The least dusty cat litter....

My cat has had a couple of wheezing episodes this past week and I started researching and found this could be signs of asthma which could result from dusty cat litter. I'm currently using an Arm & Hammer scoopable cat litter but does anyone know of the ultimate cat litter in terms of generating the LEAST amount of dust. Most of my home has wood flooring except for two rooms and there are no smokers. I'm trying to think of other possibilities for what could be irritating my cat's lungs. I did use some incense the other day....oops, maybe that is the culprit, I completely forgot about it. But I do notice the cat litter generates a nasty dust when I scoop it.
Thanks so much in advance!, Lori

I use Yesterday's News litter - it's pellets made out of old newspapers, so there's hardly any dust at all. Do have the wheezing checked out by a vet, though - it can be caused by many different things.

Love, Columbine

Dusty cat litters irritate our nose and eyes. Our favorite litter is Pro Pet Fresh Results. It is a natural, non-clay, clumping litter. It has very little dust, and controls our cat box odors well. It clumps quite nicely, too. Good luck and God bless.

I use Tidy Cat. It isn't dusty but the granules track and that drives me even nuttier than dust. I continue to use it because it's great for keeping the odor down.

Our cat Spunky, was an asthmatic. Litter dust was not the only cause of his problem. He was maintained for years, successfully, on homeopathic rememdies. I also had prednisone on hand at the house, to stop a status asthmatis attacks. Good luck with your cat!

My recommendation is World's Best Cat Litter. It's made from corn. This is wonderful stuff!! It's not cheap, but I find it lasts longer and works better than anything else. We use it in 5 regular boxes and 3 Litter Robots with great results. Plus it is flushable - and septic safe.

I also use a product the same as columbine, changing my litter quite some time ago, there is minimal dust, and it is a rather good and economical product ,its called breeders select here in NZ, and is recycled paper pellets with no additives or chemicals.

However i do think the incense could be contributing to the problem, if my daughter lights any in her bedroom it affects my lungs terribly, i do not have asthma, but am a chesty type person, and have sensitive airways.,maybe your kitty does to.

I use Feline Pine (both the clumping and the pellts - depending on which litter box). They have no dust, but do create some saw dust when the cat walks out of the box. I put a mat in front of the litter box and it traps the saw dust so it isn't tracked around the house.

I've used Feline Pine for years and love it! There's no silica dust to get into their lungs. Mollie Rose has kitty asthma and any litter with silica dust aggravates it. Besides, the the Feline Pine holds the odor and lasts longer than the scoopable stuff.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, I will definitely be looking into those brands that were mentioned. Yes, this Arm & Hammer seems to generate a dusty cloud that when I pour new litter, I have to hold my breath and jump aside until it 'settles'. I don't mind spending some more on cat litter if it means the dust situation will go down. So far he hasn't exhibited that wheezing again (unless he's done it when I'm not around but I am at home quite a bit). It sure is wonderful to have these boards as a resource for information instead of trying to figure things out by elimination....there are a number of cat litters on the market.
Thanks again!, Lori

I also use Tidy Cat - non clumping. My vet recommended years ago NOT to use clumping and through all our cats we've used Tidy Cat with no problem.

Good Luck!

If you want to continue using a clumping litter, I highly recommend Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra or Classic. You can buy these at Petsmart and they're unscented and there's very little dust. I started using the Cat Attract Litter by Dr. Elsey when I was having urinary problems and it's also great but more expensive. Now I mainly use the Precious Cat Ultra and I love that it keeps the odor under control without using any scent and my cats love it too. Good luck.:)

I have always used Arm & Hammer unscented but having 10 litter boxes, I was getting fed up with the awful dust clouds. After taking a poll of breeders at a cat show, I pretty much settled on forking out the extra $$ for World's Best and Swheat Scoop, mixed together. Really like the natural scents of both. However, I found the odor control and clumping ability of both brands to be inferior to clay brands, so then added Tidy Cat (blue lid) to the mix. Then someone told me Arm & Hammer came out with a Multicat formula and it isn't very dusty so reluctantly I tried it and (hooray!) it IS much less dusty. Now my blend is Swheat Scoop, World's Best and A & H Multicat unscented. Hope this helps someone. :)

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Originally Posted by Medusa

I use Tidy Cat. It isn't dusty but the granules track and that drives me even nuttier than dust. I continue to use it because it's great for keeping the odor down.

