What do the colors indicate? How does this help monitor my cat’s health?
Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitor is made of silica gel and pH indicating technology. The pH technology causes the crystals to change colors depending on the pH level (how acidic or basic something is) in your cat’s urine and can help you check for early signs of illness. Urine pH can be a useful indication of urinary tract and overall health, and certain urine pH levels could indicate potential health issues ahead of a vet visit, making it easy to proactively monitor your cat’s health from home.
Yellow to Light Green: When the urine spot turns yellow or light green, your cat’s urine falls within the standard pH range.
Orange: When the urine spot turns orange, your cat’s urine falls within the LOW pH range, which means it is more acidic. Acidic urine could be a sign of certain types of bladder stones or acidosis
Dark Green to Blue: When the urine spot turns dark green or blue, your cat’s urine falls within the HIGH pH range, which means it is more basic/alkaline. Alkaline urine could be a sign of certain types of bladder stones, urinary tract infections (UTI), or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD).
Pink/Red: If you see a color that falls within the pink to red range, this could be due to the visible presence of blood (a pink/red color is not the result of a pH color change). Blood may be an indication of health issues such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). If blood is visible, please contact your veterinarian immediately.
If you see a color change outside of the typical range (yellow/green), this could also be due to diet, medication, or other factors not related to a health condition. We recommend monitoring the litter for an additional 24 to 48 hours. If the abnormal color change persists, consider consulting your veterinarian. Please note that Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitoring Litter is not a diagnostic tool and cannot replace a veterinarian diagnosis. Your veterinarian is your best resource for understanding what could be causing the changes in your cat’s urinary pH and how to manage it.
What do you do if there is a color outside of the typical range?
If you see a color change outside of the typical range (yellow/green), this could also be due to diet, medication, or other factors not related to a health condition. We recommend monitoring the litter for an additional 24 to 48 hours. If the abnormal color change persists, consider consulting your veterinarian.
If you see the visible presence of blood in the litter, please contact your veterinarian immediately.
Can the litter change color if my cat is not sick?
It could. If you see a color change outside of the typical range (yellow/green), this could also be due to diet, medication, other factors not related to a health condition. We recommend monitoring the litter for an additional 24 to 48 hours. If the abnormal color change persists, consider consulting your veterinarian.
Does the color go away when you stir the litter? How does that work?
The color might stay, but as you stir, the color gets distributed throughout the untouched crystals, ready for the cat to use it again! The color of the litter will turn more yellow over time if your cat’s urine is within the typical pH range.
How do I use Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitor?
Fill your clean litter box with at least 1.5-2 inches of Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitor. This is a non-clumping litter, so scoop your cat’s poop and stir crystals daily for maximum performance. After about 20-30 days, the litter will likely be saturated. Dump the used litter into the trash can (do not flush), clean the litter box, and refill the box with a fresh bag of Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitor. Monitor the litter color change regularly. For the best results, monitor the color change within a couple of hours of your cat using the litter box.
If you see a color change outside of the typical range (yellow/green), this could also be due to diet, medication, or other factors not related to a health condition. We recommend monitoring the litter for an additional 24 to 48 hours. If the abnormal color change persists, consider consulting your veterinarian. Please note that Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitor is not a diagnostic tool and cannot replace a veterinarian diagnosis. Your veterinarian is your best resource for understanding what could be causing the changes in your cat’s urinary health and how to manage it.
How do I use Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitor in a multi-cat household?
If you own multiple cats that use the same litter box and notice an atypical color change, we recommend making sure each cat has their own litter box in separate rooms to determine which cat is having the issue.
If you see a color change outside of the typical range (yellow/green), this could also be due to diet, medication, or other factors not related to a health condition. We recommend monitoring the litter for an additional 24 to 48 hours. If the abnormal color change persists, consider consulting your veterinarian.
If blood is visible, please contact a veterinarian immediately.
Does the product clump?
No, Fresh Step Crystals Health Monitor is a non-clumping litter and easy to maintain. Every day, you just need to scoop and dispose of solid waste. Then, thoroughly mix the crystals so that if your cat has a spot where they prefer to eliminate, it will not become oversaturated.
How and where do I store it?
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the pH technology may be affected from direct sunlight and extreme heat (i.e. storing in garage).
