I've found a different brand of the same type of kitty litter I used to use (which was Yesterday's News, recycled newspaper formed into pellets). The new brand is called "Fresh 4 Life" and it looks and smells very similar to my old brand. It's also cheaper, which is something that doesn't happen very often. I found it basically by accident when I went to a local pet store hoping to find old stock of Yesterday's News, or a recommendation for a new type of litter.
But I can live with those things. The clumping clay litter was dusty and gritty and tracked badly. The clumping version of Yesterday's News was also really messy. I didn't realize how much one of my cats moseyed around until she was using this litter. It was everywhere. And every time I tried to sweep it up, it floated around quite a bit and required a second sweeping to get it all.
You can see in this photo how one trip across the floor by one of my cats left a trail behind: (actually you won't see it unless you use Control + to enlarge the photo ... or I think you can also just click on the photo to make it bigger)
(the litter box is on the white/blue puppy training pads on the right - I didn't think you wanted to see the actual litter box)
(also, do you see the guilty party unable to look me in the eye and at the same time undoubtedly wondering why the floor is so filthy)
*****
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| My new cat name is Madam Bossy None-of-these because my favourite colour isn't on there. |
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| Sadly true. |
Thank you all for your kind and supportive comments on my last post. It did help to write about it, and I appreciate having you walk beside me through this time in my life.
I hope you have a good week ahead.
I am Sir Hairy Bottom, which makes me a bit concerned about myself. As the once-upon-a-time servant of three cats, I know about the mess of cat litter. When my son was a teen, he cleaned the litter box, while I vacuumed up the scattered litter. One cat, F. Cat Fitzgerald, always hopped in the litter box to pee before my son could fill it with the fresh litter. She was a strange kitty, but they all are.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Love your name - and your former cat's name :)
DeleteGood to be reading about the important things in life, cat litter, haha. The caption one caught me nicely.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, my good man, kitty litter is TERRIBLY important :)
DeleteMy favourite colour isn't there either so I used the next best three and I am Chancellor Fishy Von Scooper McPaws. You may call me Chance.
ReplyDeleteYou have nice floors. I'm glad you found a suitable litter.
I like your initiative, River! I never thought of bending the rules that way :)
DeleteHooray for finding an acceptable substitute. Jazz is a tracker. And feels no shame.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the funnies. My next cat is Emperor Hissy McPaws. Jazz would approve.
Yes, that's a fabulous name. Jazz might want to take on a new surname "McClaws" . . .
DeleteI'm glad you found some cat litter that is at least closer to what you used to use. I hope your cats like it okay too. Thanks for the funnies, I love them all and especially the ones with the cute kittens!
ReplyDeleteYou raise a good point - do the cats like it? To be honest, I think they might prefer the flakey newspaper litter; it's softer. But it makes such a mess. And they've always used the pellets until now. I feel guilty saying it, but I think I'll stick to the pellets.
DeleteI'm happy that you now have one problem less. That litter truly made an amazing amount of trails.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite awful trying to keep it cleaned up.
DeleteLove the footprint map...yes!!
ReplyDeleteSo true, isn't it!
DeleteEmperor Pouncey Von Scooper here. Although, I have a dog and not a cat...the step chart for cat owners is the exactly same for this dog owner. Although the question of who the owner is in this relationship is definitely debatable. :)
ReplyDeleteHah! Yes, I think many of us are owned, not owners :)
DeleteI didn’t realize kitty litter had such dynamics!
ReplyDeleteIt's extremely complicated, Marie :) ha
DeleteWe've taken to keeping a small wastebasket lined with a plastic grocery bag next to the litter box, and scooping the cat-sewage into it right after it happens. The grocery bag can then be scrunched down over the cat-sewage to keep the whole place from smelling like it until the next trip down the stairs and across the road to the dumpster.
ReplyDeleteA small broom and dustpan leans near it to sweep up the litter that seems to explode out of the box as he exits it, and a damp sponge sits on the vanity to wipe off all of the little white spots that appear on the side of the vanity, the doorframe, and sometimes the refrigerator.
It doesn't seem to matter that much which litter we use, but perhaps he has preferences we're not picking up on.
