Pretty Litter Health Monitoring Cat Litter Review: Does Color-Changing Litter Actually Work?

Quick verdict: Pretty Litter is a genuinely innovative product that combines silica gel litter with color-changing health monitoring technology. After 60 days of testing in a three-cat household, we can confirm that the health indicators work as described — color changes are visible and correspond to documented pH and hemoglobin ranges. The litter itself is ultra-lightweight, virtually dust-free, and controls odor well through absorption. However, the inability to scoop urine, the higher monthly cost, the subscription model, and the inherent limitations of a screening tool (not a diagnostic test) temper our enthusiasm. We rate it 4.1 out of 5 — a worthwhile product for health-conscious cat owners, with important caveats.

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Why We Tested Pretty Litter

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is one of the most common and potentially dangerous health conditions in cats. The Cornell Feline Health Center estimates that FLUTD affects approximately 1-3% of all cats each year, and for male cats, urinary blockage can become a life-threatening emergency within 24-48 hours. Early detection is critical — and that is precisely what Pretty Litter promises.

The concept is straightforward: if your litter could tell you something was wrong before your cat showed obvious symptoms, you could get to the vet sooner, start treatment earlier, and potentially avoid emergency situations entirely. It is a compelling value proposition, and Pretty Litter has built a substantial business around it with aggressive direct-to-consumer marketing.

We wanted to test two things: Does the health monitoring actually work in real-world conditions? And does the silica gel litter itself perform well enough as a daily-use litter to justify replacing your current product?

Our test household included three cats: a 6-year-old male domestic shorthair with no urinary history, a 10-year-old female Siamese mix with a previous UTI episode (two years prior), and a 13-year-old senior male tabby with early-stage chronic kidney disease (diagnosed and monitored by our veterinarian). The senior cat provided us with a real-world test case for the health monitoring feature, as his urinalysis values were known to fluctuate.

Health Monitoring: How It Works and What We Observed

Pretty Litter’s health monitoring system uses two types of indicators embedded in the silica gel crystals:

1. pH indicators that change color based on the acidity or alkalinity of urine
2. Hemoglobin indicators that react to the presence of blood

The color guide provided by Pretty Litter maps these changes to specific health concerns:

In our 60-day test, here is what we observed:

Cat 1 (healthy male, age 6): Consistent yellow-to-olive-green color throughout the entire test. No color anomalies. This matched his known healthy status.

Cat 2 (female with UTI history, age 10): Consistent normal color for the first 6 weeks. During week 7, we noticed a slight blue-green shift in one area of the box. We scheduled a vet visit, and the urinalysis came back normal — this was a false positive, likely caused by a dietary change (we had introduced a new treat that week). The color returned to normal within 3 days of discontinuing the new treat.

Cat 3 (senior male with CKD, age 13): This was the most informative case. During weeks 2-3, we observed a persistent dark green color in areas where he urinated. We consulted our veterinarian, who ran a urinalysis that confirmed elevated urine pH — consistent with his known kidney condition but slightly worse than his last check. The vet adjusted his fluid supplementation protocol. During weeks 5-6, the color shifted back toward olive-green, corresponding to improved urinalysis values at his follow-up appointment.

This was a genuine real-world validation of the monitoring concept. The Pretty Litter detected a change in our CKD cat’s urine chemistry before he showed any outward clinical symptoms (he was eating, drinking, and behaving normally). The earlier-than-scheduled vet visit led to a treatment adjustment that may have prevented a more serious decline.

Silica Gel Performance as Daily Litter

Setting aside the health monitoring feature, Pretty Litter still needs to function as effective cat litter on a daily basis. Here is how the silica gel performs:

Odor control: Good, with a different mechanism than clay or corn. Silica gel absorbs liquid and traps odor molecules within the crystal structure. There is no clumping — the urine is absorbed and the crystals gradually become saturated over the course of a month. During the first two weeks of each bag, odor control is excellent. During weeks three and four, there is a gradual increase in detectable ammonia as the crystals approach saturation. Regular stirring of the crystals (distributing moisture evenly) extends the effective odor control window.

