Pretty litter? That’s right, there is a new product on the market that boasts of keeping your cats happy and healthy. Apparently, Pretty Litter is environmentally minded, safe, and natural cat litter. It provides the same benefits as clay litters but without harmful ingredients. Pretty Litter does have a variety of benefits. But is Pretty Litter worth the investment? And what is Pretty Litter- it’s advertised everywhere! Is Pretty Litter worth it? This blog post will go over the pros and cons of Pretty Litter so you can decide if it’s something that might work for you and your cat.
Please note that if you do purchase this litter, it is in no way a substitute for your veterinarian. Pretty Litter is meant to aid you in your quest to keep your cat healthy. It is not meant to take over the place of a vet in your cat’s life in any way; rather, it is meant to complement your vet visits.
Pretty Litter is cat litter that, while looking great, also helps your cat to stay healthy. In other words, Pretty Litter contributes to healthy feline friends. A litter box is an essential part of living with a cat, and Pretty Litter says that its crystals change colour when your cat is unwell, making it easier to recognize when something is wrong. It is therefore fair to say that Pretty Litter is a cat litter subscription business that wants to help. This point is key to answering the question, “what is Pretty Litter?”
Another thing to know about what Pretty Litter is, is that it is based on a subscription. If you go to your local pet store, you will not find Pretty Litter as an option on the shelves. Purchases are made via the Pretty Litter website.
There is another basic fact you need to know to understand what Pretty Litter is: Pretty Litter was invented to help with a certain pet problem. This problem is that cats, more than most animals, hide illness very well. It can be extremely difficult to tell if your cat is unwell. The color indicators in Pretty Litter seek to correct this problem for the cat owner.
Crystals change color according to the acidity and alkalinity of your cat’s urine. When your cat is ill, these levels change, triggering color changes in the crystals.
If the crystals are yellow to olive green to light green, that indicates that your cat is well.
The third fact that helps us understand what Pretty Litter is, is the story of its founder- Daniel Rotman.
Daniel Rotman created Pretty Litter after losing his much-loved cat. His cat showed no obvious signs of illness, but if Rotman could have seen these symptoms, he could have saved his cat’s life.
His creation, Pretty Litter, focuses on fixing this problem for other pet-owners, so the past doesn’t have to repeat itself.
So what is in the stuff anyway? In a word: Silica Gel. Oh- and no clay!
Pretty Litter is made from Silica Gel instead of the traditional clay. This is a lightweight and porous combination that works to eliminate odors and absorb liquid better than any other type of cat litter.
According to the Pretty Litter website, “Silica Gel litter is made from naturally occurring minerals.”
Silica Gel is indeed made from Silicon Dioxide, which is found in nature in assorted living organisms and quartz.
There has been some general confusion over the safety of Silica Gel. This is because
Silica Gel is often confused with Crystalline Silica. Silica Gel is safe, and it does not contain any chemicals or toxins that may harm you or your cats.
But Crystalline Silica is not safe, and is actually found in your basic and traditional clay clumping cat litters! Yet it is dangerous to humans and pets.
Pretty Litter does not contain any Crystalline Silica.
Pretty Litter contains harmless Silica Gel.
Another misunderstanding of Silica Gel comes from its association with Silica Gel packets found in the packaging of products to keep them fresh. But, the reason these packages say, “Danger: Do Not Eat,” is because they are a choking hazard.
The Silica Gel, again, is not harmful.
Your average clay clumping litter also contains Sodium Bentonite, which is expandable. This is why you can’t flush clay cat litter. It will expand in your toilet!
In a similar way, if your cat uses a litter box with clay litter, gets some on their fur, grooms themselves, and ingests it- it will expand in their stomach.
This is not good.
Pretty Litter does not contain Sodium Bentonite.
Phew!
Why is Sodium Bentonite often in clay cat litters in the first place? It acts as a clumping agent.
For more information on the ingredients and safety of Silica Gel in Pretty Litter, see the video below. Ya, it’s cheesy at parts… but the kitten is so cute! 🙂 And the information is good.
Pretty Litter was developed by Daniel Rotman in 2015, and it’s the first cat litter to use Nature’s clever solution for removing waste – microbes!
