Friday, March 29, 2024

What Can Be Used As Cat Litter

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What can I use instead of cat litter? A question some might find themselves wondering when a traditional litter is unavailable or not quite the right match for our cats.

Whether you are looking for a more cost-effective option, something easy to keep on hand in the event of a cat litter emergency, or hoping to replace an existing litter with something a bit more pet and environmentally friendly, there are many worthy cat litter alternatives out there.

If youre facing this very same dilemma, cheer up! We have compiled the best DIY cat litter options for you to choose from. Read on to learn more about the best materials, how to use these substitutes, and consider the pros and cons of each.

Considerations To Keep In Mind

If you’re bringing home a new cat or thinking about trying a new type of litter for your current feline family member, speak with your vet beforehand to get their recommendations. Then, think about litter characteristics such as texture, absorbency and ease of use.

Texture is particularly important, noted the ASPCA, because cats are sensitive to what litter feels like on their paws. If they don’t like the feel of what’s in their litter box, they may find a different place to use as a cat bathroom .

Medical Problems That Can Cause Inappropriate Elimination

Urinary Tract Infection

If your cat frequently enters her litter box and seems to produce only small amounts of urine, she may have a urinary tract infection. See a veterinarian to rule out this possible medical problem.

Feline Interstitial Cystitis

Feline interstitial cystitis is a neurological disease that affects a cats bladder . Cats with cystitis will attempt to urinate frequently and may look as if they are straining, but with little success. They may lick themselves where they urinate, and they may have blood in their urine. Feline interstitial cystitis can cause a cat to eliminate outside of her box, but this is only because of the increased urgency to urinate and because there is pain involved in urination. Feline interstitial cystitis is very serious and can be life-threatening to the cat. It must be treated immediately by a veterinarian.

Kidney Stones or Blockage

If your cat has kidney stones or a blockage, she may frequently enter her litter box. She may also experience pain and meow or cry when she tries to eliminate. Her abdomen may be tender to the touch.

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How To Use Wood Pellet Litter

A little really goes a long way. For that reason it is important not to overfill the litterbox, as the pellets will expand and swell up when they are exposed to liquid.

When you pour the pellets into the litter box, they should end up covering the entire surface, and go about an inch deep.

Maintaining the litter box on a daily basis will consist of removing the solids and scooping out some of the sawdust, as well as adding some fresh wood pellets.

How to scoop wood pellet litter

Scooping the wood pellet litter seems puzzling at first, but luckily, it is actually pretty easy. The technique for scooping this kind of litter is a little different from what you are probably used to, but the video below and the step-by-step guide shows exactly how to do it.

In the following Wood pellet litter cleaning tips-video, you can watch the entire process, showing how one cat owner scoops the litter box.

A gentle warning: The video shows cat feces if this is not something you are OK with, please do not watch this video.

To summarize, these are the main steps to scoop wood pellet cat litter:

  • First remove the solids.
  • Collect the sawdust using the scoop.
  • Shake the scoop carefully, so that the sawdust falls into the container with the feces.
  • Keep the dry pellets so they can be put back into the box.
  • The video does not show this, but the final step would be to add some fresh pellets.
  • Sifting litter boxes for pine pellets

    How often to change wood pellet cat litter

    Composting wood litter

    Rice Can Be Used As Cat Litter

    How to Control Cat Litter Box Odor

    You can use rice as an emergency cat litter because it is a great absorber. Some cat owners suggest using the pellet form of rice husks.

    However, the main downside is that it expands when wet, and therefore will be a huge mess if the rice granules overfill the litterbox.

    Another disadvantage of rice is that it does not mask the smell of urine.

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    Ways To Use Cat Litter

    • Post comments:

    Although you already know cat litter is great at what it does for meeting your cats bathroom needs, you probably dont realize that there are more than 30 other uses for cat litter.

    These tips and tricks can help you save money, make your life easier, and may even save you from a tricky situation!

    Keep reading to find out what you can do with kitty litter outside of the box.

    What About 2 Or 3 Cats How Many Litter Boxes Do They Need Then

    Following the same rule, if you have two cats, you should have three litter boxes, and if you have three cats, you should have four litter boxes. This means that your felines can choose a preferred pooping place if they wish. However, they also have other options if their favourite is occupied or in a noisy part of the house. This can help reduce your cats’ stress, improving their bonds with each other and keeping your household harmonious.

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    Keep Seasonal Gear Fresh

    Something else that could use some litter-filled socks is any seasonal gear you have. Its unfortunately common for things to start smelling musty when theyve been stored for a while. Theres nothing more frustrating than pulling out your favorite sweater for winter only to be greeted by a foul odor.

