Product reviews and campaigns I get asked to participate in aren’t always exclusively for me.
Today we are highlighting two very special members of the Hesington family who get to join in on the fun: Aspen and Cali!
Those who have been reading for a while might already know a little bit about these pretty girls, but let’s roll with a quick introduction and bio, just in case.
Scott brought two (then) six-month-old kittens home as a Christmas present for me in 2009! They came from the same household, and since he didn’t want to split them up, they both found a new home in ours and have been inseparable ever since.
Aspen is the grey one, who we call “the boss” of the house.
She will come up to get attention when she wants to get pet, and always makes sure you know she is around. She is definitely vocal, and will sit right on my lap or keyboard while I’m working on the computer. Aspen doesn’t think any space is too small to wedge herself between or sit in, or more specifically, sit anywhere next to or onto me.
Cali is a very chill calico. California is her given name, and it’s very fitting. You can pick her up, carry her around, and she’ll just let you snuggle for days without a fight. She’s a little chunkier, but I’m sure that is only because she prefers to spend the majority of her day taking cat naps. Eh, what’cha gonna do.
Both find their way into our bed, along with the dog, every night. Talk about a pet party!
I have always been a huge cat person. I had both dogs and cats growing up, and couldn’t wait for the day I could house one on my own when I moved out of my parents’ house. I never had more than one at a time, but I couldn’t imagine not having both of them around every single day. They’re the best!
I am a firm believer that pets are an integral part of my everyday happiness, especially since I work from home. All day, every day, I am surrounded by at least one of the three of them, and it’s actually very calming and comforting. You can just call me the crazy pet lady. It’s fine.
I appreciate my pets for the joy they bring me, and I think they only deserve the best when it comes to buying products for them. Since we got them, all three pets have been on natural and organic food and treats. I have stuck to the same cat litter for years, because, well… why fix something that’s not broken, right?
There was a point in time where at least one of the two cats were using the bathroom outside of the box. I would go in to make sure the box was clean, and then walk by the same room ten minutes later with presents for me to clean up on the floor. I really didn’t get it. After talking to our vet, I purchased another litter box and now change two almost every single day. It’s a glorious job I know you are all jealous of.
That said, you can imagine that I was slightly nervous to try a new litter in our household.
I was given the opportunity to try Cat’s Pride® Fresh & Light® Ultimate Care™ litter and was asked to share the experience of using it in our home here on the blog.
The first thing I noticed was the color. Over the period of a few days, I mixed the Ultimate Care litter in with our old litter and the dark grey color threw me off a little.
Not that there is anything wrong with dark grey…
True to its name, the product felt very lightweight and came with a perfect amount of fresh scent. Some litters are way too powerful in that area. Most cats don’t like overly scented litters, and my cats are no exception.
While a lot of other litters are lightweight, not all perform like Fresh & Light Ultimate Care. Other brands use lightweight fillers like paper, wood chips, or even light density rocks that don’t absorb. Ultimate Care uses high absorbing clay, which is the same clay used to filter impurities out of cooking oils and absorb moisture from major league baseball fields!
Rather than mask odors, Ultimate Care cat litter absorbs and eliminates them with the high absorbing clay materials. It’s extremely easy to scoop and doesn’t leave a film of dust all over the place that I have experienced while cleaning out litter boxes in the past.
Cat’s Pride urged me to try their 10-Day Odor Challenge, and they recommend you guys to do the same! We are about two weeks into trying Ultimate Care, and we absolutely love the litter. The cats seem to love it too, so I really don’t see a need to go back!
Ultimate Care has two formulations for multiple cats – Scented and Scented Hypoallergenic – which is perfect for our household. The Hypoallergenic is great for sensitive or allergic cats and family members.
Let’s face it… cleaning up after our pets isn’t always glamorous, but somebody’s got to do it! If that somebody has to be me, I am determined to find the best and have only great things to say about Cat’s Pride Fresh & Light Ultimate Care.
Thank you for letting us try it!
Check out the fun little video we made and keep scrolling for the giveaway:
Question of the Morning
• What’s the most important quality for you and your cat when it comes to choosing a litter?
Each comment will automatically be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. Sweepstakes details below…
Entry Instructions:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 3/3/2015 – 4/12/2015
Be sure to visit Cat’s Pride brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!
