Hmmm...I just checked, and it looks like I spent $18.99 for a 28-lb. (three lbs. "free!") box of Ever Clean Premium cat litter. Only the very best for my pointy-eared little fuzzball!

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Freixenet, Moët. Doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s not Great Western. -- Henri David

Anyone use the crystals for litter? I heard they are quite good, but they can run a bit more money than regular litter.

I've never tried the crystals - to me it seemed like hype. I do think the best innovation in cat litter (although not a really new one) is clumping litter! Clean and convienent. Now if they could only come up with a clumping litter that is flushable - I'd buy that!

I asked my cats about their take on the whole litter thing and they have no comment besides "meow."

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Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. -- T. L. Holdcroft

Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.-- S. R. Barr

Diva,

I used to use the crystals, but 27lbs for 12 bucks was too much - especially with three cats and two litter boxes to fill! It worked pretty good at keeping odors away, but since my boxes are in the basement, smell wasn't a necessity. Plus, I don't think it did that great of a job clumping.

I now switched back to PetSmart's exquisicat because it is way cheaper and it is very good at clumping. The only draw back is that it's a bit dusty.

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529 and Sean? Can we delete your argument of of this thread? :what:

BTW ... I support the efforts of small businesses to make a go of it. Having the convenience of local business, and not having to drive, is worth the extra costs.

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Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. - Robert Orben

Thanks, Brewmeister.

I've been experimenting with different litters. I was having trouble with clumping before. I switched to scoop away, but I find that it doesn't seem to hold odor well. I even sprinkle baking soda in there, but it doesnt seem to help. I'll have to try the Exquisicats.

As long as the whole thread doesn't go away, I have no problem with your deleting the interchange between me and Sean.

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- We must be the change we wish to see in the world -
Mahatma Gandhi

I think the crystals are better for absorbing the smell, but our cats don't like them - too hard for little paws or maybe they just don't like the crunching sound - so it's back to clumping litter.

We have 4 cats, so i'm not even going to think about how much we'll spend in their lifetimes on litter. Enough to buy a nice twin in the Penn Alexander catchment zone, probably...

LOL!

I don't think Jazz likes the crystals either. I tried it once but he acted oddly at the box, circling it and then hopping in quickly and hopping out. Wouldn't want him to look for somewhere else to go in my apartment!

I used to feed my former cats nothing but dry food because it seemed to make the litter box less offensive. But my last cat had to be put down because of a urinary blockage :cry: so the vet recommended canned food instead for male cats... so I'm back to dealing with a smelly litter box. But baking soda works really well in terms of odor control!

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- We must be the change we wish to see in the world -
Mahatma Gandhi

Hi Everyone - I actually joined this blog just to join in the discussion! I have a couple things to say after meeting Catherine on Saturday and hearing about people having sticker shock about the natural cat litters!

One thing, you should NOT use clumpable cat litter that contains sodium bentonite for a vast number of reasons - it's bad for your plumbing if you wash out the litter box in your sink (it expands to 17 times its size in volume when wet) it's bad for your cat's respiratory health, and it's awful for kittens and adult cat's digestive tracts. Here's an article that provides more info:

http://cats.about.com/cs/litterbox/a/clumpingclay_2.htm

From my point of view, I've gone from the recycled newspaper stuff to the wheat and corn based products and ended up back with clay due to the price and availability. But after visiting the pet store on Saturday, I'm really considering going back to a natural, bio-degradradable product again. It's not because I want to spend 10 bucks on a bag of litter but because I made a choice to have an animal which is a luxury of sorts and I should be using as earth-conscious of materials in return.

I think that criticizing a small store owner on a blog isn't fair to some young people who are giving it a go. I understand the market economy behind driving outside of the 'hood to save a few dollars. But really, people should be thinking about the big picture behind the process of creating and discarding clay litters and spending money to a business located in Arkansas rather than in our backyard. Also, her prices are COMPETITIVE with other larger stores where I've seen these products in other areas.

The other thing, is that Catherine is open to hearing more about what people want. Insead of walking out and complaining to an electronic forum, think next time about saying to the person behind the counter - hey, have you thought about getting litter that is a lower price point? And in return, she may tell you more about what she is planning for the store.

I'm really happy to have this store in the neighborhood and I can't to refer more people to their business. I think it's great!