What are good alternatives to Just the Crystals? I've substituted Petco's brand, but the too-big crystals grind horribly under the ScoopFree rake.
1280508
I haven't found one. At least in my immediate area. I just bought the litter trays to suffice until I can order Just the Crystals again.
1280509
Hi again everyone, We had a total combination of several pieces of really bad luck all at the same time. It started with an unexpected spike in demand, which we would have been able to handle had the most recent shipment be sent out on time, however because of a clerical error with the shipper it was delayed by nearly two months. (Order planning for the crystals needs to happen well over two months before the product actually reaches the shelves at Amazon). That put us behind, and then on top of that the container somehow got ripped open in transit. We've just had everything transferred over to a new container and anticipate having them back in stock at Amazon around the 24th. You can follow updated progress at our Forever Litter Trays Facebook page, as I update there regularly. (And you can see a photo of the container if interested). Short term as someone else mentioned your best alternative is Fresh Step (although it has a fragrance). This and other tips can also be found at my website. I apologize once again for all this mess..........we're doing our best to get this all back on track as soon as possible. Rick
1280510
Can't help you on this. I am thrilled with the Just the Crystals....having used other crystal and clay products.
1280511
Fresh step from the store is best alternative. Too expansive on Amazon. Also look at this website for other recommendations http://foreverlittertrays.com/crystal-litter/
1881867
I modified mine by taking a plastic wastebasket, cutting down to fit under the opening, and am using 4 gal wastebasket liners. The rake was pushing too many crystals each time that the continuos bag kept pulling out of the box.
1546367
Get the cutterpillar. The way it's designed it sharpens as it cuts so it never needs replacing. It's VERY pricey and something you'd need a designated cutting station for since it's also very heavy. People who own it swear by it, but I prefer something that I can stow away as I don't want to lose counter space to a trimmer.
1805743
I contacted the company. The gentleman was very nice. He replaced the scoop. Its hard to find a company who stands behind their products. Thank you Duranimals!
2125370
This one won't be spotless either. You will still have to manually clean it just about every day. It's just not made as well as the one they made 5 or 6 years ago - which I still have and NEVER have a problem with it. The rake teeth aren't spaced or long enough. The arm isn't powerful enough to push through even medium sized clumps and it stalls 75% of the time, leaving a mess to clean up. I wish I could tell you what you want to hear and say "oh it's great! buy two!", but I can't. And I won't. Good luck!
1034283
You can actually find some good info in this regard at the Just the Crystals website. These aren't the superfine (nearly sand-like quality) you'll get in with the Mimi Crystals from Walmart, but are slightly larger grain. We've found that there's a balance between size and texture in terms of best absorbency and what works (as in most people's experience with the cheaper, very chunky brands). Absorbency is also measurable -- and these have the highest ml/g absorbency ration available (hence why they are "premium" branded). Most of this info can be found at my website, but please don't hesitate to contact me directly via the contact info there if I can personally answer any questions -- always here to help! Rick
481835
We either use Just the Crystals (available on Amazon), or FreshStep. We don't have any special "bulk" supplier, as for the litter we are just consumers like you.
934126
Since ScoopFree has been hard to come by I've just started testing different brands... Ultra Pet Litter Pearls (perfect little pearl shapes) works so far ($22.97 per 7 lbs) but it's only been 3 days - I hoping it will last 10 days like the ScoopFree Just Crystals did for my two cats. The key is crystal size... not to small and not too large. I did try Dr. Elseys Senior Crystals (very small sandlike) didn't wok as nicely as ScoopFree but it works for another application for my older cat just fine. I just bought Fresh Step at Target ($14.49/8 lbs) and it should work as it's small enough crystals but I'll have to get back to you on that. Since ScoopFree has been hard to come by I've just started testing different brands... Ultra Pet Litter Pearls (perfect little pearl shapes) works so far ($22.97 per 7 lbs) but it's only been 3 days - I hoping it will last 10 days like the ScoopFree Just Crystals did for my two cats. The key is crystal size... not to small and not too large. I did try Dr. Elseys Senior Crystals (very small sandlike) didn't wok as nicely as ScoopFree but it works for another application for my older cat just fine. I just bought Fresh Step at Target ($14.49/8 lbs) and it should work as it's small enough... » Read More Since ScoopFree has been hard to come by I've just started testing different brands... Ultra Pet Litter Pearls (perfect little pearl shapes) works so far ($22.97 per 7 lbs) but it's only been 3 days - I hoping it will last 10 days like the ScoopFree Just Crystals did for my two cats. The key is crystal size... not to small and not too large. I did try Dr. Elseys Senior Crystals (very small sandlike) didn't wok as nicely as ScoopFree but it works for another application for my older cat just fine. I just bought Fresh Step at Target ($14.49/8 lbs) and it should work as it's small enough crystals but I'll have to get back to you on that. « Show Less
1034284
Better than others I have tried, but I just purchased a bag of Ultra Micro Crystals which are the finest I have come across so far, but I haven't actually used them yet. They were fairly reasonable at Wag.