Rotman is the founder and the CEO of Pretty Litter, which is now one of the fastest-growing pet companies in the USA. Rotman’s company is based in Los Angelos, California.
Rotman helped on ABC Family’s Startup U, a TV series in which entrepreneurs go through a two-month program to start their own business.
Behind the scenes, Rotman aided popular pet blogger Carly Martinetti with her business plan, which was, in essence, the Pretty Litter model. When Martinetti abandoned her idea for the business, Rotman took over.
But Rotman has had a soft spot for cats for a long-time, despite being a smarty-pants entrepreneur and previous U.S. Congressional Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This cat-lover founded a funding organization for nonprofits and graduated with his Master’s from Harvard University.
Rotman lost a most beloved cat, Gingi, when she was 10 and Rotman was 25 years old.
Rotman then realized that it is very difficult to spot warning signs of illnesses in cats since they can fall ill without showing many if any, signs of sickness at all.
Pretty Litter functions as his answer to this problem.
Pretty Litter doesn’t act as a substitute for regular vet visits, but it does act as an early warning sign that your pet needs a trip to the vet- before their illness has matured.
Catching cat issues in these early stages can greatly aid your cat’s health, stopping issues before they get out of hand, and even save their lives.
Silica Gel crystals, which are very absorbent, soak up the cat urine. As it does this, it also absorbs the odor. Next, the water from the urine evaporates out of the chrystals.
Because of this process, all that is left is the cat feces, which need to be scooped out and disposed of.
Since Silica Gel crystals are being used by this litter company, less litter is needed at the end of the day to do the same work that your typical cat litter would do. This is due to the extra-absorbent nature of the chyrstals, as mentioned above.
The following quotes and explanation is taken directly from the Pretty Litter site.
“PrettyLitter reacts to certain urinary elements such as levels of acidity and alkalinity to make color changes visible to the naked eye or show blood.”
” While our color-changing technology was designed with your cat’s health in mind, we always want to emphasize that PrettyLitter is a tool that provides insights into what might be going on with your cat, and not a medical diagnostic product. Only a licensed Veterinarian can diagnose a medical condition.”
In other words, the litter is like a litmus test for your cat’s health; the pH level in your cat’s urine changes the color of the crystals. It’s a lot like testing acids and bases in high-school science class with litmus paper. Remember those?
An olive or green grass green is average. This is the color that you want your cat’s litter to be-it means that your cat is healthy. No trip to the vet is needed. The pH level in your cat’s urine is perfect.
Other colors, like dark green, blue, red, yellow, or orange, show levels of acidity or alkalinity that are out of the average range for a cat.
These ‘out of range’ colors (or levels of acidity or alkalinity in your cat’s urine) could be the first signs of a health condition that needs treating right away.
This is where your vet steps in. At this point, you would take your cat in for a check-up to see what is going on with their system.
As an example, a high pH level, which will turn the silica crystals blue, could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). (See the chart from Pretty Litter listed above – certain species of bacteria will change the pH level and thus change the color to blue).
A low urinary pH turns them dark orange, and it means that your cat’s urine at the moment is acidic. This could mean metabolic acidosis and kidney tubular acidosis, which Wired notices can lead to kidney stones.
Blood in the urine shows up as red, as you would imagine. Blood in the urine could mean bladder inflammation, bladder stones, or a UTI.
Blood always calls for a vet trip. Call your vet immediately for that one.
Yes and no… but I believe there could be an explanation for the ‘no’s’ I see popping up.
As Wired’s review on Pretty Litter states:
“In my research, I found several Pretty Litter customers talking about false positives on Reddit. Their cats’ litter crystals turned blue, but expensive vet visits concluded there was nothing abnormal.”
I have come across this, too, in my own personal use of Pretty Litter. I also brought my cat in to the vet, and after extensive tests (that were needed anyways, no regrets), it turned out that my cat was A-Okay.
I did some investigating, and found this buried in the Pretty Litter FAQ page:
“Please also be aware – when PrettyLitter is at the end of its life cycle, it can become saturated and urine can pool at the bottom of the litter box. This concentration of saturated PrettyLitter can cause a reaction that changes the saturated litter blue. If you notice the litter is turning a slushy consistency along with a blue color, it may just be time to change your litter.”
