Conference misery::feline

    could you tell us more about it, or describe it? Where have you seen
    it advertized?
    
    Deb

    
    
    	The name sounds like the one I saw on TV.  It's a 'layered'
    	litter box, using the sand type litter.  The trays interlock
    	with each other, having slots cut in the bottom.  After kitty
    	goes, you pick up the top tray, shake it out so that the 
    	solids are left in the tray, dump the tray, put it back into 	
    	the box, turning it around.  Or something like that.
    
    	

    I think if was an infomercial that I saw it on originally.  Then I saw
    it at Caldor's.
    
    It consists of 3 boxes that stack into one another.  The special
    feature is that the bottom of each box is like a sieve (like slats). 
    You are supposed to use clumping litter and then when it's time to
    "scoop" you just pick up the first box, all the sand sifts through
    leaving the clumps behind.  You throw out the clumps as you would
    normally do and then turn the box 180 degrees and place in under the
    two remaining boxes.  (this keep the boxes stack alternantely so that
    the sand doesn't come pouring out the bottom).
    
    When I saw it advertised on tv I think the price was 19.95 plus
    shipping and handling, when I saw it at Caldor's it was 19.99.  But
    before I spend that kind of money -- I want to know if anyone thinks
    that it is worth it.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Roberta

    
    	I saw the quicksand litter box for sale at BJ's in Leominster
    for $20.  I've seen ads that say you can use any type of litter 
    but on the box in BJ's is states to use clumping litter.  Money
    being somewhat tight, I feel $20 is a little too much for a litter
    box, not to mention clumping litter seems higher than regular litter.
    	
    				Just my opinion ;)
    							Sue

    Yes, Clumping Litter is more expensive to purchase but you use less of
    it.  With the other type, you throw the whole thing out.  The Clumping
    Litter is designed so that you just take out the Lumps and keep the
    rest.  
    
    Sandi Mom to Eight is Enough....
    

     
    Does anyone ever really do that - just throw away the clumps?  I buy
    clumping litter, but I find that when I just scoop the clumps, the
    "clean" litter that's left ends up smelling really bad anyway.  So I
    usually just throw away the whole pan of litter and add fresh litter
    whenever it's time to change.  Not very cost-effective, but it smells
    better.

    I've found the clumping litter to be very economical.  Of course, my
    cat, being the obliging fellow he is, only uses the box twice a day,
    usually when I'm around to clean it up.  He clearly notifies me
    that he's done his thing and would I please be kind enough to get rid
    of it.  
    
    I have only gone through two large boxes of litter since February and it
    doesn't smell at all.  I have heard the stories about it being very bad
    for cats but it doesn't seem to throw up much dust and Zachary, despite
    being very long haired, hasn't had too much trouble with it sticking to
    his pantaloons.  The few times it has, I've easily brushed or combed it
    off.
    
    And it sweeps right up into the vacuum cleaner.
    
    Gita

Our two Maine coons happily use the clumping litter. We fill the box 
quite deeply and the critters politely cover everything up when they're
done. We scoop the box every day (well, every other day) and have no 
smell problem. Since the box is in the basement whatever they spill 
isn't really a problem. The litter brand name doesn't immediate pop into 
my mind, but the stuff comes in 25lb boxes in several flavors. We use 
the ES variety that comes in a blue box. The clumping litter is quite 
economical. We also use it on our boat when we take the cats sailing. 

Alan

    
    Maybe I just have an extra-stinky kitty!!

    
    
    Hi,
    
    Ref smelly litter, you can get a powder call ed Litter Fresh, which
    mixes in with the litter and keeps in smelling nicer for longer.
    I recently bought my four cats a scratching pole, with little sort of
    rooms attached, and at the top a large platform, I spray it with CatNip
    and my cats go mad for it.  Since I bought it I have had no scratched
    wall paper etc.  Bliss....
    
    
    Jules

    >Ref smelly litter, you can get a powder call ed Litter Fresh, which
    
    Litter Fresh (and it's competitors) are basicly baking soda. If you use
    a product like this, you can save some $$ by just buying plain baking
    soda, spreading a layer of it on the bottom of the box, dumping in your
    litter and then mixing baking soda into the litter itself.
    
    Deb

    
    
    Cheers, when I go to Sainsbury's tonight, I will buy some baking soda
    and give it a whirl, as the special made cat powders are a might
    expensive..
    
