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Tried wood products in the litter box yet?



 
 
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  #21  
Old September 4th 03, 03:51 PM
Knack
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Posts: n/a
Default


"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  
Old September 4th 03, 03:51 PM
Knack
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"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  
Old November 29th 05, 03:01 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
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Posts: n/a
Default 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  
Old November 29th 05, 03:16 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default 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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