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Love My Cats - Could Leave the Litter

Cats are amazing... I have two. And as many of you know, I am not just a "cat person" - I have The Cricket, the Ideal Bite Mascot (mainly because Heather doesn't like dogs, but she like The Crick, and The Crick just LOVES being the product tester for all our all natural dog treats, beds, collars, etc.).

However, I wish I had taught them how to be potty trained... cleaning the litter box kind of just sucks. And with two cats, if you don't stay on it, it definitely emits a yuck odor.

However, life got better around the litter for two reasons:

1) I found ONE PLANET at the co-op... totally affordable, and works better than the other 3 eco varieties I have tried for multiple cats.

2) Spring is starting to show her pretty face, and so my cats are going outside a bit now. Now if only they'd stop digging up earthworms and placing them in the kitchen as little gifts.

-Jen... off to do my weekly changing out of the entire box... well, those snuggly funny little things are worth the 15 min a week dealing with the dirty aspects...

Posted by: tmeronek on 04/10/2007
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Melissa  on May 01, 2007 at 08:35 PM 41
I use SWheat and love love love it! Tip- spray the bottom of the litter box with cooking spray (plain- not butter flavor!). It will keep the clump from sticking to the bottom! I feed him 'Wellness' brand food manufactured by 'Old Mother Hubbard'. It has no recalled ingredients and he loves it. His coat is sooo shiny and he's the perfect weight. Cats are meat eaters, not corn eaters or by-product eaters. Wellness is meat. Poop kills otters. Pesticides kill birds. Poachers kill elephants. Fertilizers are killing out waterways. Moterboats kill manatees. Folks, there's only so much we can worry about at one time. We just have to act locally and personally. Leave the smallest footprint we can. Rent the movie "Go Further" with Woody Harrelson. It is an entertaining documentary about sustainability. National Geographic it is NOT. But at the core, it is real. Have fun with your new kittie!
Shelley Scarr  on May 02, 2007 at 10:35 PM 42
To Natja Rivera- in response to your question about not flushing cat litter down the toilet because it is infecting the sea otters. This is true for the coast cat owners. Type "toxoplasmosis in sea otters" in a search window and you will get several atricles on this. It is the same disease that pregant women have to worry about and why they are told not to c;ean out the cat litter box while pregnant.
Ginger  on June 04, 2007 at 12:49 PM 43
My choice is the Catgenie litter box. It uses plastic pellets that biodegrade but they don't absord pee or poop ... it gets washed and then flushed into your toilet. It uses water and electricity, but in small amounts and the poo goes down the toilet where my poo goes and gets treated through sewage treatment plants. You can see it at www.catgenie.com. NAYY
DJB  on June 05, 2007 at 09:28 PM 44
"The other JB", sorry to hear your kitty has kidney failure. My 15 year old had it too. We modified his diet as much as he would tolerate, and we tried subq fluids (he didn't cooperate). If you're still looking for ideas, ask you vet about giving lactulose. It's a liquid sugar you give orally and it helps them eliminate nitrogen wastes through their feces instead of their kidneys. Warning - it's Extremely sticky! There are lots of CRF web resources, and I wish you and your kitty the very best of luck. As for CRF kitties and cat litter....lots of scooping necessary due to the increased urine output. I was using The Worlds Best. One benefit of using a clumping litter for a CRF kitty is I could collect the clumps (weekly in a ziploc bag) and weigh them (on an electronic baby scale). It helped me monitor his urine output.
Brettster  on June 21, 2007 at 12:51 PM 45
The wife and I have three cats in a two-room Brooklyn apartment (read: SMALL). In place of commercial litters, we use the "small animal bedding" cedar chips the pet store sells for hamsters cages and the like. Works GREAT - negates smell completely (with regular changings), no dust, no cover-up perfumes, earth-friendly, and the kids love it. CHEAP, too (just don't spread the secret around or the jig will be up)!
Tara  on July 18, 2007 at 09:15 PM 46
I am looking for more information on Here's the Scoop. It is billed as "natural clay" and is free of bentonite. But, I can't find any info about what "natural clay" is. Like other posters, I just haven't had success with Feline Pine, PaPurr, or any of the other so-called natural litters. Can I use Here's the Scoop without cringing? (dang cats!)
Chrissy King  on July 19, 2007 at 06:52 AM 47
Tara - have you tried Swheat? It is 100% wheat and clumps up on its own. It's consistency is closer to regular litter than Feline Pine, so you may see more success.
Tara  on July 19, 2007 at 08:35 AM 48
Thanks, Chrissy. I just got a box and am trying it, I haven't yet tried scooping it. Plus, I mixed it with conventional litter to help the cats make the transition. The main reason I am interested in finding out whether "natural clay" is for real is cost. Even the Swheat adds up, esp with two cats!
JUDY  on August 04, 2007 at 10:01 PM 49
I use Swheat for my two cats. There are these little flying insects on the wall in the bathroom downstairs that the litter box is in. Does anyone else have this problem?
Melissa  on August 06, 2007 at 07:36 AM 50
Did the insects show up the same day you started using Swheat? Or did you use Swheat for a while, then they showed up?
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