    Jules

    
    I saw commercial on TV also. I am very lazy when it comes to
    housekeeping. Anything that adds to my chore list is a no-no.
    I can see myself doing more work scooping the clumps out,
    washing out the sieves, and I still have to change the litter.
    Right now, I line the litter box (it is actually a large Rubbermaid
    storage bin, since my cats make big messes with regular size 
    litter box) with large trash bags, I throw the whole thing out,
    bag and litter, every 2 - 3 days. I use the cheapest, plain
    clay litter. Since the litter doesn't sit around for more than
    couple of days, smell is not an issue - the litter box is in
    our 1/2 bathroom off the kitchen, so I am particular! I'll stick
    with the old fashioned litterbox for now.
    
    Eva

    I also use baking soda in the bottom of the litter box and it most
    definately keeps the odor down.  Ms Ebony does not seem to mind the
    soda at all.

	I thought I'd give the QuickSand Litter box a try.  I was not
	impressed and am even offering it free to anyone who wants to
	try it.  It's the box itself that I don't like.  I have used
	the clumping litter for 6 years and won't use anything else.

	The ads say you lift the top box and shake the unused sand into 
    	the middle box.  You dump the clumped pee and poop into the trash.  
	Then you put the top box on the bottom (turning it the correct way).

	What I don't like:

		Sand still gets through the bottom of the box.  Every
		time I lifted the box (2 or all 3 sections, lined 
		up correctly) I found sand under it.  I also found more 
		sand around the litter box area than when my girls (I have 
		two sisters) use the conventional type litter box (covered
		or not).

		If there is pee on the side of the box (and there usually
		is) you have to wash the box before putting it on the
		bottom.  If you don't wash it, it will smell (obviously!).


	I found it to be more work than it was worth since, in addition to
	dumping the top box, I also had to vacuum or sweep the floor EVERY 
	day and wash the box EVERY day.

	I have gone back to the conventional style litter box (a covered one)
	that I've used for 6 years.  I use the clumping litter and scoop it
	once a day.  Every 2 months or so I dump everything, wash the box & 
	lid and replace the litter.  And, I've never had a problem with odor.


	So, like I said above, I'm offering the box free to anyone who wants
	to try it.  I live in Billerica, and work in Stow.
	

    My wife and I also tried the "quicksand" litter box or a variation of
    it. I don't recall the brand, I just liked the idea behind it.
    
    Well, we got two of these "crap traps".
    
    Litter everywhere. Clumps that stick to the box, so you have to scrape
    it clean anyway before you can move it to the bottom. And instead of
    one box to clean at the end of the week, there are 3 parts that need
    cleaning.
    
    Not real impressed.
    
    We'll stick with the old way.
    

    I bit and I bought one.  My experience is the same as the other 2
    noters: litter all over the place - like lving at the beach without the
    sun.  The worst part is that the wet litter gets in between the cracks
    of the top box, and I spend several minutes trying to dislodge it from
    the cracks with the scoop, wiping the front and back, and feeling very
    frustrated that I fell for this gimmick.  My daughter said she saw one
    on tv that has a criss-cross pattern on the bottom, so there is no wet
    cement (aka urine) to dig out, but I'm going back to my regular (covered) 
    box.  Also, the "litter guard" a little frame that goes around the top,
    is always off the boxes.  I'll put this one in the garage with the
    "Sweet Pea" contraption that had the stones.  That one cost me about
    $50.  Oh well.

    The Sweet Pea litter box didn't work well for your kitties?  Mine
    like it.  I do have to wash the bottom tray from time to time as
    the paper pads don't extend quite far enough.
    

    Seemed like the stones (litter) were sticking to the solid waste, and I
    was loosing lots of the stuff on a daily basis.  Someone told me to let
    the poop dry out a bit, and then I wouldn't have that problem, but I
    don;t like the idea of not cleaning out the litter box daily.  I also
    found that the pads were soaked with urine - I have only 2 cats, but
    one is a big guy, and the smell of urine was in the bathroom all the
    time,  where I keep the litterbox. The urine seemed to float on top of
    the pad.  Now one might not think this is a problem, and I'm not the 
    greatest housekeeper, and it wasn;t even amonia-smelling yet, but it did 
    bother me.  

    For some reason my guys use the Sweet Pea box almost entirely for
    urine so I haven't seen the stool problem.  There is a smell
    from the pads;  I'm about to try putting a layer of baking soda
    right on top of  the pad this weekend, actually.  I haven't wanted
    to try that when I wasn't home in case the baking soda got into
    the air enough to aggravate Sweetie'e respiratory problem.  If they'd
    put baking soda inside the pads, that would be ideal.  I don't think
    the urine actually floats -- I've been amazed that when I remove the
    pads to discard them that they are actually "dripless" even when
    soaked.
    

    It occurs to me, you did have the pads with the absorbent side
    up?