| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| AndreaPaige |
Posted - Apr 23 2010 : 8:25:29 PM
Why is kitty litter so expensive? I have 2 cats and weve been spending a fortune on that stupid clay cat litter. I have been going crazy trying to find a *less smelly,* compostable, AND inexpensive solution. The answer? Get rabbit/hamster bedding. Its waaay less expensive, and seems not to be as toxic as some of those cat litter options out there. I got a big bag of shredded pine for about $3, and so far, it is doing much better than any cat litter weve tried. It actually smells pretty good, and I plan on composting it in our yard (probably shouldnt put cat compost on your garden, but its fine for landscaping).
If you try this, you should probably mix it in gradually with your cats existing litter to get her used to it, because the smell could put her off.
Any other ideas? |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| hoosiercountry |
Posted - Dec 31 2011 : 9:21:15 PM
Hi Margo, I have found the "World's Best" litter at some Walmarts, not all carry it, and at Petco. It works wonderful |
| Penny Wise |
Posted - Dec 30 2011 : 12:00:33 PM
i would be interested in the 'worlds best" corn stuff-where to buy?????
my girl poos ok in her pine pellets and has aactually started to pee in there but stilis usin the carpet-i am going to remove the carpet!
Farmgirl # 2139
proud member of the Farmgirls of the Southwest Henhouse
~*~ counting my pennies and biding my time; my dreams are adding up!~*~ |
| Rosemary |
Posted - Dec 30 2011 : 11:08:38 AM
You gals have persuaded me to try the corn and/or the Shweat stuff. We have four cats and the smell can get pretty awful. Arline, I'm so glad you mentioned you're on a septic system; us, too. "Flushable" litters don't always work for us, especially the ones that have (gag!) chlorine mixed in.
Karla, you might want to try a more gradual switch to suit your finicky feline. That's what most cat pros recommend -- mixing a little of the new stuff in with the old until they get accustomed to only the new. Cats. as I'm sure you know, absolutely hate changes of any kind. My cats seem to adapt faster than most to litter changes, though, so maybe it's just "luck of the draw."
Extra-smelly cats sometimes just need to have their anal glands expressed. (Yeah, I know. Euww!) If you ever see you cat "scooting" (dragging their butts along the floor by their front feet), this is likely to be the cause. Vets can do the job quickly, and often don't charge as much as even a regular office visit, it that's all that's wrong. Ask them to show you how to do it yourself, if you're brave. |
| hoosiercountry |
Posted - Dec 29 2011 : 1:04:29 PM
We have 2 indoor cats and I found the "World's Best" cat litter made from corn, I really liked it. It does real good with odor, but I have one fussy female that would not use it, she went on the floor, so back to clay litter and she is happy again. The "World's Best" still gets my vote at being the best I've tried. |
| marthajane |
Posted - Dec 29 2011 : 11:37:26 AM
howdy farmgirls!
michelle congratulations on those sweeties! and bless you for planning on keeping that family together-that's pretty sweet too!
I want to tell you all about another solution to the cat litter dilemma-ground corn cobs.
IMO this is the most absorbant and satisfactory solution. It costs about 6-7$ at walmart for 10lbs I think. It lasts about 2 months!
I am surprised it's not easier to find by now-cause I first used it in 2006 when I found it in the grocery store in FL.
Here's a good use for those corn cobs farmgirls!
But don't ask me how to grind them!
Blessings to you and the feline friends!
Happiness IS being a MOM |
| PicketFence |
Posted - Jul 22 2011 : 8:45:24 PM
We use the We use "World's Best", too. We LOVE it! The litter box sits beside our potty, when ever I notice that Mo has used the litter box, I scoop it up and into the pot. Down into the septic system. NO problem. Don't think I'd use any other kind. It lasts and lasts. |
| mindy_marie |
Posted - Jul 17 2011 : 4:40:44 PM
I use the Swheat litter too for my kitty. I started using it because the clay litter smelled after just a day of my kitty using it even if I scooped it all of the time, but this stuff lasts longer. I really like that it's flushable too. I know it's still expensive, but I like it. |
| WoodstreamDreambyNicole |
Posted - Jul 16 2011 : 5:07:08 PM
We use World's Best [brand] Cat Litter, it's natural corn. It's scoopable, good with odor, and doesn't have all of the dust of the clay cat litter. We scoop everyother day (2 boxes for 2 cats) and switch out the trays probably every 4-6 weeks (I'd have to check with my husband because he's the one who does it most often). It is expensive, but to not have the clay tracked everywhere, I'm happy!
Nicole
Shop
www.woodstreamdream.etsy.com
Custom Creations
www.woodstreamdream.blogspot.com |
| Montrose Girl |
Posted - Jul 15 2011 : 08:29:00 AM
OHHH, how adorable Michele.
http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/ |
| batznthebelfry |
Posted - Jul 15 2011 : 03:04:54 AM
I just had to put this up here as you can see my little girl had 5 babies so instead of the 2 litter boxes I have in the house for 3 cats i will now have to have a few more eventually....lol
one of the things I use is pine chips from the feed store with clay litter, I have to get the pine chips anyway for the basement coop..it gets damp when it rains on the cement walls & I found the pine chips work faster & quicker to obsorb the moisture so thought why not mix it with the clay litter? so far so good & I like that when the cats use the litter box & cover their mess the pine smell shows up instead of poo smell :)...I have used everything that you have all listed...I have one friend who buys those huge bags of wood pellets for woodstoves for her 2 cats & likes it....I did love the natural pine pellets but the cost was too high since one of my cats is a diabetic & urinates alot. I just started doing this so far so good & a big bag mixed 1/2 & 1/2 with the clay litter is going a long way as well as for the basement coop.....Michele'
Chickens rule!
