Best Litter for Diabetic kitty?!

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Lilmissd

Member Since 2012
I really need some recommendations on what kind of litter to use. My male cat is diabetic and my female cat has no health issues. It has been a nightmare cleaning his litter box because it's a sticky awful mess he has bad polyuria right now (we are still in the process of getting him regulated) I am currently using the Tidy Cats Multi-Cat Clumping litter and a ton of its being wasted and Im going through about 20lbs a week! Anyone have a good option for litter to make my life a little easier?

Lilmissd
 
I've gone from Dr. Elsey's clumping for my diabetics to Fresh Step clumping UNSCENTED. It clumps so much better.......especially for one who likes to pee right in the corner of the boxes. The scented is like a bottle of perfume, yuck!
 
I have 5 cats and I've used Tidy Cat Scoop for years with success, but George, the diabetic, absolutely overwhelmed the litter. It was soupy and sticky and...ew.

I use Fresh Step scented in George's box now and it's great. He's also going less, but the Fresh Step works much better than the Tidy Cat Scoop did. I still use Tidy Cat in the other boxes because it's fine for cats who don't go all that much.
 
My new favorite litter is Tidy Cats Pure & Natural. Pricey but a large bag lasts a long time. Pine, corn and ceder are the primary ingredients. Not an overwhelming scent, but pine and ceder are noticeable. What kitty leaves behind is not. It clumps great and weighs next to nothing.
Carl
 
Couldn't tell if you have done this or not, but it would be very helpful to have two boxes. At least then, your little girl can enter a box without waiting for the pee monster to exit, and, you are less likely to have a soupy mess and just a regular mess.

If you have a Petco nearby, I love their bulk litter that you can keep refilling in the original bucket. It is unscented and clumps beautifully. I use to use World's Best Litter, but it is made of corn, and my kitty started to eat it! Not exactly good for a diabetic kitty.

DZ and Sarah
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA said:
I've gone from Dr. Elsey's clumping for my diabetics to Fresh Step clumping UNSCENTED. It clumps so much better.......especially for one who likes to pee right in the corner of the boxes. The scented is like a bottle of perfume, yuck!
Click to expand...

Hmm. Interesting. I made the exact opposite switch. I think Dr Elsey's clumps better than Fresh Step! LOL
 
I use Worlds Best Cat LItter--and it literally is the BEST. IT clumps BEAUTIFULLY. Yes its corn, but my diabetic is not affected by it. I get the 'multi cat' one because it is less dusty. It is the best clumper out there--and the clumps DO Not CRUMBLE when you scoop them. It is great with smells.

It appears to be more expensive per pound but this is an illusion. You get twice as much itter in volume as weight because the corn litter is VERY VERY LIGHT compared to, say, Petco clay in the bin...So you are really getting almost twice as much for the higher price...so don't let the higher price scare you off. Also they always do coupons and sales at Petco...so you can always knock another $5-7 off the big bags if you are strategic.

It lasts forever and you don't need to clean the pan hardly ever because it doesn't stick to the pan. Even a clump stuck to the ban, you just lift the pan and drop it gently on the floor (an inch) or tap it on the outside with your hand or scooper. The clump easily separates from the wall of the litter box with no residue and it stays intact.

I cannot rave about this litter enough. It truly is the best thing since sliced bread!
 
Oh and I have 7 cats now--so I have a LOT OF poop to scoop.

I've tried all the litters, this is the best. (I have not tried that Dr Elsies or whatever it though)

When I had one cat, my Fred, we used Fresh STep and I just washed the pan and changed the whole shebang a lot. I liked it for smell.

But for scooping convenients WBCL is AWESOME!
 
Hope + (((Baby)))GA wrote:
I've gone from Dr. Elsey's clumping for my diabetics to Fresh Step clumping UNSCENTED. It clumps so much better.......especially for one who likes to pee right in the corner of the boxes. The scented is like a bottle of perfume, yuck!
Click to expand...
Hmm. Interesting. I made the exact opposite switch. I think Dr Elsey's clumps better than Fresh Step! LOL
Click to expand...

