Customer Reviews

Just the Crystals® Premium Crystal Cat Litter -- Fragrance Free, 2 Individual 4.4 Pound Bags Per Box (Total 8.8 Pounds)

5 star:		(92)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

The ScoopFree automated litter-box is the best thing that's happened to my two cats. They have a clean litter-box five minutes after they're done, and I need to clean it just once a week. That being said, ScoopFree Litter Tray Refills are expensive, running about $150 every two months. So like many others in the "ScoopFree family", I switched from using the pre-packaged trays to the permanent Forever Litter Tray®, designed by Rick Weldon. This works very well, and has significantly dropped the cost of use, and can be used with any crystal litter that is small enough to fit between the grills of the ScoopFree. And therein lie two problems: 1) A crystal size that is too small is less effective at absorbing liquids; 2) Most pre-packaged litter is sold in 8 lb bags (eg. FreshStep) - and each fill of the ScoopFree Litter Tray takes 4.4 lbs.

In one move, Just the Crystals solves both problems. It is a perfect fit for the ScoopFree grill, and not so small that it doesn't soak up liquids efficiently. Also, it is shipped as two 4.4 lbs per box - which is two refills of the ScoopFree. The litter doesn't have as much of a perfume associated with it as FreshStep, and is close to being completely perfume-free. The ratio of white to blue crystals is skewed toward white - this makes it easier to visually the state of the litter, and rake it if necessary.

Finally, what could be more convenient than having it delivered straight to your door? This is a quality product that perfectly complements that Forever Litter Tray®.

I recommend the product very very highly!

[Edited 5-8-2010 with some tips ...]
I've noticed that the negative reviews of this product complain about two issues: a) poor absorbance, and consequently more frequent litter changes; and b) odor control. We have two large Maine Coons (>15 lb), and yet change the litter only every two weeks. During this time, the cats have used the litter box between 55 - 65 times (about 2 times per cat per day). Here is what we do, using suggestions from Rick Weldon's Forever Litter Tray website.

1) We rake the litter twice a week.
2) We have a small fan diagonally above the Scoopfree that continuously blows a gentle breeze on the litter.
3) I scoop the dried poop after 1 week because our cats poop a lot.
4) We clip an old sock filled with 1-2 oz of activated charcoal above the litter box. We replace the activated charcoal in the sock every month, but it can probably go much longer.

With the raking and fan, no more than 20% of the crystals are water-saturated after two weeks (chalky white or blue in appearance). Scooping the poop at the end of the first week and using activated charcoal provides really good odor control. The fan probably helps with this as well.

Before we started using these tips from Rick's website, I had to change the litter every week - sometimes after 5 days otherwise one of our cats, Allie - who's really fastidious, would pee and/or poop right outside the Scoopfree. I started with steps 1 & 3, and that helped quite a bit; Allie would get queasy around the 10 days time-point. After adding 2 & 4 we've never had an issue for as long as we've tested - which is two weeks.

I hope this helps .....

UPDATE September 27, 2010.

Changed rating from 3 stars to 4 stars.

1. No more jams. Added small plastic sleeves to the lifting mechanism of the litter box, and it solved the problem.

2. As others have noted, Target no longer sells their own brand, so the price comparison now is between genuine ScoopFree crystals and JTC. JTC's price went up by a dollar recently, so it costs a bit more at Amazon than Scoopfree costs at Target; but considering Amazon's free delivery to my doorstep and the pre-measured bags, the convenience is worth the difference.

3. JTC now lasts longer than before, usually about two weeks (for two cats). The litter box has a counter, and with stirring, JTC can go about 50 cycles before needing replacement. This is almost as good as ScoopFree, but I think JTC needs more frequent stirring, or liquid begins to accumulate sooner at the bottom of the tray.

4. I think ScoopFree does a slightly better job of controlling odor. The litter box is in the garage, so this isn't a serious problem for me, but if it had to be in the house, I'd run more comparison tests to be certain about this.

So why 4, not 5 stars? Because, if it was more convenient for me to shop at Target, I'd still be buying the ScoopFree crystals because they seem to last longer, don't need stirring quite as soon, and seem to do a better job of odor control. Since Target is a bit of a trip, I'll continue buying JTC through Amazon.

P.S. The vendor provides excellent customer support for his products. Who'd a thunk that could matter with silica gel for a litter box? but it does.

==Original Review follows==

My cats have been using the Forever Litter tray for 2-1/2 years. It works well and being able to refill it cuts operating costs in half, as compared with ScoopFree's cartridges.

Mostly, I was buying the 8-pound ScoopFree Crystals at Target, and with 2 cats, half a jug lasted 10-15 days. Then, Target raised the price and introduced its own brand for $11.59, so, taking the hint, I switched. The Target brand works well enough, but not quite as well as Scoopfree's. Half a jug lasts about 10 days, rarely 14; and there's more of a "crunch" sound when the rake moves under the blue lid of the catbox.