    Whether its summer camping gear or winter wear, tossing a few socks filled with kitty litter in with them when youre putting them away will help keep those musty smells to a minimum. The cat litter will absorb any lingering moisture and odors.

    How To Stop Territorial Aggression In The Litter Box

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  • Keep the litter boxes as clean as possible to stop them from smelling of any of your cats’ individual scents. Many cats are put off by a litter box that smells of another cat. By keeping it smelling fresh, you’ll also help prevent unwanted accidents.
  • Use calming and anti-stress diffusers near the litterboxes to keep your cats feeling chilled.
  • Try adding another litter box. Even if you’re already using the ‘number of cats plus one rule, your cats might still benefit from another tray.
  • Speak to your veterinarian if you are struggling to control your cats territorial aggression.
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    What Is The Best Litter Box On The Market

    The best litter box is the Natures Miracle High Sided Litter Box. Its big enough for cats to turn around, squat, and stand comfortably, plus it has an open top so they can keep an eye on their surroundings. The low entryway makes it easier for cats, including older or less-mobile ones, to get in and out. The high sides and back help contain cat messes from urine overspray and litter spills. And the boxs smooth interior is easy to clean because it doesnt trap waste clumps.

    How Wood Pellet Cat Litter Works

    Wood pellets may seem like a strange material to use as cat litter, but it has proven to work really well for many environmentally conscious cat owners. If you are looking for a natural and cost effective alternative to clay litter, this might just hit the spot.

    Wood pellets work as cat litter by absorbing the liquid along with the smell and then crumble into sawdust. The sawdust ends up at the bottom of the litter box, while fresh pellets remain on top.

    To clean the litter box, you scoop the feces, and some of the sawdust, on a daily basis. You can also opt for a special sifting litter box, that removes the sawdust automatically. Find outmore about the best sifting litter box for pine pellets here. Or read about the scooping method further down in this article.

    Change the entire contents of the litter box about every 14 days, depending on number of cats and usage.

    Pellets made from wood are highly absorbant compared to clay, and can take more than 500% of their own weight . This means 1lb of wood pellet cat litter will last you longer than 1lb of clay litter, since the amount you will need to use is far less.

    The high absorbancy of wood also helps with smell, because the pellets quickly soaks up the cats urine and neutralizes its odor. Many cat owners also appreciate the natural scent from wood, such as pine.

    Cons

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    A Quick Comparison Of Our Favorites Of 2022

    Image
    Material: Plastic

    The best overall litter box for picky cats, in our opinion, is Natures Miracle Just for Cats. Extra-large, it features plenty of room for your cat to turn around or for more than one cat. It has high sides to keep the litter inside the box but isnt so high that your cat has a problem jumping in and out. In fact, the entry point has been kept lower for that very reason.

    Another reason we love this litter box is the odor control and non-sticking properties that have been built in. No sticking litter to pry out and no nasty odor wafting through the house makes this one a winner at number one on our list.

    The only downside to this litter box is since its an open pan, your cats get no privacy, which might bother some cats.

    Material: Plastic

    At number two on our list is the best litter box for pick cats for the money. The Pet Mate Basic Cat Litter Pan takes that spot with ease. If your cat tends to be clean and neat with the litter to begin with, then this basic pan is a good option. Its affordable, features a comfort grip rim for easy emptying, and is easy to clean. The comfort grip helps you stabilize the pan so it doesnt buckle and spill when emptying it. The durable plastic makes for easy cleaning, and even the jumbo size is affordable.

    As with number one on our list, the only downside to this box we saw is the open pan, which gives your cat no privacy.

    4 cats can use it at one time
    Material: Plastic
    Material: Plastic
    Material: Plastic

    What Cat Litter Should I Use

    The Easy Natural Cat Litter Box Solution Youve Been ...

    Cat litter products can be made out of paper, wood, silica, corn, wheat and Fullers earth, but most cats tend to prefer non-scented litter that most resembles sand. Sand-like litters tend to be quite heavy to carry but other lighter biodegradable products are also available. Cats will develop a preference for a certain type of cat litter from a young age, so its best to stick to what they are used to as much as possible.

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    Are Wood Pellets Safe For Cats

    Energy Pellets of America makes wood pellets from recycled shipping pallets. The shipping pallets used in our production process are not chemically treated, which means they are 100 percent natural wood. No binding agents are used in our pellets. They are formed with heat and pressure in a pelletizing mill. This process means our pellets contain no chemicals that could be harmful to your cat.

