 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / March 2007Other Litter Choices
I'm thinking I want to get away from the clay clumping litter that I've used for years. I'm concerned because Rusty, for some reason in his old age, has grown long fur between his paw pads on his feet. If he steps in the clay clumping litter while it's wet, it can stick to this fur and is near to impossible to clean off. I've thought about trimming this fur off his feet, but he's not real keen on the idea. ;) Anyhow, I've researched some other choices and wonder if anyone has tried them: Feline Pine (which is sold at Target) Swheat Scoop (which is sold at a Krogers near me) Both have scoopable litters which I really do prefer because it makes it easier for me to clean the cat box more frequently. They're supposed to be natural and more kitty-friendly. Any other suggestions are greatly welcomed. Thanks! Patty There's also the World's Best Cat Litter (corn, scoopable). It's a good litter, but the problem I had was the pet store that carried it would often be out of stock for long periods of time, due to the distributor. I ended going back to clay because I could not find it regularly, and my cats didn't care for Swheat Scoop (which is also sold at Target, BTW). > I'm thinking I want to get away from the clay clumping litter that I've > used for years. I'm concerned because Rusty, for some reason in his old [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Any other suggestions are greatly welcomed. Thanks! I think it might be a bad idea to change an older cat's litter, because if he doesn't like it, he may very well quit using his box. A question: why is the litter wet? Cats don't usually step in their own waste. The two litters you mentioned are not ones I use, but I have seen them. They are very expensive compared with the clumping kind. And my cats are good about going in their boxes (unless Boo has some sort of statement to make, lol) so I have hesitated to change. If I were to change, I think it would be to the old, non-clumping clay, as that would feel similar to the clumping to the cats. They do not like disruptions in what they are accustomed to, as I bet you know. > "Patty" <p...@iainttellin.com> wrote in message <snip> > > Anyhow, I've researched some other choices and wonder if anyone has tried > > them: > > > Feline Pine (which is sold at Target) > > Swheat Scoop (which is sold at a Krogers near me) I'm going to be trying Shweat Scoop this week. I will let you know! I've heard good things thus far. <snip> > I think it might be a bad idea to change an older cat's litter, because if > he > doesn't like it, he may very well quit using his box. <snip> Try mixing it in a little at a time to acclimate your cat to the new litter. Just like with food, I think gradual is better than drastic. Good luck! >> "Patty" <p...@iainttellin.com> wrote in message >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > I'm going to be trying Shweat Scoop this week. I will let you know! > I've heard good things thus far. --------------- If you buy Swheat Scoop, I would advise you not to flush it down the toilet, however. (According to the package, it is flushable). I used to use Swheat Scoop and flush it. This was very convenient until it clogged up all the plumbing, and the plumber had to spend hours at my house. Apparently, the Swheat Scoop had accumulated in the pipes where they leave the house and drain into the outside sewer. This was not a simple clogged toilet. The bill was hefty. It's probably okay to flush a very small amount, but I advise you to continue to throw away the lion's share (no pun intended) of the used litter in your trash receptacle. Best regards, ---Cindy S. > "zinzee" <goo...@thebighustle.com> wrote in message <snip> > > I'm going to be trying Shweat Scoop this week. I will let you know! > > I've heard good things thus far. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Best regards, > ---Cindy S. Cindy, very good advice, thank you!! I live in a very old building and I don't think my landlord would be very happy to have me clog everything up. Not to mention, if something backed up and overflowed my neighbors below me would probably cut my throat! I purchased the litter last night and plan on starting to integrate it this evening. Before I do that though, what litter do you use now? Do you find it better than Swheat Scoop? If it's claims it's flushable, do you still avoid flushing it in hopes of preventing any more large bills? Thanks again, Heather Is there any good stuff to absorb carol gulley crap or is that just too much to ask? <<>>On Mar 22, 10:05 am, "cindys" <cste...@rochester.rr.com> wrote: <<>>> "zinzee" <goo...@thebighustle.com> wrote in message <<>><snip> <<>>> <<>>> > I'm going to be trying Shweat Scoop this week. I will let you know! <<>>> > I've heard good things thus far. <<>>> <<>>> --------------- <<>>> If you buy Swheat Scoop, I would advise you not to flush it down the toilet, <<>>> however. (According to the package, it is flushable). I used to use Swheat <<>>> Scoop and flush it. This was very convenient until it clogged up all the <<>>> plumbing, and the plumber had to spend hours at my house. Apparently, the <<>>> Swheat Scoop had accumulated in the pipes where they leave the house and <<>>> drain into the outside sewer. This was not a simple clogged toilet. The bill <<>>> was hefty. It's probably okay to flush a very small amount, but I advise you <<>>> to continue to throw away the lion's share (no pun intended) of the used <<>>> litter in your trash receptacle. <<>>> Best regards, <<>>> ---Cindy S. <<>> <<>>Cindy, very good advice, thank you!! I live in a very old building <<>>and I don't think my landlord would be very happy to have me clog <<>>everything up. Not to mention, if something backed up and overflowed <<>>my neighbors below me would probably cut my throat! <<>> <<>>I purchased the litter last night and plan on starting to integrate it <<>>this evening. Before I do that though, what litter do you use now? <<>>Do you find it better than Swheat Scoop? If it's claims it's <<>>flushable, do you still avoid flushing it in hopes of preventing any <<>>more large bills? <<>> <<>>Thanks again, <<>>Heather ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! <<>>On Mar 22, 10:05 am, "cindys" <cste...