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Same here, I tried a cheaper brand once and it was just miserable, the smell was bad but not with Tidy Cat.

I believe this topic is rather old but I'm grateful to find it. I was just cleaning my ONE litter box, choking from the dust and wishing desperately to find a litter that didn't give ME asthma every time I cleaned the box! LOL I have used all the A&H brands, all the Tidy Cat brands, and many others and none of them (especically A&H and Tidy Cat) are even slightly less dusty! I was shocked to read that some of you actually suggest these...Why am I having such a different experience with those?

Anyway, the city I live in is actually getting a PetSmart this SATURDAY! Yay!!! I'm going to go the day it opens (1/22/2011) and I can't wait - for this very reason. I've made a list of every type you guys suggested and I'm going to try them all! Not at once; I'm on a tight budget...LOL Thanks so much!

I have 2 other things not related to 'dust' I'd like to ask you guys:

1) Am I the only one who hated the World's Best Cat Litter or having to lug the used portions to the bathroom to flush? I love the concept but I just didn't find it very 'every day applicable'...

2) Have any of you every tried the homemade litter? I recently bought a book telling me how to make it and it seems relatively easy. Does it really work? It is much cheaper, and sounds great, but I go with the philosophy if it seems too good to be true, it usually is...LOL

Thanks, again!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gigiwalt

I believe this topic is rather old but I'm grateful to find it. I was just cleaning my ONE litter box, choking from the dust and wishing desperately to find a litter that didn't give ME asthma every time I cleaned the box! LOL I have used all the A&H brands, all the Tidy Cat brands, and many others and none of them (especically A&H and Tidy Cat) are even slightly less dusty! I was shocked to read that some of you actually suggest these...Why am I having such a different experience with those?

Anyway, the city I live in is actually getting a PetSmart this SATURDAY! Yay!!! I'm going to go the day it opens (1/22/2011) and I can't wait - for this very reason. I've made a list of every type you guys suggested and I'm going to try them all! Not at once; I'm on a tight budget...LOL Thanks so much!

I have 2 other things not related to 'dust' I'd like to ask you guys:

1) Am I the only one who hated the World's Best Cat Litter or having to lug the used portions to the bathroom to flush? I love the concept but I just didn't find it very 'every day applicable'...

2) Have any of you every tried the homemade litter? I recently bought a book telling me how to make it and it seems relatively easy. Does it really work? It is much cheaper, and sounds great, but I go with the philosophy if it seems too good to be true, it usually is...LOL

Thanks, again!

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Hi and welcome to PT.:) I didn't know that you could make your own litter. Can you give us the recipe for it please? I'm glad that you're getting a Petsmart close by. I now buy my litter at Pet Club which is much cheaper than Petsmart. Good luck.:)

[SIZE="3"]I have been using Arm & Hammer Multi-Cat exclusively for some time now. Worlds' Best is FAR from being that, and WAY too dusty, as is Swheat Scoop.

However, lately I've been noticing excessive dust from Multi-Cat, and when opening a new box to replenish there seems to be lots of powder which I assume is causing the dust. I contacted them to complain, thinking maybe they changed their formula or somehow another one of their litters got mixed in to Multi-Cat my mistake. I have been a loyal customer, and they sent me coupons.

Please let me know the formula for making litter and I will try it, as I am at my wits end!:([size]

WORD OF CAUTION: Never, EVER flush cat poo down the toilet. Cat's poo can contain the toxoplasmosis virus, which can be spread through our water. Please, put it in the trash. Do not flush!!

I know most of these post I am making in the health threads are rather late but since I am new here that is the reason. And I want to let people here know what I think and use..... (PS.. I cant spell good, excuse typos... lol)

I use Tidy Cats litter for multiple cats and have done so for a long time now. With 10 cats we buy it in 35 lb pails!

The only problem I had with it was a problem that happened to me a couple of years ago. I am sensitive to some smells. Anyhow my hubby dumped some fresh litter he had just bought into the litter pan in the computer room where I was. I immeditally started coughing and was having trouble getting my breath so had to go outside and get fresh air. My hubby dumped the litter outside in the yard and we got another bucket of it that was normal. It seems that they had changed the "scent" and all we can figure is that this particular bucket got way toooo much scent in it when it came off the assembly line.

