Reddit mentions of DuraScoop Jumbo Cat Litter Scoop, All Metal End-to-End with Solid Core, Sifter with Deep Shovel, Multi-Cat Tested Accept No Substitute for the Original (colors may vary)

There once was a cat litter scoop

Its job was to clean up the poop,

The job seemed to never end,

and it seemed like a new trend,

for the poo to be be sloppy and droop.

I have a recommendation from a vet-student of mine: Purina Pro-Plan. It encompasses extremely high-quality ingredients, affordable prices and various flavors/specialty blends. The dry food or wet variant are both excellent for your kitty, but the dry food will be cheaper. I would use the wet food if the kitty doesn't adhere well to drinking water as the wet-food contains high amounts of water. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask. Congratulations on becoming a kitty owner!

Here are my recommendations on supplies:

Litter box: http://www.amazon.com/Catit-Jumbo-Hooded-Cat-Litter/dp/B003RQVGKC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376458653&sr=8-2&keywords=litter+box

Litter scooper: http://www.amazon.com/Duranimals-DuraScoop-Litter-Scoop-colors/dp/B001DCAAP4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376458674&sr=8-1&keywords=litter+scooper

Litter: http://www.amazon.com/Precious-Cat-Premium-Clumping-Litter/dp/B0009X29WK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376458691&sr=8-1&keywords=cat+litter (cheaper if you buy this one at PetSmart believe it or not)

Kitten food: http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Plan-Chicken-Formula-7-Pound/dp/B003R0LLXU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376458746&sr=8-1&keywords=purina+pro+plan+kitten

Litter mat: http://www.amazon.com/PetFusion-SmartGrip-Litter-Gray-Twist/dp/B007SQFRMU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376458842&sr=8-1&keywords=litter+box+mat

I disagree with some of these answers, I rarely replace the litter in any of my cat boxes (i have 3). but to do this you have to clean it VERY frequently. I clean my litter boxes at a minimum 3 times per day. the only thing i ever have to do is add litter from time to time. a 40lb box of cheapo litter i get will last me about 2 weeks.

I might change the litter once every 3 or 4 months

I have to clean the box this often because I have one diabetic cat that uses all 3 boxes. he pees a lot. and the key is to not let pee sit in the box. that's what makes it stink. the faster you clean that out the longer your litter will last.

finally, I buy my scoopers from amazon. metal, not flimsy plastic. it sounds like maybe the scooper you have has wider holes, or the litter isnt clumping right. i very rarely have a piece that I can't get out.

this is what I use. http://www.amazon.com/Duranimals-DuraScoop-Litter-Scoop-colors/dp/B001DCAAP4?ie=UTF8&keywords=litter%20scoop&qid=1464045417&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3

3 inches depth is a good rule. I scoop the box completely every couple of days, and replace the litter completely every month-ish or if I notice that odors are lingering. I found that getting a good litter scoop took away any reluctance to clean the box I might have had; it just makes the task a lot easier.

Late to the party, but I think you may be buying unnecessarily expensive litter. Pet products are like anything else; the sky's the limit on what you can spend and there will always be a brand ready to sell to high rollers, but unless you're spending that much on a large (25lb+) bags then you can probably look for new litter.

I've been using Swheat Scoop and World's Best Cat Litter for ten years and have consistently found them to be affordable, high quality and low-maintenance. They are plant-based (wheat and corn, respectively), so if opened and then left unattended in a pantry they can attract critters, but they clump well, they don't have any sort of chemical odor that might turn your cat off, and best of all they're flushable—I'm an apartment dweller so being able to scoop the litter whenever I want to without the chore of taking it downstairs to the garbage each time is a great incentive to change it as regularly as my cats need.

Anyway, hope that's helpful! $30/bag if your cat doesn't explicitly need something special that's in that litter is way too much.