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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / March 2006Clumping Litter - NOT
We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not clumping, all the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for a cleaning and now one of the other boxes seems to be showing the same symptoms. So is it the Litter or does one of the cats have very acidic urine? > We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not clumping, all > the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for a cleaning and now > one of the other boxes seems to be showing the same symptoms. So is it the > Litter or does one of the cats have very acidic urine? I don't think it is the acidity of the cat urine. Rusty's urine pH is around 5 because of his infection and the litter still clumps, unless it only take effect with pH under 5. That would be very worrisome. Winnie > We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not > clumping, all the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for > a cleaning and now one of the other boxes seems to be showing the > same symptoms. So is it the Litter or does one of the cats have very > acidic urine? I've used clumping litter with Oscar for years, and it always dries the clumps. I used to use Fresh Steps; I got sick of the perfume-y scent, so now we use Scoop Away.  Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >>We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not >>clumping, all the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > the clumps. I used to use Fresh Steps; I got sick of the perfume-y > scent, so now we use Scoop Away. I like Fresh Step Cedar (because it's NOT "perfume-y"), but not everyone carries it, and it's a bit more expensive than some of the others. I bought something called "Clump & Flush" at Petco, last time (not that I'd ever court plumbing problems by flushing it). It's made from corcobs, which I thought was ecologically a good idea, but it seems to clump at the very bottom of the litterbox, and wants to stick there, making it hard to scoop out. > I like Fresh Step Cedar (because it's NOT "perfume-y"), but > not everyone carries it, and it's a bit more expensive than some of the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > to clump at the very bottom of the litterbox, and wants to stick there, > making it hard to scoop out. ROFL..."Clump & Flush" would sure play the devil around here in litterbox, as not only do the short furry people *eat* organically-based litter brands, such as SWheatshoop and LitterGreen, but they *love* corncobs and will try to fish them out of garbage late at night. I can just picture their delight if I bought that brand. We'll stick w/Tidy Cat Multiple Cat Hard Clumping, LOL. > We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not clumping, > all the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for a cleaning > and now one of the other boxes seems to be showing the same symptoms. > So is it the Litter or does one of the cats have very acidic urine? The clumping litter works for me, even when Persia had a UTI. Maybe it's the brand that has changed? I use inexpensive stuff I can buy at Walgreen's called Kitty Diggin's. It works every bit as well, if not better, than Tidy Cats Scoop for multiple cats but costs a lot less. Jill >> We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not clumping, >> all the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for a cleaning [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Jill I'm wondering if we got a bad batch and now that there's one less box the % of bad stuff is increasing in the other boxes. We use Simplicity that PetsMart and Costco sell. > We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not clumping, all > the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for a cleaning and now > one of the other boxes seems to be showing the same symptoms. So is it the > Litter or does one of the cats have very acidic urine? When I was doing research in how to unplug a drain that had been plugged by clumping litter getting into it, I tried a number of different substances trying to un-clump it. Vinegar was one of those substances and it didn't budge the clump. Vinegar has a pH of about 3 =/- 1 depending on strength and type. Even if the vinegar I as using had a low acid value for vnegar, and had a pH of 4 (the lower the more acidic) it wouldnstillbe far more acidic than cat urine, which at worst has a pH of around 5. So its not the acid level that is affecting the clumping ability of your litter. Clumping litter works - as far as I can tell - by causing a dry clay to wet and stick together. The clay is dried beyond the normal 'dry' so that it naturally absorbs water very quickly and reverts back to its normal state of hydration. But it would no doubt also absorb water slowly from the atmosphere and slowly lose its ability to clump as its no longer in a state of 'hyper' dryness. I would be guessing that your dud batch was probably old or stored incorrectly so that it absorbed more water out of the atmosphere than usual. You could try baking the unused stuff in th oven at above 120C for a few hours to see if it recovers, but its probably just easier to get a fresh batch. Yowie >> We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not clumping, all >> the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for a cleaning and now [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > Yowie The box in question is outside the "Pond Room". The Pond Room contains a smallish pond with the Goldfish from the outdoor pond. So it's possible the extra humidity is keeping the one box slightly damp. BTW, don't worry the cats can't get in the fish room. Smokey is the only one who's remotely interested in any event. She insists on following me every might for the GF feeding. I think it's the thrill of being in the forbidden room. In a different thread, "Yowie" <yowie9644.DIESPAMDIE@yahoo.com.au> wrote: >> When I was doing research in how to unplug a drain that had been plugged >> by clumping litter getting into it, I tried a number of different >> substances trying to un-clump it. Yowie, what *did* your results turn up? I'd like to know how to unclump clumping litter that's plugging a drain. Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com ROTO ROTOR and about a 300 dollar bill > In a different thread, "Yowie" <yowie9644.DIESPAMDIE@yahoo.com.au> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > ============ > http://www.jhedge.com > ROTO ROTOR and about a 300 dollar bill And don't ever again believe the package blurb that TELLS you it's "flushable" - they don't have to pay a plumber to unplug your drain, YOU do! And don't ever again believe the package blurb that TELLS > you it's "flushable" - they don't have to pay a plumber to > unplug your drain, YOU do! Not actually rated as flushable on the packet I use a generic cheap local brand from "Costcutters" (Not that they shouldn't be done for misleading advertising with that name) lightweight cat litter. Obviously I scoop and that flushes away no problem but every few days I empty the box down the toilet (in 2 loads but that's because Sarrasine likes her litter DEEP!!!!) and flush and I've never had a problem with it. Occasionally if I'm in a hurry and throw the whole lot down it needs a couple of flushes to go away properly but that's all Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furballs > In a different thread, "Yowie" <yowie9644.DIESPAMDIE@yahoo.com.au> > wrote: [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Yowie, what *did* your results turn up? I'd like to know how to > unclump clumping litter that's plugging a drain. The best I found was just lots and lots of water (prefferably hot) and time. Nothign else seemed to work, although I wasn't *thorough* in my research :-) Yowie > We started to have trouble with one of the Litter Boxes not clumping, all > the litter was damp. So we took it out of service for a cleaning and now > one of the other boxes seems to be showing the same symptoms. So is it the > Litter or does one of the cats have very acidic urine? If that were happening here it would mean I picked up the wrong kind of cat litter at the store. Jo
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