Advice on Miscellaneous cat Topics
Kitty Litter
When I had cats, my favorite litter was Yesterday's News, which is made out of recycled newspapers. I was introduced to it when one of my cats was neutered or spayed and the vet insisted I either tear up real newspapers or use Yesterday's News during the healing of the stitches, as other litters are dusty and the newspaper litter isn't. I found that Yesterday's News was good in the odor control department too. In the end, I wouldn't use any other litter.
Yesterday's News was sold at my local Stop and Shop (as well as Especially for Pets) which was very convenient, but there were ususally only 1 or 2 bags out on the shelf at Stop and Shop, so it was often sold out. I therefore stockpiled it when I saw it there, I liked that litter so much. Like other litters, it's a good idea to scoop the solid waste out every other day or so, but you can leave the liquid waste for a once-a-week full litter change.
A friend introduced me to the litter box liners, also sold at Stop and Shop, and when I used those, in conjunction with Yesterday's News, the weekly litter box cleaning ordeal was greatly improved.
Another inconvenience you didn't mention was the "scatter" - the particles of litter that the cat kicks out of the litter box while burying his/her "little treasure." It could have been my imagination, but, I thought the pellets of Yesterday's News didn't scatter quite as much as the pebbly type litter, although there is some scatter still.
One caveat: I had one cat that wouldn't use the newspaper litter at first - it was just so different in texture, I guess, that the cat was confused. I can't remember how I resolved that. Probably I used a mixture of litters, gradually increasing the proportion of Yesterday's News, until he got used to it.
I should also talk about expense. Yesterday's News might have been on the expensive side, and I'm a very frugal person by nature, which made me reluctant to switch over to it at first. But I was so happy with the litter - the reduced odor, the reduced scatter, no dust - that I justified the expense by reasoning that because of the lessened odor, I had to do a complete litter change less frequently, so perhaps the expense evened out in that way. Maybe I just didn't care about the expense in the end... And I also loved the fact that it was a recycled product.
Sigrid Paddock 8/18/08
As I scoop for a living 
I can tell you what I like and don't like. I don't like the newspaper stuff. I have sat for cats that won't use it. It has a weird texture and they don't like it and it is hard to clean. Also don't like World's Best Cat Litter which is made from corn. It smells really bad and doesn't clump well. There are arguments, pro and con, concerning whether clumping litter is healthy for cats. But as far as keeping it clean and odor-free, I like Scoop Away and Arm and Hammer.
Jan
Jan Slocum 8/18/08
Here's my 2 cents worth regarding Cat Litter> I consider myself somewhat of an expert, as I have several cats that I took in cuz no one else wanted them, and I just couldn't say no. My husband, who's a neat freak, puts his foot down to any more, so saves me from myself!! He says I should start a shelter somewhere AWAY from the house~ ha ha, I so wish! 
And I live in a small duplex, so I need to keep up more frequently than most!! But everyone has their favorites for different reasons.
*I have tried the 'clumping' litter> Although in theory this sounds like the best because it turns the worst smelling part about a litter box- the urine- into a solid, and you can remove it, but I don't like it because of what Sigrid mentions below- 'the scatter'. No matter *what* kind of mats I have put down under and around the boxes, the 'sand-like' consistency sticks to their paws and I find the gritty stuff in my bed!
*My sister who has a couple of kitties, always uses the cedar stuff- Though it smells good initially, seems very absorbent, and the bags are super, super light (which I really like)- but, I don't use it, because it's expensive.
*I tried the recycled newspaper after my kitties spay/neuter surgeries but they refused to use it, so it was basically useless. There wasn't enough time to do the 1/2 & 1/2 method to wean them off the clay. My vet actually gave me a bag, so I really don't know what it costs.
*I tried to toilet train them- I really wanted this to work- I bought the books, the converter seat, removed their 'regular' boxes, but it totally did not work! One of my cats (that my sister swears is a Turkish Van cuz of his coloring and love of water and no knots in his pristine abundance of fur) is so big & heavy, the converter seat kept falling into the john! That was short-lived after all that!
*!* So ultimately, I use the cheapo store brand (clay) cat litter- It's soooo heavy, and yes it clouds when you pour it, but it eventually settles, and I get more for the money, and with all my kitties, I need to change the boxes frequently. So for me it's about the money. Yes, it kills my back to haul the large bags in, then the wet bags out to the curb weekly, and once the town wouldn't pick it up because they thought I was bagging dirt! But I quickly explained that it was just cat litter. And yes, there is 'scatter' with the clay type too, but it's better than the sand- at least it brushes off easier.
- So as I stated above, everyone has their favorites, and this is mine,
mostly due to the quantity I have to buy, and the cost.
Karen Kinsman 8/18/08