Available here at PetSmart, Kingston Ontario Canada for
about 13$ (Canadian) for an 8 pound jug.Good for about 2 months........ Cut my cost x4...Awesome!!"
Another great tip from a fellow cat owner to help you extend crystal life: Below is some info sent in by Chuck, who has been using these for a couple of years now. This is good info, which also substantiates what many others (besides me) have said about doing an occasional "rake and stir": "Tip on making the litter last longer: good air circulation. Silica gel absorbs liquid fairly quickly, and releases it as water vapor fairly slowly. When used as litter, it absorbs urine and dessicates solid waste. Unless the silica gel itself can dry out (by releasing water vapor), it won't last long at all in a litter box. So, it works better in the summer than in the winter, and better on dry days than rainy ones. If you can place the litter box where there's a breeze, the litter will last a lot longer. Or, you can try what I've recently done: put a small fan above the box, so that it constantly blows air down onto the litter. During the Winter and Spring, the litter has been lasting only 10 days with two cats (in the Summer, it was stretching out to 14 days). With the fan, in the Spring, the litter was still OK after 15 days. The litter still needs to be stirred every few days, especially towards the end of its useful life."
Crystal Litter Product Safety
Safe Handling by pregnant women: Unused (clean) cat litter is safe for handling by pregnant women.
However, pregnant women should avoid handling used cat litter. Toxoplasmosis, an illness characterized by cold or
flu-like symptoms, can be transmitted by cat feces. It is especially serious in pregnant women because it can cause
birth defects. Immunosuppressed persons may also be susceptible to toxoplasmosis. For further information, consult
your doctor.
Safe for cats: Commercially available crystal cat litters have been extensively tested and are safe for your cat. Its basic chemical makeup can be closely compared to sand. The industrial name for it is silica gel, which is non-crystalline, porous and a safe substance most commonly used to absorb excess moisture in flowers and food or to protect materials such as leather or computer equipment from humidity.
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