Have you tried the health-monitoring cat litter Pretty Litter? Are you wondering if there are other similar cat litter brands?
Pretty Litter gives us worrisome fur parents some peace of mind about the health of our felines. It’s also commendable as a crystal cat litter. Unfortunately, the drawback of Pretty Litter can be quite expensive to use.
So, in this article, we’ll provide you with five Pretty Litter alternatives. Some of them offer health monitoring, while some don’t. What matters is that all of our recommendations are well-known for their effective odor control, easy maintenance, and long-lasting absorption.
In a hurry? Here are our top picks:
| Image | Product | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Alpha Paw Genius Cat Litter |
| Price |
 | KIT4CAT CheckUp Kit |
| Price |
 | Pidan Tofu Cat Litter |
| Price |
Table of Contents
Top 5 Pretty Litter Alternatives
From health-monitoring cat litter to at-home wellness test kits to highly absorbent crystal litter, here are the top five Pretty Litter alternatives:
1. Best Overall: Alpha Paw Genius Cat Litter
Alpha Paw Genius Cat Litter
- Hypoallergenic
- Vet-developed and approved
- Low-tracking formula
- More dusty than Pretty Litter
Pros
- Hypoallergenic, contains no chemicals or additives
- Extremely similar to Pretty Litter
- Low-tracking formula
- Vet-developed and approved
Cons
- More dusty than Pretty Litter
- Can be difficult to keep track of results in a multi-cat household
If you’re looking for an almost identical Pretty Litter alternative, Alpha Paw’s Genius Litter is the way to go.
Genius Litter is a non-clumping unscented crystal sand cat litter. It’s super absorbent, keeping odors at bay and the litter box fresh. It’s also low tracking, so it’s less likely to stick to your cat’s paws and transfer outside the litter box.
What you may know Genius Litter for, though, is its health indicator. It allows you to monitor your cat’s urine for any abnormalities or irregularities. When your cat pees, the litter changes color depending on the contents of your cat’s urine.
- Yellow or no color changes: no problems
- Blue: abnormal alkaline levels
- Red: blood
- Green: abnormal pH levels
- Orange: possible presence of albumin
Perhaps the downside of Genius Litter is that it’s not as well-known as Pretty Litter. As a result, opinions vary. For some users, Genius Litter is identical to Pretty Litter and lasts as long. Other users claim that Genius Litter can be dusty and lacks efficient odor control.
Luckily, you can buy Genius Litter as a one-time purchase to try it out for yourself. If you and your cat like it, you can then subscribe to Alpha Paw’s delivery service.
2. Runner Up: KIT4CAT CheckUp Kit
KIT4CAT CheckUp Kit
- 100% natural, non-toxic, and biodegradable
- Easy sample collection
- Includes all the tools needed
- Urine needs to be fresh
Pros
- 100% natural, non-toxic, and biodegradable
- Includes all the tools needed for urine testing
- Easy sample collection
- Checks levels of glucose and protein
Cons
- Urine needs to be fresh if collected for a vet check-up
- Need to seal the stopper well as it pops off the test tube
Rather than a litter, KIT4CAT Checkup Kit is an at-home wellness kit. It includes hydrophobic litter, urine collection tools, and indicator test strips.
The KIT4CAT litter smells and feels like regular sand litter, so it’s unlikely to deter your cat. The difference is that the hydrophobic sand won’t absorb the urine, allowing you to collect the urine for testing.
True, you won’t be able to use this kit in place of your cat’s regular litter. However, if your cat is prone to urinary health issues, you can use this kit to test your cat’s urine from time to time.
In addition to pH levels and blood, KIT4CAT also checks for glucose and protein levels. The kit comes with a color-coded card to help you identify what the colors on the test strip indicate after you dip it in the test tube.
This kit is a stress-free option for cats who are diabetic, need routine urinalysis, or have kidney problems. Not to mention that it’s non-invasive, so you don’t have to put your cat through any stress before there’s an actual health issue.
The only thing to keep in mind is to follow the kit’s sample storage instructions. That way, you can ensure that the urine sample is fresh enough for the vet to test.
