Mallory Crusta / Cats.com
Cat owners are constantly on the lookout for ways to take the hassle out of scooping the litter box. Automatic cat litter boxes can be expensive, and they don’t always work as well as promised, making them even more of a disappointment. If you’re looking for an alternative to your traditional litter box, consider the Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System.
This system includes a three-piece sifting litter box with a slide-out tray holding a highly absorbent pee pad. The box is filled with unique Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Pellets that are designed to dehydrate solid waste, making quick work of scooping the litter box. Keep reading to see our review of the Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System and its components.
Ratings
- Ease of Cleaning – 8/10
- Odor Control – 6/10
- Appearance – 10/10
- Construction – 9/10
- Price – 4/10
Overall Score: 7.4/10
To learn more about the Tidy Cats litter brand as a whole (based on product testing), see our review of three of their top traditional cat litter formulas HERE.
Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System Explained
Brand Overview
The Tidy Cats brand has a long history in the pet industry, having started all the way back in 1940 when cat litter was first invented. Cat litter was accidentally discovered by a man named Edward Lowe who, by the 1950s, had turned his accidental invention into a large, successful business.
The Tidy Cats brand was born in 1964 and quickly became the largest producer of cat litter. Lowe sold the company in 1990 when it was grossing more than $165 million in annual sales.
Today, Tidy Cats offers a huge variety of cat litter formulas and cat litter products. The Tidy Cats Breeze line of products is one of the brand’s newest innovations and includes a unique sifting litter box system, special cat litter pellets, and absorbent cat pads. We’ll be reviewing the litter system, the cat litter pellets, and the cat pads below.
Name | Product Type | Life Stage | Features |
Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System | Litter Box | All | Sifting Litter Box, Litter Scoop, 3.5 lbs. Bag of Pellets, 4 Pads |
Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Pads | Pee Pads | All | Absorbent, Odor Control, Disposable |
Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Pellets | Cat Litter | All | Non-Clumping, Odor Control, Unscented |
What Products Are Included in This Litter Box System?
The Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System comes in two different forms: the original and a hooded version. The litter box itself consist of three pieces – the base (which includes a slide-out tray to hold the pee pad), a sifting tray, and the high-sided top. In the hooded version, the high-sided top is replaced by an enclosed hood.
In addition to receiving the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box, you’ll also receive a special scoop with large enough slots to sift the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Pellets. You’ll also receive a 3.5-pound bag of those pellets along with a 4-pack of Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Pads. The system is sold as a kit designed to last for one month for a single cat.
Top 3 Products Reviewed
Product Name | Product Type | Overall Rating |
Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System | Litter Box | 3.5/5 |
Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Pads | Pee Pads | 3.75 |
Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Pellets | Cat Litter | 2.75/5 |
What Do Customers Think of the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System?
Overall, the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System is a very popular product, having many good reviews on Amazon and Chewy. Roughly two-thirds of those are 5-star reviews, with a few negative reviews sprinkled in. This being said, every customer’s experience is unique, and there are both good and bad reviews for the brand online. Keep reading to see a positive and negative customer review for each of the three cat litter products featured above:
Positive Reviews
“After I introduced one of these, it took about a month before one of the cats tried it. Be patient. He was immediately hooked once he gave it a try and now uses the Breeze exclusively. I put in a second Breeze but am holding on to the last traditional litter pan because, despite my best efforts, the other cat just isn’t willing to use the Breeze. The Breeze is much easier to clean and maintain than the traditional box, with less scatter, and although I haven’t been able to fully transition to Breeze, the cats now essentially have his and hers litter boxes which has made everything less messy overall.” – Skycat, reviewing the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter System
“We used to use Tidy Cats 24/7, but I got sick of finding litter everywhere, so we decided to try the Breeze system. We thought it would take time for our cat Journey to adjust because she’s so fickle, but she made the switch almost immediately! We love that the pellets have no smell, they’re compact, long-lasting, and don’t get tracked out of the box. The Breeze system works really well, and it has cut down on a lot of the labor of keeping the box clean since all we have to do is scoop poop, and that goes straight into the toilet. Poop sitting on top of the litter smells, but once it is gone, so is any odor.” – Evan, reviewing Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Pellets
“I tried the cheaper version of these, and they just can’t compete with this one. I have two cats and two boxes, and I only change them once a week, and they never smell. These are well worth the money. I’m going to get the larger pack next time!” – Tippy, reviewing Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Pads
