Topic: Question about wood-based litter (Read 4405 times)

Gemma H (Akandra) · « **Reply #25 on:** December 16, 2006, 21:34:09 PM »

I use the wood based litter too. My cats do trapse dust around a bit. I did use Beauticat from Sainsburys, but have switched to Bob Martin from Asda. It lasts longer and there is less dust. I use a spare toilet pedestal mat outside their hooded box at the mo, but I will get a proper mat I think.

The only smell is of pine, because the litter is made of pine. I'm not a huge fan of pine scented things myself, but I can't smell it unless I'm cleaning out the tray itself (which oh does since he has no sense of smell). It doesn't hide the smell when the cat has only just used the tray, which I think some litters do, but I would rather that than use a product full of chemicals to protect my nose for 5 mins.

Ela · « **Reply #24 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:46:20 AM »

Quote

she does flick the litter about outside the tray but she does this with every type

So do mine, I find the wood no worse than any other, in fact I find it easer to see to brush up.( I mean my husband does as that is usually his job).

Katherine · « **Reply #23 on:** December 12, 2006, 18:29:10 PM »

I dont seem to have a problem with crunchie transporting sawdust on her feet or tail, I dont know why that would be, she does flick the litter about outside the tray but she does this with every type

fleur · « **Reply #22 on:** December 12, 2006, 11:14:46 AM »

I've stopped using wood pellets because although I found it hid the smell beautifully, I was getting utterly fed up of the mess! One of mine has such a long tail it would get covered in sawdust and it got all in their feet too so they'd tramp it everywhere. Literally everywhere. So unhygienic. I just found a really really amazing one at Pets at Home, also wood based but clumping. it's called Cat's Best Öko Plus, and it is really brilliant, clumps so well so the pee can be scooped out right away, it's natural and compostable wood and it doesn't cost as much as the world's best. It's about £5.99 for 10l, but cheaper online, and since you don't have to change it as often since you remove everything when you scoop, it's really economical.

Katherine · « **Reply #21 on:** December 11, 2006, 20:00:31 PM »

I use the wood pellets (pets at home or beauticat or morrisons) I think it does have a smell but only of wood, not of cat deposits! I don't think my house smells of it, I always ask people and they say no, (hope they arent just being polite) although when I take my kitty away with me and have the litter in the car the car does take on a woody smell! I scoop out the wet sawdust and solids every day and change the whole lot when it looks like there is sawdust in there rather than pellets. I find the wood pellets the best as they dont stick to the bottom of the tray in a gooey mess like the clumping litters and are easier to scoop than the non clumping kid I think. I have used catsan and it is good but I think it is very expensive.
Hope that helps.

Linda (Bengalbabe) · « **Reply #20 on:** December 09, 2006, 23:04:37 PM »

I also use wooden pellets in hooded litter boxes with filters. No more smelly than other litter types as far as I am concerned. Maybe the hooded litter boxes help?

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #19 on:** December 09, 2006, 22:47:17 PM »

I am going to start using it for the fosters soon - I stopped using it as Ginger hated it - not that I use the fosters litter for my cats, but didn't want two trays in teh front room (which is what I ended up with!!) - turned out Ginger hated any pellet type litters though, he would rather use my carpet!! I also had issues with the hoover and woodbased, but have had issues with Sophisticat too (both dust related), so will see if it is any better now. I personally prefer clumping, and might go back to it, it will just cost me a bit more. the girls have a covered litter tray for X Mas though, so might not need it.

Mark · « **Reply #18 on:** December 05, 2006, 18:57:11 PM »

Glad you reminded me - I have a some simple litter box deodouriser - I guess it works the same way as the other one. I smelled the tray this morning and it smells like a forest glade

Kittybabe (Ruth) · « **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2006, 18:51:41 PM »

MArk I started Lexy off on wood pellets from Beauticat. Its not the cheapest but also not the most expensive. I buy either 30L or 15L bags (Sainsburys sometimes stock the 15L bags and I get the 30L from pet store).