I ended up having to go to the doctor, a throat specialist, and it had given me a chemical burn in my throat all the way down to my larynex. It also killed my taste buds, made my throat sore, and I could only eat soft food for a good long time. It took me about 1 1/2 years before I could taste food right again!! I still cant handle acidic food and really miss not being able to have my V8 juice.

We contacted the maker of the litter (purina) and they said to send in the doctors reports and they "might" pay for my bills. Well naturally in the end they said that was no proof that it was the litter that caused it. I tried to find someone (lab) that could test the litter but no such thing existed. It seems that there are no laws about what is or is not used in cat litter and it is not regulated at all. Therefore there are no labs to test it.

Funny thing is... shortly after my contact with Purina reguarding the litter problem it disapeared from the store shelves for about a week in this area! But we are still using it and have had no other problems with it.

As far as scented candles and so forth go...
My vet says he has had several people bring their pets in with what they say is allergys and after checking the animal out and finding nothing obivous he always asks if they use scented candle. He said most of the owners did use candles and when he told them not to use the candles for awhile the pets problem would go away!

About flushing litter down toilet.....
We are on a septic system here and that is a big NO/NO. What I do is use a small trash can that a plastic grocery bag will fit into. I scoop the used litter and put it in the bag and kind of close up the bag. When the bag gets full I tie it shut and put it in the trash. This works great as it is a cheap, safe and easy way to dispose of it.

The finest litterI've ever found. Corn, hard-clumping, flushable. For years, only available at certain WalMarts, but WalMart no longer carries it (though they way they are trying to get it again. I'm guessingPro-Pet doesn't want to deal with WalMart's treatment of its vendors). Does anyone know who else sells this fantastic cat litter?

Recipe for homemade kitty litter. Source: www.thegreenists.com

Shred newspaper in a paper shredder. I collect the shredded paper in an unused litter box.
Soak the paper in warm water mixed with a few squirts gentle, biodegradable dish soap (like Ecover). The shredded paper takes on a cooked oatmeal consistency. The paper won’t come completely clean, but the water will turn grey.
Drain the water (an old colander works wonders) and repeat the soaking process minus the soap.
Sprinkle baking soda liberally on the wet paper. Knead it in to the mixture (you might want to wear gloves to avoid getting ink on your hands).
Squeeze the remaining moisture out until it’s as dry as you can get it.
Crumble over a screen and leave to dry (it takes a few days).


Recipe for homemade cat box filler that doesn't require newspaper. Source: ehow.com

1. Purchase a 50-lb. bag of chicken scratch at a farm or feed store. Though you can use any sort of chicken scratch, the best for making kitty litter contains ground corn, and may be sold as a layer mix or as a chick mix. Talk to staff about which type of scratch they sell has the highest proportion of ground corn or other seeds.

2. If you want to add a scent to the litter, buy a bale of cedar savings while you're at the feed store. Cedar savings will be much cheaper at the feed store than at a pet store.

3 . Pour about 2 inches of the chicken scratch into a clean litter box. Add about ¼ cup of baking soda to the scratch. Stir the ingredients to mix them.

4. If you are using the cedar savings, crumble a few handfuls of cedar chips in your hands and stir them into the chicken scratch. Keep the chips small so they stay distributed throughout the chicken scratch.

5. Scoop out the litter daily, just as you would any kitty litter. If the chicken scratch contains a high degree of ground corn or seeds, the litter will clump. If not, it will still be easy to scoop out.

6. You can compost the remaining litter after you dispose of the solid wastes. Do not place cat wastes in your compost heap.

Read more: How to Make Homemade Cat Litter | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4868252_make...#ixzz1RTNTKi5T

I've tried at least a dozen different kinds of cat litter, including most of the ones mentioned in this thread. The one I've settled on is Swheat Scoop Multi-Cat. It's not perfect, but it's the least annoying of all the different ones I've tried. It has no harsh artificial fragrances, it's natural (no chemicals, no clay or silica), the pee clumps are safely flushable if you choose to do so, it doesn't have a lot of dust, the cats like it (very important!), and it doesn't aggravate my cat's asthma/wheezing.

It can be a bit pricey at some stores. The place that seems to have the best price is Target.

I've tried ALL of the expensive litters (waaay too dusty and most of them do nothing for litter box odors). I always go back to my old favorite: Pet's Pride Clumping. It is low tracking, not dusty, and the litter boxes smell much, much, better.