my cats just use an empty stall
with bedding leftover from the last clinic. It’s a giant litter box, but it keeps them from pooping in the big horse’s stall. I HATE stepping in cat poop when I’m cleaning stalls. Much easier to have a “designated” cat stall.
I only have 4 barn kittehs. 5 if you count Max, the gigantic black “rafter cat”.
I’m not the crazy cat lady. Yet.
:eek: Trust me, they do break down…
I have 4 house cats and put down about 3 inches of pellets.
Well, after having 4 cats using it, it swelled up so much, 3 inches of pellets turned into about 8 inches or so.
I had to scoop out a bunch of puffed up litter, so not to lose a cat in the stuff.
Question for the people using heating pellets–I thought they were coated with a wax or accelerant?
[QUOTE=Sing Mia Song;5290727]
Question for the people using heating pellets–I thought they were coated with a wax or accelerant?[/QUOTE]
Be sure to check the bag. It should say 100% pine (or fir or other softwood) and no additives. In the northwest it’s pretty much a given, but I refuse to buy any that are not clearly labeled.
As for tossing cat feces into the compost or into the garden, be careful. NEVER put dog or cat poop into a vegetable/edible garden, and in rose and other ornamental garden beds it can easily burn tender roots. You may have been lucky and gotten away with it, but it can and does happen.
[QUOTE=Megaladon;5284345]
Tried it but didn’t like it. We have a ton of rescue cats, and the smell was bad, and it was very messy. For lots of cats it just didn’t work–we now use Arm&Hammer clumping litter.
It would probably work better for just a couple cats. :)[/QUOTE]
Same here. I tried it and went back to clay because the smell was horrible with 5 cats. For whatever reason the cats refused to cover their poo with the pellets.
Also, I hope people aren’t really putting solid cat waste in your gardens intended for food. Ick.
More about pellet litter for cats
[QUOTE=evd;4003815]
after years of using whatevers in the grocery store, including some nasty silicon litter (i don’t know what came over me back then) i’ve switched and have been using the pellets for a couple of years. i love it because i dump the soiled litter in the leaf compost in my back yard. i also like that it doesn’t smell perfumed. catbox is in my daughters bathroom. sometimes the cat pulls a pellet out on her paws, but other than that it’s been great. it’s way less $$$ than the clay cat litters, and green.[/QUOTE]
I am wondering what I can do with the waste since I do not have a compost? I live in an apt building but would like to be more green when it comes to my pet waste:) Thoughts?
Pellets are good for cat litter box
I would just like to add a few comments and tips, not as a horse person, but as a cat person, who cares for many cats with the rescue group, ‘All Cats Matter’.
VERY IMPORTANT: The following applies to exclusively, PINE Pellets, and NOT ‘wood’ pellets which are typically use for heating, with a pellet stove. Only the PINE is worth using!! I would not recommend using anything other than PINE.
Also, when filling the litter pan, use 1/3 less, because the pellets expand to 3 times the original volume! It is important to do this primarily, so as not to waste the litter. It also, allows you to use less, thus making it more economical.
Here are my reason why I use Pine Pellets for cat litter:
It is ideal for multi-cat households and kennels.
It is excellent at controlling urine odors, especially with cats.
It requires the lowest maintenance of all litters (depending on the users preferences)*. It is the easiest to clean up after, and the least messy. Cleaning the litter pans couldn’t be any easier, compared to clumping litter, for example. Also, the saw dust from the pellets vacuums up or sweeps up quite easily. Very minimal (manageable) tracking outside the box.
It mixes well with other types of non-clumping litter, especially the non-clumping type of the brand, Fresh Step.**
It is the most economical litter in existence. This is based on performance and longevity. I replace the litter less often with the Pine pellets, and it performs near 100% up until there are no more solid pine pellets. So, it might not be the cheapest per pound, it is the most economical.
Notes:
*I typically do not tend to the litter boxes on a daily basis and remove solids, although everyone has their preference. I just wait until most, if not all the pellets, have become saw dust, and then I just dump the whole thing, including the solids into the trash and then start a new box.
Also, I typically have more litters boxes than I would normally would have, with other types of litter, simply to make my job easier. This allows me to ignore the solids easier, and it is not so much of a burden to the cats, when they have more places to ‘go’.
**When mixed with Fresh Step cat litter (available in most stores, and in larger quantities) it is, in my opinion, “the Most Ideal litter” known to man. I mix 1:1 (half and half). The Fresh step provides smaller granules to cover the solids, when most of the pellets are still solid, AND the longevity of the litter, is
equal to that of the pine pellets, meaning that the Fresh Step won’t quit working until the pellets are done (this is important).
Just an FYI: I don’t work for Fresh Step, these comments are based on my experience and based on many hours of trial and error.
If anyone would like to contact me with questions about cats, I would be pleased to respond. I love cats, and I try to help them, in any way I can, including dispelling myths, and educating anyone who wants to know more about cats. I am currently working on a book which includes topics such as ‘how to talk to your cat’, and also general tips on training your cat, also known as ‘conditioning’. I can be reached at >>> firstmm5@gmail.com << I also have a Facebook page: “All Cats Matter”. Please check it out when you have a chance. Thanks.