Us too! Fresh Step was a gummy mess. Burned out 2 automated literboxes with the stuff and the dust was horrible. I was actually just looking for something with less dust when the store manager recommended Dr Elsey's. I was more than pleasantly surprised to see how much better Dr Elsey's clumped, especially for the big pee-ers. It is expensive, but we go through way less because it clumps so well we don't have to do a total dump of the boxes much. The reduction in dust is amazing to. A month after I switched the cleaning lady asked if I was dusting myself because she wasn't finding any dust around the catboxes anymore.
 
Just checking:
You need as many boxes as cats, plus 1. The length of the box should be roughly 1.5 times the longest cat's chest to tailbase so there's less chance of overshooting the box.

Thoughts:
A non-clumping litter won't give you mud lakes that glue to everything.

Some folks find that a non-assorbent litter that drains through a grid into a pad keeps the litter from being quite so sticky, though the pad may saturate quickly.
 
The WBCL does not get all heavy and hard like clay litter. It really is amazing.

Also with my 7 cats I have 3 large litterboxes in my walk-in closet. That is plenty. I scoop twice a day, or if I"m home more then at random a little more.
 
I follow the box per cat plus one rule and it works for us. George the diabetic is our newest cat and always retreats back to the office where we had him quarantined initially. The others use the boxes interchangeably and none of them ever get bad. It's a pain going from box to box scooping but there's never much in any of them and spread out poo smells better than concentrated poo! George's box gets scooped twice a day although now that he is sorta better regulated it probably isn't necessary, and the rest of them get done once.
 
I love it, this is the only place where I can talk about litter and scooping poop and other people find it interesting!! :lol:

Well 1 box/cat rule would leave me with 8 litter boxes and in my NYC apt I would REALLY turn into the crazy cat lady that way! The WBCL really makes the litter not gross--it does not stick to the pan, I also purchased one of those air-purifiers with the changeable black carbon filters and I keep that in the closet--both for dust and/or smellls. I only added this a couple of months ago but it's GREAT. It has a sensor that lights up when it is smelly and then it amps up it's cleaning intensity to clear the air...it was less than $100 I think, but so worth it for better smell quaity of life in a small apt.
 
My cat was diagnosed 4 weeks ago. He's used Feline Pine for many years because I couldn't stand the clay dust and smell permeating everything. He was drinking 2 cups of water a day, and the Feline Pine holds up well.

I tried the cheaper Petco Pine, and it was less absorbent than Feline Pine (maybe not kiln dried).
 
FYI, Dr. Elsey's is on sale for $3 off per 40# bag of Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat at Petsmart through tomorrow (it was a 3-day sale Fri-Sun). And, if you go to Dr. Elsey's site, you can get a coupon for $3 off making it $6 less per 40 # bag of Precious Cat. I just picked up two bags using a $3 coupon with each bag. On top of that if this is your first time trying Dr. Elsey's litter, you can get a rebate form for one bag (save your receipt) on the site and they'll refund the cost of a bag for trying it.
 
Melanie and Smokey said:
Hope + (((Baby)))GA wrote:
I've gone from Dr. Elsey's clumping for my diabetics to Fresh Step clumping UNSCENTED. It clumps so much better.......especially for one who likes to pee right in the corner of the boxes. The scented is like a bottle of perfume, yuck!
Click to expand...
Hmm. Interesting. I made the exact opposite switch. I think Dr Elsey's clumps better than Fresh Step! LOL
Click to expand...

Us too! Fresh Step was a gummy mess. Burned out 2 automated literboxes with the stuff and the dust was horrible. I was actually just looking for something with less dust when the store manager recommended Dr Elsey's. I was more than pleasantly surprised to see how much better Dr Elsey's clumped, especially for the big pee-ers. It is expensive, but we go through way less because it clumps so well we don't have to do a total dump of the boxes much. The reduction in dust is amazing to. A month after I switched the cleaning lady asked if I was dusting myself because she wasn't finding any dust around the catboxes anymore.
Click to expand...