Compared to Dr. Elsey’s Ultra (which controls odor through tight clumping) or World’s Best (which uses corn enzymes), Pretty Litter’s odor control is good but not as consistent over the full month. The final week of each bag is noticeably weaker.

Dust: Virtually zero. Silica gel produces no dust when poured or during daily use. For cats with asthma or owners with respiratory sensitivities, this is a significant advantage — on par with or better than corn-based litters and dramatically better than any clay litter including Dr. Elsey’s.

Weight: This is Pretty Litter’s most dramatic practical advantage. A single 8-pound bag replaces approximately 40+ pounds of clay litter. Carrying, pouring, and disposing of Pretty Litter is effortless. For elderly owners, apartment dwellers, or anyone who has wrestled with a 40-pound bag of Dr. Elsey’s, the weight difference is life-changing.

Tracking: Moderate. The silica gel crystals are larger than clay granules, which reduces tracking somewhat, but they are light enough to stick to paw pads and appear outside the box. Tracking is roughly comparable to corn-based litter and slightly worse than heavy clay granules.

The Non-Clumping Reality

This is the most significant behavioral adjustment for owners switching from clumping litter. With Pretty Litter, you cannot scoop urine. The crystals absorb liquid rather than forming a clump around it. Your daily routine changes from “scoop clumps and feces” to “scoop feces and stir crystals.”

For some owners, this is a non-issue. For others — particularly those who find satisfaction in scooping clean, hard clumps (a surprisingly common sentiment among cat owners who love Dr. Elsey’s) — it feels like a step backward. You are leaving urine in the box (absorbed into the crystals) rather than removing it, and psychologically, that can feel less clean even if the odor is controlled.

The monthly full-box dump also means you are discarding the entire contents every 30 days rather than gradually removing waste and topping off with fresh litter. This is less wasteful than it sounds — a single 8-pound bag of Pretty Litter replaces multiple boxes worth of clay — but it does mean you experience a complete reset each month rather than the continuous maintenance of clumping litter.

Value Assessment

Pretty Litter is the most expensive daily-use litter we have tested:

• Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Premium (clay): $6-10/month per cat
• World’s Best Cat Litter (corn): $15-20/month per cat
• Pretty Litter (silica gel, this product): $25-30/month per cat

At roughly 2-4 times the cost of clay litter, the monthly premium is real. Over a year, the difference between Dr. Elsey’s and Pretty Litter is approximately $200-280 per cat.

The value proposition hinges entirely on the health monitoring feature. If you view Pretty Litter as “litter that costs more,” the value is poor. If you view it as “litter plus a continuous urinary health screening tool,” the value equation changes:

• Routine veterinary urinalysis: $50-100 per test
• Emergency vet visit for urinary symptoms: $200-500
• Treatment for urinary blockage: $1,500-3,500+
• Treatment for advanced kidney disease: $200-500/month ongoing

In our testing, the health monitoring detected a change in our CKD cat’s urine chemistry before clinical symptoms appeared. That single early detection — resulting in a proactive vet visit rather than a reactive one — demonstrated the monitoring’s potential value.

That said, the monitoring is a screening tool, not a substitute for veterinary care. It can generate false positives (as it did with our second cat) and it may miss subtle changes that a quantitative lab urinalysis would detect. Regular veterinary check-ups remain essential regardless of what your litter tells you.

Comparison Table: Pretty Litter vs. Dr. Elsey’s vs. World’s Best

Who It Is For

Buy Pretty Litter if:

• Your cat has a history of urinary tract issues, crystals, or kidney disease and you want continuous at-home screening
• You have a senior cat (10+ years) entering the age range where kidney and urinary issues become more common
• You want virtually dust-free litter for a cat with respiratory sensitivity or asthma
• The ultra-lightweight bags are a practical necessity — you have mobility limitations, live in a walk-up apartment, or simply hate carrying 40-pound bags
• You value subscription convenience and want litter delivered to your door automatically
• You are willing to pay a premium for health monitoring peace of mind

