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Cat Litter: Tidy Cats 24/7
Litter Type: Clay (clumping)
Price: $$
Rating: 4/5
Summary: This litter is a great pick if you’re looking for a clay based, low-dust option (it’s virtually dust-free). It also is fairly low tracking, covers up smells, and not super expensive. It doesn’t clump quite as well as other brands, but that seems to be the trade-off you pay with low dust litters. Overall it’s one of the better cat litters I’ve used. You can check current prices here.
Overview
Purina Tidy Cats is one of the most popular cat litters on the market, and for good reason. The price is reasonable and it works well. The line of litters has several variations including Glad scented, Free and Clear (no scents or deodorizers), Lightweight (weighs 50% less by volume), as well as a range of non-clumping clay litters.
For this piece, we are specifically reviewing the Tidy Cats Clumping Litter 24/7 performance.
What is Tidy Cats litter made from?
Tidy cats is made from bentonite clay, which gives it the ability to clump. This means urine can be scooped out of the box instead of saturating the litter, and doesn’t need to be changed out nearly as often as non-clumping clay.
One of the downsides of clay litter is it’s very heavy, which makes the tasks of purchasing and disposing of it a major pain. It’s also not the best option for the environment.
Despite the negatives, clay litter is so popular because cats prefer it and it works super well.
You can read in more detail about the different types of cat litters here.
Odor Control + Scent
This particular 24/7 version is not free of deodorizers or perfumes, but they do have an alternative Free and Clean Unscented version. The functionality is the same, it just does not have any added scents.
While there’s a definite “kitty litter perfume” smell to the 24/7 performance, in my opinion it is not anywhere near as strong as other brands like Scoop Away or Fresh Step. And an added benefit is I don’t smell the litter scent on my cats (which drives me insane!)
That being said, it does do a pretty decent job of keeping smells to a minimum. It does have a slightly odd odor (different from what I’m used to) but it does contain the cat smell within the litter.
Just be sure to keep in cleaned often, as no litter will cover up odors forever.
Clumping Ability
This litters ability to clump is just average. The clumps can be softer and have a tendancy to break apart more so than other brands like Up and Up or Scoop Away, which form more solid, unbreakable clumps.
Another thing that’s different about this than other brands I’ve used is that when it gets wet, the clumps will turn very dark. So when tiny pieces of it break apart, it’s also much more obvious.
This litter will work best if you only have 1 cat, or you scoop often (1-2x per day). If you’re able to scoop before the urine globs get too large or oversaturated, they’ll be much less likely to break apart. This way, your litter will stay cleaner and last longer.
I’ve noticed a trade-off when it comes to clumping clay litters that are virtually no-dust, and that is that their ability to clump seems to not be as great as dustier versions with smaller particles.
Is it dust free?
Tidy Cats advertises as being 99.9% dust free, and based on my experience I’d say it’s accurate. While there are many reviews that state this litter is “super dusty” I am not quite sure why anyone would say that. While it might have trace amounts of dust, you definitely won’t experience that classic dust cloud that many clumping litters are known for.
The clay granules are much larger than standard clumping litters, which makes for much less dust.
The great thing about low dust litter is not only is it cleaner (it won’t coat your floor, walls, and everything in between) but it’s much healtheir for you and your cats lungs. This is especially true if you (or your cat) have any type of lung condition, asthma, or allergies.
Does it track?
Yes, but I find this doesn’t track as much as other brands. The granules are larger and heavier, so they don’t stick to your cats paws as much. I still find it kicked around the litter box areas, but it doesn’t end up in the hallway nearly as often.
Price
Tidy Cats litter is mid-range for clumping litter. Not the cheapest, but not nearly the most expensive. You can typically get a 35 lb pail for around $15 – $18, depending where its purchased.
Reasons to love it
- It’s not dusty like other litters, so it’s much better especially for those with asthma, allergies, or chronic lung conditions
- Covers smells pretty well
- Litter smell is not overpowering, and doesn’t linger on your cats
- Reasonably priced
- Low tracking
- Lots of different packaging options available – pails, jugs, boxes, and bags
Reasons to hate it
- Clumps tend to be softer and break apart more often
- Not great for people with many cats, or cats that pee large volumes
- Not environmentally-friendly
The Bottom Line
Each individual will have their own preferences on what makes or breaks using a particular cat litter. I personally found this works well, but I much prefer the Up and Up (Target) version better as it clumps better and is less expensive.
If you have many cats, or a cat that pees large volumes (especially diabetic cats) this might not be the best option as it doesn’t seem to handle large volumes of urine well without breaking apart.
However, for single cat households or for people who can scoop often, this can be a great pick. Find it here on Chewy.
Check out our review of Chewy.com to see why we recommend this service for cat litter (and food) delivery.
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