If you buy the 40lb bag it's cheaper. Slightly more than a 20lb box of Fresh Step but you get twice as much. The 20lb bags of Dr Elsey's for some reason are nearly as much as the 20lb bags.
 
I pay $20 for a 40lb bag of Precious Cat! But it lasts long enough with 2 cats that it's not so bad. I found WBCL to be pretty crumbly - I tried the multi cat formula because they have a trial bag rebate right now. I'd really like it if it weren't for the crumbliness. My place is on the small side with not a lot of places to hide litter boxes, so I only have 2. They prefer the one in the bathroom over the one in the dining room. I scoop the bathroom one every other day and the dining room one can go about a week :lol:
 
Susan&Alex said:
My cat was diagnosed 4 weeks ago. He's used Feline Pine for many years because I couldn't stand the clay dust and smell permeating everything. He was drinking 2 cups of water a day, and the Feline Pine holds up well.

I tried the cheaper Petco Pine, and it was less absorbent than Feline Pine (maybe not kiln dried).
Click to expand...

Also a Feline Pine (non-clumping) user here. I actually had to switch to Green Tea Leaves litter when Mikey was first diagnosed because he'd get turned off his litter box after every use unless I was constantly following after him with a scoop (and he has 3 boxes!). I put up with the Green Tea Leaves for him since he seemed to be able to actually use his litter box twice in a row with it, but it was a gloopy, muddy, smelly (for me) mess that would get tracked and tossed everywhere within vicinity of the box. Now that he's better regulated, I switched back to the Feline Pine because it smells waaaay better for me and isn't nearly as messy (it turns into sawdust when wet and the pellets are large enough that they don't get tracked/tossed about).

Another thing worth investing (I think it's only $10 at Target) is the Litter Genie. It really helps for daily scooping and it traps smells really well so you're not having to run used litter out to the garbage every day. And as an added bonus, my brother told me that he saw on one of those survivalist shows that the Litter Genie refill cartridges can be effectively used in case of emergency as toilets. haha_smiley
 
I use the Purina Breeze, and I love it. You change the pad once a week, scoop the poop, and change the pellets once a month. The only cats I don't think I would recommend it for is if you have a cat that's prone to runny poo--that is a nightmare to clean up, but if that happens rarely than the breeze is worth it. You can also take the pad out to easily catch a urine sample for ketone testing.

www.breezeforcats.com

I love the setup, so I think if they ever stop selling the breeze, I will likely just trade out the clay pellets for pine ones.

I tried World's Best for a brief moment before the breeze, but had to get rid of it because Bandit was eating it! Some carb junkies will do that because it's made of corn.
 
I am surprised no one has said horse pellets. A 40 pound bag is just a few dollars. Equine Pine. I had to switch to pellets because one of my cats eats all the other kinds of litter. Clumping, crystal, clay...he loves it all. I live in Michigan and they sell it at the Tractor supply store. Don't believe people that tell you horse pellets are not safe. If you call Feline Pine they will tell you that it is the exact same litter but their's is more expensive because it is marketed towards cats. So you are wasting a ton of money buying Feline Pine. My diabetic cat always uses the same box out of the 3 available and the pellets just turn to dust. Then you can just empty the whole box at once. Not messy at all. :-D

The only problem would be that your cat won't use it. One of mine pooped on the floor until I made one box with crystal. But eventually I was able to phase out the crystal.
 
bagelprincess7 said:
I am surprised no one has said horse pellets. A 40 pound bag is just a few dollars. Equine Pine. I had to switch to pellets because one of my cats eats all the other kinds of litter. Clumping, crystal, clay...he loves it all. I live in Michigan and they sell it at the Tractor supply store. Don't believe people that tell you horse pellets are not safe. If you call Feline Pine they will tell you that it is the exact same litter but their's is more expensive because it is marketed towards cats. So you are wasting a ton of money buying Feline Pine. My diabetic cat always uses the same box out of the 3 available and the pellets just turn to dust. Then you can just empty the whole box at once. Not messy at all. :-D

The only problem would be that your cat won't use it. One of mine pooped on the floor until I made one box with crystal. But eventually I was able to phase out the crystal.
Click to expand...


