Cat Litter - It's a minefield! - What do you buy?

Fire_Fox

lostinrates wrote: »

I love the idea of using chick crumb BUT if it were to go on the compost heap it would attract rats terribly! Its hard enough keeping rats at bay keeping poultry withou that encouragment!

OK, well, the second small bag really has been the ticket, with cats best, so we have gone ahead and ordered a big bag. Something I have found is that the clumps hold together better the longer they are left. While its some thing I'd be extremely wary of with most cats I'm now removing wees only every second day with my cats and this is working well so far. (I still check/remove poos twice daily). I should make clear we have a huge litter tray, and I am checking that the top is clump free: its difficult to resist temptation to remove, but its easier to, with firm clumps less often.

After the second bag went in we haven't yet needed to top up. So I think it will work out as econimical for us as moonlight, albeit with these managment differences.

Its going on the compost heap in paper bags. So far we have been using paper bags we have but when we run out notsure what the cheapest but greenest option is. Alternative is using a bucket/container to transport and wash it out twice a day: which is a little extra work.

I usually wait to remove a wee once a poo has been done as well, and agree the clumps are firmer! 15 litres of OkoPlus has lasted me the entire time Noah has been with me - about seven weeks. :money: Could you maybe line a bucket with a biodegradable starch bag or paper bag? You wouldn't necessarily have to chuck the bag on the compost heap each time, maybe every second day when you scoop the wees. Or wrap the doings in kitchen roll or biodegradable nappy liners to carry outside (not sure I'd want to do this, nor if it's cost effective )?

golden_eagle

lostinrates wrote: »

I should make clear we have a huge litter tray

Lostinrates, where did you get your huge litter tray from? I think I need a bigger one as one of my kittens is forever digging around litter trays as if the area confined to his litter tray wasn't enough.

Also thinking about switching to chicken feed as after checking prices of decent clumping litters I think it'd work out cheaper (and yes I am aware of the argument that with decent litter you don't need to use much etc but given that I have 2 litter trays plus thinking about a jumbo one i'd need to take out a loan or something to keep them filled up). Where do you get it from? Thanks

Fire_Fox

golden_eagle wrote: »

Lostinrates, where did you get your huge litter tray from? I think I need a bigger one as one of my kittens is forever digging around litter trays as if the area confined to his litter tray wasn't enough.

Also thinking about switching to chicken feed as after checking prices of decent clumping litters I think it'd work out cheaper (and yes I am aware of the argument that with decent litter you don't need to use much etc but given that I have 2 litter trays plus thinking about a jumbo one i'd need to take out a loan or something to keep them filled up). Where do you get it from? Thanks

Wilkinsons sell underbed storage boxes for a fiver which are jumbo litter tray sized.

lostinrates

golden_eagle wrote: »

Lostinrates, where did you get your huge litter tray from? I think I need a bigger one as one of my kittens is forever digging around litter trays as if the area confined to his litter tray wasn't enough.

Also thinking about switching to chicken feed as after checking prices of decent clumping litters I think it'd work out cheaper (and yes I am aware of the argument that with decent litter you don't need to use much etc but given that I have 2 litter trays plus thinking about a jumbo one i'd need to take out a loan or something to keep them filled up). Where do you get it from? Thanks

I'm pretty sure we got it from Pampurred pets or pets at home. To give you an idea of size both our siamese fit in there at the same time without being too close together, but I don't think a third could join them and it not be a squash! Its hooded, but the base part is vert deep...about 5 inches I'd guess, which really makes a difference in litter consumption compared to a shallower base.

If hooded wasn' important an underbed storage box would be a gret idea!

nicky_s_2

Sorry I haven't been around for the past few days. I buy the chick crumbs from a pet food shop in the country that sells food for farm animals (or perhaps ring an equine centre they should be able to suggest somewhere). If anyone is in West Yorkshire I go to Bentleys Grange.

HTH

Nicky

golden_eagle

Fire Fox, thanks for the tip re storage box. Very MSE . There is no Wilkinsons store where I live but Argos does a similar one so will give it a go.

lostinrates

golden_eagle wrote: »

Fire Fox, thanks for the tip re storage box. Very MSE . There is no Wilkinsons store where I live but Argos does a similar one so will give it a go.

Thinking about this, the depth, I think is what really makes a difference, and I think I'd be prompted to opt for a plastic storage box/crate of a decent size, which would also give you the benefits of high sides for little cats who haven't mastered not going over the edge of a tray :eek: and not flicking litter out while they scratch/bury.

Petal_3

Well.....WE love Okoplus - our Pixie Bob, so it turns out, loves Moonlight Pura or Catsan clumping (both really fine sandy texture). Since we gave him the option of 3 litters he uses these and not the Okoplus and has stopped weeing behind the tv and sofa!

Pah!

x

geri1965_2

I got a big litter tray from Pets at Home, they had some evern bigger ones as well.

gettingready

I use Pets at Home, wood based cat litter - about £8.99 for 30 litres bag.

My cat is 10 now and has kidney problems so pees a lot ( as he drinks a lot) and I change his tray twice per day.

Wood based cat litter does seem to make the smelly bits smell less - I use the hooded cat litter box but have 2 more in the flat, normal ones from Pets at Home with kind of rim around the edges so the cat can not dig all the litter to outside the box as they tend to do....