What cat litter do you use?

[hannahgirl]

I like to use the wheat or corn litters because if my cat should swallow or lick some of it, it would be nontoxic...and will not be something that could clump up in her system and cause problems. I like odorless cat litters because I live in a small apartment and the whole place would literally smell like pine (or whatever fragrance the litter might have in it).

However, my problem now is - ants!! This wheat litter is so great and nontoxic that I have been unable to stop the ants from raiding the apartment to carry this stuff away! So I need to find another alternative. Any ideas?

Is there any cat litter that is nontoxic, fragrance free, and ants won't want to eat it?

I know that is asking for a lot. It might be impossible.

 

[catsallaround]

I saw a tip online to add instant grits and sugar and water to kill ants-never tried it but maybe worth a shot for you. Supposedly the ants die cause the gas it causes. I personally never liked any natural litters but I have quite a few cats so thinking its that.

 

[lizzie]

There is a litter made of ground newspapers...I think I have seen it in WalMart but have never used it myself.I think it's a scoopable type,but I have no idea about fragrance.

 

[Willowy]

I don't know if there is a clumping newspaper litter. Yesterday's News is pretty good, but not clumping, and the odor control isn't much. It comes in large pellets and "crumbles", and both scented and unscented varieties.

I prefer a clumping clay litter. Wal-Mart's brand, Special Kitty, makes a clumping litter that is very delicately scented (they call it "fresh scent" but I can't smell it) and is my favorite. Actually I prefer their orange scented clumping litter, but it too is only lightly scented. There are scent-free clumping litters, too, if you really can't handle any scent at all.

 

[missymotus]

I use wood pellets, by far the longest lasting and most cost effective litter I've found.
I won't use clumping litters either.

 

[subconsciousme]

hannahgirl - I applaud your knowledge about litters and their potential harmful effects. We use Feline Pine but I have not come across the ant problem -- we use the original version of it. However, a lot of stores (even some grocery, atleast here) carry a brand called Yesterday's News which is made of newspapers.

When I consulted my vet about litter after I heard of the ill effects they could cause my kitten, the vet stated that Feline Pine and Yesterdays News were the only 2 non-harmful ones available (harmful in the same sense you listed).

Though, I cannot promise that because when I called Purina to inquire about their litters they told me they only had one that did not contain sodium benonite but it was not Yesterdays News (I do not remember the name exactly). They did not seem to know what I was talking about. And since Yesterday's News is owned by Purina, I don't know what to suggest exactly.

Litters do not have to contain ingredients and there are other harmful things aside from sodium benonite.

At any rate, if you want to try Yesterday's News, there is a coupon ($1.50 off) on their website: http://www.yesterdaysnews.com/

 

[otto]

I use plain clay litter. Not clumping. Nothing toxic in it. I keep the boxes clean so have no odor problems.

 

[snickerdoodle]

Ohhhhhhhh I had to try the World's Best Cat Litter, which is milled whole kernel corn. I am AMAZED. Boo doesn't try to eat it, it isn't nearly as dusty (There is a fine dust left on your hands if you run your hand in it) but somehow, someway, it can completely hide the odor of TWO CAT POOPS in ONE PAN. I bought a bag of the regular (Green bag) then the multiple cat (Red bag) The green bag is yellow litter, the red back is a darker clay colored litter, but still corn. I notice no smell difference or anything, and only just started mixing a bit into the yellow. But the cats took to it nearly immediately and it's surprisingly easy to clean the pans. Clumps WELL. Only con is that if I put the poo in a bag (grocery store plastic bag) and tie it up, and open it a couple days later by accident to put more pee in or something, it smells like THE WORST spoiled milk ever. I'm not sure if that's just the poop or the corn and poop producing the odor. In any case, I'm sold on the WBCL, even at 18 dollars a bag. And I seem to use way less than the clay, and it's not heavy like a ton of bricks when I put the bags into my bigger trash bag to throw away. It says you can flush it, but we are suspicious of our septic tank and don't want to risk it.

If you run water onto it, it turns into a clump like regular clay. If you continue to flush water into it, it turns into a substance just like grits. So I am not worried about him ingesting any.

 

[snickerdoodle]

I might want to add that I have had no bugs in the pan room trying to get at the corn litter, but I cannot say it won't happen to someone else. I spray the outside perimeter of my house with Ortho Home Defense and it works wonders until we get a gully washer (

like the past 3 days) but no ants in the pan yet. Also, the WBCL is milled, not in pellets, so it almost feels like regular clay litter. Except it's soooooooo much lighter

 

[goldenkitty45]

We have been using the wood stove pellets for over 3 yrs now. I love it. Cats use it fine and if you want you can put the "sawdust" in the garden after you scoop the solids out

 

[northernglow]

I'd like to use pellets, but only one of my cats is willing to use them so I swapped to Cat's Best Öko Plus, it's a wood based clumping litter. The package says "100% compostable and 100% biodegradable. Can be flushed down the toilet or put into the bin for garden waste." (The clumps dissolve in a large amount of water).
It's not that expensive either which obviously is a good thing, it lasts well too and doesn't smell bad.

 

[lauren_miller]

I really like World's Best Cat Litter. The only problem with it is that it's way too expensive!

I am currently using the Petco brand cat litter. I get the non-scented kind.

 

[subconsciousme]

I recently discovered that if you have any locally owned feed type stores, they are generally far more a wealth of info and expert knowledge than any PetSmart or PetCo could provide. They also usually know the local issues and can solve them.

We will be going there shortly, when we run out of our litter, to get the feed version of our litter. Equally as safe and 40 pounds for about $5. Can't beat that!

(here atleast)

 

[gray kitty]

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

We have been using the wood stove pellets for over 3 yrs now. I love it. Cats use it fine and if you want you can put the "sawdust" in the garden after you scoop the solids out

I tried this litter with a litter-trained dog and when the poo hit the pellets it was the most horrible smell ever that went throughout the entire house. I think I will try it again with cats and see how it goes. How many cats do you have and how often do you have to change the litter? Do you "stir" the litter daily like with crystal litter or do you just leave it (except for the poo solids) til its time to change it?

 

[sakura]

My favorite is World's Best Cat Litter, but it's so expensive

They claim you get longer use out of it than the clay litter, but I'm not sure.

Right now I am using the Litter Purrfect from Costco. It's a typical clay litter with 'natural odor control'. I also sometimes buy Arm & Hammer unscented.

 

[sharky]

Chicken feed in the two 18 gal
tidy cats breathe easy in the 10 gal