Let's Talk Kitty Litter!?

[14+kitties]

Onster - I have actually only started using it this week so haven't had a lot of experience with it yet. The kitties are using it. The first day they thought it was a new bed for them and spent most of the day playing in it or lying in it. I added some of their ummmm....... waste to it to give them the idea that is what it was for and now they are using it. It clumps with the urine because wet wood shavings (pellets I am assuming are the same) stick together.
I used to use shavings in the bottom of my bird cage and remember when Clyde would give himself a bath. The shavings would all stick together in that area. When I heard about clay litter being bad and read about all of the other kinds and checked prices I wasn't impressed. With all my cats other litters were just too cost prohibitive. I saw the pine stuff in one pet store and figured the shavings were the same except for the shape.

[onster]

i think ure on to something

I look forward to hearing how it continues to work for u. See if i would get the pine i would get the fine sawdust kind, not the pellets anyway

[14+kitties]

You can get a smaller bag at Walmart if you want to try it out. It's the stuff they use for gerbils and hamsters, etc.... Try starting with maybe half shavings, half litter in one box to see what Onnie and Bunduk think. If they like it increase the shavings, decrease the litter. If they don't like it use it in your flowerbeds as mulch.
but how is Bunduk doing? Back to his normal mischievious self?

[onster]

yup, my mom was making indian food today and he 'drank' alot of the ghee/oil mixture she had on the table b4 she noticed. * oh please poops have mercy*


Onnie and Bunduk will go in anything really. Right now I have 2 huge swheat scoop bins and one clumping litter bin ( i still have a box of that litter left)....they use the clumping most *shakes fists*. Its not good for me because of my asthma either (all the dust). I dont think ill need to do the 1/2 1/2 thing as Ive changed their litters so many times its crazy, i never mix it in " here this is ure new litter, now poop I say!"....they have just written me off as the new litter obsessed mom

Thanks for the tip about the smalle bags at wallmart, ill definately try it out!

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by onster

yup, my mom was making indian food today and he 'drank' alot of the ghee/oil mixture she had on the table b4 she noticed. * oh please poops have mercy*
He'ssssss Baaaaaccccccckkkkkkk!!

Onnie and Bunduk will go in anything really. Right now I have 2 huge swheat scoop bins and one clumping litter bin ( i still have a box of that litter left)....they use the clumping most *shakes fists*. Its not good for me because of my asthma either (all the dust).
You are right. Not good for asthma. I am going to talk to my daughter about that. They use clumping litter and her asthma can be out of control sometimes. Maybe I can twist her arm. I have to try it for the ones in the house too or when they go back out they won't know what's going on.

Thanks for the tip about the smalle bags at wallmart, ill definately try it out!

No problem mf.

[onster]

oh yes definately talk to her about that!! Even with just one bin of the clay litter its helped my ashtma Even if she doesnt scoop the cats track it everywhere.

Sorry to the OP we so hijacked this

[baberuth1ca]

Originally Posted by duttypaws

you can buy Felinefresh in Canadian Tire its clumpable and flushable

Finally...now I know what to spend my canadian tire money on, I'm anxious to give it a try ....thanks

[CyberKitten]

I loathe clumping litter tho I know it is what my cats like that is important. I have been using Yesterday's News and they like that - no complaints or evidence thereof so I'll keep on using it. It is disposable, like paper. My bunny's droppings used to be great fr the garden- cannot say that for the cat's "stuff" tho, lol Yesterday's news itself is made mostly from old telephone directories.

I think the clumping thing for me - other than the fact kittens can eat it and its expansion can kill them (potentially if not not caught soon enuf, cats have such delicate digestive systems, and kittens more so) is that the sodium bentonite, ie the clumping agent can poison a cat through chronic ingestion through their fastidious need to groom. Because sodium bentonite acts like expanding cement—it’s also used as a grouting, sealing, and plugging material—it can swell up to 15 to18 times their dry size and clog up your cat’s insides. It's just not good stuff. It's the biochemist in me I guess. I hate stuff that works as grout but we give to our cats, sigh!

Sometimes, I wish I still had my bunny "stuff" (He used Yesterday's News too for litter) to use as mulch, lol

[growler~GateKeeper]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

It clumps with the urine because wet wood shavings (pellets I am assuming are the same) stick together.

