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feline:cat-litter [2021/05/31 23:24] – [Addendum: Diatomaceous Earth] marcos | feline:cat-litter [2023/12/21 04:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 | ||
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+ | ~~META: | ||
+ | title = Cat Litter: Reducing Exertion and Cost | ||
+ | ~~ | ||
+ | |||
+ | // IMO, most automatic cat litter boxes are more trouble than they are worth. | ||
+ | |||
+ | // If you want to significantly reduce the amount of work and the cost of having a litter box for your cat, then use disintegrating pellets with a litter box that sifts the sawdust to a lower level, as described in the Equine Pine Pellets section below. // | ||
+ | |||
+ | ====== Cat Litter ====== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The following litters are made of pine or corn or wheat. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Notice there are two strategies covered here. One strategy involves clumping litter, where peeing causes the litter to make a clump. | ||
+ | |||
+ | I list the clumping litter method first, because it is the traditional way, but I prefer the method with the Equine Pine Pellets. | ||
+ | |||
+ | There are two downsides to the pellets. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A third option I'm covering as an afterthought, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Also check out diatomaceous earth litter, covered in the addendum. | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[https:// | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== Corn or Wheat Based Clumping Litter ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | With clumping litter, peeing causes wet litter to agglomerate so you can scoop it. Scooping should be frequent, because, while the clumps hold together, if allowed to dry for a day or more, you end up with clumps that have shed a lot of corn-pee-dust. | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Litter Boxes ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The best litter boxes are large and have high walls, such as the [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you want something that has a roof, IMO it's better to use a small dog house over a conventional cat box, rather than a cat box with a built in roof. I don't really like a roof because I want to be able to see the status of the litter without having to remove anything, especially if it has an exact fit or latches to fuddle with. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The best cat box can be a tall tupperware container, as seen in [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Update: This [[https:// | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Sifting Litter Box ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | You can also use some sifting litter boxes, which include two boxes and one sifter that stack together. | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== Equine Pine Pellets / Wood Pellets / Walnut Pellets ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is my favorite litter system, because you only have to scoop the poopsies. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Equine pellets are used for horse bedding, usually sold in 40 lb bags, and priced at $5.99 at the [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I called Tractor Supply and was referred to the vendor who actually manufactured the bag of pelletized bedding... I was told they actually bake it at a much higher heat degree than a kiln, and twice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | I don't think the wood pellets for fuel are the same thing. | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Sifting Litter Boxes ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Peeing on the pellets causes them to turn to sawdust, which can be self-sifting to a lower level under the top level where the cat uses the litter. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The advantages of this method: | ||
+ | * you only scoop the poop | ||
+ | * practically no litter scatter, because the large pellets don't stick to cat feet | ||
+ | * lowest priced litter, and you use much less of it | ||
+ | * only the one sifting pan will get dirty | ||
+ | * no need to lift the sifting pan, just kick the box a bit or stir the litter with the scooper | ||
+ | * never need to change the litter, since litter is continuously being added, and old litter turns to sawdust and gets sifted | ||
+ | * sifted litter is removed once every two weeks by discarding the dog pee mat covering the lower level | ||
+ | |||
+ | I have only found two litter boxes designed for this purpose, available in the USA. The Breeze Box, and the All Pine Litter Box. Further searching revealed other manufacturers in other countries, detailed in a section below. | ||
+ | |||
+ | I learned about this method in [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Alternatively, | ||
+ | Although, I think slots work better than drill holes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Below is a picture of some stilts in action, on a litterbox called the [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Also working, according to some comments under the video and in the reviews at amazon, is the [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Update 20200530: | ||
+ | |||
+ | I got an Arm and Hammer sifting litter box, and it works great! | ||
+ | |||
+ | The Arm & Hammer sieve slots are also wider, and because of this, some small pieces of pellets fall through. | ||
+ | |||
+ | I modified the Arm & Hammer box using 1" PVC pipe, and duct tape. Technically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | ==== Sifting Slot Width ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The sifting slots have to be the right width. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wondering about the slots in sifting litter boxes, I went to Petsmart, and looked at their sifting litter box selection, which included the **Breeze box** recommended in the video. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | This one is the Van Ness XL sifting litter box, which has holes so big the pellets just fall through: | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | One thing to note, is that the newer version of the Breeze box (pictured above) has slightly narrower slots than the previous model. | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== European Sifting Litter Boxes ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | It's crazy how there are so many awesome products we never even hear about. | ||
+ | https:// | ||
+ | https:// | ||
+ | https:// | ||
+ | https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | They have many models, and they are made for wood pellets! | ||
+ | |||
+ | I got a response from Brit-Pet, in the comments section at the bottom of the article, which says they can ship their boxes to USA.\\ | ||
+ | I also got a response from Pee Wee in an email, that says: | ||
+ | <WRAP center round box 95%> | ||
+ | Unfortunately we don’t have a distributor in the USA at the moment. | ||
+ | You can maybe contact Pets Gifts, they are a selling point here in the Netherlands and maybe they can help you.\\ | ||
+ | There e-mail address is contact@petsgifts.nl. | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Pine Pellet and Zeolite Pellet Comparison ==== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Below a size comparison of Exquisicat pine pellets with Breeze box system pellets made of [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | In searching to see if zeolite dust might be toxic, I came across [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Update: I mixed the pine pellets and the zeolite pelles together in the same litter box, and have found that the zeolite pellets last forever. | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | \\ | ||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | ===== Addendum: Diatomaceous Earth ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | I moved to another country, and started using diatomaceous earth, as I didn't have too many other options. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Update: I stayed at another location without a yard, and the litter lasted for 3 weeks before it started smelling of ammonia. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Inhaled diatomaceous earth can have silica that is [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{: | ||
+ | |||
+ | \\ |