323918
I have multiple cats so find the crystals expensive. I have done a lot of testing with other litters. I have found the clumping litter made from Walnut shells-from Blue works well and another reviewer mentioned the Worlds Best made from corn works for him. You have to play with the amount a bit to have it deep enough to function but not so deep as to hinder the raking motion of the machine. I think the clumping clay type litters might be too heavy to work with the machine. Hope this helps.
1123638
Mine is a French Bulldog, I have tried every imaginable dog food out there and was at one time cooking duck for her. But her all time favorite food is Mighty Dog. I haven't seen any crystals since using this product, I highly recommend it.
68475
I ran out of kitty litter and found a bag of this on the discount table at my local grocery store, so I snatched it up. I see other people gradually transitioned their cats to this product, unfortunately I did not. She did use the crystals for her bowel movements, but did not bury them, however a few days later I discovered that my cat chose to use the dog bed as her new "litter box" to urinate in. Not happy with that, wish I would have read the recommendations first. But I am too apprehensive to try the crystals again, even if mixing. When using for the first time, I'd suggest keeping a close eye on the box and kitties to make sure they are using the litter box instead of an alternate area. Good Luck! I ran out of kitty litter and found a bag of this on the discount table at my local grocery store, so I snatched it up. I see other people gradually transitioned their cats to this product, unfortunately I did not. She did use the crystals for her bowel movements, but did not bury them, however a few days later I discovered that my cat chose to use the dog bed as her new "litter box" to urinate in. Not happy with that, wish I would have read the recommendations first. But I am too apprehensive to try the crystals again, even if mixing. When using for the first time, I'd suggest... » Read More I ran out of kitty litter and found a bag of this on the discount table at my local grocery store, so I snatched it up. I see other people gradually transitioned their cats to this product, unfortunately I did not. She did use the crystals for her bowel movements, but did not bury them, however a few days later I discovered that my cat chose to use the dog bed as her new "litter box" to urinate in. Not happy with that, wish I would have read the recommendations first. But I am too apprehensive to try the crystals again, even if mixing. When using for the first time, I'd suggest keeping a close eye on the box and kitties to make sure they are using the litter box instead of an alternate area. Good Luck! « Show Less
248634
one thing you can do is to rearrange the litter daily to "re-activate" the crystals. I have done this and it seems to help. If you are buying the premium kind, I know I haven 't had that problem.
801144
I stopped using the crystal litter it was too hard on my feet. Now I use "World's Best Litter Lavendar scented." World's best is made from corn so there is no dust and you can throw the clump in the toilet.
881673
It is designed to be used with the "crystals" litter, any tinkering with that has reduced its ability to function well--especially the raking action. I wouldn't try anything other than crystals (there are several brands out there). Love this machine, BTW.
1499042
I've never used crystals, so I don't know. Smart sift is designed for the clean litter that hasn't clumped to go into a holding area while the clumps fall into a separate box for disposal. If the crystal litter does not clump, I don't think it will work. For those of you already using this box, I find that the new lightweight littler works extremely well. Before I felt I was using too much litter but now I'm using less then I ever have and it more than makes up for the extra cost of the lightweight litter. Love this box but there is a learning curve. If you put in more litter than you are supposed to do, it will only go to waste and be dumped into the waste pan.
2197265
I think the crystals would clog it up. I use a good clumping litter and it works great for me.