Geri - the Felish Fresh pellets dissolve into pine sawdust, they don't clump. Feline Fresh also has a clumping formula which (clumps ) is more like sawdust chunks.

no idea about the wood shavings - let us know how that goes long term

[14+kitties]

Thanks Growler That answers that query. My dear ol' mom would say I have too much of the Scot left in me. Gotta get everything on the cheap.
Will let you know how it works. I am sure it is better than the alternative which was digging in the dirt in the section they use for a toilet.

[Chris21711]

I had no idea the clay litter could irritate asthma. Kale developed asthma last year, it seems to come and go, I asked Ethel if she thought it was the dust, she said she didn't think so since that is what we have been using since we have had him (5 yrs). Another thing I find scary is the agent they use to make it clump. Question: What do they use in Feline Fresh to make it clump?

I use pine shavings for Daisy's (bunnie) litter box and find it soaks up the urine fine but stays wet underfoot, it doesn't clump and might be a bit messy tracked around the house. I'm definately going to switch after reading this thread. Thanks for the information guys, it is really helpful.

Kristin 7 - The green bin is part of our recycling program we have here, you
put all kinds of different things in it that will compost. Even baby
diapers

[krdahmer]

I know eventually we are going to be able to put cat litter (the wheat, pine,newspaper or corn only) in the green bins here, I believe you already can in toronto... But baby diapers? I was under the impression they were plastic and not green binnable? Or is that another type of diaper?

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by Chris21711

Another thing I find scary is the agent they use to make it clump. Question: What do they use in Feline Fresh to make it clump?

I use pine shavings for Daisy's (bunnie) litter box and find it soaks up the urine fine but stays wet underfoot, it doesn't clump and might be a bit messy tracked around the house. I'm definately going to switch after reading this thread. Thanks for the information guys, it is really helpful.

See Chris, this is what I find confusing. Feline Pine says it's 100% pure pine. It is just compressed into pellets and then when it gets wet it breaks down to sawdust. Would that not be messy too? I know the shavings may stay a little wet but really, what's the difference besides the shavings are bigger and cheaper? The main reason I wanted to try pine is because the catuary is very close to the greenhouses where I will have customers soon. I wanted to cut down on the "odour" associated with kitties.

Here is a site for Feline Pine. There seems to be mixed reviews about it.

http://www.petco.com/product/4364/Fe...at-Litter.aspx

[onster]

chris once u develop asthma things that never triggered it before may trigger it, especially if it is untreated and scar tissue develops so ure airways become worse for wear. It could be a new agent in your home (cleaner, carpet or something) but for me I just suddenly developed asthma after years of just allergies. I have a multitude of triggers...for Kale the kitty litter may not be a factor but for someone who has 'delicate' airways i wouldnt think its good too breathe the dust in anyway.

Im also curious about the agent that makes the clumping one clump....how come they dont say what it is? 100% pine and .....?

I could never switch to non-clumping, the swheat scoop ticks me off cuz it doesnt clump fast enough!!

[ancientgirl]

I tried Feline Pine before I tried Swheat Scoop. The Fantastic 4 didn't like it and were very wary of it. So much so, they'd use the litter then run out and not take the time to bury their stuff. It also made the apartment smell like (this is a friends description) a pine forest that had been peed on.

I've found that with the SS I have no issues with them using it, and with anybody coming to my place and smelling anything odd. As a matter of fact, my sister in law stopped in for the first time since I'd moved and she said if she hadn't seen my cats, she'd never know I had cats. LOL, although, I think their play area (which I've dubbed "wicked kittyland") might have clued her in too.

[onster]

LOL @ wicked kitty land. My kitties only have kitty corner :sad: I reaaaaly wish we had a target in canada, when i visited michigan i bought my cats cute little things from there but didnt think of getting them bigger things

did u try the clumping pine? or wait...is there a difference between feline pine and feline fresh?

See I have no sense of smell anyway, but my mom has a heightened sense of smell and she gets annoyed quicker with swheat scoop. At first she thinks its glorious and then " did u clean the litter!??!" umm ..yes.

And its wheat..i mean..its food..i dunno...

ud think some genius person would come up with the perfect litter already?!?! *sigh*

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Chris21711

Question: What do they use in Feline Fresh to make it clump?

Found this info: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7124710.html

A clumping animal litter comprises an organic material, a surfactant, and a clumping agent. The clumping agent may be a combination of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and guar gum. The material may comprise 1–2% CMC, 3–6% guar gum, 1–5% surfactant, and the remainder wood fiber. The material is formed into pellets with a uniform distribution of the various ingredients. The pellets are then crumbled to improve absorption characteristics. The mixture results in a fully-biodegradable, organic-based litter product with improved clumping abilities, natural odor control, and ease of litter pan maintenance.