I have a very abnormally big cat, and his litter would start out the perfect color. As the litter sat and became slushy, it would turn blue- just like the above description. Since the color was in pools of slush at the bottom of the box, I concluded that this was happening.
It is significant to note that the larger your cat, or the greater number of cats you have, the faster saturation will occur and the more often you will have to change your litter. This has nothing to do with any kind of litter: this has everything to do with the size of your cat, how often they are urinating (indoor only? Outdoor sometimes?), or how many cats you have using a particular box.
In other words, you will have these issues with any kind of litter.
Other reasons for changes in color that may not be serious health issues are:
And this is due to the fact that your cat actually belongs to a rather sensitive species- despite their sometimes tough and independent guy persona.
For these reasons, PL recommends monitoring the color change for 24-48 hours. If the color change continues, then it is time to visit your vet.
Since we have explained the ‘blue issue,’ then really only Wired’s praise remains:
“It’s not all bad. I spoke to one customer on Twitter who regularly fosters cats and has been using Pretty Litter for around two years. She said when the color changed with a new batch of kittens, she took them to the vet and found they had worms. Another customer said the crystals turned blue, detecting a UTI that was later confirmed by a vet, who was impressed the litter caught it so early.” – Wired
At the end of the day, Pretty Litter is a game-changer in the way we look at cat litter, whether it is you and your cat’s personal preference for litter or not.
Pretty Litter comes with many advantages over traditional litters, and below are some of the pros of using Pretty Litter and ‘game changer’ aspects:
Obviously, this is not the most important thing to the cat litter box! But it is fresh smelling, light-weight, and a beautiful off-white with colorful specks sprinkled throughout.
Compared to almost all other cat litters, the chrystals track significantly less. However, there is some tracking. But, I don’t think there is a litter on the face of this earth that doesn’t track at all.
It is lightweight so it’s easy to maneuver, carry, and work with. This is a nice added touch.
As mentioned above, due to the absorbency of Silica Gel, you need less to get the job done.
Since most litters clump the urine together and need scooping, when you scoop out the urine clumps you scoop out the litter. This means that you need to refill or add litter to the box to maintain the right level of cat litter for your cat.
With Pretty Litter, you do not need to do this. The litter doesn’t clump, so you are not continually scooping out litter to deplete the supply of litter in the box. That means you don’t have to top off the litter box.
If you have a small to average-sized cat, one bag can actually last a whole month, no top-ups are needed.
This is arguably the point that sells the whole thing. Who can put a price tag on their furry fluff-ball friends? The way that the litter changes colors with abnormal acidity and alkalinity levels to alert you of danger can keep your cat healthier and save their life.
This early warning system is remarkable, the first of its kind, and unparalleled in other litters- one of the ‘game-changers’ for your cat and the cat litter industry.
I have been using Pretty Litter myself now for over a year and it has beat every litter I have ever tried in terms of odor control.
This is not a small accomplishment. I’ve tried lots of different kinds.
I don’t smell the litter box at all with my one cat, and it has no lid and no added scents. It’s just the regular Pretty Litter kind.
The only time there is a slight smell is when it’s time to change the litter, or on extremely, abnormally, hot days. Even then, the smell is minimal- especially considering that it is literally a toilet for your cat.
Again, I really don’t think completely odor-free under all circumstances cat litter is possible on planet earth, but this is the next best thing in terms of odor control.
Pretty litter is good for the environment and biodegradable.
Since PrettyLitter is made up of mainly Silica Gel, it is non-toxic, non-flammable, and chemically un-reactive. Its dust-free nature is good for people with allergies as well as landfill friendly.
If some of the litter is ingested by your cat or gets on their skin, your cat will have no problems. Of course, if your cat is eating a lot of the litter that’s not good. The litter is not edible.
Typically, this litter is not going to give anyone an allergic reaction- not you or your kitty.
The company Pretty Litter does not use any harmful ingredients in their litter, as discussed above in the “What is PL” section.
