Budget Kitty Litter for the Pet Parent :)

[DisneyAprilFool]

Okay, I might save money here and there- but the place where I tend to splurge is my pets! With dogs and cats- sometimes, it's better to buy quality products versus the cheaper, generic stuff, ya know?

Anyways, I found a kitty litter I do love- Feline Pine- it's very low in regard to dust (dusty litter affects your cat's respiratory tract) and it's made of pellets that disentegrate when urine hit them- and you can't smell the pee like normal litters! It's a bit pricey though

BUT I just figured out today, through some online research, that wood pellets- the type you buy at the feed store OR at Home Depot-type places, are the exact same thing as Feline Pine- and usually only $5 for a 40 pound bag!

Has anyone used just plain wood pellets? My cats aren't picky- they just want a clean box to use the potty in. My nose is what's picky- but the perfumed litters just don't cut it- they make poop smell flowery and flowery poop is just as bad as regular poop!

I'm going out to see if I can get a bag of this and try it out. If it works- that'd be great! I have 6 cats and 1 super-cat and I need all of the litter I can get at a decent price!

 

[EverythingDisney]

Okay, I might save money here and there- but the place where I tend to splurge is my pets! With dogs and cats- sometimes, it's better to buy quality products versus the cheaper, generic stuff, ya know?

Anyways, I found a kitty litter I do love- Feline Pine- it's very low in regard to dust (dusty litter affects your cat's respiratory tract) and it's made of pellets that disentegrate when urine hit them- and you can't smell the pee like normal litters! It's a bit pricey though

BUT I just figured out today, through some online research, that wood pellets- the type you buy at the feed store OR at Home Depot-type places, are the exact same thing as Feline Pine- and usually only $5 for a 40 pound bag!

Has anyone used just plain wood pellets? My cats aren't picky- they just want a clean box to use the potty in. My nose is what's picky- but the perfumed litters just don't cut it- they make poop smell flowery and flowery poop is just as bad as regular poop!

I'm going out to see if I can get a bag of this and try it out. If it works- that'd be great! I have 6 cats and 1 super-cat and I need all of the litter I can get at a decent price!

I had no idea about this- but would love to hear someones opinion on this.
I also had no idea about "the dust". I usually just buy whats cheapest. We have 2 cats, they too just want a clean box.

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

Yup, when the cat is digging around in the box and kicking up that dust- it gets into their noses and respiratory tract. Well, it's really NOT good for them and if you can avoid it- it's best to do so. Sometimes, you have to do what you afford- there are times, we buy the Walmart cheap-o bags of litter. But if you can afford better litter, by all means, purchase it. A lot of bags will note low dust or low dust residue

I'm going out to hunt for wood pellets right now. Hope I can easily find some!

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

I haven't, but my dad uses wood pellets in his stove.. Haha, anyway, I also looked it up on the net. The one poster did warn that sometimes the pellets have additives so make sure you're getting the ones that are just wood. Said they'd work the same, lots of other posters said they work. Just use the sifting litter pan like you do with FP and you'll think it aces.

Oh my dad buys his pellets at either the Ace hardware store or at the pool store (in PA in the winter most of them sell stoves haha).

 

[Hedy]

Trader Joe's has a cheap pine litter. We mix it with regular litter to extend it and reduce odor.

 

[PatriciaH]

We mix S'Wheet litter with a little Feline Pine clumping (smells fresh.) It has been SO much better than using the clay clumping litter. We used to use Cats Pride and the cats kicked up a load of dust. It is bad for them to lick the clay litter off their paws too. It can clump in their system. The S'Wheet is all natural and safe to eat!

 

[jjenniboo]

Just use the sifting litter pan like you do with FP and you'll think it aces.


I've never used feline pine but am interested in the pine wood pellets but what is a sifting litter pan ??

 

[gnbuggy]

I had no clue the dust was that bad for the kitties. Ya learn something everyday, huh? Im very intrigued by the the wood pellet thing. I havent ever used Feline Pine. But you have to use a sifting litter pan? My poor cats have to use a tall rubber maid box, since the dogs like kittie rocha too much.

 

[Cruise]

Ok... I'm confused...

Anyways, I found a kitty litter I do love- Feline Pine- it's very low in regard to dust (dusty litter affects your cat's respiratory tract) and it's made of pellets that disentegrate when urine hit them- and you can't smell the pee like normal litters! It's a bit pricey though

This gives me the picture of the pellets "melting" or something... so what happens to the urine? It kinda seems like it would turn to sludge or something in this scenario. I'm used to using clumping litter, so the urine clumps and the poo is already clumps, , so then I can just scoop it all out.