My sister and mum also use wood pellets. We've all found that if we used the hooded trays with filters there are no smells, but I found with Beauticat, hood or no hood, no smell.

I also compliment the litter tray with Simple Solution spray (odour eliminator).

I use a scoop every morning to clean up the soiled bits, but I don't clean it out when its wet (fresh), just when its about dry, makes clean up easier.

I also have a littler mat (bought at PAH), that you place at the door to the tray which helps the cat clean their paws before they leave.

No one can tell I have a cat apart from obvious toys etc (since Lexy hides!), and a friend of mine who is very sensitive to cat smells loves to visit since she can never smell the tray or the cat!

Team Svartalfheims · « **Reply #16 on:** December 05, 2006, 17:51:14 PM »

Quote from: Gill (sneakiefeline) on December 05, 2006, 17:41:57 PM

I will make sure I get it before franta does

Lol yep or else he'll be trying to unwrap it himself. I sellotaped the envelope shut just in case your postman arrives early in the morning and the cats get to the envelope first

.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2006, 17:41:57 PM »

Oooooooooooooooooooooo Thanks for sending the mouse, I will make sure I get it before franta does

You are very kind

Gill

tab · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2006, 16:49:48 PM »

I started using wood pellets as I was given a few bags from a friend whose cat wouldnt use them. Since
giving up smoking I noticed that the room smelt so I took both trays out and scrubbed them and the floor, and simple soloutioned it but I have to say I still think it smells and will probably be going back to catsan type litter as soon as this bag is finished.

Of course it doesnt help that Mogs is a nightmare for wee ing over the tray. I got a hooded one but she manages to wee direct on the join and make it leak

so I usually have piles of newspaper under the trays but unless I see the papers wet I dont always know shes missed. So basically the other type might be just as bad for me smell wise and maybe I should just start smoking again so the whole place smells bad but not of cat pee lol
love
Tab

Ela · « **Reply #13 on:** December 05, 2006, 16:46:16 PM »

Quote

Hi Mark, 1 of my friends uses wood based cat litter because its cheep, but i think it leaves a funny smell in the house and its hard to get rid of the smell if used for a long period of time, there was a bit of a nasty smell in her house. .

Some of our fosterers use Beauticat and have done so for years, there should be no smell apart from the obvious (when a cat does a poo) If there is a smell we always say that something wrong with the cat. Believe me I know cat tray smell I go in enough houses where it is awful. I know my house does not stink also quite recently a plumber came into our house did what he has to and a few days later my neighbour came and said Elaine I feel I must tell you. as it is a complement. I had that plumber also and he said he could not believe how many cats you said you had because he could not smell anything and often houses with cats smell.

Sometimes people put litter in our collecting bins so I feel I should use it rather than waste it, but apart from the wood corn, Danish pink the rest I can smell. I have tried that litter the should last about 1 month for 1 cat and it freeze dries the poo. but after a few days the litter stinks of weeee. Well about 10 actually and the tray was so heavy, The litter looked nice still from the top, but when I emptied it it was horrible underneath. I must say I do sort of like it though but change much more frequently then the 30 days.

In a normal size litter tray I just put in between 1 and a half and 2 ltrs that is plenty, take the poo out as soon as it has been done and change completely when necessary.

I suppose as with most things in life this is a subject we will not all agree.

Kezza · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2006, 16:42:06 PM »

I tried to use wood pellets in Barneys tray but I don't think he liked the smell of it (teco's one) and in the end he started to use his bed as a toilet twice in one day

So I quickly changed back to catsan and he was fine, decided I had better stick with what he likes!

Team Svartalfheims · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2006, 16:28:37 PM »

Gill: Posted Franta's mouse to him today so it should arrive tomorrow.

