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#21
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"Zydeco29" wrote in message ... "Knack" wrote in message ... This summer I've experimented with some little-known materials in the single enclosed litterbox for my 4 cats. First I tried a 50-50% mixture of pine shavings + wood pellets. The wood pellets were not the expensive 'Feline Pine' pine pellets available at Petco, but instead were the relatively cheap pellets that are used as fuel for wood pellet stoves. The 12" x 19" box was charged only once to depth of about 4". I used a standard litter sifter only about every 2-3 days because the enclosed system contained and cancelled odor so excellently. I noticed that after about 5 weeks the entire contents was reduced to sawdust. However, I tolerated the tracking of the sawdust because of the continued absorbancy and odor cancellation, which was amazing. The next-to-last week of use I noticed an odor, but there was still no unabsorbed urine puddling at the bottom of the box. So I spread the litterbox contents out on a clear plastic tarp and after a few hours the intense outdoor sunlight dried the sawdust for reuse. This turned out to be unsuccessful at abating the odor, so after one more week (the 9-week point) I dumped this first batch into a composter. This compost shall not be applied to a fruit or vegetable garden. i have one cat that purrfers the wood pellets over litter. the other one likes to use the regular clumping litter. i'm just wondering why you went 9 weeks before changing the pellets! i just dump my whole litter box every 3rd day or so. i mean, really, why go so long? i only pay a couple of dollars for a 50# bag. even dumping the whole box out, i still only spend pennies a day. and i never have a tracking problem with it doing it this way. the used pellets, or sawdust, goes to the bottom and the pellets stay on top. when i dump it's about half pellets and half sawdust and the pellets seem to help clean the paws so there's no tracking. now the clumping litter.......that's another story.......no matter what i do it tracks.... best regards, connie It just occurred to me that if you're using 100% wood pellets (which I haven't yet tried), then they should be replaced earlier (on the basis of tracking) rather than later (on the basis of odor control). This is because wood pellets have excellent anti-tracking ability *when they are new*, which gradually degrades to terrible tracking later on when they disintegrate to sawdust. So if the endpoint for replacing wood pellet litter is some point when the litterbox has too high a dust content (as the pellets disintegrate), then that takes care of the tracking problem while still providing a superior (albeit reduced) economical advantage over the use of clay as litter material. So which form of wood litter is best; pellets or shavings? If you own a wood pellet furnace, then the choice should be wood pellets so that the spent litter could be used as fuel. If you have no use for the spent litter as landscape mulch, then the choice should be wood pellets, but you must dispose of the spent litter. If you do not have a location for the litterbox where very high tracking can be tolerated, then the choice should again be wood pellets. If you insist on a litter to be later used as landscape mulch after it has been spent in the litterbox, then the choice is wood shavings, in which case you must also have a location for the litterbox where very high tracking can be tolerated, such as a garage or basement. |
#22
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"Zydeco29" wrote in message ... "Knack" wrote in message ... This summer I've experimented with some little-known materials in the single enclosed litterbox for my 4 cats. First I tried a 50-50% mixture of pine shavings + wood pellets. The wood pellets were not the expensive 'Feline Pine' pine pellets available at Petco, but instead were the relatively cheap pellets that are used as fuel for wood pellet stoves. The 12" x 19" box was charged only once to depth of about 4". I used a standard litter sifter only about every 2-3 days because the enclosed system contained and cancelled odor so excellently. I noticed that after about 5 weeks the entire contents was reduced to sawdust. However, I tolerated the tracking of the sawdust because of the continued absorbancy and odor cancellation, which was amazing. The next-to-last week of use I noticed an odor, but there was still no unabsorbed urine puddling at the bottom of the box. So I spread the litterbox contents out on a clear plastic tarp and after a few hours the intense outdoor sunlight dried the sawdust for reuse. This turned out to be unsuccessful at abating the odor, so after one more week (the 9-week point) I dumped this first batch into a composter. This compost shall not be applied to a fruit or vegetable garden. i have one cat that purrfers the wood pellets over litter. the other one likes to use the regular clumping litter. i'm just wondering why you went 9 weeks before changing the pellets! i