![[in our elementary school era] 🚌😭
Skyler did great walking into KINDERGARTEN with a big smile on his face this morning. I, however, was a bit of a mess on our walk home. 🥹
It’s wild how fast these 5 years with him have gone … 7 since we moved to NYC and into our apartment, dreaming of the day our kids would someday go to the *awesome* school right down our block. 🏫
That day is today, and I still don’t believe it — feeling allll of the emotions and thanking God for placing us here and for being able to trust His timing through the journey. 🫶🏼 #hbshinnyc
SO proud of you, SK - you are going to rock your first year at your “big boy school” - WE LOVE YOU !! 🩵👑](https://lifeinleggings.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
The odor masking for sure!
What cutie kitties! My cat is super fluffy so I look for litter that isn’t going to track everywhere throughout the house. Our little guy can’t help that he’s basically dragging a coat behind him on the ground. 😉
Haha, love it. I’ve always wanted a fluffy kitty! 😉
It’s important to me that the litter clumps! We went through a time where it didn’t and it was just a mess to clean up all the time.
Yep, I have 3 kitties of my own, so I guess I have evolved into a crazy cat lady too! The last one we got we found in a corn field. We could have taken him to the humane society or tried to find someone to adopt him, but ended up keeping the little trouble maker ourselves!
Three kitties! I bet you never have a couch or bed to yourself 😉
We choose the bigger and recyclable litter but mainly because our kitty seems to make a mess of his littler so having some bigger littler pieces it is less messy! Odor control is a big thing too!
I totally agree that pets are the ‘integral part of a family’! I don’t have cats (stupid allergies), but I do have dogs and can’t imagine my life without them! I had cats growing up, but they were indoor/outdoor kitties so I just had to limit my cuddle time with them, then suffer the consequences. When I see kitties, I know I am going to swell up, not be able to breathe or smell, but I still have to cuddle them and hear them purr. They are special 4 legged friends for sure!
I would have to say if it clumps well andd the freshness!
Awww! Thanks for the kitty cuteness to start of my day. Alden and Cali look like quite the pair. I am a cat person, through and through! We have always had at least one cat in our house right now growing up and I cannot wait to move in with my fiance this Summer and hopefully get our first cat as a couple. One thing I’ve noticed, just as you pointed out, about litters is that if the smell is too pungent on the litter itself or has a fragrance it can be off putting to our cats.
I love my cat Oscar. We’ve only had him for a little over a year and I really have no idea how I lived without him for so long. The most important thing for me when choosing a litter is that it masks the smell of the cat’s business, but isn’t overly perfumey—I just made that word up. We’ve had cat litter before that smelled way too strong to the point where we couldn’t use the room the litter box was in anymore. We switched products after that!
Ha, Perfumey is totally a word in my book 😉
I like one that masks the smell of my cat’s stuff… haha. I just don’t want that smell left around, so one that is scented enough is best!
Clumping! It makes things so much easier.
We have a cat, Sabertooth, that we took in to save her from going to a shelter when her other parents couldn’t keep her anymore. She’s 6/7 years old, so a little set in her ways and definitely lives up to her name, but I can’t imagine life without her now! She’s slowly getting used to us as her adopted parents… it’s a slow journey, but poor little cat probably went through a very traumatic transition! Since we live a very healthy, organic, pure lifestyle, we want the same for our little Sabertooth! Only the most natural cat food and as natural of a kitty litter as possible. We have been using kitty litter made from left over wood chips for a while. It’s so light that it kinda gets everywhere, but doesn’t all kitty litter? It’s kinda like mascara- always looking for a better kind even though what you have is pretty darn good 🙂
Ha, I love the comparison!! It sounds like Sabertooth found a great home! <3
my best friend has a cat that looks just like Aspen. She also has two cats and a dog… i’ll let her know about this 🙂
Sarah
Midwest Darling
Your kitties are adorable! I definitely look for something that masks odors. We have a tiny house and the litter box is in our bathroom. I came home from work yesterday and, whew, the house reeked! I thought my husband was the source of the stink, but it was definitely the kitty. Sounds like I’ll need to try Cats Pride!
I like to choose a litter without a scent, that clumps well, and has the least tracking.
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/572800667124961280
I love how you mentioned that the litter had a light enough scent that it wasn’t dramatic smelling. My family’s black kitty always smells like his litter after he goes potty… I can’t stand it! This litter sounds like it might be the solution to our problem 🙂 Cali looked so cute in her lab coat, kudos to getting it on her without a fight!
I love how adorable and personalized you made this post 🙂 One of the things I hate about kitty litter is that dust! That stuff that just gets in your nose and causes your allergies to flare up.
It has to be that the cat litter has good odor control and I do not smell anything after cat uses!
Tweet entry
https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/572807592172380160
must have odor control!!
tweet: https://twitter.com/akronugurl/status/572824052068446208
Odor masking! Also something relatively inexpensive. I have diva cats that will pee on the floor if they don’t have fresh litter, so I go though a lot!
