Wood Pallets Or Shavings
Wood pallets and shavings are very easy to come by in the nearest hardware stores. Also, one can easily make it if one does woodworking at home.
Make sure that the wood does not have any chemicals in them, as it is harmful to the cats. Just run some unused wood pallets through a planer, and one can have a bag full of sawdust ready for the litter box.
Use heat-treated woods to have a soft, light litter for your feline friend. This type of litter does not contribute to landfill. The cons of using this type of litter are
- Some oils from the wood can be toxic to cats
- There might be dust outside the litter box
- Wood shavings do not clump well
What Size And How Many Litter Boxes Do I Need
A litter box should be at least 1.5 times the length of a cat, large enough for them to comfortably scratch and bury their waste. The standard rule of thumb is to have one litter box per cat plus one extra, and ideally one on each floor of a home. A home with multiple cats, however, may be able to get away with fewer extra-large litter boxes as long as they are cleaned at least twice a day, according to Sueda. See our guide to the best litter boxes for more on this.
What Can Be Used Instead Of Cat Litter
Now that you have an idea of why people might want to use cat litter alternatives, let us think about what can be used instead.
There are some common types of alternatives that are tried and tested, and we gave feedback on the types of things you should consider for the types of litter you might want or your situation.
Some of the things you want to look for in a cat litter alternative might be:
Take a look at some of the best options, along with video tutorials on how to use them.
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Is There A Dust
Dusty natural and clay litters can be problematic for both cat and human. Dust may cause sensitive cats, particularly those with allergies or respiratory issues like asthma, to cough, sneeze, or wheeze during or after using their litter. It can produce the same effect in humans when filling or scooping the box. While no litter is completely dust-free, those that produce very little dust are less likely to have unintended respiratory effects.
Fresh Step Ultra Unscented Cat Litter
This very product comes with supplementation being capable of trapping the notorious smell. The pellet on getting in contact with the excreted material leaves no sticky stuff and prevents any bacterial growth. Not only is scooping convenient, but the surrounding air remains fresh too. This new formula has no dust release and maintains the hygiene perfectly well.
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Newspaper And Shredded Mails
One can make paper litter using shredded newspaper or mails, dish soap, and baking soda in 30-45 minutes. Put a sufficient amount of shredded paper in the litter box and mix it well with water and the dish shop.
Drain the mixture, add water, and drain it again to rinse off dish soap. Sprinkle ample amounts of baking soda and let it dry in the sun till it gets a crumbly texture. Cats can take some time to get accustomed to this kind of litter. Some of the cons are
- This litter is biodegradable but not flush-able.
- Paper pellets do not clump as well as clay.
- It needs to be changed frequently to remove the odor.
- Cats may take some time to get accustomed to them.
You Can Make Homemade Cat Litter From Wheat
Apparently, expensive wheat-based cat litter is just coarse ground wheat. I found a great homemade cat litter solution by Mellow DeTray at A Life Unprocessed. She wanted a sustainable, healthy cat litter option for her new kitten and tested an expensive wheat-based litter. In her words, Imagine my surprise when I dumped it into his freshly washed litter pan to discover that this expensive wheat kitty litter is literally just a bag of coarsely ground wheat. No magic ingredients. It wasnt even organic.
Her solution?
You can find whole wheat berries at bulk foods stores ! An electric wheat grinder will set you back quite a bit, but the hand-turned wheat grinders are actually very affordable. , but it may be more affordable to check your local Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp or other local seller marketplaces for a used one.
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What Kinds Of Litter Does Pretty Litter Offer
Pretty Litter currently offers one type of litter a silica crystal litter that comes in very fine, lightweight silica gel crystals.
This cat litter was developed by a team of veterinarians and scientists specifically for cats. It is made of highly absorbent silica gel combined with a proprietary formulation of pH-detectors to help cat owners monitor their cats urine for acidity and alkalinity levels outside of the normal range.
| Overall Rating | 9/10 |
My one-month supply of Pretty Litter arrived within a week of order and came in a surprisingly small cardboard box. It also included a printed insert that explained how the product worked and provided useful tips for how much litter to pour, how to get my cats used to it, and how to maximize odor control.
The first test of Pretty Litter came when I poured it into my litter box. I found the litter a little less dusty than other crystal cat litters Ive tried, but it still produced a noticeable cloud of dust. I also found it to be a little dusty later on when I was scooping the cat litter, so it definitely isnt a dust-free litter.
In addition to being a little dusty, Pretty Litter did cling to my cats paws a little bit. I found myself having to clean up the area around my cats litter box a few times a week.
After filling litter box, my cats Wessie and Forrest took to the Pretty Litter right away.
What Clay Clumping Litters We Don’t Recommend
- Arm & Hammer Unscented Multi-Cat Litter: Although it is advertised as unscented, this litter has a light laundry detergent odor. It formed solid clumps but was the dustiest of all of the litters we tested.
- Pioneer Pet Smart Cat Lightweight Clumping Litter: This lightweight, unscented litter absorbs liquid and clumps well, but the moisture that escaped to mix with clay at the bottom of the pan was surprisingly challenging to remove.
