I've recently switched to horse pellet bedding for kitty litter (I found it pretty widely recommended). I've been slowly adding more and more to the original Arm&Hammer clumping litter, and my one-year-old seems to be fine with it. But darn if those pellets won't sift through my litter scoop. Has anyone found a practical alternative? Thanks all!
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A scoop for horse pellet litter?
- Thread starter dwdanby
- Start Date
If I understand correctly, you are really having the same dilemma that many of us have with 'regular' litter. The holes are too big and they let 'stuff' sift through back into the litter. As I understand it, the pellets turn to sawdust when wettened by urine. Would something like this work?
So Phresh Small Animal Litter Scoop, 12" L X 5" W X 1.5" H | Petco
If I am getting this 'backwards' then maybe something like this is the answer for you.
Amazon.com : Depets Cat Litter Scoop, Litter Scoop with Wide Slats, Kitty Litter Scooper for Pine Pellets, Durable Plastic Litter Sifter Scoop - Designed for Easy Sifting, Milky White : Pet Supplies
So Phresh Small Animal Litter Scoop, 12" L X 5" W X 1.5" H | Petco
If I am getting this 'backwards' then maybe something like this is the answer for you.
Amazon.com : Depets Cat Litter Scoop, Litter Scoop with Wide Slats, Kitty Litter Scooper for Pine Pellets, Durable Plastic Litter Sifter Scoop - Designed for Easy Sifting, Milky White : Pet Supplies
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
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A 40 pound of pellets will last a whole month for my two cats with me taking out the poo and darker really wet powdered sawdust on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day. I don't put a whole lot of pellets in anyways, as they powder and fluff up so much when wet.
Again, I remove the really dark wet area and any excess moisture gets taken up by the cup of pellets I add about every other day. I will then empty everything about every 7 days and start over with all fresh pellets.
If your cat(s) are taking to the litter with pellets just fine, I wouldn't be too worried about losing some still formed pellets in the process given how far a 40 pound bag of pellets will last.
You probably could just hurry the process along by using more pellets and less clumping litter. If you still have a good portion of clumping litter left, maybe you have a friend or a cat rescue that might want it?.
Once you are using all wood pellet litter...you will still lose some formed pellets when scooping, but in a day or two, you will have a lot of powdered stuff in there and just clean that up first before tossing in some more pellets if you wish to clean the box that way. I know some folks would probably just dump it all out...but I'm super poor and I can't afford to do that when the powdered litter is still usable. It's slightly damp, but I think too it's not all from urine...but that it's drawing some moisture out of the air. So I just just get rid of the obvious wet/dark powdered stuff.
I also toss in about 1/4 a cup of Arm & Hammer baking soda after the pellets get powdery to help control smell, and will do that at least one more time before the 7 days are up and I toss the whole lot out.
Stormy
My boy has switched over to Tofu Cat Litter and this is the scoop I use to scoop his litter now.
Hi
stormy
Having had horses my entire life I've not found the pellets to absorb any moisture from the air and I'm in Florida where it's very humid so I'm not really sure it's not from the urine - those pellets really seem make the most of the smallest amount of urine,don't you agree- super absorbent but so difficult to clean imo- but of course I've only used them in box stalls and they were not cost effective as " bedding"..... now using it in a little old litter box would save a ton of money even if you just shovel it out without sifting - right?
I would suggest a sifting litter box instead of sifting with a scooper-I understand the dust buildup is a problem and increased tracking when using this type of thing for litter in a typical litter box- with a sifting box all the sawdust with fall through to the bottom pan....
Hope that's helpful info
stormy
Having had horses my entire life I've not found the pellets to absorb any moisture from the air and I'm in Florida where it's very humid so I'm not really sure it's not from the urine - those pellets really seem make the most of the smallest amount of urine,don't you agree- super absorbent but so difficult to clean imo- but of course I've only used them in box stalls and they were not cost effective as " bedding"..... now using it in a little old litter box would save a ton of money even if you just shovel it out without sifting - right?
I would suggest a sifting litter box instead of sifting with a scooper-I understand the dust buildup is a problem and increased tracking when using this type of thing for litter in a typical litter box- with a sifting box all the sawdust with fall through to the bottom pan....
Hope that's helpful info
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The Litter Lifter Pellet scoop is the best I've used by a mile.
I would be careful as sometimes mold can form with these types of litter. Make sure its labled as treated for fungi and mold.
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I think the brand of scoop I have is Frisco? I found mine on Chewy.com.
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Okocat is one of my favorite brands because it's, thus far, the only pellet litter I've found that actually creates urine clumps instead of disintegrating! I tried the pellets with the sifting litter box for a while, and the SMELL was HORRIBLE! Some people claim they don't have horrible odors when using the sifting litter box system with the pellets, but that wasn't the case for me. Thus, I switched to Okocat and a regular litter box.