Negative Reviews
“This system is great if cats only peed. I had bought three cat litter systems based on positive reviews. I have three cats, and I put the litter system in a cat furniture box hoping that would be enough to mask the smell. NOPE. It is great for urine, but I am constantly smelling the poop, so I need to dispose of it immediately and throw it in a bag outside, even the feces smell lingers for a while. The pellets are expensive to replace when you have multiple cats, and you need to change the pad twice a week.” – Catmom, reviewing the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter System
“I was very excited about using Breeze. Kitty litter is heavy, and the idea of simply changing a pad is great. And it was for a while. Then, because the box is so small, my cats hung their bottoms over the edge and urinated on the floor. They still tried to cover their urine and scattered pellets over the litter box edge onto the floor. Stepping on Breeze pellets is similar to stepping on small Legos. Breeze is a great idea that wasn’t developed well. If you like cat urine on your floors, this is the system for you.” – Bowsersmom, reviewing Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Pellets
“While the concept is fab and I can’t smell anything, my two cats obviously can. They won’t use the tray again until I replace the pad, which is pretty heavily soaked in less than 24 hours. I still recommend it as I’m sure it works for others. Daily replacement will be too expensive, so it looks like I’ll have to send the whole system back.” – Lilbrit71, reviewing Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Pads
How Much Does the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System?
The Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System costs just over $30 when purchased online. The system comes with the Tidy Cats Breeze litter box, a litter scoop, a 3.5-pound bag of Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Pellets and a 4-pack of Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Pads. The Tidy Cats Breeze Hooded Cat Litter Box System sells for about $45 online and includes the litter scoop, pellets, and cat pads.
Overall, Is the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System a Good Choice?
All in all, we loved the concept of the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System but, unfortunately, were not impressed with some aspects of the product itself. The litter box was sturdy and easy to assemble, plus it was very easy to use the slide-out tray to replace the pee pad. We didn’t like the pellets because they were too large and somewhat difficult to scoop – our test cats also did not like them for solid waste. The unit (and the pee pads) was great, however, for urine and contained that odor well.
It is important to note that Tidy Cats recommends the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter System for single-cat use. They suggest using a single unit per cat, plus one extra. The cost of the unit and the special pellets may not be affordable for some multi-cat owners and it may be more hassle than it’s worth when it comes to scooping solid waste. One option that worked well for us, however, was using the system for liquid waste and having another litter box available for solid waste.
If you’re looking for a litter box to cut down on maintenance, the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System has some upsides, but it may be difficult to transition some cats onto the pellets and it may not be cost-effective for multi-cat owners. Generally speaking, it’s a great concept, but the execution could be a little bit better to make the unit easier to use.
Where Is the Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System Sold?
The Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System is available online and in some pet stores. You can purchase from major online retailers like Amazon and Chewy as well as the Purina website. You may be able to find the system for sale in big box stores like Walmart and Target as well as local and regional pet stores.
I would like to try that but I have never had success with alternative litter.
This system was a major change for us too, but it has been great and much cleaner than any other I have used. Ultimately, it is a personal choice though.
I have an older kitty who pees in the Breeze box but she insists on pooping on the floor outside. This has been going on for 2 months. Is there any way I can convince her to use the Breeze litter box?
Maybe add the old litter in with the Breeze system and ween your cat onto the Breeze system over time.
I have an older cat as well, when she did this I realized I had neglected the pad a bit too long for her liking. I changed it and she stared using it again. Mom learned her lesson. However when she refused to go #2 initially, I placed a couple of her Poos in the new Breeze box and showed her to help her understand. Within a day or so she caught on. She will still go outside the box if I let the pad go longer than she approves… she can be a little brat but I love her 🙂
My cat flings the pellets all over the floor what can I do to fix this
Get the hood system. It dramatically changes everything.
Those pellets do not absorb fecal odor. I have 2 cats and the house stinks because of it. Has anyone else been able to overcome this problem? I sprayed Lysol on the pellets until I read that it could be harmful to the cats. Thanks for your input.
Unfortunately, these pellets aren’t designed as well for feces as urine. Using Lysol on the pellets isn’t recommended but you could try washing and reusing the pellets to reduce the odor without having to replace them as often.
