 Basic Veterinary Advice |
| Watch Out For Fleas!! |
"Technology" News!
| Basic Veterinary Advice |
| Watch Out For Fleas!! |
Before anything else, since I received an email recently from a reader of this review, please note: Neither the reviewer nor Sheshat's Library have any connection to the companies that manufacture these products. This review and any others to follow are made as a consumer, to other consumers, like the reviews on Amazon.com.
That having been said . . . Great news for cat-owners! In case you haven't seen the ads, or spotted it in stores, there are several new brands of litter modeled after Litter Pearls. This product, instead of clay, uses clear balls of . . . okay, so I don't know what they're made of, but they are completely non-toxic, dust-free, and -- best of all!! -- they trap not only liquid, but odors! In other words, no more clumping, no more smelly litter-box despite promises on the box, etc!
Having tried the FreshStep Crystals equivalent, I am now ready to vote in favor of Litter Pearls. When testing FreshStep I found that, though it is a great deal easier to "stir" the crystals in order to maximize absorbency, they are not as effective in that regard compared to Litter Pearls. In addition, they seem to break down into dust towards the end of their use (huge clouds of which are not good for my sinuses when replacing the litter). Also, the "cut" of the crystals doesn't reduce tracking all that much -- and makes it rather painful to step on them if you're barefoot, which is not the case with the round "pearls."
Correction Note: On a recent visit to "Pets SuperStore" (local place on a par with national PetMart etc), I found that the higher price of Litter Pearls at the smaller store I had first purchased them at was only in those stores that do not deal direcltly with the manufacturer and therefore need to mark-up some items to meet their overhead. If bought at a major store, Litter Pearls are not more expensive than a same-sized bag of FreshStep.
Litter Pearls (or FreshStep Crystals) are more expensive than normal clay litter ($8.99 - $12.99 for a 4lb bag, $16.99 - 19.99 for an 8lb bag of LitterPearls vs a typical $7.99-$8.99 for an 8lb whatever of clay), but believe me, it is (typically) worth it -- especially for single-cat households! I have 3 cats and I "ration" out the 8lb bag throughout the month, so the advertised "One Bag, One Month" promise actually does work. All you need to do is completely replace the amount of "crystals" when they all become discolored (from sealing in the urine); this is once a month for single-cat households, and c. every 7-10 days for multiple-cat households. [Note: Not all cats like this product, nor do all owners; I've had varying reports, but for the most part reactions seem to echo mine -- good.]
It really is an amazing product! The "pearls" do track a bit, but not nearly as much as clay, and they are much easier to pick up. And I've been assured that even if a pearl is swallowed by a cat, it won't do any harm because they don't dissolve but pass straight through. And it really does reduce odor by very nearly 100%!! For those cat-owners who can afford the higher cost, I very highly recommend this product -- especially if you have to be out of the house long periods of time, as I do! Ask your veterinarian or local big-brand pet supply store if you want to double-check, or get more information.
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Keep Pets Free From Disease |
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To Declaw or Not to Declaw |
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Spaying and Neutering |
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Introducing A New Pet |