Now, I've tried "Just the Crystals" (JTC), and have mixed feelings about it:

Pros: Convenience: 1. pre-measured, 2. delivered to your door

Cons: 3. costs more than Target's house-brand; 4. does NOT last longer; 5. more likely to jam the machine.

Explanation and details:

1. PRE-MEASURED: The JTC box contains two 4.4 pound bags, so you just open a bag and dump it into the (cleaned and empty) Forever Tray. The other brands come in 8-pound jugs, so you have to estimate when you've poured out the first half (I'm now weighing the jug with a package scale). As anyone who uses the Forever Tray knows, quantity is critical: unlike clay litter systems, you can't get away with just pouring an approximate quantity.

2. DELIVERED: no-brainer here. I rarely go to Target except to buy cat litter and cat treats, so JTC wins this one hands-down (and paws-down); and it's worth paying a bit extra for this convenience.

3. COSTS MORE: a box of JTC is $14.99; a jug of Target's house brand is $11.59 (plus possible sales tax). Each is good for two "cycles" (one cycle is about 10 days with my 2 cats). The argument that you're getting more litter doesn't hold up, because of point #4, below: more litter doesn't mean it lasts longer. What matters is cost-per-year. Even allowing for sales tax, JTC will cost about $1.15 more per cycle, or $40/year more. That must be balanced against the convenience factors, both of which are valuable.

4. DOES NOT LAST LONGER: the first bag of JTC lasted barely 8 days. I stretched the second one to 10 days, but really should have replaced it sooner. The Target brand has never lasted less than 10 days, and the genuine ScoopFree usually lasted 12-15 days. So, even though there's an extra 0.4 pounds of crystals with JTC, it didn't translate into longer useful life. And yes, I stirred and aerated the crystals regularly.

5. MORE LIKELY TO JAM THE MACHINE: this is a biggie. The reason why the quantity of crystal litter is critical with the ScoopFree Self-Cleaning Litter Box is that too little will leave large bare areas in the Tray, while too much will cause the rake to jam (and twist!) when it gets to the covered receptacle area. The extra 0.4 pounds seems to be too much for my machine ... sometimes. Not always, but a couple of times a week. NOTE: I'm using the 2nd generation of Forever Litter Tray, and think the ridge on the bottom may be the culprit. Previously, I'd been using the 1st gen version, and do not recall EVER having a jam with it. With this 2nd gen Tray, I've also had jams with Target's litter and Scoopfree's, but only when I put in more than half a jug. (That's why I weigh things now.) I suppose a solution to both points 4 and 5 would be to take about a cup of crystals out and set them aside, until enough have accumulated to use as a "bonus" refill; but a better solution might be for JTC to reduce the quantity to 8 pounds and the price by 10%.

BOTTOM LINE: Will I buy it again? Not sure. For now, I'm planning to just stock up every few months at Target; and I may try going back to the 1st gen Forever Tray to see whether the jamming is caused by the Tray or by the litter box mechanism itself.

DO I RECOMMEND IT: Depends. Your results might be slightly better than mine. If you don't live near a Target store, and do use Amazon Prime, then yes, I'd definitely recommend it. Just monitor things for a while to make sure the larger quantity isn't causing jams.

I received my first order of this litter the day before Thanksgiving, on the afternoon my family was to arrive for a 5 day visit. I hurriedly changed the litter box, replacing the old litter with Just the Crystals -- made especially for Forever Litter Trays® (two 4.4lb bags/box) (thank you pre-measured packaging) and promptly forgot about the litter box completely! For the next five days it was totally a non-issue, no smell, no tracking and no stress. Now that I am slowly recovering from the holiday, I've started paying attention to the litter box again and guess what - 1 week later it still does not require my attention.

In the spirit of total honesty I did a quick sweep around the box about every other day but I don't consider that an inconvenience and I am very happy with this product, just as I was with the Forever Litter Tray® (permanent replacement for Scoop Free® disposable cartridges).

This litter is WITHOUT ODOR. Seriously. The crystals absorb the liquid and the odor. We scoop the poop once a day (our cat is quite regular) and change the litter once a month (sometimes every 3 weeks, but he can go a month without any problem). We do NOT have an automatic litterbox, but we still think these crystals are the best invention!
They're:
A) Economical - supercheap for a month of crystals on Amazon - and for litter in general
B) Easy! - scoop maybe once a day (depending on your cat) - and only the poops! no messy wet litter or clumps to deal with.
C) Essentially trackless! - we have a "top entry" litterbox, which helps with tracking, but these are big enough that the few pieces that make it out are easy to just pick up and toss in the trash. SO easy.
D) Elminates daily waste - only poops a day and all the pees when you change it at the end of the month. No more wierd bags of "used" litter hanging around smelling and no more super-scooping!