Thank you; this is brilliant! I never knew this and I've been using Feline Pine for years! Now I just have to find a store around my house that sells horse pellets!
 
KPassa said:
bagelprincess7 said:
I am surprised no one has said horse pellets. A 40 pound bag is just a few dollars. Equine Pine. I had to switch to pellets because one of my cats eats all the other kinds of litter. Clumping, crystal, clay...he loves it all. I live in Michigan and they sell it at the Tractor supply store. Don't believe people that tell you horse pellets are not safe. If you call Feline Pine they will tell you that it is the exact same litter but their's is more expensive because it is marketed towards cats. So you are wasting a ton of money buying Feline Pine. My diabetic cat always uses the same box out of the 3 available and the pellets just turn to dust. Then you can just empty the whole box at once. Not messy at all. :-D

The only problem would be that your cat won't use it. One of mine pooped on the floor until I made one box with crystal. But eventually I was able to phase out the crystal.
Click to expand...


Thank you; this is brilliant! I never knew this and I've been using Feline Pine for years! Now I just have to find a store around my house that sells horse pellets!
Click to expand...
Tractor Supply sells Equine Pine.
 
We always used Dr. Elsey's with Saima and now with our civvies. The Cat Attract is like twice as expensive, and we don't need the "attract" part, so we only buy from places that carry the regular scoopable in the blue bag. We tried WBCL when Callie and Elsie were kittens, and they immediately started eating it. ohmygod_smile At least we could see right away that we had wasted our money. :lol:
 
I used World's Best. If you find it a bit pricey, you could always try mixing it with another scoopable, say 40-60. Altho I only had one cat, I kept two boxes going, in case he got fussy in the night.
 
bagelprincess7 said:
I am surprised no one has said horse pellets. A 40 pound bag is just a few dollars. Equine Pine..
Click to expand...

Great idea!! I have horses and never thought of this. Are the pellets the same size as Feline Pine? If my cat doesn't like the litter, he flips the box. I'm sure it is kiln-dried or it would not be absorbent enough for horses. Feline Pine costs a fortune, and Alex goes through 10 pounds in 3 weeks now. It's worth a trek to TSC!
 
Susan&Alex said:
bagelprincess7 said:
I am surprised no one has said horse pellets. A 40 pound bag is just a few dollars. Equine Pine..
Click to expand...

Great idea!! I have horses and never thought of this. Are the pellets the same size as Feline Pine? If my cat doesn't like the litter, he flips the box. I'm sure it is kiln-dried or it would not be absorbent enough for horses. Feline Pine costs a fortune, and Alex goes through 10 pounds in 3 weeks now. It's worth a trek to TSC!
Click to expand...

It's been awhile since I have used it but the pellets aren't very big so they are probably close in size.

I found this article and it talks about how to find a store that carries it.
http://voices.yahoo.com/horse-pine-bedding-as-cat-litter-money-saver-11062936.html?cat=46
 
I vote Fresh Step unscented clumping litter in the Omega Paw rolling litter box FOR THE WIN!

I've recently switched to Swheat Scoop since I've been (human) toilet training him...works great for that scenario (flushable), but I don't know how it would fare in a regular box...
 
I got a new cat box because I was over the whole litter situation. I have a cat that was recently diagnosed with diabetes. I thought that after he was on insulin the litter box system would improve. It didn't. I was outside hosing down extra large litter bins 2x weekly and changing litter, it made me start to think about getting rid of him. I started using BREEZE Litter system from Tidy Cat. It has granules on top and you put a pad under to catch the urine. The pad is supposed to get one week per cat, but my diabetic kitty gets one day. I have two boxes now so I change them every other day. I bought the first starter system at Petsmart for $29.99, with a $7 coupon from the website. Then there is a $10 coupon in the box I used to buy the second. When you buy the pads in bulk from Amazon they are about a buck each and the granules are under $7 each and I get more than a month out of each bag. So i spend less than $40 per month (way less than litter) and i can all be delivered to the house (no more lugging litter). The granules are easy to sweet up and I scoop every time I change pads. It does take a little bit of routine, so I tend to the litter system, while kitty eats his special food. The smell is easily contained and so is my sanity. My friends think I am crazy because I keep saying how much i like this litter system. I also looked into in to The Smart Cat Box and CatGenie. They are a little pricy (which is the only reason i didn't purchase), but have really good reviews.
 