Arm and hammer makes a baking soda powder for sprinkling on traditional litter to extend the odor eliminating time. The powder works on the breeze pellets too, in my experience. It also extends the urine odor elimination time as some of the powder will inevitably get through the vent and onto the pad.
This system is terrible. We have had cats for over 40 years and used regular litter and never a problem. We are cat sitting and the breeze system is here and the smell gags you even with changing the pee pads daily……
Sorry you’re having trouble, Elizabeth! How many cats are using the system and do you have other litter boxes in the house? Adding another litter box may help and you may want to check the interior of the system – urine can sometimes escape the tray and cause lingering odor.
Please, can you explain the need for individual litter boxes/systems? If two cats, raised together, share one and there are no issues, does that eliminate the need for a second one? Thanks for any info you can give me!
Hey Suzy! It’s great that your two cats get along so well! Generally, the recommendation for one litter box per cat is based on feline instincts and a hefty bit of precaution. Cats are territorial, so they like to have their own space. Even if your cats don’t fight, they might still appreciate having the option to use a separate box. It can also be a matter of convenience… even in a smaller home, having a litter box on each floor saves your cat from having to go far to use the litter box.
The main reason, however, is I think that cats just really like to keep their toilet space clean (don’t we all!). Even if you’re scooping each and every day, a single litter box is going to fill up quickly between two cats. Some cats simply don’t like stepping on clumps or wet litter just to do their business. The conditions may seem fine now, but cats can be finicky and if someone changes their mind about something, the single litter box might become an issue. Best of luck!
I have 3 cats 2 breeze systems and a couple of regular boxes with world’s best. They use the breeze a lot more. The fecal order doesn’t seem to be a problem, and that might be because they use the world’s best in the basement more. Even if they use the breeze to poo the smell hasn’t been bad, and if it does, I scoop it quickly and dispose of it in the litter genie. Those are upstairs in a bedroom we don’t use. I get 2 kits every month switch out the pellets in the middle of the month since a half a bag works fine for them this way.
I am looking at the Breeze XL for my cats. One of my cats is a male that pees high on the side wall- which is why we replaced our Booda boxes with high-walled rubbermaid totes. When he peed in the Booda the urine would leak out where the lid attached to the bottom. I can’t seem to find any information or review on how this system is for male cats that pee high on the wall of the box. The Breeze system is innovative and appears to be much easier to use and I would rather pay for the pellets and pads than a box of dirt (as my husband puts it). But if there is any possibility that my male’s urine will seep out the side wall then that will be a dealbreaker for me.
I have the XL for my older male who also urinates pretty high. I have had no issues. I’ve been using Breeze for years and was excited when they came out with the XL.
I have 17 year old Maine Coon and she doesn’t squat anymore… The regular single box she peed right over the top of it the the XL has worked out ok for that. The most I can go to change out the pad is 3 days.
So far, I do NOT recommend the Breeze System. I’ve had the system for 4 days, with two new kittens, that are 6 months old (that were used to the system at the Breeder’s cattery)
The kittens use the hooded box and are fine with it. But the smell is simply horrendous. I am home, so I scoop the box 3 times daily. The smell comes from the pellets, and it is truly awful!! The entire room reeks, and thus the remainder of the house. I contacted Purina (who makes the system) and they offered free coupons. I asked if there was a possibility the pellets are defective or something wrong with production (enitre system is from China) and all the person would say was change out all the pellets (even though they are literally 4 days old) and coupons will be mailed. If this smell continues (and I did completely change it all out) I will be asking for a refund. I bought the hooded system as well as the XL sytem for the two kittens. So I spent alot of money. I purchased the two systems from PetSmart.
I HAVE 2 CATS AND 2 SYSTEMS – I INSIDE AND 1 ON THE SCREEN PORCH.
NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SYSTEM, BUT THE HANDLE OF BOTH SCOOPS HAVE BROKEN. DO THEY MAKE/SELL REPLACEMENT SCOOPS?
Hi Marilyn, it doesn’t appear that Purina sells replacement scoops for the Breeze system, but several reviewers say that they’ve used this scoop as a replacement: https://www.amazon.com/SatisPet-Litter-Scoop-Standard-Blue/dp/B01CSEXY08/?tag=wwwallabou001-20
Hope this helps!