just dump my whole litter box every 3rd day or so. i mean, really, why go so long? i only pay a couple of dollars for a 50# bag. even dumping the whole box out, i still only spend pennies a day. and i never have a tracking problem with it doing it this way. the used pellets, or sawdust, goes to the bottom and the pellets stay on top. when i dump it's about half pellets and half sawdust and the pellets seem to help clean the paws so there's no tracking. now the clumping litter.......that's another story.......no matter what i do it tracks.... best regards, connie It just occurred to me that if you're using 100% wood pellets (which I haven't yet tried), then they should be replaced earlier (on the basis of tracking) rather than later (on the basis of odor control). This is because wood pellets have excellent anti-tracking ability *when they are new*, which gradually degrades to terrible tracking later on when they disintegrate to sawdust. So if the endpoint for replacing wood pellet litter is some point when the litterbox has too high a dust content (as the pellets disintegrate), then that takes care of the tracking problem while still providing a superior (albeit reduced) economical advantage over the use of clay as litter material. So which form of wood litter is best; pellets or shavings? If you own a wood pellet furnace, then the choice should be wood pellets so that the spent litter could be used as fuel. If you have no use for the spent litter as landscape mulch, then the choice should be wood pellets, but you must dispose of the spent litter. If you do not have a location for the litterbox where very high tracking can be tolerated, then the choice should again be wood pellets. If you insist on a litter to be later used as landscape mulch after it has been spent in the litterbox, then the choice is wood shavings, in which case you must also have a location for the litterbox where very high tracking can be tolerated, such as a garage or basement. |
#23
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Tried wood products in the litter box yet?
as someone noted, sawdust generated by used pellets tends to fall leaving
low-tracking pellets on top. Perhaps a shake back and forth after sifting or between siftings would send even more south. Anyway, I'm gonna do it. I loathe carpeting-- my tile and rustic wide plank floors wont suffer. (114 yr old home/money pit!) I presume everyone uses tracking mats in front of box. Watch: if cat steps out wide, move mat out to catch first paw instead of abutting box. if rectangular, turn longways to catch as much as possible. angle box and mat to cat's preferred exit direction. if cat climbs out sideways, overstepping mat, re-direct exit with litter box hood. never had much tracking prob; elevated hood opening itself requires extra step or two when exiting knocking some litter off. also notice claw marks around opening so she must pull at it a time or two. oversize sisal door mat works well if space permits. my cat lingers and pops claws on the sisal which is a plus. maybe ur pet would respond to cat toy tied to middle of mat with short lead enticing moment of play. if short on space, locate narrow mat against wall in nearest available spot with tied toy so tracking is controlled. el cheapo end-cut corrugated cardboard scratching pads with catnip (included) are REAL narrow. i wedge one out of the way in living room where no one notices and she uses it CONSTANTLY. Thanx for the wood products tip. Happy Holidays! |
#24
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Tried wood products in the litter box yet?
as someone noted, sawdust generated by used pellets tends to fall leaving
low-tracking pellets on top. Perhaps a shake back and forth after sifting or between siftings would send even more south. Anyway, I'm gonna do it. I loathe carpeting-- my tile and rustic wide plank floors wont suffer. (114 yr old home/money pit!) I presume everyone uses tracking mats in front of box. Watch: if cat steps out wide, move mat out to catch first paw instead of abutting box. if rectangular, turn longways to catch as much as possible. angle box and mat to cat's preferred exit direction. if cat climbs out sideways, overstepping mat, re-direct exit with litter box hood. never had much tracking prob; elevated hood opening itself requires extra step or two when exiting knocking some litter off. also notice claw marks around opening so she must pull at it a time or two. oversize sisal door mat works well if space permits. my cat lingers and pops claws on the sisal which is a plus. maybe ur pet would respond to cat toy tied to middle of mat with short lead enticing moment of play. if short on space, locate narrow mat against wall in nearest available spot with tied toy so tracking is controlled. el cheapo end-cut corrugated cardboard scratching pads with catnip (included) are REAL narrow. i wedge one out of the way in living room where no one notices and she uses it CONSTANTLY. Thanx for the wood products tip. Happy Holidays! |
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