Of note: out of habit, I add a cup or two of baking soda to the bottom of the box. i've never tried it without the baking soda, so I can't speak to its necessity in keeping odors in check. I expect I'm wasting my time (and $$).

we LOVE that the crystals come in a recyclable box and a simple plastic bag. There are only so many plastic litter buckets you can reuse before you have to start tossing them! Now I put the bags that come in this box into an old plastic bin for storage out of the way.

Overall A++++ for the product. We are really lucky that our cat isn't picky about his litter. If yours is, you may want to consider mixing the crystals in with whatever litter you use curently for a little while to transition him/her.

I started using these at the recommendation of a vet just after I evacuated from Hurricane Katrina. I stayed with my sister in her new home and she had carpets she wanted to protect. I was therefore required to have my cat declawed. The vet recommend I get a 100% crystal litter until the incisions healed. It is a desiccant and rather than clump, it absorbs the urine and liquid in the feces, leaving an easily scoopable stool and dried urine, leaving no moisture for germs to grow and locking in the ammonia from the urine so the odor is nearly non-existent. A large litter box will need about 4.5 pounds and used as directed it will last approximately 1 month with daily cleaning as directed. All other litters I used needed to be changed every 7 to 10 days, bringing the cost closer to the crystals and giving me much more work.

We have been using a Scoop Free (SF)litter box with the original version of the Forever litter tray and SF crystals for about two years now. We have one medium size cat. The box and litter tray are the best cat accessory we own.

We purchased a box of Just Free Crystals (JFC) about a month ago to try them out. I just emptied the first batch out and put in the second bag and I'm writing to say that I agree with all the positive comments posted here. Pre-measured is great, less packaging is great, delivery from Amazon is great, no odor, more absorbant than SF crystals, etc.

I disagree with almost all of the the negative comments. I think JFC absorbs much more and better than SF, it does NOT jam our machine and it lasts longer. I stir the litter and remove solids about once a week and JCF lasts for a month vs. three weeks for SF.

The one negative I found is that JCF is a little more dusty, but I only notice this when I'm pouring it from the bag into the tray, so I consider that a non-issue.

For the record, since the hidden agenda of some reviewers is just one more thing we need to be wary of these days, I am not an employee, friend or related to anyone involved with JFC or SF. I'm just a consumer who wants to encourage products that make my life easier.

$15 and free shipping with Prime for two perfectly sized Scoopfree refills? I hate to sound like a shill, but you can't find better crystals or an equal cost for them. I'm going to be very clear about this: if you know about these crystals and don't use them then you're most likely a moron.
I haven't noticed any difference in how long they last - they seem to last longer, but two cycles is too small a sample size with 2.25 cats using the box (two indoor, one 3/4 outdoor). No variance in odor. Actually, with Scoopfree or Target crystals once the odor started to go foul it was almost immediate. Not quite sure, but these seem to provde an extra day to 3 days of use by controlling the odor a bit better.
Speaking of Target, I haven't seen Target's brand of crystals in any of the last 7 stores I've visited. That was the only cheaper alternative I knew of besides Safeway (but crystals are way too big).
If you've got yourself a Forever Litter Tray then do yourself a favor and quit looking around and simply order these.

It has been like goldilocks and the three bears for me. Started with the scoopfree product and did not like the price. Found another version but the crystals were too big. Now along comes just the crystals and the price and the quality meet in the middle. Combine that with the Forever Litter Tray and you have a match made in heaven.

I had been using off-brand, usually never the same brand twice of various litters since having the litter tray. Some of them were clay based, causing massive clumps and sometimes jamming the combing action of the tray. then the different crystals, sometimes the crystals were a bit too thick and the combing action couldnt just filter out the kitten crap.

Well after receiving several emails from the original designer of the litter tray, he had mentioned that he was in the process of getting or negotiating this deal with someoen on amazon. Well these crystals are just perfect. great price, great deal on shipping, but even more to the point.. the crustals are the perfect size and in the perfect proportions. I cant count how many times I had previously poured too much litter intot he trays to have probably caused some of my own issues with the tray.

The crystals last a fairly decent time, based on when I made my order and received them, im still on the first portion. Probably 3 weeks now.

Ill definitely be making several repeat orders. If only I could teach the new puppy to use the tray too!!

Crystals seem to absorb the urine and also absorb the odors from the tray fairly well. The wife complains much less than with some of the other previous litter fillers. She's pregnant, so odor control is important, she has very heightened senses lately ;)(

Hope this review helps.

I wanted to like the forever litter tray crystals! I loved the actual tray. So great for the environment and all. However, the crystals don't work at all for us. Before with the fresh step brand, we had to change once a week (with two cats). With the forever litter tray brand we have to change every three days. The urine pools and it is not pleasant. We are very disappointed.