Question:
>Ron and I have been on this search for the ideal cat litter ever since we >brought Kai home. . .
When it comes to cat litter, its a personal choice (the cat’s, not yours). Just like some people will never use a porta-potty, cats go where they feel comfortable, without strange smelling or feeling stuff under foot. I’ve never used the newer "pine" stuff; me AND the cats are happy using standard clumping litter like Tidy Scoop. But years ago, before clumpable litter there was a product on the market that consisted of alfalfa. Biodegradable and natural, it looked like (and made pretty much like) the pellets feed to rabbits. Well, my cat must have been part rabbit; instead of using it as litter, he would eat it. Marc
Response:
Ron and I have been on this search for the ideal cat litter ever since we brought Kai home. We want a clumping, dust-free, flushable litter that does an amazing job of absorbing odors. We bought a litterbox with a cover that has a little charcoal filter in it. We stuck a little piece of carpeting in front of the box, to catch any stray bits of litter that may have stuck to Kai’s paws as he jumps out of the box. But the first box of litter that we bought just about choked us with dust. So we tried a non-flushable kind. Still mighty dusty, and it didn’t stop the odor at all. And it wasn’t nearly as convenient as the flushable stuff. Then we tried the kind that is made from pine trees or something. I don’t remember the name of it right now, but it looks like little pellets and is supposed to turn into mulch eventually. Heehee. Poor Kai. He didn’t know what to make of it, but he sure didn’t like it! We poured the old brand on top, according to the directions on the bag, but he still seemed to know that there was something funny in his litterbox. He isn’t the world’s greatest at burying his litter to begin with (hence the problems that we have with odor), and he got even worse with the pine stuff. Didn’t want to touch it! And Ron, who is in charge of the box, says that Kai was "holding it" rather than risk using the new stuff. Poor little kitty. When we changed back to an ordinary brand of litter yesterday afternoon, Kai used the box two or three times in 45 minutes. He looked much relieved afterward. :) That’s the end of our experimentation with unusual sorts of litter. I guess that we’ll have to deal with the dust and the smell; at least we can clean up the flushable kind as often as we think necessary without having to run up and down four flights of stairs… I wish that he had paid closer attention when his mother was teaching him how to bury, though… I’ve read on these groups that some people really like the pine stuff; that their cats use it and that it really is effective in fighting odor problems. Guess it goes to show that YMMV; Kai is laid back, but don’t mess with his toilet! Janet
Response:
Janet, there is a natural litter, made from corn or wheat. The consistency is like sand. It is flushable, clumps, no odor, no dust. I use the wheat based one called SwheatScoop. My cat likes it and I like it too. Maria
Response:
>I’ve read on these groups that some people really like the pine stuff; >that their cats use it and that it really is effective in fighting odor >problems. Guess it goes to show that YMMV; Kai is laid back, but don’t >mess with his toilet!
When I brought my eight month old male kitten home I bought some of the pine stuff. He didn’t use the box for over 24 hours and got bloated and threw up. I went to the grocery and bought a container of Tidy Cat scoop (not too much dust) and he used his box within an hour of me putting that in. After a few hours had passed that box looked like a dog had used it there was so much in it. The poor kitty had been holding it rather than use the pine stuff. I realize it is organic and all of that type of thing but if it caused the cat to put his elimination (both urinary and fecal) on hold it can cause far more serious problems than clay litter ever could.