@rochester.rr.com> wrote: <<>>> "zinzee" <goo...@thebighustle.com> wrote in message <<>><snip> <<>>> <<>>> > I'm going to be trying Shweat Scoop this week. I will let you know! <<>>> > I've heard good things thus far. <<>>> <<>>> --------------- <<>>> If you buy Swheat Scoop, I would advise you not to flush it down the toilet, <<>>> however. (According to the package, it is flushable). I used to use Swheat <<>>> Scoop and flush it. This was very convenient until it clogged up all the <<>>> plumbing, and the plumber had to spend hours at my house. Apparently, the <<>>> Swheat Scoop had accumulated in the pipes where they leave the house and <<>>> drain into the outside sewer. This was not a simple clogged toilet. The bill <<>>> was hefty. It's probably okay to flush a very small amount, but I advise you <<>>> to continue to throw away the lion's share (no pun intended) of the used <<>>> litter in your trash receptacle. <<>>> Best regards, <<>>> ---Cindy S. <<>> <<>>Cindy, very good advice, thank you!! I live in a very old building <<>>and I don't think my landlord would be very happy to have me clog <<>>everything up. Not to mention, if something backed up and overflowed <<>>my neighbors below me would probably cut my throat! <<>> <<>>I purchased the litter last night and plan on starting to integrate it <<>>this evening. Before I do that though, what litter do you use now? <<>>Do you find it better than Swheat Scoop? If it's claims it's <<>>flushable, do you still avoid flushing it in hopes of preventing any <<>>more large bills? <<>> <<>>Thanks again, <<>>Heather ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! >> "zinzee" <goo...@thebighustle.com> wrote in message > <snip> [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > flushable, do you still avoid flushing it in hopes of preventing any > more large bills? ---------- I use either the Tidy Cat (or store brand) scoopable/clumping cat litter *with crystals.* I used to use the type of litter that was all crystals (also supposedly flushable) but it was very expensive and one of my cats didn't like it and decided the living room carpet made a litter box. So, I compromised and went to the more traditional clumping stuff with crystals, and it's worked out great. My cats are all happy to use it and there is virtually no oder emanating from any of the litter boxes. It does not claim to be a flushable litter, and I would never flush any cat litter again anyway. I think the Swheat Scoop was fine (except for the clogged pipe problem). It's just that I discovered my current litter along the way and preferred it, so I never went back to the Swheat Scoop. If for some reason my cats stopped using my current litter, I would feel fine about going back to Swheat Scoop. I just wouldn't flush it. Best regards, ---Cindy S. > ---------- > I use either the Tidy Cat (or store brand) scoopable/clumping cat litter [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Best regards, > ---Cindy S. Are the crystal mixes really good? Are they mostly just for odor? We have the litter box in the basement, but with Rusty, the litter never smells because he goes such small amounts. Now, when Grady was alive (he was a very LARGE cat) he used to go poo that looked like a small dog had been in the litter box. It always stunk even on the day I cleaned it. Patty >> ---------- >> I use either the Tidy Cat (or store brand) scoopable/clumping cat litter [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Are the crystal mixes really good? *I* think so. I really used to like the 100% crystal stuff because it absorbed the urine and dehydrated the poop. There was virtually no odor and it rinsed easily out of the box (I think it was actually soluble in water and that's why it was technically flushable although by that time, I had learned the hard way not to flush anything). It never stuck at all to the litter boxes. The used litter just poured out. I rinsed the box with a little soap and water followed by some Nature's Miracle, and I was done in a few minutes. The disadvantage was that the 100% crystal litter was outrageously expensive. I might not have minded the expense if I had only one or two litter boxes, but I had five at the time (now, I have six). And of course the big thing was that at some point, Amanda decided she didn't like the crystal litter and preferred the living room carpet instead. It doesn't matter how great a cat litter is if the cat won't use it. Next, I went back to the plain old clumping stuff, and the cats liked it a lot better and it was much cheaper, but no matter how much I cleaned the boxes, they reeked. At one point, I had an out-of-town guest who asked if he could use my computer to check his e-mail. My computer is in the upstairs of my house where I keep five litterboxes (one in each of three bedrooms, and two in the bathroom). I was so embarassed because of the odor. Then, one day, by pure chance I tried the