The Old Batz Farm
Hen #2622 |
| walkinwalkoutcattle |
Posted - May 30 2011 : 03:57:59 AM
I never thought to look @ Tractor Supply!
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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| FieldsofThyme |
Posted - May 29 2011 : 12:21:51 PM
We buy ours in large bags at Farmer supply stores. Buying bulk helps us save money.
Farmgirl #800
http://pioneerwomanatheart.blogspot.com/
http://scrapreusedandrecycledartprojects.blogspot.com/
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| Penny Wise |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 07:16:06 AM
i am currently using clumping clay- bought one of te expensive cat's pride this time- the clay itself smells i think! and this cat i have now seems smellier than my last one-same food etc..
i used feline pine (pellets) for a few years- was hard to find but kept the odor down...i can't find the yesterday's news....my mother (owns the property) won't let me flush due to septic-says dump the clumps in the driveway where we have sand so it will "clay up" --well- i am worried about all of the surrounding barn cats too.....and we have to pay for trash pickup....
i had thought about shredding newspaper but just really dont think it will work---even thought of rehoming the cat --but i love her and she loves me!her name is Lovey!
Farmgirl # 2139
~*~ counting my pennies and biding my time; my dreams are adding up!~*~ |
| walkinwalkoutcattle |
Posted - May 17 2011 : 04:01:40 AM
I, unfortunately, have to use that special urinary tract indicator stuff for my kitty. He had a blockage a few years ago that landed him in the vets office and hit me with a $1,500 bill. While I have barncats outside that use whatever they use (they don't use places near the house), my indoor cat does need that stuff so I can keep an eye on him healthwise. It's expensive, but I'd rather pay for that then another huge bill, or having to put him down.
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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| MTwoman |
Posted - Jan 22 2011 : 06:36:17 AM
I use dirt ran through a screen so most the rocks r out, in the winter I fill up trash cans so the dirt wont get wet or freeze. And in summer I have no box at all they go out side rather then comeing in to u use the box. But I am out of town so dirt and places to put it r endless. |
| AndreaPaige |
Posted - May 20 2010 : 4:56:30 PM
Well DH put the kabash on my plan while i was out of town for a week. He claimed it was terrible, but I feel unsatisfied because I didnt get to see for myself. Maybe we will try the wheat. Its funny our cats spend all day outdoors and when I let them in, they head straight for the litter box! |
| Montrose Girl |
Posted - May 20 2010 : 2:52:15 PM
Nice to see someone close by on here. Yup, I use it just in the perennial flowers. I've picked up amazing hints on these pages.
Best Growing |
| phonelady |
Posted - May 20 2010 : 09:21:54 AM
Hi Laurie,
Same here! This place was one big rock when I first got here. Except the area where a person walks from the front door. That was a dip that filled with water in the rains. So a person leaving home had to slog through a lake with slick mud on the bottom.
Your right, that wheat litter is great for amendment [as long as it's not used in a garden].
Smiles!
Carla
It's not just life-
It's an adventure! |
| Montrose Girl |
Posted - May 14 2010 : 07:20:15 AM
Because the liter is wheat is breaks down when you put it int he bowl. Which is interesting since it does clump when the cats use it. A difference in the amount of liquid I guess, but not as nasty as clay liter.
Carla, howdy neighbor. I do the same spreading when I change the box out and in this clay soil it can only help.
Best Growing |
| knittingmomma |
Posted - May 14 2010 : 04:54:53 AM
does anyone make their own? I keep thinking there has to be some way to make some instead of buying the pre-packaged stuff.
warm wishes,
tonya
http://plainandjoyfulliving.blogspot.com
Homemaking and Homesteading Mom of 6 |
| phonelady |
Posted - May 07 2010 : 10:02:46 AM
I use Swheat Scoop [a wheat based litter] and sometimes mix it with the pine pellets.
These are flushable. You don't want cat do-dos out in the yard, but my cat liter needs to be bio-degradable. I don't use cat litter in the garden because of the urea content [not to mention that other wild cats in the area will think my yard is a giant cat box].
But, I do spread it out over the nearby open fields in a very thin layer to add to the soil out there. I know that the rain and snow will decompose it and make it useful.
It's a large area though, so I know the urea in the litter won't overwhelm the ground ph.
Smiles!
carla
It's not just life-
It's an adventure! |
| Celticheart |
Posted - Apr 25 2010 : 9:30:00 PM
I was skeptical about the newspaper pellets too, but it's controlled the odor better than anything we've ever used. I really don't compost any of it.
"Let us never forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other art follows. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization."
Daniel Webster
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| Sara317 |
Posted - Apr 24 2010 : 7:02:06 PM
Now I am as curious as the cat....I can shred newspapers, no problem. What about the odor? Also, flushable cat litter. Tell me more!! I, too, have been wondering about what I am spending on keeping two litter boxes going. Thanks gals! P.S. Watch for composting. I had a neighborhood cat using my doormat for a box for quite a while!! |
| Montrose Girl |
Posted - Apr 24 2010 : 6:14:49 PM
I use Sweat Scoop. It's a bit pricey but lasts pretty good and can be composted or flushed.
Best Growing |
| AndreaPaige |
Posted - Apr 24 2010 : 2:53:09 PM
Hmmm.. good to know about the composting. I just feel so guilty throwing it all in the landfill. I saw the newspaper stuff, too, but wasn't sure if it could control odor as well. We have a kitty we just took in as a stray and she's STINKY!
Mrs. Amy, I used to live in Madison, WI! |