Response:
Janet– Nature’s Miracle, which is great as a liquid clean up AFTER the mistake, also comes in a powder. You can sprinkle some in with the litter and Kai will never notice the difference. Less expensive but also worth a try is plain old Arm & Hammer baking soda. Put some in the bottom of the box before you dump in the litter, and then pour more on top and mix it in. Nontoxic. BTW, how deep a layer of litter are you using, and what size box? And what do you mean "flushable litter"? If you are putting the plain old dusty clay stuff in the toilet, you won’t be flushing for long. Since you mention four flights of stairs, I assume you are in an apartment building, so gravity and the size of the drain pipes are on your side. But the clay does not break down, so it is filling up the waste water system somewhere. If I emptied a litter box even into the upstairs toilet, we’d be swimming in the bathroom in a day. Or are you just flushing the lumps? Those you can scoop and flush. The litter will last longer and stink less. Some cats won’t try to bury in a small box or in a thin layer of litter. If you are getting the entire box-full into your toilet in one flush, you probably aren’t giving Kai enough litter to bury anything IN. Most of our cats prefer to go outside, but even the one who would rather use a box dig a hole halfway to China before she will go, and burying is a really major earth-moving task which involves scratching litter from all corners of the box. Unless the litter isn’t fresh, in which case she plants her front feet IN the box, her back feet on the edge, and lets go. Her box is now 12" x 24" and 11" deep, with a layer about 3" deep of litter. She can still perch tail-side in the air and go. Amazing the range she can achieve at that distance… kind of like a fountain. And of course no burying. The generic clay litter should only really be "dusty" when you first pour it into the box. Then it will choke you, but if you survive the litter should not be dusty–at least not airborne–after that. Our most successful litter for all concerned is the dirt-cheap generic stuff in 25lb bags from a big chain like CostCo. No clumping, no perfume, no prize in the bottom of the bag, but it does the job. You CAN give Kai a little refresher course in Burying 101 if you stand by until he is done and then–assuming the litter is both clean and deep enough–take his wee front paw and show him how. All the time uttering absolutely ridiculous choruses of "GOOD Kai… that’s right, bury the [ ]… VERY good, Kai." Better to do this when no one can hear you. Bitchie was having some kidney problems AND some laziness, and starting just soaking the bed at night rather than making the trip to the garage and maybe finding an unacceptable litter. After the medication worked and the change of diet for her kidneys, she still had the attitude. Whoever is up last carries her into the garage (attached… there’s no going outside involved), places her in the box and says "GOOD Bitchie. Make a wee-wee for mama." Or papa. I have never felt quite as ridiculous as when I’m standing in my robe making "whssh-whssssh" sounds and saying "Wee-wee in the box." But it works. Finally there are aerosol fresheners specifically for "pet odors". Yes, I know they are bad for the ozone layer, but I rather doubt cat-poo vapors are good for the ozone layer either, and they will… clear the air. And the best thing I’ve found for under the box is one of those Astroturf mats meant for wiping your boots on before you come in the house. They come in larger sizes, and even decorator colors in case football-field green doesn’t coordinate with your towels. The litter falls into the spaces between the blades of "grass", and the whole thing is easy to shake out and rinse clean. Unlike carpet, it won’t absorb any accidents, so it won’t get smelly itself. Repo Man makes a federal secret out of where his bathroom is. Even in the worst rain, he will find a secret spot. As a kitten he had several surgeries, and I was supposed to keep him in both for protecting the healing wound, and to check his stools. We were living in the city then, and his favorite spot was under a tree in the front yard. The only way I could get him to stop "holding it" was to dig up some dirt from under HIS tree, and put it in a litter box. Since there were then more than three cats in the house, and the bathroom about 3" x 4", it got pretty crowded. And Repo had to be closed in, alone, before he would do anything. He would use the dirt only once. And there was NOTHING clumpable, dust-free, or odor-fighting… this was just plain brown dirt. I had muddy paw prints down the hallway carpet for months. Good luck… and keep that scoop handy! DL
Response:
>Ron and I have been on this search for the ideal cat litter ever since we >brought Kai home. . .
When it comes to cat litter, its a personal choice (the cat’s, not yours). Just like some people will never use a porta-potty, cats go where they feel comfortable, without strange smelling or feeling stuff under foot. I’ve never used the newer "pine" stuff; me AND the cats are happy using standard clumping litter like Tidy Scoop. But years ago, before clumpable litter there was a product on the market that consisted of alfalfa. Biodegradable and natural, it looked like (and made pretty much like) the pellets feed to rabbits. Well, my cat must have been part rabbit; instead of using it as litter, he would eat it. Marc
Response:
Ron and I have been on this search for the ideal cat litter ever since we brought Kai home. We want a clumping, dust-free, flushable litter that does an amazing job of absorbing odors. We bought a litterbox with a cover that has a little charcoal filter in it. We stuck a little piece of carpeting in front of the box, to catch any stray bits of litter that may have stuck to Kai’s paws as he jumps out of the box. But the first box of litter that we bought just about choked us with dust. So we tried a non-flushable kind. Still mighty dusty, and it didn’t stop the odor at all. And it wasn’t nearly as convenient as the flushable stuff. Then we tried the kind that is made from pine trees or something. I don’t remember the name of it right now, but it looks like little pellets and is supposed to turn into mulch eventually. Heehee. Poor Kai. He didn’t know what to make of it, but he sure didn’t like it! We poured the old brand on top, according to the directions on the bag, but he still seemed to know that there was something funny in his litterbox. He isn’t the world’s greatest at burying his litter to begin with (hence the problems that we have with odor), and he got even worse with the pine stuff. Didn’t want to touch it! And Ron, who is in charge of the box, says that Kai was "holding it" rather than risk using the new stuff. Poor little kitty. When we changed back to an ordinary brand of litter yesterday afternoon, Kai used the box two or three times in 45 minutes. He looked much relieved afterward. :) That’s the end of our experimentation with unusual sorts of litter. I guess that we’ll have to deal with the dust and the smell; at least we can clean up the flushable kind as often as we think necessary without having to run up and down four flights of stairs… I wish that he had paid closer attention when his mother was teaching him how to bury, though… I’ve read on these groups that some people really like the pine stuff; that their cats use it and that it really is effective in fighting odor problems. Guess it goes to show that YMMV; Kai is laid back, but don’t mess with his toilet! Janet
Response:
Janet, there is a natural litter, made from corn or wheat. The consistency is like sand. It is flushable, clumps, no odor, no dust. I use the wheat based one called SwheatScoop. My cat likes it and I like it too. Maria
Response:
>I’ve read on these groups that some people really like the pine stuff; >that their cats use it and that it really is effective in fighting odor >problems. Guess it goes to show that YMMV; Kai is laid back, but don’t >mess with his toilet!
When I brought my eight month old male kitten home I bought some of the pine stuff. He didn’t use the box for over 24 hours and got bloated and threw up. I went to the grocery and bought a container of Tidy Cat scoop (not too much dust) and he used his box within an hour of me putting that in. After a few hours had passed that box looked like a dog had used it there was so much in it. The poor kitty had been holding it rather than use the pine stuff. I realize it is organic and all of that type of thing but if it caused the cat to put his elimination (both urinary and fecal) on hold it can cause far more serious problems than clay litter ever could.
Response:
Janet– Nature’s Miracle, which is great as a liquid clean up AFTER the mistake, also comes in a powder. You can sprinkle some in with the litter and Kai will never notice the difference. Less expensive but also worth a try is plain old Arm & Hammer baking soda. Put some in the bottom of the box before you dump in the litter, and then pour more on top and mix it in. Nontoxic. BTW, how deep a layer of litter are you using, and what size box? And what do you mean "flushable litter"? If you are putting the plain old dusty clay stuff in the toilet, you won’t be flushing for long. Since you mention four flights of stairs, I assume you are in an apartment building, so gravity and the size of the drain pipes are on your side. But the clay does not break down, so it is filling up the waste water system somewhere. If I emptied a litter box even into the upstairs toilet, we’d be swimming in the bathroom in a day. Or are you just flushing the lumps? Those you can scoop and flush. The litter will last longer and stink less. Some cats won’t try to bury in a small box or in a thin layer of litter. If you are getting the entire box-full into your toilet in one flush, you probably aren’t giving Kai enough litter to bury anything IN. Most of our cats prefer to go outside, but even the one who would rather use a box dig a hole halfway to China before she will go, and burying is a really major earth-moving task which involves scratching litter from all corners of the box. Unless the litter isn’t fresh, in which case she plants her front feet IN the box, her back feet on the edge, and lets go. Her box is now 12" x 24" and 11" deep, with a layer about 3" deep of litter. She can still perch tail-side in the air and go. Amazing the range she can achieve at that distance… kind of like a fountain. And of course no burying. The generic clay litter should only really be "dusty" when you first pour it into the box. Then it will choke you, but if you survive the litter should not be dusty–at least not airborne–after that. Our most successful litter for all concerned is the dirt-cheap generic stuff in 25lb bags from a big chain like CostCo. No clumping, no perfume, no prize in the bottom of the bag, but it does the job. You CAN give Kai a little refresher course in Burying 101 if you stand by until he is done and then–assuming the litter is both clean and deep enough–take his wee front paw and show him how. All the time uttering absolutely ridiculous