clumping stuff with the crystals. It was like a miracle. Almost zero odor, even in the covered boxes. (Half of my boxes are open, and have are covered). >Are they mostly just for odor? Yes. Mostly for odor but I think they may also help absorb urine and/or dehydrate the poop. That would explain in part why there is very little odor. I clean the boxes every day anyway, and I can see with my eyes that they're full, but my nose would never know. BTW, the litter clumps very hard and the clumps generally don't fall apart when I'm scooping. >We have > the litter box in the basement, but with Rusty, the litter never smells > because he goes such small amounts. Now, when Grady was alive (he was a > very LARGE cat) he used to go poo that looked like a small dog had been in > the litter box. It always stunk even on the day I cleaned it. I like the crystal mix. Someone else may not. If you ever become dissatisfied with your current litter, you could try it. Best regards, ---Cindy S. > I think it might be a bad idea to change an older cat's litter, because if > he > doesn't like it, he may very well quit using his box. Since he is an indoor/outdoor cat, he uses all sorts of mediums to go potty in. As I've explained in another post, I've actually seen him squat in the grass and go, much like a dog does, so I'm not real sure that the change in the litter box medium will bother him, unless he really hates what I use. > A question: why is the litter wet? Cats don't usually step in their own > waste. Well, since he nor I pour water in his litter box, it must have been wet from where he used it. Older cats do strange things, Grady also occasionally had this problem with wet litter gobbed between his toes as well. The clumping stuff gets like cement when it dries and it's nearly impossible to get it out of their fur when this happens. But, I also hate to go with something that I have to completely dump out of the box each time I clean it too. I have to tell you, I remember when I was a child and we had cats, we used to use cardboard boxes filled with dirt dug from outside for the litter box. Let me tell you, that was an experience (but I don't recall them having regular litter products in those days, or if they did we could never afford to buy them.) > The two litters you mentioned are not ones I use, but I have seen them. > They are very expensive compared with the clumping kind. And my [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > would feel similar to the clumping to the cats. They do not like > disruptions in what they are accustomed to, as I bet you know. Rusty has always been excellent at using the litter box or going outside. In fact, when he was a kitten, he was the one who litter trained Grady, who had never used a litter box before I got him. Grady occasionally had forgetful mishaps, but only once or twice once he was litter trained. Before that he wanted to squat over a hole on the floor (i.e. the floor registers) and go. I think that's because he had been born in the attic of a store downtown and that's where the kittens must have gone (in floor openings) before the store owners were able to get them out. I've thought about the old non-clumping clay, but I hate dealing with dumping the litter box completely each time. My litter box is quite large, when I had the two cats, Grady sometimes would miss the box (he was quite large and his butt would sometimes hang over the side when he went) so it was suggested I get a "mud pan" which are used on construction sites for mixing mortar and stuff. It turned out to be an excellent choice for a litter box for multiple cats. Nice and large, plenty of space for them to use. Thanks so much for your thoughts. Patty One of our cats is on clumping litter, and she gets small clumps stuck on her toenails and sometimes inbetween the pads. I think she does it when she covers it up. Rhonda > A question: why is the litter wet? Cats don't usually step in their own > waste. > Anyhow, I've researched some other choices and wonder if anyone has > tried them: > > Feline Pine (which is sold at Target) I use Feline Pine and love it, but I agree with Cybercat; switching an older cat's litter may be problematic. That said, Feline Pine does NOT clump (so it's not 'scoopable' the way clumping litters are). What happens is that the pellets disintegrate into sawdust when they get wet. You can shake the box and the sawdust will fall to the bottom. I highly recommend, if you go this route, using the Feline Pine litter box (and the Feline Pine scooper, which has bigger slots so you can spare the intact pellets). It has 2 boxes, one is a sifter. You can shake the box and all the sawdust will fall out of the main box into the bottom box. When the bottom gets full, you can dump the sawdust either in your garden or in the trash. It's much better than leaving the sawdust in the pan with the pellets. Also, you can flush Feline Pine when you scoop out the poop. My pipes suck, but I haven't had any problems in the year I've been using this stuff. One final note, I buy Feline Pine and some other Pine pellet stuff, whichever is cheaper, and my cats don't notice the difference. It's anywhere from $7-10 for 20 lbs and it goes a lot farther than other litters I've used. If you switch to ANY new litter, do it slowly. Very slowly. Behavioral problems with the litter box are not easy or fun to deal with.  