Honestly, it is nice not to have a dusty litter to work with if it’s possible. This stuff has little to no dust. I went back to a cheap litter one month when I ran out of P.L. and the contrast was extreme.
I’m not sure why some reviews claim it is dusty. Maybe if those reviewers went back to the normal litter for a month they would realize that they miscalculated there.
Pretty Litter doesn’t try to keep a tight budget and put more money in their pocket by using cheaper ingredients that are harmful to you, your cat, or the environment.
The concept behind the whole thing really can help you monitor the health of your cat, which can be a priceless gift.
Also, it really can give you peace of mind about a species of animal that shows very little sign of sickness when they have one, making them difficult to diagnose early.
Some adjustments have been made to Pretty Litter over the years based on feedback given to the CEO and founder Daniel Rotman by customers.
The company appears to listen to the public when needed.
The concept behind the litter is backed by a team of scientists and veterinarians who helped to create it- not just a bunch of people looking to make cash.
Other Pluses +++
Honestly, not much! I think that this is a great product. Nothing is perfect, but this stuff comes pretty close. Most of the complaints I have heard about the product don’t seem to hold water.
Things like– my cat rejected it, it’s dusty, there was a mistake with shipping– can happen with any litter and any product for that matter.
Mistakes happen with customer support and shipping, there may be a granule or two of dust in there, and cats can reject any kind of litter.
People seem to be under the impression that changing a litter box can magically turn to unicorns and rainbows.
At the end of the day, you’re cleaning up urine and feces. It’s not going to change to cleaning up golden eggs that your cat laid that you can sell for profit and make millions on.
However, it is true that there is some minimal tracking of the chrystals- but again, what litter is perfect in this area? Please do let me know if such a specimen exists on planet earth. I actually really mean that. Please let me know in the comments below if you’ve found one.
It is expensive.
This is not cheap litter, but many people find that the peace of mind and potential life-saving capability of the litter outweighs the extra cost.
In addition, for the good quality product you are getting, it is not through the roof expensive.
If you are on a tight budget, this may not be the cat litter for you. The cost does add up month after month.
One way to make your money go further is if you have a cat that is partially an outdoor cat. If they can do some of their business outside every day, this cuts down on costs over time.
As you can tell, I like this litter! But I’m being honest with you. I would tell you if there was something wrong with it.
Multi-cats
There is a con here to multi-cat households. It can really add up to purchase this litter for a bunch of cats.
If you still want the health monitoring qualities but don’t want to end up on the streets because of your litter habit, you can use PL every once in a while as a sort of preliminary checkup to your checkups with the vet.
Use your regular stuff and every once in a while, change the box to PL for a month and see how your cats are doing health-wise.
For example, you could purchase a basic Arm & Hammer variety for most months, and you could use Pretty Litter alongside this litter staple.
Pretty Litter is not a new product on the market. Pretty litter has been around for over 6 years now, but it has started to gain traction in recent years as more people are starting to learn about this innovative cat litter that can be used in any home and offers eco-friendly benefits.
If you want to buy Pretty Litter, Pretty Litter is available online at PretyLitter.com as well as at a few stores like Target.
It can be hard to find in-store, so your best bet may be their website. You have to subscribe, but you can cancel at any time.
There is a PrettyLitter Facebook page that provides updates about the latest Pretty Litter information such as new product releases or promotions, so if you’re interested in following Pretty Litter on social media, you can find them on both Facebook and Twitter. Pretty Litter also has a YouTube channel that features videos about their litter, the company’s history, or other random cat-related topics like how to deal with an angry kitty!
Is your cat a good candidate for use with this product?
Yep, probably. It’s like chocolate. Most people like it. Most cats like this litter. There isn’t really a reason not to.
How do I dispose of my used litter box contents when we’re done with them forever and ever amen?
Feces- garbage.
Litter at the end of the month- chuck it.
My cat’s litter was a great green color, but after a while, it just turned blue.Â
This happened to me, and I thought there might be something wrong with my cat. I went to the Pretty Litter website FAQ page, and they explained that if the urine sits too long, it saturates and turns blue. If it was previously a good color, and it is about time to clean your litter box, it just means that it is time to change the litter. No need to panic!
