Wood pellets for litter and the dust

[caspian915]

Short version: Anyone else use wood pellets for litter? Is the dust a problem for you? Is a home air purifier the best or only option to help? I feel like breathing in wood dust is probably not a great thing.

Longer:
I currently have generic bags of "Natural Pine Pelletized Bedding for Horses and Small Animals" from Tractor Supply Company. I recently changed after using Feline Pine for awhile, but FP was ~3x the cost which is not great for a 5 cat household. The biggest issue I have so far is the dust kicked up when I pour it into the litter box. I don't recall the FP being as dusty, though I'm sure some dust must of have kicked up.

Besides pouring it really slowly, does anyone have any bad experience with it and/or suggestions on how to handle it? I do worry about the air quality in my house, especially now that the weather is getting colder here in the NE United States. I'd like to eventually get an air filter, but we have to be tight with our money right now thanks to COVID related layoffs :-(

Thanks!

 

[cmsandford]

I have never tried wood pellets, but after using many types of clumping litter I think I have found the perfect one for me and my 5 (one who is polyuric). Fresh Step Unscented and Low Dust. Hard clumping. I am finally at peace with cat litter. Plus the cost is less than the Cloud Control I was using previously.

 

[Krienze]

I tried wood pellets once and only once. My cats decided they didn't like it and wouldn't go near their box.

Secretly, I think they just enjoy knowing I spend a ridiculous amount of money on the stuff they poop in.

 

[maeganj]

I also use TSC equine wood pellets for litter but have not noticed a dust issue. I do vacuum the bathroom and joining room the box is in daily and have a Dyson fan in my bedroom so I can't know for sure if that's what keeps dust down or if I just didn't get a dusty bag. I do worry about dander in general (2 dogs in the house also, 1 is a German shep) so I have recirc setting on with my HVAC just to keep the air circulated and filtered in the house. It comes on every 45 minutes or so. I know being in New England you probably don't have central air, but if you do check your thermostat for that option.
In short, maybe you just had an extra dusty bag.

 

[flybear]

I use clumping wood litter from oko cat - it comes in clumping pellets and saw dust ( they call it " soft" or " lightweight") and a medium grain ...- my cats love the saw dust consistency best! I am severely allergic against betonite/ clay litters and according to my physician ... breathing in wood dust is preferable to betonite dust ( can be actually quite dangerous ... cancerous even ) and even corn dust or wheat dust or walnut shells ( both can cause allergies and be contaminated with mold spores as well) . For me ... and my respiratory sensitive asthmatic family ... wood is the way to go ...

 

[ladytimedramon]

There was another thread about this recently.

Short version. I tried okocat wood pellets. Delilah didn't cover poop, pellets broke down into sawdust at bottom, didn't handle odors, hard to scoop. Put boxes side by side of wood pellets and clay, she preferred clay. Went back to clay.

 

[Bobsk8]

I don't use pellets any more, the cat didn't like them. The way pellets work is that when they get wet, they turn into sawdust. That is normal.

 

[35 year catdad]

"severely allergic against betonite/ clay litters "
Wow you may have solved my acute sudden onset 19 yr olds off the chart eisonophils count in blood work!
This is a recent change for us to Special Kitty Natural Clay from Walmart and its dustier than any clay we ever used. They claim 99% dust free. never seen a dustier clay ever.
We tried Okocat pellets and ground versions but cats won't bury their little nuggets and boycat peeing in the bed first time ever. I use it to line the bottom of litter box only now.
Back to Johnny Cat which the animal shelter said to use 25 yrs ago.

 

[elliec16]

I switched to pine pellet litter and I love it. Reasons being, I own a polydactyl cat, and the regular litter would get caught in his paws, and I would find it everywhere - mostly in my bed. I just couldn't take it anymore. There are several different "systems" for pine pellet litter - check out youtube. However, I just use a hooded litter box (my cat doesn't have great aim), and I find it pretty simple to just scoop out the sawdust and poops.

To get a cat started you need to incorporate the previous litter with the pellets to get the cat familiarized with the pine pellets. nd then add less and less until you are just using the pellets!

 

[35 year catdad]

I did that but pellets were still tracked in and everywhere around here. And none of my 3 would bury a thing.
I love the smell of the wood for sure and its sooo much more environmentally sust. .. My first cat was a poly and bounced when she walked. Pellets work great for odors VS clay in bottom of litter box so I still use them.Its 120 steps to the garbage bins and clay is heavy .Johnny out.

 

[Cacacharcoal]

I'm curious about switching to wood pellets too, hope my cat likes it. One thing I'm wondering is if the smell of poop will increase because there'd be no more clay litter clumping and covering it. I guess I'll have to scoop it out pretty quickly. Or does the wood pellets do a good job covering the smell of poop as well?

 

[Bobsk8]

I'm curious about switching to wood pellets too, hope my cat likes it. One thing I'm wondering is if the smell of poop will increase because there'd be no more clay litter clumping and covering it. I guess I'll have to scoop it out pretty quickly. Or does the wood pellets do a good job covering the smell of poop as well?

You need to scoop the poop out quickly because the Pine Pellets don't mask the smell of solid waste. .

 

[35 year catdad]

I agree. I buried some cat scat in it to see and it seemed to work.

I love the smell of it!
litter not scat
great rm freshener if cats dont dig it..
no pun intendo