choruses of "GOOD Kai… that’s right, bury the [ ]… VERY good, Kai." Better to do this when no one can hear you. Bitchie was having some kidney problems AND some laziness, and starting just soaking the bed at night rather than making the trip to the garage and maybe finding an unacceptable litter. After the medication worked and the change of diet for her kidneys, she still had the attitude. Whoever is up last carries her into the garage (attached… there’s no going outside involved), places her in the box and says "GOOD Bitchie. Make a wee-wee for mama." Or papa. I have never felt quite as ridiculous as when I’m standing in my robe making "whssh-whssssh" sounds and saying "Wee-wee in the box." But it works. Finally there are aerosol fresheners specifically for "pet odors". Yes, I know they are bad for the ozone layer, but I rather doubt cat-poo vapors are good for the ozone layer either, and they will… clear the air. And the best thing I’ve found for under the box is one of those Astroturf mats meant for wiping your boots on before you come in the house. They come in larger sizes, and even decorator colors in case football-field green doesn’t coordinate with your towels. The litter falls into the spaces between the blades of "grass", and the whole thing is easy to shake out and rinse clean. Unlike carpet, it won’t absorb any accidents, so it won’t get smelly itself. Repo Man makes a federal secret out of where his bathroom is. Even in the worst rain, he will find a secret spot. As a kitten he had several surgeries, and I was supposed to keep him in both for protecting the healing wound, and to check his stools. We were living in the city then, and his favorite spot was under a tree in the front yard. The only way I could get him to stop "holding it" was to dig up some dirt from under HIS tree, and put it in a litter box. Since there were then more than three cats in the house, and the bathroom about 3" x 4", it got pretty crowded. And Repo had to be closed in, alone, before he would do anything. He would use the dirt only once. And there was NOTHING clumpable, dust-free, or odor-fighting… this was just plain brown dirt. I had muddy paw prints down the hallway carpet for months. Good luck… and keep that scoop handy! DL
Response:
>Ron and I have been on this search for the ideal cat litter ever since we >brought Kai home. . .
When it comes to cat litter, its a personal choice (the cat’s, not yours). Just like some people will never use a porta-potty, cats go where they feel comfortable, without strange smelling or feeling stuff under foot. I’ve never used the newer "pine" stuff; me AND the cats are happy using standard clumping litter like Tidy Scoop. But years ago, before clumpable litter there was a product on the market that consisted of alfalfa. Biodegradable and natural, it looked like (and made pretty much like) the pellets feed to rabbits. Well, my cat must have been part rabbit; instead of using it as litter, he would eat it. Marc
Response:
Ron and I have been on this search for the ideal cat litter ever since we brought Kai home. We want a clumping, dust-free, flushable litter that does an amazing job of absorbing odors. We bought a litterbox with a cover that has a little charcoal filter in it. We stuck a little piece of carpeting in front of the box, to catch any stray bits of litter that may have stuck to Kai’s paws as he jumps out of the box. But the first box of litter that we bought just about choked us with dust. So we tried a non-flushable kind. Still mighty dusty, and it didn’t stop the odor at all. And it wasn’t nearly as convenient as the flushable stuff. Then we tried the kind that is made from pine trees or something. I don’t remember the name of it right now, but it looks like little pellets and is supposed to turn into mulch eventually. Heehee. Poor Kai. He didn’t know what to make of it, but he sure didn’t like it! We poured the old brand on top, according to the directions on the bag, but he still seemed to know that there was something funny in his litterbox. He isn’t the world’s greatest at burying his litter to begin with (hence the problems that we have with odor), and he got even worse with the pine stuff. Didn’t want to touch it! And Ron, who is in charge of the box, says that Kai was "holding it" rather than risk using the new stuff. Poor little kitty. When we changed back to an ordinary brand of litter yesterday afternoon, Kai used the box two or three times in 45 minutes. He looked much relieved afterward. :) That’s the end of our experimentation with unusual sorts of litter. I guess that we’ll have to deal with the dust and the smell; at least we can clean up the flushable kind as often as we think necessary without having to run up and down four flights of stairs… I wish that he had paid closer attention when his mother was teaching him how to bury, though… I’ve read on these groups that some people really like the pine stuff; that their cats use it and that it really is effective in fighting odor problems. Guess it goes to show that YMMV; Kai is laid back, but don’t mess with his toilet! Janet
Response:
Janet, there is a natural litter, made from corn or wheat. The consistency is like sand. It is flushable, clumps, no odor, no dust. I use the wheat based one called SwheatScoop. My cat likes it and I like it too. Maria
Response:
>I’ve read on these groups that some people really like the pine stuff; >that their cats use it and that it really is effective in fighting odor >problems. Guess it goes to show that YMMV; Kai is laid back, but don’t >mess with his toilet!