Is this something where you'd be completely changing out the litter and cleaning the pan every couple of days? I'm used to sifting out clumps every day or two and then doing a total clean less frequently.

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

The pellets turn into dust, for lack of a better word, but it's heavier then dust and stays in the pan- versus getting up into the air and your cat breathing it. You scoop the poop and leave everything else until you change out the whole box.

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

I've never used feline pine but am interested in the pine wood pellets but what is a sifting litter pan ??

Basically it is a combination of pans, with holes in it. The bottom pan is just a regular pan. I've also had one that was interlocking sifting pans, without a regular pan - and the holes were not in the same directions so it didn't "leak" (well, very much anyway).

I had no clue the dust was that bad for the kitties. Ya learn something everyday, huh? Im very intrigued by the the wood pellet thing. I havent ever used Feline Pine. But you have to use a sifting litter pan? My poor cats have to use a tall rubber maid box, since the dogs like kittie rocha too much.

No you don't have to use a sifting pan! It just makes life easier, haha. You'd just dump it all at the end then.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

We use cheap unscented Publix litter and are very happy with it. We've been using it forever (like my siggie says, my cat is 20 years old ) and have not noted any respiratory issues. The cat only uses the box a few times a day, and it's no where near where he spends most of his time, so maybe that's why it's not a problem?

I hate stinky cat litter and I would rather change cheap litter every day than to scoop, sift, etc--my mother did the scoop/sift thing and changed the litter every other day and I could ALWAYS smell it (she couldn't though, she was used to it! ).

 

[tghamilton]

I have recently discovered "World's Best Cat Litter" and yep that really is the name. I had $2 off coupons for it and thought I would try it. It is $5.99 a bag and the bags are about medium size. I think it is corn or something like that, supposed to be natural. So far I really like it. I used the whole bag in one box around the end of March and haven't changed it yet. I don't know that I would spend $5.99 per bag but if I run across more coupons, I will certainly buy it. Clumps really well and I think it helps the smell. Plus no dust.

 

[Kycha]

Okay, I might save money here and there- but the place where I tend to splurge is my pets! With dogs and cats- sometimes, it's better to buy quality products versus the cheaper, generic stuff, ya know?

Anyways, I found a kitty litter I do love- Feline Pine- it's very low in regard to dust (dusty litter affects your cat's respiratory tract) and it's made of pellets that disentegrate when urine hit them- and you can't smell the pee like normal litters! It's a bit pricey though

BUT I just figured out today, through some online research, that wood pellets- the type you buy at the feed store OR at Home Depot-type places, are the exact same thing as Feline Pine- and usually only $5 for a 40 pound bag!

Has anyone used just plain wood pellets? My cats aren't picky- they just want a clean box to use the potty in. My nose is what's picky- but the perfumed litters just don't cut it- they make poop smell flowery and flowery poop is just as bad as regular poop!

I'm going out to see if I can get a bag of this and try it out. If it works- that'd be great! I have 6 cats and 1 super-cat and I need all of the litter I can get at a decent price!

Wow! Let us know if this works for you. Maybe you could ask your vet what their opinion is.

 

[katieandallycat]

I work at Orchard Supply Hardware and was using Feline Pine, with 4 cats it was pricey, but I liked that it was easy and light to change even when I had to change the whole pan. Then a breeder kept coming in and buying the wood pellets, we were talking one day and she suggested switching. The bags are 40lbs for $5.99 and last about 5 or so weeks(that was for 4 cats). Worked great.
Last fall/winter we had to change to clumping litter due to one 18 year old cat that decided he didn't like the pellets anymore. In a way it was good, because that was the winter the factory apparently burnt down and we were out of wood pellets for months. Then we were out of the Noah's Choice Anminal bedding(used in stalls for horses, but the same principal, pellets that turn to sawdust), because pellet stove owners realized they could use them in their pellets stoves.

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

That's what I just bought- the Noah's Choice Animal Bedding My vet actually said it's a good choice for an alternative litter- and since rescues use it because they go through bulk litter easily, I definitely know it's safe!

But how long it will last- now that's the question!

 

[pppiglet]

I also use the Worlds Best Cat Litter and yes it's made from corn and won't hurt them if they eat it. It is pricy, but with 9 cats, they have a rewards program and I turn in the UPC codes and get coupons all the time. Here it's 7.99 for a 7lb bag and 17.99 for a 17lb bag. I love the stuff. So easy to clean and scoop.

The stuff the adoption people use in the pet store is the cheap stuff and the cats sometimes like to lay in the litter boxes. They always feel dusty when you go to pet them. Feels awful!