My kitty can definitely get stinky, so something with strong odor control is a must!
The most important quality for me is finding a cat litter that isn’t too dusty and still absorbs odors.
I am interested in trying this one, but lightweight litters I’ve tried in the past are SUPER dusty and make my cats sneeze. I’ve heard this can cause upper respiratory failure as well. Is this one dusty at all?
Hi! Its important to me that it be affordable and dust free. Thanks 🙂
so cute! my priority is litter that won’t get stuck by my kitty’s claws! he hasn’t had problems, but our previous cat would get infections around her nails because wet litter would get stuck in there. poor baby.
With two cats, odor control is definitely the most important thing for us!
https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/572866043506401280
Covering up those awful odors!
For me, clumping and low dust are important! What a cute kitty!!!
tweeted! https://twitter.com/methhamfetabean/status/572869078341185537
Keeping the smell under control!!
Litter that clumps is important.
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/572882741873668096
We have 2 little ladies in our family and the one thing that I look for in cat litter is how well it absorbs. I hate went it doesn’t absorb well and it sticks all over the cat box.
Odour masking!!
The most important is odor elimination
tweet: https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/572891723879202817
Definitely hiding the odor!
I like low dust, low tracking! With a little boy in the house, I despise litter being tracked all over by kitty!
The most important qualities that are the most important in my cat litter are its ability to mask odors and its ability to clump. I also want cat litter to be a color that hides any “presents” my cat leaves!
https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/572933093473980416
Less dust is very important. Of course, odor control is the most important to me and my cats.
Tweet – https://twitter.com/amyorvin/status/572938942338609152
I look for odor control as the number one factor.
https://twitter.com/mrsrodjac3/status/572947491361984512
The most important thing for me when picking a cat litter is dust free, scent and price.
I like for it to be fresh smelling
I look for low or no dust and one that has low or no perfume or scent.
tweet https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/573118668567019520
The most important quality when it comes to choosing a litter is how well it controls smell.
tweet – https://twitter.com/lil_lady_dz/status/573138153734684673
Odor control!
It has to clump well and not break up all over the place!
I love that it doesn’t mask the smell but absorbs and elminates the odor
Odor control and clumping are the two things I look for.
The most important quality when it comes to choosing a litter is its ability to control the odor 🙂
https://twitter.com/618mom23boys/status/573229393004261378
My tweet: https://twitter.com/bbdream34/status/573229891946201088 🙂
Odor elimination is the most important factor in cat litter.
It’s gotta leave a clean smell!
never know this product before I use litter
https://twitter.com/momsfocus/status/573258662736756736
The most important quality is it controls odor. Low dust is also high on our list,
odor control is important to me!
I would say the clumping power is really important…as well as odor control without being too “perfume” smelling, and not being too dusty!
The most important factor for me is the scent!
not messy and not smelly! i hate when it gets everywhere when you pour it out of the box!
The most important is that it has great odor control and my cat likes it.
I tweeted https://twitter.com/bdiane35/status/573650134384291841
Odor control!
https://twitter.com/mgaltier/status/573833794576318464
It needs to be absorbent and good at odor control!
Your cats are beautiful!
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/573973776393617408
I would think low odor would be most important.
chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com
odor control
https://twitter.com/rjjs13/status/574103576357773312
Good odor control.
tweeted – https://twitter.com/micalpt/status/574164530692907008
The litter has to smell good and keep odors away!
tweeted https://twitter.com/Joan_1969/status/574284717912125440
Clumping and it does not stick to the bottom of the litter pan.
I don’t want to smell it at all!
Odor control is the most important quality when it comes to choosing a litter.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/574437906758041600
The littler must be odor free and dust free.
Most important qualities for me are clumps well, doesn’t make a lot of dust and that it knocks out odors.
I think that it obsorbs the smell and also that it doesnt throw off dust when put in or when my cat kicks at it.
sally0630@frontiernet.net
I shared on twitter
https://twitter.com/sally06301/status/574822039976034304
sally0630@frontiernet.net
odor elimination
https://twitter.com/sweetums82/status/574920214938304512
Most important quality to me is clumping and odor control!
https://twitter.com/StaceyRenee711/status/574924426128592896
It would have to be a litter that doesn’t generate dust and that will do a great job of ridding cat urine..nothing worse than a smell cat box.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/ginette4/status/575013472754352128
For my cats, the most important qualities are the smell and feel of the litter. For me, how well the litter masks the smell of my cats’ business.