Related: Litter-Robot vs Catlink full comparison
3. Best Budget Choice: Pidan Tofu Cat Litter with Blood Test Particles
Pidan Tofu Cat Litter
- High sensitivity
- Water-soluble and biodegradable
- Extremely low-tracking
- Flushable
- Has a sweet vanilla-like formula
Pros
- Detects even the smallest trace of hemoglobin
- Water-soluble and biodegradable
- Extremely low-tracking
- Flushable
Cons
- Has a sweet vanilla-like formula
- Comes in a small bag
Pidan Tofu Cat Litter is slightly different from other litters on this list. It’s a clumping biodegradable tofu-based litter that contains blood test particles.
Aside from that, Pidan litter is absorbent, low-dust, low-tracking, and easy to clean. It’s also water-soluble, so you can flush it down the toilet, making it easy to dispose of.
As for the blood test particles, they turn blue when they come into contact with colorless trace blood. They’re able to detect hemoglobin in your cat’s urine at a low concentration of even 0.1%.
Remember that your cat may try to eat the litter due to its content and food-like scent. Some cats, on the other hand, may find the added scent overwhelming, which may deter them from using the litter box.
4. Ultra Pet Micro Crystals Cat Litter
Ultra Pet Micro Crystals Cat Litter
- Affordable crystal litter option
- Unscented
- Extremely soft on cat paws
- Efficient odor control
- Slightly dusty
Pros
- Affordable crystal litter option
- Unscented
- Extremely soft on cat paws
- Efficient odor control
Cons
- Slightly dusty
- Some tracking
If you’re looking for a Pretty Litter alternative without the house monitoring properties, you should try the Ultra Pet Micro Crystals litter. It’s one of the most affordable silica gel litter options, making it ideal for cat owners who are new to crystal litter.
Ultra Pet Micro Crystals also work well with robot litter boxes due to their size. The litter’s micro-sized crystals are soft silica gel, which is gentle on cat and kitten paws. They’re also highly absorbent and can dry solid waste, making them effective at odor control.
One issue with Ultra Pet Micro Crystals litter is its dustiness and tracking due to the crystals’ small size. While some users find the litter to be low-dust, there have been several complaints about it being dusty.
Given that this issue isn’t mentioned frequently, it could be the result of a manufacturing flaw in some bags.
5. Dr. Elsey’s Respiratory Relief Gel Cat Litter
Dr. Elsey’s Respiratory Relief Gel Cat Litter
- Contains stress-relieving herbs
- Almost dust-free
- No added scents, deodorants, or plant proteins
- Fast urine and odor absorbing
- Expensive
- Moderate tracking
Pros
- Contains stress-relieving herbs to attract cats
- Almost completely dust-free
- No added scents, deodorants, or plant proteins
- Fast urine and odor absorbing
Cons
- Expensive and the price fluctuates often
- Moderate tracking
Dr. Elsey’s Respiratory Relief Gel is another cat litter that works similarly to Pretty Litter but doesn’t provide health monitoring. What it provides is a relief for both cats and people with respiratory problems.
Dr. Elsey formulated this silica gel litter for cats who suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory diseases. It’s hypoallergenic and low-dust without perfumes, plant proteins, or deodorants.
As a result, the formula helps prevent your cat’s breathing problems or allergies from flaring up. It’s also gentle on your lungs, so it’s ideal if you have asthma or allergies.
The cat litter does contain herbal essences that may produce a scent. It goes unnoticed by most users, though.
The herbal essences can reduce feline stress, which is crucial for cats with Feline Upper Respiratory Disease. The essences also attract most cats to the litter box.
As a bonus, the litter’s silica gel crystals are fine and sandy. So, they’re comfortable against cat and kitten paws. Still, the texture is what prevents the cat litter from tracking or being dust-free.
What’s more, this cat litter can be quite pricey. Still, it’s large enough and made to accommodate multi-cat households. This can make it a more affordable and safer option than other types of litter.
Recommended: Mind-blowing litter box alternatives for cats!