Skip Pretty Litter if:

• Cost is the primary factor — Pretty Litter is 2-4 times more expensive than clay alternatives
• You prefer the scooping routine of clumping litter and find the non-clumping approach unsatisfying
• Your cat dislikes the texture of silica gel crystals and resists using it after a proper transition period
• You want the absolute best odor control — clumping clay litters like Dr. Elsey’s provide more consistent odor performance over a full month
• You expect the health monitoring to replace veterinary check-ups — it is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test
• You prefer an eco-friendly litter — silica gel is not biodegradable, while corn (World’s Best) is renewable and biodegradable

For guidance on recognizing signs of urinary distress in cats, the Cornell Feline Health Center’s FLUTD guide is an essential resource. Signs include frequent trips to the litter box, straining to urinate, blood in urine, urinating outside the box, and excessive genital licking. If you observe any of these symptoms — regardless of what your litter color shows — contact your veterinarian immediately.

Final Verdict

Pretty Litter earns a 4.1 out of 5 from Meowing Goods after 60 days of testing. It is a genuinely innovative product that delivers on its core promise: color-changing health monitoring that provides an at-home screening tool for urinary and kidney issues. In our testing, it detected a real change in a CKD cat’s urine chemistry before clinical symptoms appeared — a meaningful validation of the concept.

As a daily-use litter, it performs well but not exceptionally. Odor control is good for the first three weeks and declines in week four. Dust is virtually nonexistent. The ultra-lightweight bags are a genuine convenience. But the inability to scoop urine, the higher monthly cost, and the non-clumping behavior are legitimate trade-offs that not every owner will accept.

The right buyer for Pretty Litter is a cat owner who values health monitoring and is willing to pay a premium for it — particularly owners of senior cats or cats with a history of urinary issues. For those owners, Pretty Litter provides a screening capability that no other litter offers. For owners whose primary concerns are clumping performance, odor control, and value, Dr. Elsey’s Ultra or World’s Best Cat Litter remain superior choices.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does Pretty Litter’s color-changing health monitoring work?

Pretty Litter contains silica gel crystals infused with pH-sensitive and hemoglobin-detecting indicators. Normal healthy urine produces a yellow or olive-green color. Dark blue or green may indicate high alkaline urine (associated with UTIs or struvite crystals). Red may indicate blood in urine (UTI, bladder stones, kidney disease). Orange may indicate acidic pH. It is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test — any abnormal color should prompt a veterinary visit.

Is Pretty Litter accurate? Can I rely on the color changes?

Pretty Litter’s system can detect significant shifts in urine pH and the gross presence of blood, but it has limitations. False positives can occur from dietary changes or medications. False negatives are possible with early-stage conditions that do not produce dramatic chemical changes. Think of it as an early warning system, not a replacement for regular veterinary check-ups and professional urinalysis.

Why does Pretty Litter cost more than regular cat litter?

The premium reflects the health monitoring technology and subscription convenience. At $25-30/month per cat, it costs 2-4 times more than clay litter. However, a single veterinary visit for urinary symptoms costs $150-400, and urinary blockage treatment can exceed $3,000. If early detection catches an issue even once, the savings could exceed the cumulative litter premium.

Do cats like the texture of silica gel litter?

Most cats adapt without issues, but some dislike the larger, harder crystals. In our testing, two of three cats transitioned immediately; one took several days. For reluctant cats, try a gradual 7-10 day transition mixing Pretty Litter with your current litter at increasing ratios.

How do I use Pretty Litter since I cannot scoop urine clumps?

Scoop solid waste daily and stir the crystals gently to distribute moisture evenly. This prevents oversaturation in one area. At the end of the month, dump the entire box and replace with a fresh bag. Do not mix old and new litter — the health monitoring colors will not be accurate if old saturated crystals are mixed with fresh ones.

Sources

1. Cornell Feline Health Center — Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease
2. AVMA — Urinary Issues in Cats
3. American Association of Feline Practitioners — Cat Friendly Homes: Litter Boxes