Does Martha really like Pretty Litter or does she just want to make money promoting it?Â
IÂ think she’s genuine. I mean those cats are pretty fluffy. Crazy cat ladies usually have real fluffy cats. Something about the pretty litter thing and Martha just fits. Also, the cat’s fur coloring fits in with the decor in her house. So they’re definitely her cats. Facts.
IÂ feel better now that we cleared that up.
Pretty Litter is a great new product for anyone who owns cats. It’s certainly worth considering. Pretty litter is pretty good. A puurrrfectly wonderful purrroduct. Ouch, that was a pain to read. But if you’ve made it this far, maybe you’re okay with that. Pretty Litter is a good product- period. It’s environmentally friendly, safe for cats and kittens to use, and it smells better than regular litter does! Check out this list of pros and cons before you make your decision on whether or not to try it. You might just find that there are way more benefits than drawbacks when using Pretty Litter! Or take Martha’s word for it, see below 😉
What do you think of Pretty Litter? Any personal experiences? Please share below!
Hi there. I was just reading your article here which i found to be very interesting Indeed. I can certainly see the value in having this type of litter for your cats as I also had cats myself at one point and i remember the pong of the litter.. But the only thing I’m wondering about is its impact on the environment.
Hi there! It is better for the environment than your standard clay litter, but it isn’t as biodegradable as wheat, corn, or recycled papers.
I love that the crystals absorb the cat urine, in that way you have no nasty smells.And it’s incredible that the urine evaporates from the crystals, ingenious! Why didn’t they come up with this sooner, right? 😉
It’s true that we sometimes miss certain warning signs of our cat’s health deterioration, but with the colors that are described here we can catch on early and take our cats to the vet on time, just in case.
My cats live indoors and outdoors and since I own a large property they do their business outside, but it would still be useful to get a littelr box with pretty litter in the house. In that way I could also observe if the color of the crystals changes.
My cat is outdoors a lot, too. I use Pretty Litter occasionally and that seems to work well enough for us 🙂
love the website! Greta information about cats and good products for peopel that own cats. i personally have a cat and was in the market for some cat products and this website definitely helped me look at a good couple optional that I can look into deeper and see if I want to buy them.
Thanks, Mason
No problem Mason! Good luck to you and your cats 🙂 🙂
Beth, I have just read your article and then followed the PrettyLitter Facebook page. I was amazed at the updates about the latest Pretty Litter information including new product releases and promotions. As you mentioned, Pretty Litter is a good product. I have ordered one. The fact that its smell will be better, means I will be free from bad odors while having a good time with my pets around my room, kitchen, and everywhere.
Hi Mau! Thank you, that is fantastic! I think you will really like it! The odor control is really wonderful, and it is so much nicer to work with than traditional litter. Their website is really informative also. It’s a great source of information if you need it. Enjoy your new litter 🙂 🙂
This is such an amazing article. I am looking forward to sharing with my friend the Pretty litter with Silica Gel to start using straight away. I have been reading around this topic as my friends have cats and often talk about it. The fact that it is an odor absorbant, helps monitor the cat’s health, does not need refill through the month, is light well in all word is everything a pet cat lover need. Thank you for this knowledge.PS. I bookmarked the page.
Hi there! You’re most welcome 🙂 I’m glad this review was helpful to you! I hope your friend enjoys her Pretty Litter 🙂 🙂
Thanks!
Beth
This product seems like it is the best alternative to normal litter with all these pros and barely any cons. But tell me when it comes down to price how does it compare to normal litter? I am in natural skin care industry so I know all about microbes and how it is a super remover of bacteria so I can fully agree with it working and not being harmful.
Thanks for the useful info!
Hi Janine, thanks for that info. That is really interesting. Makes sense that you would come across microbes in the skincare industry. More evidence that they work! Generally speaking, silica litter is a bit more than clay litter, and a bit less than 100% eco-friendly options like wheat, recycled paper, and corn litters. However, it may be a bit more than clay litter, but you purchase it less often than clay because of its absorbent properties.
Thanks for your comment!
Beth
