Litter

KITTIES BLUE HAVE FOUND THE PURRFECT LITTER

Disclaimer: We received a 40-pound box of Tidy Cats 24/7 Performance litter free of charge from Chewy.com for our fair and honest review as part of their Blogger Outreach Program.We received no monetary compensation and the views expressed are exclusively ours.

If you follow our blog regularly, you know that we have been testing litters to find one that actually performs as advertised and that all the cats like and will use. Thanks to Chewy.com we believe we’ve found it. As part of their Blogger Outreach Program, I selected the Purina Tidy Cats 24/7 Performance clumping litter for multiple cats to test during the month of July.

We received this Tidy Cats formula in a recyclable cardboard box. At 40 pounds, this is not a lightweight litter.

It claims to be formulated specifically to neutralize odors. It maintains that the litter forms tight clumps that lock in moisture and provide triple odor protection for urine, feces and ammonia. And it does just that! Even the urine forms clumps that do not break apart when being scooped. And I was not assaulted by that pungent ammonia odor when scooping.

It also claims to be 99.6 percent dust free. And it is!

Tidy Cats makes a variety of litters and we have tried many different ones throughout the years. Prior to trying the 24/7 Performance variety, we were using the Tidy Cats Scoop Glade Tough Odor Solutions Cat Litter in our three upstairs litter boxes. The listed benefits for this litter are:

Glade Tough Odor Solutions Clear Springs scent
Strong clumps; easy clean-up
Locks in moisture; powerful odor control
99.6% dust-free

It does none of those things. Urine does not clump at all. Clouds of dust engulf you when scooping and cover everything in the room. And the ammonia odor will stop you in your tracks when entering the room with the litter box. With this failure in meeting promises and expectations, I wasn’t sure what I would get with this newer Tidy Cats. What I got was 100 percent satisfaction. And the best part…the cats use it!

Finally I have found a litter that both the cats and the humans are happy to use. Thank you Tidy Cats and Chewy.com. This litter will now go into all six of our litter boxes.

Don’t forget to check Chewy.com for all your pet needs. All orders of at least $49. are shipped free.

August 3, 2015 by Janet Blue Product Review 16

KITTIES BLUE REVIEW NEW LITTER FROM SMARTCAT

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Pioneer Pet. We received a jug of Smart-Cat® lightweight, clay-coated litter free of charge in exchange for our honest review. The opinions expressed are entirely our own and not influenced by Pioneer Pet or any of its representatives.

In April, Kitties Blue reviewed SmartCat® plant-based litter from Pioneer Pet. I thought it was the Best Cat Litter Ever and titled the post just that. You can read that review here. Unfortunately Kitties Blue did not agree with me. Only Astrid and Calista Jo used it.

While at the BlogPaws conference I spent quite a bit of time talking to the Pioneer Pet representative about the SmartCat® litter. She shared with me at the time that a new litter was in production and promised to send it to us to try when it became available.

This new SmartCat® product also is a lightweight (50 percent lighter than regular clay litters), clumping litter. It has an all-natural grain core with a clay coating. Unlike the original SmartCat®, all Kitties Blue went right too it without hesitation. I attribute this to the clay coating. As we normally use a clay litter, it felt familiar to them when they stepped in the box and covered their deposits.

Pioneer Pet claims that this new litter has multi-cat odor control. As with the original plant-based litter, the clay-coated litter is supposed to absorb liquid so quickly (forming a hard clump) that odor does not have the chance to be released into the air.

Though this new litter does clump, it did not make the “rock-hard” clumps like the original, and thus the odor is not controlled as well. This is mostly evident when scooping the box. By just walking into the small room where this box is located, I am not assaulted by the over-whelming ammonia smell so many other litters emit.

Though I may get some odor when scooping this litter, I am not engulfed in and gagging from clouds of dust. Pioneer Pet claims this litter is 99 percent dust free and that is not an exaggeration. After several days of use, there is a light layering of dust on the items in the room, which I would expect.

It’s light weight does make it easy to scoop. And the kitties do not track this out of the box as they do with some other brands, which makes me very happy.

The litter comes in a jug weighing 10 pounds. It took an entire jug to fill a litter box measuring 13 X 16 X 7 inches to about a depth of three inches.

If I had my choice, Kitties Blue would be using the original SmartCat® plant-based litter without the clay coating. As a good cat guardian, however, I have to give them what they like and will use. And they are very happy with the SmartCat® lightweight clay-coated litter.

A jug of this litter will sell for $12.99 when available.

July 28, 2015 by Janet Blue Product Review 16

YOU
For Fiona

It seems like only yesterday…
You were just a kitten.
When I saw your pleading look,
I was completely smitten.

Now at only six years old,
You are getting ready to leave,
Soon you will have your wings.
I’ve already started to grieve.

You’ve fought hard for the past year,
And I’m not ready to say good-bye.
I can’t imagine you not in my life
I am so sad…today I had to cry.

I am grateful and blessed
For my six years with you.
You’ll live in my heart forever.
You’re one of the best ever Kitties Blue.

YESTERDAY

Many yesterdays have passed since
You gained your angel wings. Today
Is six months since you left us behind
To remember and mourn. Our hearts
Continue to hurt, and we miss
You as much as the day you left.
Giulietta whined from the catio
Yesterday as I worked in the yard.
I know you put her up to it. That
Was your way of getting me to,
Allow you to join me as I
Gardened. You were there with me
In spirit. With every meow
I thought of you and how much I miss
Your sweet face and disposition.
In these past few months, many friends
Have traveled your same path in your
paw-steps. I am certain you were
Waiting to greet them with purrs and hugs.
I pray you and your friends are laughing,
Frolicking and having fun together.
Picturing that makes me smile, but
Does not lessen my sadness at your
No longer being here to snuggle
And receive our love, care and kisses.
Fiona, please do not ever forget
You are still and always will be loved.

ONE YEAR MISSING YOU

One year has passed since you flew away,
And I still think of you everyday.
I see your sweet face in my mind’s eye
And wish we’d never had to say good-bye.
It’s nice you’ve sent us kitties needing a family,
But my dearest love, we are now at capacity.
You thought it would take more than one cat
To take your place in our habitat.
We love Cooper Murphy and baby Sawyer dearly
But thinking either could replace you makes me teary.
You were one-of-a-kind and will stay in my heart
Until the day I join you and we’re no longer apart.
When once again I can hold you in my arms
And revel in all your love and feline charms.
Together with you and all who have passed.
I will spend eternity contemplating how blessed
I was to share my life with my furry children,
Each and every one of you one-in-a billion.

UNTIL

I miss you each day.
Until we meet in heaven,
The pain will remain.

ONE OF A KIND

I don’t know how to say good-bye.
I thought you were invincible; though,
You used up many of your nine lives.
You ruled us all with an iron paw;
Never took “no” for an answer
And always got your way.
If not, you’d bark to signal your
Displeasure and sometimes raise a paw.
I always joked that you were bi-polar.
When I told people you were a calico
They immediately understood what I meant.
Today was unnaturally quiet in the house.
Can a home seem empty with eight cats?
I will miss waking up at night to find you
Sitting next to me and staring at me.
I will miss you yelling at us as you did
When you wanted breakfast and dinner.
I will miss watching you lounging and snoozing
On the porch settee on a warm afternoon.
But most of all I will miss your kisses!
When kitten Sawyer befriended you,
We suspect you were imparting your
Wisdom and secrets for controlling us.
Time will tell if he was a good listener.
But whatever he may have learned,
Neither Sawyer nor any other cat
Can or will replace you in our hearts.
Lily Olivia, you were one-of-a-kind.