Sorry, Tidy Cat: I'm going back to Scoop Away

Tidy Cats 24/7 Performance Clumping Cat Litter

You might think that all clumping kitty litters are alike. I used to think that, but no more. The last time we ran out of litter for Miss Kitty, I picked up whatever was on sale. For the past couple of years, we’ve used Scoop Away Complete because you can buy a ginormous box at Costco, cheap.  Since I was already buying food for the fur babies at the pet store, I picked up a tub of Tidy Cats 24/7 Performance Clumping litter at the same time. I was amazed at the difference.

Miss Kitty is tiny; about seven pounds, and decidedly “senior” at more than twelve years old. Nevertheless, she can produce a lot of waste in a short time. Unlike some people, we only scoop the box every other day – it’s in the basement, not in the bedroom, and we use a big covered box, so it’s not like anyone gets “stankface.” Or at least it wasn’t until we started using this Tidy Cat!

Two big problems: first, the clumping litter doesn’t clump. Oh, you get the occasional wad of granules stuck together, but most of the supposed clumps disintegrate as soon as you try to scoop out the clump. Second, it may be heavily perfumed but it still doesn’t “absorb” odors. We could smell the sharp tang of ammonia from the bottom of the stairs, twenty feet away! That may well be because when those clumps disintegrate, dark, urine-soaked grains remain scattered throughout the litter box. Instead of being hauled out to the trash can in the garage, they’re still sitting there, generating stink, in the basement.

On the plus side, I like the big plastic bucket – but I already have a couple of them around, and I don’t think I need any more of them. In fact, I just need the one – as a place to store my next purchase of Scoop Away.

Summary

Plus: The big plastic tubs are useful for projects
Minus: Poor clumping and poor odor absorption
What They're Saying: I'm keeping the cool plastic bucket, but I'm filling it with Scoop Away!

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