Horse litter is not treated to remove the phenols from the wood. Wood phenols are toxic to cats and will cause issues over time. Unfortunately, I speak from experience, having learned the hard way.
It's very important to use only wood based litters that are treated to be safe for cats.
For wood based litters I found metal wide-scoops work best.
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That is not true. The pelletized bedding sold at Tractor Supply is kiln dried, and thousands, if not millions, including myself have been using it for a long time. If you think about it, if it's sold as animal bedding, it has to be safe to breathe. I paid $5.99 for my most recent 40 pound bag. Personally I suspect there is little to no difference between this and Feline Pine except for Feline Pine's inflated price.
The phenols are not toxic to humans, horses, and other small animals. Wood phenols are toxic to cats. The same as how pinesol can safely be used by people but should not be used in homes with cats. That being said, I did use pine sol in our home growing up with no issue, and other people have had their cats develop conditions on their feet.
The risk you choose to take with your pets are quite obviously your own decision. However, after months of using litters that were not treated to remove the phenols I had a very sick Nobel. The three other cats in the home has minor issues, including one had litter aversion and began pooing on the floor.
I will continue to make people aware that they should be using only litters for cats that have been treated to remove the phenols. That is the only safe wood litter for cats.
The risk you choose to take with your pets are quite obviously your own decision. However, after months of using litters that were not treated to remove the phenols I had a very sick Nobel. The three other cats in the home has minor issues, including one had litter aversion and began pooing on the floor.
I will continue to make people aware that they should be using only litters for cats that have been treated to remove the phenols. That is the only safe wood litter for cats.
Thank you for providing "accurate" information to make folks aware of toxic substances and any potentially hazardous ingredients that can harm our beloved pets..... it's up to each individual what they do with that information,hopefully they will learn from others mistakes
Again,thank you
greatly appreciated
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Wrong . Phenols are toxic to many small animals. And one way to know if they're present is by smell. Phenols give it the pine smell. Get rid of the phenols, get rid of the pine smell. Tractor Supply pelletized bedding smells slightly woody, but not piney. And it's easy enough to contact a manufacturer and ask if their pellets are kiln or rotary dried, if it's not stated on the bag. I did this with some Douglas Fir pellets that Tractor Supply was selling. And even though I sent an email, they responded almost immediately that yes, their pellets are dried at a high heat, and are safe for cats, so I purchased and used a bag because Tractor Supply was out of pelletized bedding.
Maybe its like an alergic reaction or sensitivity rather than a poison. Idk I just know wood or any kind of bedding can get moldy and nasty 8f not dumped out regularly.
When I was little my mom used to buy cedar shavings for my hamsters cage because it kept bugs at bay but never had any ill effects from it unless I forgot to clean the cage and it got reeky. I was like 3 at the time though so idk.
We also always had pinesol floor cleaner or murphy's oil soap. Though pinesol we stopped using because I was sensitive to it as a baby and got rashes from crawling on the floor.
When I was little my mom used to buy cedar shavings for my hamsters cage because it kept bugs at bay but never had any ill effects from it unless I forgot to clean the cage and it got reeky. I was like 3 at the time though so idk.
We also always had pinesol floor cleaner or murphy's oil soap. Though pinesol we stopped using because I was sensitive to it as a baby and got rashes from crawling on the floor.
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And I just want to add that a cat and rabbit are literally displayed on the bag of pelletized bedding sold at Tractor Supply.
I was mistaken about one aspect of it: phenols are toxic to all animals including humans.
Here's a through explanation similar to the one I received from the vet: Are Pine Pellets Safe for Cats? What Do I Do If They Eat Some? | Pango Pets
Here's a through explanation similar to the one I received from the vet: Are Pine Pellets Safe for Cats? What Do I Do If They Eat Some? | Pango Pets
You can certainly use whatever you feel is safe for your own pets,in your own home and after doing your due diligence you are confident that what you've purchased is pet safe then no one is arguing your point BUT A Alldara is providing accurate info regarding phenols not the product you are buying/using
Have you heard of Feliway diffusers? I'm sure you have,most cat owners know of this cat safe product with the picture of the kitty on the box- right?
Well,if you ask me I'd throw them all in the trash and I have no way of proving that Feliway diffusers almost cost my Max his eyesight and caused a very perplexing congestion in my Graycies lungs and Timmy sneezing- no one can tell me that diffusers of any kind are safe for cats and I will tell as many folks as I can about my own experience as I learned the hard way--- if it was one cat with symptoms of an irritant,possibly toxic but 3 out of 5?
People can do whatever they like with info shared here and just agree to disagree - I am certainly appreciative of anyone who is looking out for our cats best interest- wouldn't you agree?
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I would agree. However it was I that first said phenols were toxic to more than cats. And since some on here are probably seniors like myself, I would rather see someone on a fixed income feel safe using pine pellets and spending the saved money on better quality food, than to see them spend more on litter and feed Friskies, etc.