When I brought my eight month old male kitten home I bought some of the pine stuff. He didn’t use the box for over 24 hours and got bloated and threw up. I went to the grocery and bought a container of Tidy Cat scoop (not too much dust) and he used his box within an hour of me putting that in. After a few hours had passed that box looked like a dog had used it there was so much in it. The poor kitty had been holding it rather than use the pine stuff. I realize it is organic and all of that type of thing but if it caused the cat to put his elimination (both urinary and fecal) on hold it can cause far more serious problems than clay litter ever could.
Response:
Janet– Nature’s Miracle, which is great as a liquid clean up AFTER the mistake, also comes in a powder. You can sprinkle some in with the litter and Kai will never notice the difference. Less expensive but also worth a try is plain old Arm & Hammer baking soda. Put some in the bottom of the box before you dump in the litter, and then pour more on top and mix it in. Nontoxic. BTW, how deep a layer of litter are you using, and what size box? And what do you mean "flushable litter"? If you are putting the plain old dusty clay stuff in the toilet, you won’t be flushing for long. Since you mention four flights of stairs, I assume you are in an apartment building, so gravity and the size of the drain pipes are on your side. But the clay does not break down, so it is filling up the waste water system somewhere. If I emptied a litter box even into the upstairs toilet, we’d be swimming in the bathroom in a day. Or are you just flushing the lumps? Those you can scoop and flush. The litter will last longer and stink less. Some cats won’t try to bury in a small box or in a thin layer of litter. If you are getting the entire box-full into your toilet in one flush, you probably aren’t giving Kai enough litter to bury anything IN. Most of our cats prefer to go outside, but even the one who would rather use a box dig a hole halfway to China before she will go, and burying is a really major earth-moving task which involves scratching litter from all corners of the box. Unless the litter isn’t fresh, in which case she plants her front feet IN the box, her back feet on the edge, and lets go. Her box is now 12" x 24" and 11" deep, with a layer about 3" deep of litter. She can still perch tail-side in the air and go. Amazing the range she can achieve at that distance… kind of like a fountain. And of course no burying. The generic clay litter should only really be "dusty" when you first pour it into the box. Then it will choke you, but if you survive the litter should not be dusty–at least not airborne–after that. Our most successful litter for all concerned is the dirt-cheap generic stuff in 25lb bags from a big chain like CostCo. No clumping, no perfume, no prize in the bottom of the bag, but it does the job. You CAN give Kai a little refresher course in Burying 101 if you stand by until he is done and then–assuming the litter is both clean and deep enough–take his wee front paw and show him how. All the time uttering absolutely ridiculous choruses of "GOOD Kai… that’s right, bury the [ ]… VERY good, Kai." Better to do this when no one can hear you. Bitchie was having some kidney problems AND some laziness, and starting just soaking the bed at night rather than making the trip to the garage and maybe finding an unacceptable litter. After the medication worked and the change of diet for her kidneys, she still had the attitude. Whoever is up last carries her into the garage (attached… there’s no going outside involved), places her in the box and says "GOOD Bitchie. Make a wee-wee for mama." Or papa. I have never felt quite as ridiculous as when I’m standing in my robe making "whssh-whssssh" sounds and saying "Wee-wee in the box." But it works. Finally there are aerosol fresheners specifically for "pet odors". Yes, I know they are bad for the ozone layer, but I rather doubt cat-poo vapors are good for the ozone layer either, and they will… clear the air. And the best thing I’ve found for under the box is one of those Astroturf mats meant for wiping your boots on before you come in the house. They come in larger sizes, and even decorator colors in case football-field green doesn’t coordinate with your towels. The litter falls into the spaces between the blades of "grass", and the whole thing is easy to shake out and rinse clean. Unlike carpet, it won’t absorb any accidents, so it won’t get smelly itself. Repo Man makes a federal secret out of where his bathroom is. Even in the worst rain, he will find a secret spot. As a kitten he had several surgeries, and I was supposed to keep him in both for protecting the healing wound, and to check his stools. We were living in the city then, and his favorite spot was under a tree in the front yard. The only way I could get him to stop "holding it" was to dig up some dirt from under HIS tree, and put it in a litter box. Since there were then more than three cats in the house, and the bathroom about 3" x 4", it got pretty crowded. And Repo had to be closed in, alone, before he would do anything. He would use the dirt only once. And there was NOTHING clumpable, dust-free, or odor-fighting… this was just plain brown dirt. I had muddy paw prints down the hallway carpet for months. Good luck… and keep that scoop handy! DL