The invention of cat litter in a crystal form may not rank as one of the world’s greatest innovations, but it has made an unpleasant job a lot easier. Litter has changed very little since it was first introduced, though when the scoopable variety first hit the market, it did cut down on wholesale daily removing duty. Yet the problem of odor still was not addressed.

Regardless of how much time a cat lover devotes to housekeeping, when a litter box is in the home there is always the possibility of odor. Relegating the offending cat toilet facility to a washroom or basement was one of the few options available for limiting whole house odor potential. Add several cats or more than one litter box containing only traditional clay litter and it is pretty certain that unpleasant aromas will be a recurring issue.

Enter the innovation of a new technology that uses mineral crystals as the primary ingredient in cat litter and the odor problem is virtually eliminated. Fresh Step is the brand that is the leader in this development. The key is the silica gel used to form these tiny litter nuggets that wick moisture.

Trapping liquid and holding it until it can evaporate is the magic behind this product and its amazing odor reducing properties. Fresh Step’s Plus Dual Action Crystals combines two types of odor eliminators, the crystals and scoopability. This dynamic duo means that a cat owner may be able to get 30 days out of a lining of litter before having to do a total rehab and replacement.

When crystal cat litters were first introduced into the marketplace, some cat experts expressed their opinions that the larger size of the crystals would be far harder on cats’ paws than the softer clay varieties. Fortunately, Fresh Step has eliminated this concern with their smaller crystal nuggets that are easy on cat feet. Even the shape of the crystals has been carefully designed to keep them in the box where they belong rather than all over the floor.

While the development of new litter technology will never be the topic of dinner table conversation, the advent of crystals is truly a significant improvement. Cat lovers have been willing to deal with the hassles and odors of cat litter boxes for many years for the sake of their pets. Thankfully this no longer needs to be case with these jewels of the cat litter world.

Automatic cat litter boxes cost a little more than regular cat litter boxes, but not having to clean out the box makes it money well spent.