Check out @crunchycolletti’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/crunchycolletti/status/576236603317727232?s=09
The most important quality to me is that it doesn’t spread dust all over our basement. I used to get a litter that clumped well but it really made a mess, so I don’t buy that one anymore.
madelinebrubaker {at} gmail [dot] com
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/576408860199657473
We got our first cat six months ago and for us the most important qualities are scent and the ability to clump well
mummytotwoboys@yahoo.com
tweeted https://twitter.com/mummytotwoboys1/status/576900866420158464
mummytotwoboys@yahoo.com
The most important to me is that it helps control the smell.
odor control and clumping ability
odor control!! i want my house smells good.
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/579112129443336192
My most important quality would be that it does not smell!
Dana Truitt tweet entry: https://twitter.com/Dana_Stargazer/status/579356660239593473
Dana Truitt comment entry: The most important quality in a litter is the ability for it to not smell super fast, to be able to take a licking and keep of ticking. I don’t wanna have to change the litter box more than I have to. So I spend the extra money to get a quality litter that spares me those extra cleanings!! My cat appreciates it more as well!! nunah loves a clean and fresh box!
We like a dust free clumping litter that really takes care of odors for multiple cats.
tweet – https://twitter.com/amyorvin/status/580021679335698433
Calico I took off the street has stomach issues and a consistent high quality odor absorbing litter is a must in a small apartment, especially when it’s shared with a brother and a second box in the bedroom.
Lack of odor and dust
https://twitter.com/mkjmc/status/580505995056701441
I want a litter that clumps well and is dust free. My cat is messy and kicks litter out of the box, so dust can get everywhere.
A litter that masks the smell,especially the urine and clumps well !
Odor control is important but too much scent is not necessary if the litter box is cleaned on a regular basis. I’ve been using Cat’s Pride (well, Murray The K(at) has been using it) for a long time now – ever since I purchased another brand with a scent that about knocked me over as soon as I opened the box. I kept it for use in the parking lot when there’s ice – that’s about all it was good for. I use Cat’s Pride (okay, again, Murray uses it, not me) unscented but will certainly buy this new Fresh&Light when it’s available in my local store.
P.S. Your little furbabies are just adorable!
I want litter that doesn’t stick to cats’ paws, not just because of tracking but most important, because they lick their paws to clean them, and I don’t want them to ingest something harmful. Fresh and Light (I haven’t tried Ultimate yet) is so fine, it doesn’t stick. A nice scent would be great — something fresh and natural that won’t hurt kitties!
powerful clumping is important for me with my 3 kitties
https://twitter.com/gizkok/status/581087871303598080
I want cat litter that absorbs and eliminates those nasty smells. Odor control is quite important to me.
So sad that fragrance free Cat’s Pride is no longer available within 20 miles of where I live. But $10would make it worth the drive.
I like litter that isn’t too dusty but my most important needs are that it covers odor and clumps well so it’s easy to just scoop and doesn’t break apart and make a big mess in the litter box.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/581869859413196801
It is important that it has great odor control and of course that the cat likes it and will use it. I detest the smell of cat urine
https://twitter.com/Attea2d/status/582188333129924608
Odor control definitely the most important to me!
Odor control is most important!
I look for a litter that keeps odors under control.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/peg42/status/582309769337298944
natural, non-toxic and no odor!
tvollowitz at aol dot com
I look for good clumping litter at a reasonable price. Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/582510775165652993
The most important is odor elimination
If her litter box does not smell perfect, Miss Kitty will not use it. Odor control is most important to both of us!
It must smell good…PERIOD!
I always look for little that helps control odor. 🙂
No odor is the most important factor in choosing a cat litter.
The most important quality for me and my cat when it comes to choosing a litter is odor control. Thanks for the giveaway!
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/PuffyBiggler/status/582787214599303168
the most important thing in a litter is odor elimination
I have 3 cats, and it was quite a challenge to find litter that clumps and scoops easily AND eliminates odors. I live alone and have no help with the chores, so if I can get the job done quickly and without being overpowered by smell, I’m a happy girl!
I really like a dust-free litter. I don’t like to smell it on my cats after they use the box, nor do I want them breathing it.
Clumping is important for both of us.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/rhoneygee/status/583473106834030592
For me, it’s the smell that the most important thing. Other benefits are great, but if it smells bad, it’s not worth it! 🙂
Tweeted 🙂 – https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/583525470500556800
The litter must clump well.
This keeps the litter box odor free.
The cats are happy and I’m happy!
thank you
I want something easy to clean that keeps smells away!
I need something that keeps odors at bay. Now if I could just find one that they didn’t track all over the house!
A product that controls the odor is the most important quality.