[phoozles]

Originally Posted by onster

did u try the clumping pine? or wait...is there a difference between feline pine and feline fresh?

There is a difference - they are two different products. I use the Feline Fresh clumping, and it works great - clumps RIGHT AWAY, and it's so light!

There are the odd little bits that I've found from a clump breaking up, but that's rare - and now that I've gotten my sense of smell back (probably from quitting smoking ) I've noticed that you can't smell their 'business' at all - the room I have the boxes in kind of smells like sawdust, but it's pleasant..

[Chris21711]

14+kitties - The sawdust would be terrible, it would tread all over the place. Maybe the Feline Pine breaks down differently I'm sure that someone will help us with that.

onster - We tried thinking of a change that might have triggered Kale's asthma, I told Ethel that it was Iggy, that he was allergic to him

krdahmer - On the list they sent out with the Green Bin, they didn't specify any particular type of diapers, it just says baby diapers, I didn't understand it either unless some kind of bio-degradable plastic is used in them. We can put a whole slew of different things in them. Now we only have one bag of garbage every two weeks and most of that is plastic

[growler~GateKeeper]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

See Chris, this is what I find confusing. Feline Pine says it's 100% pure pine. It is just compressed into pellets and then when it gets wet it breaks down to sawdust. Would that not be messy too? I know the shavings may stay a little wet but really, what's the difference besides the shavings are bigger and cheaper?

Originally Posted by Chris21711

14+kitties - The sawdust would be terrible, it would tread all over the place. Maybe the Feline Pine breaks down differently I'm sure that someone will help us with that.

Feline Fresh pine pellets break down to sawdust, the sawdust dries very fast & stays in the box, even when Duffy covers it she doesn't spread sawdust at all. Duffy's been using it since Aug 2007 & I have never had the sawdust track anywhere out of the box. Occasionally a pellet here & there that had been stuck between her toes but that's it. When she was using clay litter it was all over the wall-wall carpeting in the apt I could see it everywhere. Was esctatic when I switched to pine & no tracking

[14+kitties]

K growler, you have convinced me!!
I remember last year before we built the catuary when the kitties were using my mulch pile I never ever smelled anything I didn't want to. Had an occasional surprise when I went to spread mulch but that's another story. That's one of the reasons I figured for my intent and purpose the pine shavings would work great. And I must say, I have seen lots of usage of it and can't smell a thing. The litter box I have in their shed with the shavings has been used too and I can't smell a thing. So it's all good. Most definetely a step above the clay litter.

[Chris21711]

Got me convinced too Growler. The litter box is upstairs but I find it scattered all over the room and maybe it does contribute to Kale's asthma

Thanks everyone for the feedback

[ancientgirl]

Growler, how much do you put in the box? I usually put 3 inches or more of the Swheat Scoop in their boxs which lasts about 2 weeks for them. Do you find you need less? How often do you change up the litter?

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

Growler, how much do you put in the box? I usually put 3 inches or more of the Swheat Scoop in their boxs which lasts about 2 weeks for them. Do you find you need less? How often do you change up the litter?

Not Growler, but since I also use pine pellets (mixed with paper pellets), I thought I'd describe my scenario: I put probably no more than 2 inches of litter in the box (too much makes it awkward for walking on - at least for my guy) and thoroughly scoop every time I see stuff in there (2 boxes are on my main level next to my bathroom, so it's pretty obvious). I know lots of people only scoop the poop and just stir the urine-soaked sawdust back into the mix, but I prefer to remove all traces. I then top it up with a few scoops of fresh litter. I seriously don't dump out the whole lot more than once a month, but you'd never know it. My boxes are immaculate, if I do say so myself . I've mentioned before how Aztec will come in from outside just to use his litter box, then go back out (he has supervised outdoor time in my yard with an enormous vegetable garden - lots of fresh dirt to poop in if he wanted). To me, that says it all.

[ancientgirl]

Thanks, that helps. So my understanding is when they pee it turns to a sawdust consistency and you just take that out right? I tried Feline Pine once and my guys didn't like it, and the smell of pine was way over powering. They don't sell Feline Fresh anywhere around here so I'd have to order it online. I'd like to give this a try. The good thing is it seems fairly inexpensive and you get a good bit for your money.