How to Choose the Best Pretty Litter Alternatives
Unfortunately, cats are likely to get a urinary tract disease at least once in their lifetime. As a result, you may have bought Pretty Litter for its promise of early detection.
Pretty Litter’s selling point is that its silica gel crystals contain particles that change color based on the contents of cat urine. Each color helps cat owners identify potential urinary tract health issues.
That way, you can seek professional help for your cat before the issue escalates into a pressing clinical situation.
Another reason Pretty Litter may appeal to cat owners is that the crystals are highly absorbent, making them highly efficient at odor control. Not to mention that they’re fine-grained and sandy, so they’re gentle on kitty paws.
The downside of Pretty Litter is that it’s slightly more expensive than other cat litter brands.
What Are We Looking For?
For an alternative to Pretty Litter, we’re looking for litter options that function much like Pretty Litter at a lower price point. So, the alternative litter should have:
- Health monitoring
- High absorption
- Odor control
- Non-clumping silica gels
The alternative litter should also be safe for cats, household-friendly, easy to clean, and reasonably priced.
That said, health-monitoring cat litter is a relatively new invention. As a result, there aren’t many litter options that provide health monitoring.
That’s why our list includes additional litter products that can help you check your cat’s urine. It also provides you with litter options that work similarly to Pretty Litter but without health monitoring.
FAQs
Is Health-Monitoring Cat Litter Actually Good?
Health-monitoring cat litter is an effective tool that can help you keep a closer eye on your cat’s health. The results may not always be indicative of a serious illness. Stress, for example, can affect your cat’s urine pH levels.
So, it’s merely a tool for detecting changes in your cat’s health that affect the urinary tract. Only a veterinarian can provide a complete and accurate diagnosis.
As a cat litter, health-monitoring cat litter has good absorption and little odor due to the silica gel.
It’s worth noting that health-monitoring cat litter is safe for cats. Veterinarians and scientists specifically created them for cats. So, the materials in the litter are risk-free and shouldn’t harm a cat or a kitten if inhaled or ingested.
Why Is Pretty Litter So Expensive?
Pretty Litter can be expensive when compared to cat litter options made from clay or more natural materials. Pretty Litter contains absorbent silica gel sourced from carefully selected natural mineral sources. Its production also follows the strictest quality control regulations.
It also includes a patented set of health-monitoring indicators. They can detect abnormally high or low acidity or alkalinity levels, as well as blood in cat urine.
Still, when compared to cat litter options made from silica gel crystals, Pretty Litter isn’t that expensive. Pretty Litter also offers discount codes and special promotions. It also has a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.
Can Health-Monitoring Cat Litter Be Mixed With Other Litter?
You shouldn’t mix health-monitoring cat litter with other litter for several reasons. Most importantly, mixing different litters may dilute the health indicator particles. This can prevent them from working to their full efficacy.
Another reason why you shouldn’t mix cat litter is that crystals are highly absorbent. So, the other litter will go unused, creating unnecessary waste.
The different textures may also deter your cat from using the litter box altogether.
Can Health-Monitoring Cat Litter Be Used In A Litter-Robot?
Litter-Robot works best with clay-based clumping litter. Still, most health-monitoring cat litters have crystals that are small enough to pass through the Litter-Robot’s screen. So, even if your litter is non-clumping, you should be able to use it with your Litter-Robot without a hitch.
Readers also check: Everything You Need To Know About Potassium Chloride In Cat Food
In Conclusion
Indeed, health-monitoring litter or at-home testing kits shouldn’t replace regular vet checkups. They can be a useful tool for you to detect any abnormalities in your cat’s urine.
Unfortunately, there has yet to be a Pretty Litter alternative that’s both less expensive and on par.
Still, Alpha Paw’s Genius Litter ticks most of the boxes that make Pretty Litter popular among cat owners. It’s unscented, absorbent, and low tracking. Its health indicator is also impressive and can check for several abnormalities in cat urine.
While Genius Litter’s price isn’t that different from Pretty Litter’s, you should look on the bright side. Using cat litter that’s easy to clean, has impeccable odor control, and allows you to monitor your cat’s urinary tract health is worth the cost!