He doesn't track it every time, but sometimes I use the same damp sponge to wipe up the white paw prints when he does.
It rained last night.
Zsuzs' roof wasn't quite ready, so some water got in, but it rained. Now we almost certainly won't burn down this year.
Small victories...
-Doug in Sugar Pine
"Cat-sewage" - what an apt name. It sounds like you have a good system, given the challenges your furry guy presents.
DeleteIt's good you got rain, but sheesh - not so good about having a leaky roof. I hope it wasn't too bad.
Yep...
ReplyDeleteI know you know :)
DeleteI ordered clumping litter in a very heavy box from Amazon and kept it on a chair outside the kitty closet. I cleaned the box every morning into a small popcorn size paper bag, also bought from Amazon. Then, I scooped a coffee mug sized helping of cat litter from the box. I kept the litter box on a tv tray, so I didn't need to bend over. I kept a throw rug under the tv tray that I vacuumed often and dragged out to wash occasionally.
ReplyDeleteThe trick is to find a system that works for the cats AND the owner. Sounds like you did just that :)
DeleteSadly true or maybe gladly true. If cats ran things, we'd probably just all nap a lot.
ReplyDeleteThat wouldn't be so bad, would it? Less war and social media arguing ...
DeleteEmperor Kitty von Scooper!
ReplyDeleteVery posh :)
DeleteWell that's one problem solved!
ReplyDeleteI love the memes, especially the footprints. It makes me think of the two dogs who stand right in fron of the door so I can't reach the door to open it for them!
Yes - it's at times like that we can really see the difference in critical thinking skills between other animals and humans :)
DeleteWhat a relief to find some usable cat litter! We suffered a lot of litter-angst when we had cats, too - there just doesn't seem to be a 'perfect' solution.
ReplyDeleteI laughed and laughed at the footstep chart! Even a decade after the last of our old cats died, I'd still walk into a room, catch a glimpse of something (sofa cushion, whatever), and think "Cat!"
At least dodging pets keeps a person agile :)
DeleteGood to hear you found something satisfactory with the kitty litter. Take care of yourself and have a great rest of your week, jenny_o.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mr. S. :)
Deletethis is such a good news dear Jenny !
ReplyDeletei am happy you finally got the thing you really wanted and looked for it for long time .
i found the floor image amusing :)
when we had cad back then more than thirty years ago we had clay floor first and then marble one ,former was kind of expert in absorbing prints and later was easy to wash :)
i hope all is well in you lovely world dear Jenny !
hugs and blessings to you and to all you love!
Thanks, baili - the same to you!
DeleteFunnily enough Jenny I have a blog post ready to go all about cat litter. I am using the pine compressed sawdust one now and it's the best yet. I'm sorry I haven't been commenting but I lost all my loved blogs somehow and am just getting them all back. I read the previous blog and know that I have something similar to come, life is hard sometimes is'nt it?
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
I'd still like to find a source for the pine compressed litter and give it a try. I also like the mat you mention in your post, although the litter boxes here aren't in a confined space so the cats could just walk out a different side of the box, and I don't want to buy the number of them I'd need!
DeleteLife can be very, very hard at times. I try to remind myself that everyone has hard times but then again, that doesn't change how we feel. Thinking of you and wishing you and Tom the strength you need, Briony. xx
precious friend Jenny thinking of you with heart filled with prays !
ReplyDeletei hope all is fine at your corner ,just want to share that you are in my thoughts and prays! please keep treating yourself kindly , faith is the only candle that can escape the darkness of sadness so please keep it illuminated !
hugs and blessings!
Thank you for checking up on me, baili - I'm having ups and downs but overall I think I'm learning to cope. I appreciate your kind thoughts.
DeleteAh! The eternal search for perfection (in the microcosm of cat litter). I do wish you the best! ;)
ReplyDeleteWhen you finally reach the litter pinnacle (Littacle), could you bend your efforts toward helping me with my ongoing search for a dog food that controls shedding? My household will thank you forever!
Missing you, my friend! <3
Ah, yes, the shedding - we have that problem with the cats, too. If I miss sweeping for a day or two, suddenly there are cat hair tumbleweeds everywhere :)
Delete