Rebecca

If your kitty is regulated on insulin and still peeing lakes, something else may be wrong, such as chronic renal failure of hyperthyroidism You should discuss this with your vet.

But maybe your cat isn't regulated so that's why the urination is excessive. You can find out by home testing with an inexpensive human glucometer.

Make a new post of your own in Feline Health and introduce yourself and your kitty. We may be able to help you out.
 
Lilmissd said:
I really need some recommendations on what kind of litter to use. My male cat is diabetic and my female cat has no health issues. It has been a nightmare cleaning his litter box because it's a sticky awful mess he has bad polyuria right now (we are still in the process of getting him regulated) I am currently using the Tidy Cats Multi-Cat Clumping litter and a ton of its being wasted and Im going through about 20lbs a week! Anyone have a good option for litter to make my life a little easier?

Lilmissd
Click to expand...
Hi, I am dealing with the same issue. Same Tidy Cats litter, and with my cat peeing so much it is like scooping concrete out of the box.
 
Before we realized that Garth was diabetic, we thought he was having a litter issue. We had been using Arm& Hammer Naturals for years but tried literally every cat litter there was. We are pretty happy using Feline Pine pellets. The pellets break down, so it is easy to figure out where they peed. He normally poops right on top of it and doesn't cover. It's not super clumpy but I have never had an issue with smell or tracking. It just smells like wood. Also, using litter liners has been super helpful. I always thought it was wasteful. Back when he was urinating A LOT, it was easier to just change the litter. I probably use about one 40lb bag for two litter boxes a month (only one cat though) and its about $18.
 
I used World's Best for awhile and liked it. I live in Michigan and we have a local store here called Meijer that sells their store brand 'natural' litter. It's made from grass instead of corn and I've switched to using that now. I love the smell of it, and it's cheaper! The grass particles are a bit smaller too, so I think it feels nicer on their paws. The Meijer litter doesn't clump into hard rocks, it's more of soft clumped pile. I find that a lot easier and faster to scoop. No more scraping.
 
I would have to gradually change Rupert to a different litter. He is extremely picky on his litter. He refuses to go in horse pellets we also used the pellets for our guinea pigs very cheap $6 for a 40# bag. Rupert & Leo uses Fresh Step any kind really.... I've never has smell issues until recently. Have been looking into self cleaning litter boxes etc.... I have 2 kitties Leo who's almost 2 and my Poopy who's diabetic since March 21, 2017. Their poops smell bad as well being on a all wet food diet of fancy feast classic paté.
 
I was using fresh step for about 10 years.... Then they changed their formula and it sucked, so for a year or so I used dr elseys (purple bag)... But they seemed to not contain the oder. Now just in the last 2-3 months I decided to try fresh steps new Aloha Breeze formula and I like it so much better then the old formula or Dr elsley's. I don't smell any oder. (I have 6 cats)
 
Rupert_09 said:
I would have to gradually change Rupert to a different litter. He is extremely picky on his litter. He refuses to go in horse pellets we also used the pellets for our guinea pigs very cheap $6 for a 40# bag. Rupert & Leo uses Fresh Step any kind really.... I've never has smell issues until recently. Have been looking into self cleaning litter boxes etc.... I have 2 kitties Leo who's almost 2 and my Poopy who's diabetic since March 21, 2017. Their poops smell bad as well being on a all wet food diet of fancy feast classic paté.
Click to expand...
Have you tried the fresh step aloha? I like it! Good price for it on chewy.com
 
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