Need a new paper cat litter - STAT!
May 14, 2014 10:05 AM   Subscribe

Cat prefers peeing on the bare floor to most litter. Current litter - which cat actually likes - just got discontinued. Please help me find a new cat litter that is as close to the old one as possible.

My cat, who gave me all kinds of litter box problems for years, finally decided about 6-8 months ago that she loved Hartz paper litter and would happily use it. So much happiness and relief. Haven't had an accident since (except when I went too long without cleaning the box). I just found out that Hartz discontinued the entire line of litter. Cue panic mode. I have only what's in the box now left over - not much at all; I'm going to have to change it in about two days at most.

Hartz litter is made of soft paper pellets (they can be crushed in between two fingers like dry paper pulp), not hard ones like Yesterday's News, that turn blue and mushy when urinated on, then clump as they dry out. It is also scented, but not powerfully, and almost entirely track- and dust-free. Basically it's the perfect litter in every way for me and for her.

I have used Swheat Scoop in the past with about 70% success, which is the best success rate so far - but it tracks like crazy, sticks to the side/bottom of the box, and stinks (not to mention she would still pee on the floor about 3x/week anyway), so if I can possibly avoid going back to it I will. Also tried all forms of Feline Pine (~50% success rate with the pellets; kitty completely refused sawdust and shavings). Yesterday's News and similar newspaper litters are rejected entirely. Cat Attract seems to make no difference at all.

If I can buy soft pellets that are not necessarily marketed as litter, that's fine too. Also, if anyone knows where to get the discontinued stuff before it gets taken off shelves or thrown away, please let me know. I would buy their entire remaining warehouse supply if I could.
posted by Urban Winter to Pets & Animals (9 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I really liked the Arm&Hammer brand of cat litter, it's a little dusty but not bad and it has a nice, light "straw" smell. Check out their Essentials line.
posted by amanda at 10:19 AM on May 14, 2014


Do you want to list other litters that have not worked for you? I recommend World's Best Cat Litter, but my cats are not fussy. Also, do call the company and let them know that you want to buy some of their discontinued product--they'll be happy to hear from you.
posted by chaiminda at 10:34 AM on May 14, 2014


Response by poster: chaiminda: I called the company; that was how I found out the line was discontinued. They weren't very helpful; simply said to look online.

I've tried: Swheat Scoop, multiple forms of newspaper litter, Feline Pine (and another wood pellet litter the name of which I can't recall). I don't/can't use clay or crystal litter for environmental reasons.

I have not tried World's Best; it was on my list when I found Hartz. May try it now. Thanks for the recommendation; I'd forgotten about it.
posted by Urban Winter at 10:56 AM on May 14, 2014


We use Good Mews. It may be too hard for your cat's tastes, but it works really well. We had been using Natural Harmony, until it was discontinued.
posted by Danf at 11:08 AM on May 14, 2014


Whatever you get I suggest mixing it with old as a transition. & talk to local pet supplies places & delivery services to stock up on old.
posted by tilde at 12:01 PM on May 14, 2014 [2 favorites]


Nature's Miracle makes a clumping paper litter. There is also PaPurr. (Sorry, can't link right now)
posted by analog at 1:48 PM on May 14, 2014


For the record, my favourite cat litter is Cat's Best OkoPlus - if you haven't tried it, it's worth a shot. It's wood-based and clumps very well.
posted by analog at 2:02 PM on May 14, 2014


I recommend the Breeze Litter system. We just bought a second one, and our friends who cat sit loved ours so much they bought two for themselves.

The pellets are hard cement, and our cats enjoy playing with them.

The pee goes through the pellets through a sieve into a tray with a pee pad in it. The poo sits on top, to be scooped at your convenience. You only change the pad once a week.

It's cleaner to the cats (and the humans) and our cats took to it immediately.

If your cat likes hard pellets, this just might be the stuff for you.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:04 PM on May 14, 2014


Our cat used to like Swheat Scoop, but then (like a cat) she suddenly stopped using the litter box. At one point, I had 3 litterboxes (pine, swheat, news) for her to choose from, and she didn't like any of them. Got desperate, and tried the Cat Attract, which she also ignored... UNTIL, she pooped on the floor one day, and my husband scooped it up, and put it in the litter box with the Cat Attract. Kitty liked this, and started using the Cat Attract litter. Winner! So, my lesson to you is that you not only try to mix the litters, when switching, but to also mix in some 'used' litter.
posted by hydra77 at 10:42 PM on May 14, 2014 [1 favorite]


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