The most important quality in choosing a cat litter would be odor control.
kport207 at gmail dot com
Most important quality for me is odor control.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Southtexasstyle/status/584785199818354689
Odor control is the most important factor in choosing litter…but hold the strong perfumey scent please!
Odor control!
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/585249022656385024
I like a litter that does not track all over the house.
https://twitter.com/smilekisses/status/585327940470181889
I need a litter without dust since one of my cats eyes are bothered by the dust from litter. Odor control is also something I look for.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/orchidlady01/status/585562897725685760
I tend to look at getting the biggest bag for the best price
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/rosannepm/status/586001435206275072
I make sure to get anything without extra odors. I know that it is supposed to help mask the smell of the poop, but the extra smells bug them. I canNOT have my babies suffer through an uncomfortable BM!
No dust!
The odor control is most important.
#1 is that it is safe for them to use and non-toxic. After that, it is up to their tastes. LOL
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/586525254421458945
Something that covers up odors!
The most important thing to me is keeping the odors out of my house.
that it covers up the smells
Odor control
The most important quality is that it controls odor.
lazybones344 at gmail dot com
odor control is the most important quality
i posted a tweet here: https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/586708653006176256
Odor Contol is super important to me
https://twitter.com/eaglesforjack/status/586752713469267968
the most important thing is odor control
The odor control is the most important to me! ky_grandma40@yahoo.com
Odor absorption
We definitely need odor control please! 🙂
https://twitter.com/shiebs24b/status/586978005341184002
When choosing a litter odor control is most important
https://twitter.com/klp1965/status/586998402543681536
I like to find litter that clumps and is easy to remove from the box.
The most important thing to us, is that the litter has amazing odor control.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Stephanie64030/status/587019057804652546
Odor control is a very important quality.
Odor control is the most important quality to me when choosing a litter.
https://twitter.com/jennad289/status/587044270491750400
The biggest decision for my in choosing cat little is the way it handles odors.
I Tweeted: https://twitter.com/lisalmg/status/587080832935788544
The first thing I research before purchasing a cat litter is whether or not it’s safe for the environment and for my kitty. And of COURSE odor control is important. Nothing but the finest for my meow-er and moi.
Thanks for a great giveaway!
Tweet-a-tweet!
https://twitter.com/Ida_Sessions/status/587100809260900352
Good odor control is important as is being dust free as much as possible!
https://twitter.com/ardy22/status/587136574829236224
https://twitter.com/ThatTuxedoCat/status/587149757405073408
I have 3 cats, so the most important quality for me and my cat when it comes to choosing a litter is the ability to control odor. Also, it can’t be too scented, because one has asthma.
My cat litter must clump and mask odors !
My tweet https://twitter.com/AurelieRed/status/587180310950981632
Clumping and odor sealing.
Odor control is the most important!
tweet
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/587243410567913472
No odor is most important to me
Both me and my cat appreciate a low dust and low chemical scent litter. After that we look for odor control and clumping.
The most important thing is that he’ll use it. It may sound silly, but if he doesn’t like the smell of the cat litter he won’t use it and would rather go outside.
https://twitter.com/myfolly/status/587296465959124993
The most important is odor control. I want my house to smell like I don’t have cats. Or I should say their house since they do seem to own it.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/587304193410514944
The odor control is definitely the largest consideration for me when choosing a cat litter.
I sent out a tweet: https://twitter.com/electricstar/status/587305366590861312
The most important quality is Odor control.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/587312861552189441
My number one requirement for good litter is that it must control odors. I can deal with it not clumping well but if it starts stinking right away it isn’t the right one for my home.
The most important thing to us is to have the least amount of dust
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/my4boysand1/status/587329395498463232
something that control the odor.
my #SweepstakesEntry tweet:
https://twitter.com/thrincor/status/587359748338647040
For me it boils down to the dust factor (don’t need that dust!) as well as the price
Cat litter should clump well, keep odors down and not track all over the house.
Thanks for the contest.
slehan at juno dot com
lightweight and long last with great odor control
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/587376479186526208
The litter must control stinky smells over time.
https://twitter.com/davisesq212/status/587382411543105536
https://twitter.com/slehan/status/587389410527711232
slehan at juno dot com
The best and most important quality of litter before you buy it is how it clumps and the scent to cover the smell.
I publicly Tweeted this giveaway: https://twitter.com/versatileer/status/587390613391286272
Most important to us is low dust and odor control- I have tried litters that smell right out of the bag.
I think the scent and odor control are important
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/587393761694519296
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tweeted.
https://twitter.com/birdiebee52/status/587433461784322050
The most important quality in a cat litter is odor control where that doesn’t leave the house smelling like a cat box.