Team Svartalfheims · « **Reply #10 on:** December 05, 2006, 16:28:02 PM »

I used wood pellets for about 5 weeks but Tigger and I mutually agreed that they were nasty (it smelt and the tracking was awful!) so we went over to Litter Pearls silica litter which is great and eradicates smell and 1 bag lasts a cat up to 1 month.
I now use WBCL as I get discounts on it which with the amount mine go through is always handy and it's really good as well. I use the extra strength one and it even covers up the smell of Bilbo's wee which is quite strong. Can flush it straight down the loo too which is really handy

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #9 on:** December 05, 2006, 16:11:10 PM »

I think it depends on the type of wood pelets used. I always use this and use Smartcat which a petshop gets for me. I think its the best one around and I dont have any wood smells. In fact it smells pleasantly natural to me and it is far more absorbant than cheaper wood pellets. Bag costs me £10.20 now.

I cover the bottom of each tray with a good layer and then take out the soiled bits and as much sawdust as possible and refill. The more you put in the better it is cos the cats then have a good amount to use to cover with...............Misa likes to package every thing up in a nice neat parcel using every pellet!!

With 4 cats a 30 litre bag lasts for about a month, although Sasa always goes outside and the others do when they feel like it, so the bag lasts longer in the summer.

ccmacey · « **Reply #8 on:** December 05, 2006, 14:44:51 PM »

Sorry Mark, i wasn't implying your house will smell, i think its just the usual smell of the wood, which for me is not nice if its not well ventilated. Catsan does clumping litter but i think it only comes in 10L bags, maybe somewhere like pets at home does bigger bags, i have plug-in air fresheners around my house as I'm paranoid about the smell too, but catsan is good for controlling odors, unless you have smelly arse cats like me, my god they stink the house out. LOL

Gail Bengal Slave · « **Reply #7 on:** December 05, 2006, 14:37:15 PM »

Mark - Have you tried yesterdays news?

I have been using this for 18 months now, I did use worlds best but it was expensieve as Zebedee was a kitten. Now my garden is cat proofed Thai and Zubin go out but Zeb always uses his box, and I find this litter is really good. I change it twice a week, depending on how much it has been used.

Mark · « **Reply #6 on:** December 05, 2006, 14:17:50 PM »

I know the pack says 1cm. I was getting a clumping one in a plastic tub which seemed to last a while but I can't find it. I have to be extra careful with bad smells as willow's tray is is the kitchen of my B&B - I will be really paranoid now! - I got a 30L bag for £7.49 for our local garden/pet centre.

ccmacey · « **Reply #5 on:** December 05, 2006, 13:42:31 PM »

Hi Liz, I wouldn't like to be in charge of looking after the cats in your house, how many have you got? have they taken you prisoner?LOL

Liz · « **Reply #4 on:** December 05, 2006, 13:16:35 PM »

We us it in our 17 litter trays and only just cover the bottom of each one and remove silids and very wet sawdust and flush away and then top up - one normal mug = one litter tray - apart from the covered ones they get 3 mugs!

It is easily flushed and works for us - also some love to chase the pellets around the house - they have no toys!!!!!

ccmacey · « **Reply #3 on:** December 05, 2006, 13:02:04 PM »

Hi Mark, 1 of my friends uses wood based cat litter because its cheep, but i think it leaves a funny smell in the house and its hard to get rid of the smell if used for a long period of time, there was a bit of a nasty smell in her house. I use catsan its not great but its good for soaking up wee and you can also buy litter trays with a rim around the top so the cats cant flick all the litter out when covering.

LeighK · « **Reply #2 on:** December 05, 2006, 12:23:13 PM »

Hi Mark,

I use it with my three and it is a bit messy as it turns to sawdust when it gets wet as they tiddle in it which results in sawdust footprints across the carpet/rugs however it is very good value for money and with 3 cats and litter trays it lasts me a week before completely changing. I got some good-priced 30L bags from petsathome.

Cheers

Leigh

Mark · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2006, 12:13:30 PM »

I have tried almost every litter going (except worlds best) and now trying wood based - I seems to work out cheap, but do you change it every day (it doesn't say on the pack). The little tubes expand and go back to sawdust when they get wet but not sure if I need to change it every day (other than take "solids" out)

I thought I would try it as the cattery I went to last week uses it.

It looks like it could be messy to clean up?
Advice please

Author Topic: Question about wood-based litter (Read 4405 times)

ccmacey

ccmacey

ccmacey