I feed my cat homemade raw cat food and there is very little smell from cat poop. And my Breeze box is near the kitchen and very close to the back door which we always use, so I would surely be aware of smells. I have had pet sitters comment how they cannot smell any evidence that I have a cat. He’s a 13 pounder, too. I have been using this system for about a year. It’s been a life changer for me.
I know you have also reported on the Breeze XL system. That review didn’t mention whether it could be used as effectively with wood pellets as the standard or hooded Breeze models.. On the XL (which is much larger) ,they use the same size urine pad and make it work by tipping the “floor” of the unit to allow urine to flow sideways and then down into the pad. But,
when wood pellets dissolve into sawdust would that sawdust also be able to reach the “padspace.” It wouldn’t seem like it would work very well, but has anyone tried it. Question asked by the owner of a big cat who needs something larger that the “regular” sized Breezes.
Hi there! That’s an excellent question. Unfortunately, I don’t have firsthand experience with the XL Breeze, nor have I heard of others using it with wood pellets. That said, I believe the sawdust should be able to move through the grate of the upper tray and drop down into the pad space or at least onto the removable tray. Hopefully, someone in the community will have more specific insights.
I switched out our regular sized Breeze box for an XL when my kitten grew big enough that he seemed to be having trouble getting all of himself into the box. The XL has worked wonderful now for about a year. I use the multi-cat pads because they last longer … usually I turn the pad drawer around about every 4-5 days (it slides in either way, very easy) and then the pads last at least a week, often more. I scoop poop as soon as I can — it stinks at first, but if I don’t get to scoop it quickly, the Breeze litter does tend to dry out the poop so that it’s less smelly. I still like to scoop it pretty quickly — I use two scoops, one to push the solids into the other scoop. Then I dump it into my Litter Genie (which I keep in the nearby garage because it DOES become smelly!). The whole routine is pretty quick and easy. About once a month, I replace the litter with new and wipe out the whole tray while it’s empty. The entire process has been pretty simple. There is VERY little scattering of this kind of litter. (I do not have the box sitting on the kind of litter pad that Mallory used that trapped her litter. I just have the box sitting on a large, flat door mat and have no problem with picking up the perhaps-one-or-two-tiny-pieces-of-litter that get scattered in a week’s time. I really like the Tidy Box Breeze litter system!
I love the Tidy box breeze litter box!! Have used it since the first one came out. Was so excited when they came out with the hooded one. I was fixing to order it when I saw they also offered a XL box!!! Was super excited since I have 3 cats!!! I decided to sacrifice the hood for the XL box…MISTAKE!!!! I don’t know why, but every time they use it their pee goes off the side!!! I tried taping it but it’s almost impossible to clean without removing the tape to reply afterwards. SO disappointed in this box!! Wish I had just ordered the one with the hood instead. I am a neat freak so I will continue to use the Breeze because I love the concept of the pellets and pads…just so disappointed in the XL that I bought. Please fix this problem!! I rate the breeze a 5 star…but the XL a 0.
Has anyone tried using crystal litter in the Breeze Box as an alternative to the pellets? I was hoping the crystals would be large enough to not fall through the slots.
Hi Barbara, that’s a great idea! I haven’t tried that, unfortunately, but I believe that a larger crystal litter may work with the Breeze system. Hoping that you’ll get some additional insights from other users!
My son recommended the Breeze system for our kitten as he thinks its much easier to use than the traditional sand litter. We bought the hooded one. Our kitten was just over 3 months old and did not like it first, he was used to the traditional at the rescue and I think the pellets were too large for him vs the sand. We had to buy the traditional and slowly introduce him to the pellets. I didn’t want to buy another regular pan so I covered the bottom of the Breeze pan with a thick plastic to cover the slots and pour the traditional litter over it. Then I started to mix pellets to it until he got bigger and eventually removed the plastic and started to use pellets only with the pad. It took about a month for him to adjust. After that there was no problem.