    Additionally, our animal bedding pellets are used in barns, stables and animal habitats across the country. Our pellets create a clean, healthy, and comfortable environment for livestock and other animals.

    Look For High Sides To Contain Litter Scatter And Urine Spray

    Some cats tend to dig more vigorously than others, so its worth choosing a litter box that has high sides to help contain the scatter. If your cat tends to spray urine, a high-sided box or hooded litter box may help contain some of that mess as well. We also recommend litter mats to contain scatter and tracking.

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    Create A Homemade Sewerage Farm For Natural Cat Litter

    You can feed the micro-organisms as well as disperse/absorb the odiferous components of cat urine, using wheat bran, rice pollard and lucerne chaff mixed in.

    All the components are available at farmers produce outlets but may be a bit harder to come by in the city. In Australia, Smell Gone provides a starter culture if you want to make your own micro-organism farm! These bugs just LOVE cat urine and faeces and delight in digesting it to turn into water and CO2!

    Welcome to

    Arm & Hammer Double Duty

    How to Litter Train a Kitten: The Scoop by Tidy Cats®

    Weight 1 cup: 287 gDust when pouring: LowFirmness of clump: Firm and perfectly sealedOdor control after a week: MediumScattering: Low-MediumEasy to pour: No

    My experience with Arm & Hammer Double Duty:

    I have been using Arm & Hammer Double Duty with my Litter Robot for a while with good results. When you use the same cat litter you dont get to compare the features of it regarding other litters. I noticed that Arm & Hammer Double Duty produces more litter scattering than other litters I tried so I needed to clean more often.

    The litter weight is on the heavy side, which is good because it requires less to reach the calibration for the sensor to activate which means you save more on cat litter, but its bad if you have a cat that prefers a deeper litter bed to dig. If you use this cat litter you will have to put much less cat litter in the chamber. If your cat likes to dig a lot, this may not be the best brand. This and the scent of this litter are the main cons. If you dont want to smell the litter right from the box, this is not your option. If you dont mind scents this is a good economic choice.

    Arm & Hammer Double Duty Video Demo

    Check the price of Arm & Hammer Double Duty here.

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    Also Great: Litter Genie Cat Litter Box

    *At the time of publishing, the price was $20.

    Emptying out a dirty litter pan so you can give it a good scrub is a real pain. Dust clouds form, litter scatter gets everywhere , and the heavy pan is difficult to carry because there arent any handles to grip. The Litter Genie Cat Litter Box makes the process of deep-cleaning your cats bathroom easier because it has easy-to-grip carry handles and a seamless interior that cat scat wont cling to. It also has a large pan and the high-sided wall design we want in a litter box.

    When you look at the Litter Genie, you might kick yourself for not thinking of designing it yourself. Its made of plastic, like any other litter box, but its shaped like a basket and has large carry handles that make gripping the sides easier. To empty the dirty pan, just lift it by the handles and dump the litter over a trash bin. We found this process to be virtually mess-free, compared with regular litter boxes, which require you to precariously tip out the dirty litter from a corner of the rectangular litter box before ultimately spilling mounds of dirty litter onto the floor. But as with all of the litter boxes we recommend, the plastic on the Litter Genie is somewhat bendable and could crack under too much pressure. Its best to avoid carrying the litter box over long distances when its full.

    Do I Need To Have A Litter Tray Indoors If My Cat Goes Outside

    Even if your cat normally goes to the toilet outdoors it is still a good idea to provide them with an indoor litter tray just in case . When the weather is very cold or wet your cat may not want to go outside, or there may be a cat in the vicinity that prevents your cat from feeling safe enough to go to the toilet outside, so providing a litter tray will ensure they always have an option.

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    Safely Dispose Of Paint

    Getting rid of leftover paint can be tricky. You cant put liquid waste in your trash can, but you also cant pour toxic liquids down your drain. Thats where kitty litter comes to save the day! Toss some clumping cat litter into those cans of paint, and theyll turn into solid waste you can easily dispose of.

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    This post may contain affiliate links. If you complete a purchase using one of our links, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more about our editorial and advertising policies.

    Homemade cat litter can be an intimidating DIY project. After all, cat litter performs a critical function in a pet owners life!

    One of our readers reached out to us and asked if we knew of any quality homemade cat litter solutions. As all pet owners know, cat litter is expensive and adds up quickly so of course, we delved into the homemade cat litter recipes we found online to see what we could find.

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