Only use PINE wood pellets. Pellets used in a wood stove will not work well at all. There will still be very much of an odor problem, unless you use the PINE pellets. The brands are Equine Pine, and Guardian.
Only use PINE wood pellets. Pellets used in a wood stove will not work well at all. There will still be very much of an odor problem, unless you use the PINE pellets. The brands are Equine Pine, and Guardian.
[QUOTE=Sing Mia Song;5290727]
Question for the people using heating pellets–I thought they were coated with a wax or accelerant?[/QUOTE]
Only use PINE wood pellets. Pellets used in a wood stove will not work well at all. There will still be very much of an odor problem, unless you use the PINE pellets. The brands are Equine Pine, and Guardian.
I have bought one of the new litter boxes from Tidy Cat, and it is nice but too expensive. It has pads underneath the main floor, with largish pellets. Pee falls through the floor to the pee pad. And there is a small scoop with largish holes for the pellets to fall through. I have had it for several months and only bought pellets once. I am looking for cheaper pads and pellets.
[QUOTE=hundredacres;5290954]
Same here. I tried it and went back to clay because the smell was horrible with 5 cats. For whatever reason the cats refused to cover their poo with the pellets.
Also, I hope people aren’t really putting solid cat waste in your gardens intended for food. Ick.[/QUOTE]
I’m glad to know others have had the same experience! We have seven indoor cats. I really WANTED for the pellets to work. We definitely tried. The cats would use them okay but the odor control just wasn’t there. We clean every day, usually twice a day if not being lazy, and I tried picking the pee spots out, but the pellets got really stinky really quickly. I do think they’re more environmentally friendly even if you can’t compost–and it’s okay to flush the solid wastes from pellet bedding, unlike clay which will cause a clog!
We ended up using the crystal litter; it’s the only thing that prevents the cat smell. We got some clumping one once that was TERRIBLE. And not a cheap brand either, but that stuff smelled absolutely vile. We use a kind from Wal-Mart called Mimi Cat, in a small purple bag; costs like $4/bag and lasts pretty well. I hate being non-environmentally friendly, but I am not living in a feline porta-potty, either!
This is a very old thread, but I hadn’t seen it before. 
We use horse pellets in the litter box, and I’m very pleased with the results.
We’ve been training puppies to it for years. Currently, we have a litter of 3, 6 week olds in the living room, and they are 100% reliable to the pellets. Purina used to sell recycled newspaper pellets for the purpose, but it had a strong odor, and turned into a wet mush. The wood pellets solve those problems. Cats will use it too.
[QUOTE=Tom King;7705629]
We’ve been training puppies to it for years. Currently, we have a litter of 3, 6 week olds in the living room, and they are 100% reliable to the pellets. Purina used to sell recycled newspaper pellets for the purpose, but it had a strong odor, and turned into a wet mush. The wood pellets solve those problems. Cats will use it too.[/QUOTE]
Yesterday’s News? I love that one. Hate the smell of pine.
What about mixing/using coarse, pine sawdust horse bedding?? When I’ve had to lock a barn cat in the office for whatever reason, I have two litter boxes…one with clay litter and one with sawdust (what they use in the stalls when free to choose). The cats always seem to pick the pine sawdust. In the house I use clumping litter and sprinkle baking soda in and mix it. That REALLY helps with absorption and odor. Just wondering if I could mix some sawdust. It is coarse like sand…not dusty and fine like powder.
I like Woody Pet.
It’s amazing what you find on Google sometimes!
Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I thought I’d add my own ideas!
So I used 2 Bags of the 40lb TSC pine pellets for my one cat and it lasted me 6 months.
The first time he tried using the pellets, he refused to use it because the pellets felt weird on his feet. He would stand on the edge of the litter box to use it.
I decided one day to take two scoops of the litter in a large bowl and add water - just enough to cover it. When I came back and mixed it just 15min later it was twice the size of the pellets themselves! I stirred it around and it was ready within an hour for use.
It doesn’t clump with the urine, but I can always notice the color change. There is never a smell, and it doesn’t track through the house.
However, my cat is picker than most. He likes a clean litter box. So I change mine daily. 100%. Its the easiest thing. No matter how soiled it gets during the day, I just open a bag and dump and 100% of it just falls right out. Easier than scooping IMHO. And I make a fresh batch of pine dust to throw right in after rinsing the box, and we are good to go. At 5.99 a bag - 3 months is not bad at all. I have a happy clean cat, and my sensitive stomach can easily handle the litter changes.
Hope this helps! I almost gave up on it because of the texture aversion, but he loves it as dust!
I guess I am a dissenter, but I have tried all different kinds of things (pine, etc.) and always come back to regular kitty litter. I have two cats. The Arm & Hammer line works the best for us.
[QUOTE=TrotTrotPumpkn;7853375]
I guess I am a dissenter, but I have tried all different kinds of things (pine, etc.) and always come back to regular kitty litter. I have two cats. The Arm & Hammer line works the best for us.[/QUOTE]
This! The new Arm and Hammer works well, but their box is a nuisance to deal with. I like flip top plastic containers better.
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