i think some cats don’t like the pellets as they cannot completely hide the poop vs the fine traditional litter, I think it bothers them. Once they get used to it, then don’t seem to care. I would agree with previous reviews that the urine pads are excellent to control odor and amount of pee as advertised but the pellets are smelly. It does not really bother me so much but my husband cannot clean it without putting the mask on as he starts gagging from the smell. It also does not control the smell of fresh poop, Our litter is in the basement and if we are in that room, we can smell it for about 10 min after the cat poops. I am going to try the baking soda as someone mentioned here, hopefully it will help. The urine pad lasts exactly one week, although our kitten is only 6 months old now, so not sure how will it hold once he is bigger. He always pees at the front of the box so in the middle of the week I slide the pad out and put it back the other side first so it soaks up evenly. Its nice that I don’t have to touch the pad as it fits from both sides. I like that the pellets stays in the box vs the traditional litter was always all over the floor. I wish the pellets odor can be improved, and of course the price as I can see how it becomes expensive for more than one cat. Otherwise, it is a good innovation from the traditional version.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Ellen!
My cat pees a lot and is large. Can you recommend the Breeze system for him?
Hey Leslie! Tidy Cats now sells an X-Large version of the Breeze system with a larger litter box and high sides that might be a good fit for your cat.
I’ve loved this system for the most part. The pee pads are kind of annoying though. I only have 1 cat and I replace it twice a week and it still smells really bad. It hides the poop smell okay unless my cat didn’t bury it well. Overall, i liked it
Until yesterday. I was cleaning and replacing his litter. I open the unscented 7 lb bag of pellets and a gross, fishy odor came out. I called the company and they said they haven’t seen any complaints and it’s not supposed to smell. I open a new bag up, same thing. Luckily my cat is still using it but this is annoying and gross. Why a fishy smell? Hoping I don’t have an issue next time or I’ll have to switch litters /:
Hi there, Selena. The fishy odor does seem very strange. I haven’t heard of anything like that, but I would encourage you to contact the company and let them know what happened.
My new kitten has used the Breeze Litter System for a month now without any issues.
Given that the Breeze replacement pellets and pads are expensive I use Breeder’s Choice litter pellets and Pet Family Litter Box pads (perfect fit) both available on Amazon.
A much more cost effective alternative.
The urine drains through the litter leaving very little residue and the faeces is scooped out regularly.
With the exception of a few tiny pieces, the litter stays in the tray above.
My cat pees a lot so I change the pad 2-3 times a week and the litter weekly.
There is no offensive smell.
Kitty is happy and so is her owner.
Hi. Is there anything you can add to soften the feeling of the pellets. One cat seems to not like the feel of them. ISO much want this system to work because I love it. No more underfoot litter. But I’m afraid my male is not going to adapt. I’m going to try the natural pine pellets and hope that helps!
Hi Barbaralee! Unfortunately, I can’t think of any good solutions. The only thing I can think of it to maybe transition him somehow onto the pellets themselves in another litter box (slowly adding more and more of them so he gets used to the texture), but that could be a messy and expensive experiment. Let us know if you come up with any ideas!
I have used this system for years now, I love it, and my cats like it just fine. But, I just read about cats eating the pellets sometimes, and the pellets sitting in their belly because they’re too heavy for their system to pass. I have seem one of my cats play with a pellet here and there, and now I am scared he might have ingested some pellets. If this is a concern, it makes the system dangerous. I believe the only way to know is by getting an x-ray of the kitty’s belly! These are photos someone posted of a cat who passed from all the pellets in his belly ;( Could you do more research on this, please? Thanks!!
https://www.facebook.com/mrbigpaws/posts/671745930319887.
Oh no. Carolina, thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. I’m looking into it now and will add more information to the article as soon as we have a better understanding of the issue.
The Tidy Cat Breeze system is an excellent choice for my situation – urban environment, 2-BR apartment with large balcony(it’s catnip growing season!), 2 fur-family members who adopted me when they were kittens and me (and neighbors with cats too). Regular size sits in tub (remove when I shower) – love NO kitty litter underfoot! – and XL on balcony under an end table. I use the upgraded Breeze pads and litter and we all are pleased with this experience.
We’ve used the Tidy Cats Breeze system for a long time. Yes, the pellets do have a tendency to scatter, which I don’t particularly enjoy. And our cat pees a ton, so I change the pee pad twice a week. I do prefer the hooded version to the open one as it reduces some of the pellet-scattering. I find that the poo does smell immediately after he goes, but it doesn’t linger. We don’t have central air, though, so that could be a factor. We didn’t have much trouble starting him on the system as he was a very young kitten when we got him. I’ve recommended it to several of my friends simply because I can’t smell ammonia.