SignatureLynne I don't know if you have a Fry's near you but the Pet Pride cat litter is really good. SignatureCat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs! www.panthertekit.com > I'm thinking I want to get away from the clay clumping litter that I've > used for years. I'm concerned because Rusty, for some reason in his old [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Patty Hey Pat, I've tried both of these litters in the past and the cats never really liked it. Feline Pine has a real "pine" smell and both are really light weight. Doesn't mean Rusty won't...but like others have said, if you decide to switch, mix the new stuff with the old and gradually work your way to using only the new stuff. Sue > I'm thinking I want to get away from the clay clumping litter that I've > used for years. I'm concerned because Rusty, for some reason in his old [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Patty Thanks, Sue. I'm not sure that changing the litter medium will be as much of an issue for Rusty since he does go outside. In fact, in the summertime he rarely uses the indoor litter box, and I've actually seen him go in the grass in the middle of the yard (Grady used to do this too) kind of like dogs do. So, he really doesn't seem to be real picky about where he goes, I'm the picky one, I just don't want him going on the carpet or the furniture! *vbg* I did buy a small bag of feline pine and I might go ahead and give it a whirl when I do my complete clean of the litter box out this spring. Patty > Hey Pat, I've tried both of these litters in the past and the cats never > really liked it. Feline Pine has a real "pine" smell and both are really [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >> >> Patty >>>I'm thinking I want to get away from the clay clumping litter that I've >>>used for years. I'm concerned because Rusty, for some reason in his old [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >>>Feline Pine (which is sold at Target) >>>Swheat Scoop (which is sold at a Krogers near me) My 18 and 16 year olds both started having this problem a few months ago. Both are drinking a lot of water and peeing much more than they used to. Unfortunately the 18 year old, Sprite, is very picky about what litter she will use! First I tried the pine pellets - 2 cats were fine with it, but not Sprite! I tried the mix method, she wouldn't go near the stuff. Next I tried Swheat Scoop. She will use it (they all will), but I hate the smell. And it doesn't clump very well. Next was crystals. Alone, the pee built up - icky to clean. Mixed with Nature's Miracle wheat litter, is working so far. Finally, tried Yesterday's News recycled newspaper pellets. Too much like clay litter for me. When that runs out I'm going with one box pine pellets, one box crystals mixed with wheat. But the wheat doesn't scoop well, so i may try crystals/regular clump litter and see if their paws stay clean. Nancy > My 18 and 16 year olds both started having this problem a few months ago. > Both are drinking a lot of water and peeing much more than they used to. > Nancy Hi Nancy, Have your cats been seen by a vet? Excessive drinking and peeing can indicate kidney disease. Bonnie >> My 18 and 16 year olds both started having this problem a few months ago. >> Both are drinking a lot of water and peeing much more than they used to. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Bonnie I just had a thought, diabetes can also be indicated by excessive drinking and peeing too. Patty >>> My 18 and 16 year olds both started having this problem a few months >>> ago. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Patty Yeah--could be. Have your kitties been to the vet? >>>> My 18 and 16 year olds both started having this problem a few months >>>> ago. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Yeah--could be. Have your kitties been to the vet? Patty, I'm sorry--I was directing my comments about taking kitties to the vet to the OP!! Bonnie > My 18 and 16 year olds both started having this problem a few months > ago. Both are drinking a lot of water and peeing much more than they [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Nancy You might want to get them blood workup for kidneys (BUN and CREATININE). When older cats begin drinking and peeing more, it may be a sign of early kidney failure. Patty We like Feline Pine. I would say the only negative is the tracking of saw dust, but I'm sure there's tracking with most litters. It really does well with the odor, and I like how easily it composts. Rhonda > I did buy a small bag of feline pine and I might go ahead and give it a > whirl when I do my complete clean of the litter box out this spring. > We like Feline Pine. I would say the only negative is the tracking of > saw dust, but I'm sure there's tracking with most litters. It really > does well with the odor, and I like how easily it composts. I recently purchased a 30 lb bag of Woody Pet for $6.50. It's the same stuff as Feline Pine, for which I pay $9-11 for 20 lbs. I'm thrilled with this discovery! Also, if you use the sifting box and shake the sawdust down daily, end of tracking. SignatureLynne > I'm thinking I want to get away from the clay clumping litter that I've > used for years. I'm concerned because Rusty, for some reason in his old [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Patty Saw dust or wood shavings work well in an emergency. Shredded paper (preferably from a machine) works good, too. We have one of those nice (and quite expensive) new automatic litter systems. The wife got tired of all that poop-scooping. It does it all and she no longer has to get her hands dirty. Praise Be, the neighborhood doesn't have to listen to that any more. And all for about the price you'd pay for the crown-job on a tooth. IBen Getiner |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.