[duttypaws]

Originally Posted by baberuth1ca

Finally...now I know what to spend my canadian tire money on, I'm anxious to give it a try ....thanks

its great depending where in Montreal you are... as for the tracking around her tray... i bought a little mat that catches it all... ok lola thinks its a play mat but i only get the odd bit of sawdust around the house which has got stuck to her long hair .... its much neater!

Jazoo petstore also sells it (right next to pre-fontaine metro).. i bought lola another type of clumping/flushable litter which is like grain/dust... and man its DUSTY!! the felinefresh is like sawdust and i think lola and I both prefer it.... she will have to wait till the poop (no pun intended) litter is finished!

I bought the little bag to try is as I know cats can be fussy... and it lasted 2 weeks..... that was keeping it at 2-3 inches in the tray....and there is no smell at all....except for a little sawdusty smell.. which is better than cat poop!

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

Thanks, that helps. So my understanding is when they pee it turns to a sawdust consistency and you just take that out right?

Yup, that's what I do. Can't use one of those slotted scoops for this, has to be like a shovel (I use a plastic dry food scooper thingy - a garden trowel would also work).

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

I tried Feline Pine once and my guys didn't like it, and the smell of pine was way over powering. They don't sell Feline Fresh anywhere around here so I'd have to order it online. I'd like to give this a try. The good thing is it seems fairly inexpensive and you get a good bit for your money.

I haven't tried either of those, so can't comment on the smell. I use PetSmart's ExquisiCat brand, and it doesn't seem so strong to me. But then I also mix it half and half with Yesterday's News. I know some cats don't like the pine litter because of the texture more than anything, but mixing it with the softer texture of Yesterday's News might help with that.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

Growler, how much do you put in the box? I usually put 3 inches or more of the Swheat Scoop in their boxs which lasts about 2 weeks for them. Do you find you need less? How often do you change up the litter?

I usually put btwn 2-3 inches, top it up when needed. I only have 1 cat & 1 medium size box and a 20lbs bag lasts around 5.5-6 weeks. I usually do a full change everytime I finish a bag.

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

thoroughly scoop every time I see stuff in there. I know lots of people only scoop the poop and just stir the urine-soaked sawdust back into the mix, but I prefer to remove all traces. I then top it up with a few scoops of fresh litter. I seriously don't dump out the whole lot more than once a month, but you'd never know it. My boxes are immaculate, if I do say so myself .

Same here everytime Duffy goes I scoop, sometimes she even tells me she has just gone like I can't hear her in the box

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

Thanks, that helps. So my understanding is when they pee it turns to a sawdust consistency and you just take that out right? I tried Feline Pine once and my guys didn't like it, and the smell of pine was way over powering. They don't sell Feline Fresh anywhere around here so I'd have to order it online. I'd like to give this a try. The good thing is it seems fairly inexpensive and you get a good bit for your money.

Yup, I use a wide slot scoop since Duffy doesn't always cover her pee I can usually get it all in one scoop & just shake it in the garbage then dump any remaining fresh pellets back in the box. The colour of the pellets straight out the bag are a little darker in colour & slightly smaller than the ones that have been in the box & have surrounded the ones peed on, these are slightly lighter & expand just slightly. I also have a dollar store kitchen collander that has thin slots that I bought to only use for litter to get the remaining bits along the bottom of the pan that my wide slot scoop doesn't get.

Originally Posted by duttypaws

... as for the tracking around her tray... i bought a little mat that catches it all..

I bought one when I still had the clay litter the thing never caught any of it as she walked over it I still have it beside the box cuz sometime she tries to bury the whole box & so she's scratching the mat not my floor

I don't find the Feline Fresh pine scent to be strong @ all, but then I love the smell of pine & grew up w/2 huge pine trees in my backyard When I was using clay there were times when I literally had to put the bathroom exhaust fan on when filling the box the smell seemed to linger as long as the dust did in the air. No such issues with Feline Fresh.

If you click on this link to Feline Fresh it is a pdf mail-in form for the 1st 7lbs bag free of either the pellets or the scoopable - & the offer is also valid in Canada - I asked them.

[zztopp]

I haven't been on this BB for awhile, but it's great to see everyone's experiences and opinions again

Our Enviro-Litter is still going strong ... the only problem is when Putty (our male cat) goes into ground hog mode and tries to dig a hole through the bottom of the litter box Then copious amounts of litter go flying all over the floor -- LOL. Aside from that, I haven't found any on the floor!! Before our wood floor had little clay-kitty prints all over it -- YUUCK!

Good luck!

[growler~GateKeeper]

zztopp Glad the pine based litter is working well for you