Review - Cat's Best Litter Sand
- Samantha
- Feb 10, 2016
- 4 min read
Choosing the right litter sand for your cat is very important. You need to remember that it is not up to you, but it is all about what your cat needs. Cats are very clean animals, so it comes down to how they feel about smell, texture, how much there is, and even what litter box you are using.
Today I want to tell you about what litter we use for Isabella, Cat’s Best. It really is the best! When Breeder Bev told me what sand Isabella was using, I wanted to keep her on the same. Cats find change very hard; moving house, changing food, but also changing litter sand. At the time, Cat’s best was hard to find so I got a bag from Breeder Bev to try it out.
For me there are a few concerns when it comes to litter sand (I know it is not about me but keep reading)
Our apartment is very, very small and the only place where there is space for her litter box is between the kitchen and the lounge. What about the smell?
I am pretty lazy when it comes to cleaning (don’t judge) so I hate having to clean out and wash the litter sand regularly.
I don’t like flushing anything abnormal down my toilet, especially living in a first floor apartment.
Budget!
Cat’s Best litter sand is made of organic fibres which come from untreated, domestic Fir and Spruce wood. This allows all moisture to be 100% absorbed into the litter. The best part is it is completely odourless! I am not even joking here. I know you always see these adverts about litter sand being odourless and all it means is “when it is clean it smells like nothing but wait for that first cat wee”. Cat’s Best is odourless, from Day 1 when you empty it into the litter box, until 2 months later. It has a very natural wood smell to it, which is quite pleasant. When Isabella gets out of the box she smells like a fresh twig for about 15 min, Ha Ha.
I know you probably thinking, “Wait, did you say you use the same litter sand for 2 months?” Yes, you read that right. What makes Cat’s Best so amazing is that it soaks up all moisture and forms a little swollen wood ball that used to be a cat wee. You scoop that little ball up and throw it away or even flush it. This litter sand is completely biodegradable, so you can flush it down the toilet. I use scented nappy bags from DisChem to throw Isabella’s wees away.
What about number two’s? Well, they work the same. There is moisture in a cat poo, so the wood chips/pellets stick to the poo and dry it out. If your cat is like Isabella, the poo will even get buried in the litter and the chips/pellets will stick to the outside and start drying. Trust me, unless you were standing there watching as it happened, you will not smell the poo 2 minutes after it has just happened.
How does this happen? Smells and germs develop when there is stagnant water/moisture for germs to breed. Since this litter soaks up 100% moisture, and dries up in a clump, there is no stagnant moisture to develop smells or germs.
Let’s get back to the whole “2 months thing”. As your cat is doing their business, you are scooping out wee balls and dried out number twos, so there is no dirty litter left in the box. That is why it lasts so long. Other litter sands/crystals that let the wee run to the bottom of the litter box, which causes a sticky smelly layer that needs to be completely scooped out, thrown away, the litter box scrubbed and disinfected, and then a whole new box full of clean sand is needed every few days. Cat’s Best absorbs, clumps, and dries before the wee can get to the bottom to settle.
Cat’s Best has three different types of litter available in South Africa. Natures Gold, ŐkoPlus and GreenPower.
Natures Gold is what I use for Isabella as it is a bigger pellet type of sand and it does not track as much. It is best suited for longer haired cats as it does not get stuck to their fur as much. The finer the litter, the better it absorbs, but the more it sticks to your cat.
ŐkoPlus is more of a wood chip texture. This absorbs more than the pellets and dries very quickly. I have a bag of this at home to occasionally mix in with the pellets, but you really don’t need to.
GreenPower is a very fine chip with tiny green balls called Hygiene Pearls. They are organic pearls with a special odour blocker to ensure no smell at all can develop. It is also extra fine which is much softer for the cat’’ paws. It does track quite a bit with a long haired cat, but I have got Isabella a rough outdoor door mat that is big enough that it sticks out from under her box. When she gets out, she is always wiping her feet on the mat to get most of the litter off her feet before she starts wandering around the house.
buy one 20L bag ever 3 to 4 months. I do use more than normal as Isabella has a HUGE litter box and she likes her sand deep. She is a digger, so I am sure 1 smaller cat would use less than my spoilt brat! It does work out much cheaper than any other type of litter sand in the long run.
You can get any of the three Cat’s Best litter from most pet stores in Johannesburg or on takealot.com. It really has been the best for Isabella, me and our tiny house. I would never go back.
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