Changing Litters

[Ashouldnt]

I've been planning on changing my two ten week old kittens litter. I currently use wood pellets because that is what they were on before but I have been having to change it every single day and have gone through two 30l bags of litter in three weeks.

I have a cup I use and put four scoops in and was planning to change a scoop at a time to a clumping litter.

I was wondering if there was anything else I can do to make it easier?

Also, any suggestions for litter? I'm in the uk and have a low budget.

 

[maggiedemi]

I'm in the U.S., but I've found that most of the clumping litters work well as long as you keep it deep enough, at least 3 inches and then add an 8oz cup of fresh litter once a day after you scoop. This should save money because you only have to completely dump the box and clean it like once a month. If you keep the litter deep enough, the clumps don't break apart and it stays pretty clean.

 

[tabbytom]

My boy's litter box has four inches of litter. He's a digger and pees lots.

 

[Ashouldnt]

My boy's litter box has four inches of litter. He's a digger and pees lots.

Yeah, mine are diggers too. Because of how often I have to change the litter, I haven't been able to make it deep enough for them and they end up just kicking litter all over

 

[foxden]

At 10 weeks, they may be a little too young for clumping litter. If they lick any clumping litter, they can ingest it and it will cause a problem.

I ran a quick search to check my instincts. There is no clear consensus, but the minimum kitten age I saw for clumping litter was 4 months, and 6 months of age was a typical recommendation.

I do not think your experiment of adding a little clumping litter to the pellets will work well. Clumping litter turns to mud when it gets wet. This mud will not wick moisture away, unlike non-clumping clay litter in which the moisture eventually spreads to the surrounding particles. I believe that you'll end up with a slimy layer of clumping litter interspersed with your pellets. I think it will be the "worst" performance characteristics of each litter type. At best, you'll see a slimy layer of clumping litter at the bottom of the litter tray.

To transition, I think you'll need to try a box with a good layer of clumping litter at the bottom and pellets on the top. I would also offer a box with the pellets only until you see them using the clumping litter. To clean the mixed box, scrape the pellets to the side and scoop the clumping litter, then move the pellets back across the top. As the cats start using the clumping litter, use fewer pellets over a week or so.

I think a post in the Pregnant cat and kitten forum about a safe age for clumping litter would receive advice from members with more kitten experience than I have.

 

[Ashouldnt]

At 10 weeks, they may be a little too young for clumping litter. If they lick any clumping litter, they can ingest it and it will cause a problem.

I ran a quick search to check my instincts. There is no clear consensus, but the minimum kitten age I saw for clumping litter was 4 months, and 6 months of age was a typical recommendation.

I do not think your experiment of adding a little clumping litter to the pellets will work well. Clumping litter turns to mud when it gets wet. This mud will not wick moisture away, unlike non-clumping clay litter in which the moisture eventually spreads to the surrounding particles. I believe that you'll end up with a slimy layer of clumping litter interspersed with your pellets. I think it will be the "worst" performance characteristics of each litter type. At best, you'll see a slimy layer of clumping litter at the bottom of the litter tray.

To transition, I think you'll need to try a box with a good layer of clumping litter at the bottom and pellets on the top. I would also offer a box with the pellets only until you see them using the clumping litter. To clean the mixed box, scrape the pellets to the side and scoop the clumping litter, then move the pellets back across the top. As the cats start using the clumping litter, use fewer pellets over a week or so.

I think a post in the Pregnant cat and kitten forum about a safe age for clumping litter would receive advice from members with more kitten experience than I have.

Okay, thank you so much for this. Maybe I will wait to change but I will post a thread in the Pregnant Cat and Kitten Care forum