Stick Foot in Mouth Might As Well Insert Other Foot Too
Written: Feb 05 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: No dust, great inexpensive price.
Cons: What could be wrong with $5.98 for 40 lbs?
The Bottom Line: If you need a lot of litter, I couldn't recommend a better litter for the price.
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| djgeiger's Full Review: Exquisicat Crystals Cat Litter |
The title to this review is just about the way I feel right now. We live in a mobile home park. There is a large population of feral cats here. The park wants to get rid of them because the wild cat population is disturbing the not-so-wild cotton tail rabbit population. All the retired folks here feed the bunnies. Don’t get me wrong, I like the bunnies and feed them too. But don’t the wild cats have just as much at the right to life as the cotton-tailed bunnies? That is where I opened by big mouth and approached the park manager with the subject of trapping the wild cats and at least to attempt finding them homes. This is where I stuck the other foot in. The park manager says go for it here is the traps. Say WHAT??!!
How do I get ready for however many cats I am going to end up with? I know one thing, however I am going to do it, it’s got to be a very inexpensive approach. There isn’t going to be any fancy dancy litter boxes. There sure isn’t going to be crystal litter of any variety. That is the only litter I use in my home...period. But, back to clay litter for the wild cats.
Litter box cheap inspiration 101. By Rubbermaid Tubs, cut a hole through the top of the lid. I now have a covered, top entry litter box. You know what! Try to track the litter all over with this! This homemade litter box has got to be the best litter box I have ever had. No, odor! The odor is trapped inside. No tracking, the litter is trapped inside. WOW!!
Now for the type of litter for my inspiration of a litter box. Cheap. We go to Pet Smart to figure out the most inexpensive means possible for mass kitty p@@ps. The biggest bag we find is a 40-lb bag of Exquisi-Cat Cat Litter of the clay type. The cost was only $5.98 for this 40-lb bag. This impresses me, after all, cheap is cheap. I didn’t expect much out of it so I wouldn’t be disappointed when I brought it home to use. I tried the Exquisi-Cat crystals and hated them. I love the Harvest Ventures crystals and the Tidy Cat Crystals, but the Exquisi-Cat was awful. We bring the litter home and start filling our homemade boxes.
I know litter. I have gone through so much litter in the past several years! If I WERE as smart as I think I am smart I would have bought stock in cat litter. That’s beside the point and that is rather a mute subject now.
The bins we’re using for litter boxes are pretty good size. The bag is a ways up so I expected a dust cloud the size of Chicago. I was wrong. NO dust cloud, none, nada! Maybe a little wisp, a hint of dust, but seriously that was it.
Well, heck. Maybe I’ll fill just one of the cat’s regular litter boxes with this stuff. Maybe I can get more accurate data. Maybe I’ll finally have an inspiration for a pet review.
Exquisi-Cat calls this stuff extra strength litter. The odor control part is supposed to be the extra strength part. I smell it and it smells....sweet, no that’s not the smell. I can’t say what this smell is...different. I could call it a fresh smell, but that doesn’t accurately describe it either. Ideal for multiple cats. Bingo!! That’s what I need!! I’ve never seen clay litter that really worked for anywhere over 24 hours. This actually does work pretty well for a couple days. It has a moisture-activated fragrance for extra strength odor control.
Directions for use. I need directions to fill a cat box? Okay, what do they say? Use a moisture proof box large enough to accommodate your cat(s). Well duh! Fill box with 2 to 3 inches of cat litter (for pawing and covering). Ok, filling 2-3 inches. Remove solid waste daily. Ah, George honey? Completely empty the cat box once a week. Clean with warm water and mild detergent. I wash mine with straight Clorox and rinse. Dry completely before refilling with new cat litter.
Disease control is a major issue in wild life centers. It is also a major issue with wild cats. These cats are not going to get my cats sick. Back you wild varmints! (Cross symbol!)
Ingredients: Ground clay, odor-causing bacteria growth inhibitor and fragrance. Not recommended for use in the garden. It also says it has a 100% warranty. I have never found Pet Smart to be a problem with their products and their warranties.
The low tracking part seems pretty accurate. Nothing much tracks out of my homemade litter boxes. But even in my test box except for an occasional pop-up when a cat is jumping out, tracking doesn’t seem to be a big problem.
The ultimate test. My cat Molly is a professional sculpturist. She will spend a half-hour or more in her litter box preparing and then a half-hour more burying. She takes sculpting very serious. This litter mounds great. If she puts a partial mountain on one side and a molehill on the other side, it stays right where she puts it.
A week has gone by in the test litter box. It’s not muddy, or overly wet. It doesn’t completely stink to high heaven. Face it, were talking clay litter here! I expect this litter box I’m sniffing to stink! But I’ve smelled a whole lot worst after a week’s time with every other clay litter I have ever tried.
The bag the litter comes in is a red and green bag. I don’t know how many times I have bought litter, put it in the trunk only to find that the bag has a hole in it or has split opening carrying it into the house. What’s the use of making a trackless litter if your making a trail of it behind you as you carry it into the house? Exquisi-Cat’s Clay Cat Litter the bag is strong and sturdy. We have learned to use scissors on all these bags so I really can’t tell you if the pull string thingy worked or not or even if it had a pull string thingy. After all I had dozens of cats holding their little legs together hopping up and down saying I've got to go, NOW!
What else can you say about a clay litter? The cats are happy. But why wouldn’t they be since they use to live outdoors foraging for food and p@@ping in my rose bushes. It is an excellent price. $5.98 for a 40-lb bag. That is really cheap litter. It doesn’t track all over. It produces very little dust. A small amount when the bag is being poured but none in the box when the cat’s scratches in the litter. The odor control has got to be the best I have seen in a clay litter. The bag isn’t a thin cheap bag that splits and leaks all over. It is strong and durable. I like this litter. When I get back to Oklahoma to our wild life center I will use this stuff exclusively in the center. I will still use the crystal litter on my inside cats. The crystal litter is such a remarkable innovation I would never stop using it at least until something more remarkable comes around. Self-cleaning cats?
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
djgeiger
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Member: Diana Geiger
Location: Huron, South Dakota USA
Reviews written: 150
Trusted by: 343 members
About Me:
I am a writer and the Exotic Pets Editor for BellaOnline.com.
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