Chicken Crumbles as cat litter.

ondine

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I did see the medicated; didn't get that. The pellets I got were the ones my friend used, so that explains why they didn't clump. I wonder if I could break them up?

That is too cute about Beans - she must have thought she died and went to heaven! One of my cats has been in the box but the others have only checked it out, very suspicious looks on their faces. If they don't use it, I'll try to find the crumbles. I would really like this to work, for financial and environmental reasons.
 
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bigperm20

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I did see the medicated; didn't get that. The pellets I got were the ones my friend used, so that explains why they didn't clump. I wonder if I could break them up?

That is too cute about Beans - she must have thought she died and went to heaven! One of my cats has been in the box but the others have only checked it out, very suspicious looks on their faces. If they don't use it, I'll try to find the crumbles. I would really like this to work, for financial and environmental reasons.
Yea, Beans will eat anything that isn't nailed down. I mean it's not like the stuff smells like meat...

I agree that it's much better for the environment going this route, quite a bit cheaper too.
 
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bigperm20

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Everything is still going well with the chicken feed. I'm sorry I didn't hear about this sooner. The cats seem to like it as well.
 

ondine

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Good news.  Mine didn't go so well.  I haven't found the crumbles yet and they decided the pellets were not to their taste.  Good thing I have a composter, 'cause that's where the pellets went.  As soon as I find the crumbles, I hope to try again.  Our Tractor Supply is a small one, so I am going to try a couple of local feed stores.

Glad it's working out for you...
 

synder26

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I was reading all the posts and I'm thinking about switching over to the chicken feed "litter". I have heard from many people that the odor from the boxes has decreased tremendously compared to regular clay litter, I'm just wondering since I've heard that the feed is lighter than the clay, so what does this do to the amount of feed that is placed in the box? Do I need to put more feed in compared to litter? And just how terrible is the clumping? Thanks!
 

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Did you "cut" an entrance on your sterlite containers? And if so, what did you use to cut it? I have a large 16 year old  19 lb. male cat that just cannot urinate without it going allover everywhere in and out of the box. Just saw online today how the large sterlite or rubbermaid containers are used.  I also have a 7 lb. 15 year old female who has arthritis and I am concerned she would need an entrance to the big container.  I am so excited about using these containers and then in researching , stumbled upon the "crumbles" for litter.  Definitely going to try that out also.  Thank you for any help you can give!!! Tuffy and Lil' Mom will appreciate also!! At least I hope so!!! ;)
 

ondine

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Retired Gal:  I did not cut an entry into our litter boxes.  So far, all our cats can get in and out without a problem.  However, I've made lots of houses from Rubbermaid totes and found the best way to cut the opening was with a hand held jigsaw.  I think I paid less than $40 at Lowes for mine.  You could also use a box cutter but that takes a lot of hand strength that I don't have.

Snyder:  A layer of four to six inches deep should be enough.  I did find my cats did not like the "feel" of the chicken feed.  Whether it was because the feed was lighter (and perhaps less firm) or not, I'm not sure.
 

wolfie305

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This stuff sounds great. Can you only get it at TSC? Or would like...Target have it? Could anyone post a big of the bag so I know what it looks like?
 

wolfie305

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There is a Tractor Supply Company 5 minutes from my house and 30 seconds from where I get their food, so this works perfect.

50lb bag of non medicated starter feed for $16? Can't beat it. I just mixed some into their regular litter, more than their litter actually, and they both used the box perfectly fine!

 
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bigperm20

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That blue tuxedo kitty is beautiful! I love the white shoes too!  

My kitties jumped right in and started digging, too. I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but my kitty Beans thought that daddy had filled her litterbox with strange new "Corn Treats". She ate quite a bit apparently b/c she had a hard "present" stuck in her fur britches the next day. Poor thing... 

One thing to consider about Beans is she has been PICA prone since she was a tiny kitten. She just LOVES to eat the inedible. To combat this, I add about half a box of baking soda to 25lbs of chicken feed and stir it really well. This keeps Beans from snacking where she shouldn't and it also helps with any smells the litter can't contain. Here's a pic of the culprit:

PICA ENEMY # 1:

 

susank521

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It was also suggested to add some baking soda to help with smell masking and to discourage kitty from eating it. I had to do this as Beans thought daddy had given her 2 giant bowls of kibble. She stopped snacking immediately.
HA!! 
  


A year or so ago I had considered trying the chicken feed as litter experiment, but read somewhere on the internet (where we all know there are no untruths) that mealworms or grubs or some kind of yucky bug (or maybe it was mold?) was a problem with storing the feed. Anyone had these issues? As a side note; after reading that bit of info, I instead tried the stable bedding stuff as litter. It was very cheap, about $7.00 for 40#, but was a big failure as far as clumping goes.
 

wolfie305

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Ew, I hope not. I'm keeping my mine stored in that big bin that's pictured and it has a cover. Hopefully nothing can get in..
 
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bigperm20

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Ew, I hope not. I'm keeping my mine stored in that big bin that's pictured and it has a cover. Hopefully nothing can get in..
I haven't had any problems with mold, or insects. Storing it in a plastic container is fine. I just keep mine in the bag, and use duct tape to hold it closed. I keep it in an upstairs bathroom, too. 
 
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bigperm20

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I started this thread on 6/15 and my boxes did not have to be cleaned out until today. When I say cleaned out I mean throwing everything away and starting fresh. Since June I've just been adding crumbles and a little baking soda. I used to have to clean my boxes once a month when I used Fresh Step. One of my kitties is a digger when she pees, therefore the pee clumps get stuck to the bottom of the box. It used to get terribly smelly if I went longer than a month without the soap and water treatment.

Cleaning was easy too, and there was no "concrete" to remove. Just a quick run with the sponge and the boxes were good as new. 
 

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That is impressive. And since it is just grain products, it biodegrades completely, right? How do you dispose of the used material?
 
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bigperm20

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That is impressive. And since it is just grain products, it biodegrades completely, right? How do you dispose of the used material?
I actually just poured it without a bag into my trash receptacle for the trash truck. I debated on bagging it like I did with the clay litter but a bag just inhibits it's ability to break down. 
 

catspaw66

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Great, that is what I was hoping. It sounds like you thought everything out before you started using the crumbles.

(PS, I found out I have a video of Pink Floyd live at Pompeii)
 
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bigperm20

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I watched that recently believe it or not. Almost more of an interview than a concert. Meddle is definitely one of my favorite albums, and it's cool to see them so young playing Echoes and San Tropez.
 
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