- Cat’s Pride Scented Bacterial Odor Control Multi-Cat Litter: The litter produced very little dust and clumped reasonably well, but it didn’t capture all of the liquid, leaving wet clay stuck to the bottom of the pan. It also has a light soapy scent.
- Arm & Hammer Cloud Control Litter: Arm & Hammer’s Cloud Control was the least absorbent litter out of the nine clay varieties, although what liquid it absorbed clumped solidly. A heavy litter perfumed with a light laundry scent, Cloud Control is, at the very least, dust-free.
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Cat Litter Alternative 3 Wood Pellets
Another useful alternative is to simply use wood pellets.
These are also a popular choice, and a minority of people will use these instead of normal cat litters. Many natural cat litters will also use some form of wood pellet.
Natural or biodegradable cat litters to buy though are about twice the price of any of the clumping cay litters.
The specific wood pellet style of cat litters are not the same as these natural or biodegradable ones. They are essentially a larger bag of biodegradable wood. They are normally scented with something like pine.
You can buy a large 30 litre bag for under $10, and those cat owners with multiple cats will use this to help keep the costs down.
It does a decent job at odor control and also absorbs pretty well.
However, you may find it messy and get tracked all over the place. Some cats might also struggled to use it.
I would recommended introducing your cat to them slowly. Add some wood pellets to their normal litter, and then increase the amount over time, until you end up with a 100% wood pellets.
What Can You Use As Emergency Cat Litter
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If you have ever had a pet cat, you’ve probably run out of cat litter at least once in your life. When it happens you probably wonder, what can you use as emergency cat litter? If you find yourself without kitty litter or youre curious what to should do if you need emergency litter, this article is for you!
There are a few things you can use as an emergency cat litter, often based on ingredients that most people have in their kitchens and homes:
- Potting soil
- Paper Towel
- Shredded Newspaper
While we dont recommend making any drastic changes to your kitties litter box, you do have options.
Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
While emergency cat litter substitutes exist, some methods work better than others. And some are readily available for some while others you will have to do-it-yourself. Keep reading this article to find out what you can use as emergency cat litter, what your cat will think of an alternative kitty litter, and how you should introduce them to your pet.
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Newspapers And Junk Mail
Instead of letting your old newspapers and junk mail pile up before taking it to the recycling center, you can use it to make some cat litter. All you need to do is shred some paper, place it in the litter box, then mix it with some water and dish soap.
After letting the paper, water, and dish soap sit for a few minutes, drain the mixture to rinse off the dish soap. Then sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda on the mixture and take it out in the sun to dry. Once it becomes dry and crumbly, its done.
Making this type of litter is much easier and faster if you use a paper shredder, plus the litter looks more uniform this way. Otherwise, you can shred the paper using your hands or a pair of scissors.
Cat Litter Alternative 2 Potting Soil
Long before the invention of cat litter back in the 1940s cats did their business outside.
More often than not they went in the soil.
Some people will even fence off an area in their garden where they have dug up the soil, and then they train their cats to use this specific area.
It doesnt have to be that big, perhaps something like 2 feet by 2 feet. It is bigger than many litter boxes though, and of course you can make this space as big as you need to.
Or if your cat is allowed outside, then you likely wont need a designated area for them to do their business. They will just go wherever they feel comfortable.
You could use soil in their litter, but Im sure youll know that this will make a lot of mess.
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What Do Customers Think Of Pretty Litter Cat Litter
For the most part, Pretty Litter receives very positive ratings. The litter fulfills its promise of changing colors when a potential health problem is detected, but it is still on the cat owner to take the cat to the vet. There are many comments about the price being high, but that is fairly standard for crystal cat litter.
The most consistent negative comment is that the 6-pound bag doesnt last quite a month for larger cats or multi-cat households. Some customers also found that Pretty Litter didnt cover feces odor as well as urine odor. Check out some customer reviews for Pretty Litter below:
Why Use Cat Litter Alternatives
As I looked into more options for cat litter, I discovered that our modern cat litter was first invented by Ed Lowe.
Back in the day, cats were kept outside, with an area of ash, dirt, or sand as their litter box area.
As the story goes, a neighbor asked to borrow some ash for her cat.
Instead, he gave her what he had on hand, which was Fullers Clay which effectively became what we know today as our kind of clumping cat litter.
Nowadays, however, there are many reasons why an owner would want to consider a cat litter alternative.
On my end, the main reason I went down this rabbit hole of cat litter alternatives was that my boyfriend and I ran out of litter one night during the holidays.
We did not have any in our apartment for our two cats and began to wonder what we could do instead.
As I began to look into this, I realized that there were a couple of common reasons why cat owners claimed they wanted to switch out of traditional cat litter besides our emergency situation of course.
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Diy Cat Litter Success
You can use other items besides commercially produced cat litter to fill your cat’s litterbox, although it may take quite a bit of experimentation to find which litter works best for both you and your pet. Homemade kitty litter can be better for the environment and your budget than other options, but it will probably take a lot of patience and trial and error for you to find a homemade litter that really works for you.
Best Affordable Cat Litter
Quick-clumping Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Multi-Cat Strength Litter is a fragrance-free clay litter with good odor control and very little dust and tracking.
Pros: Tight-clumping medium-grain clay litter, unscented, very little dust, low tracking, does a fine job of controlling odors, affordable
Cons: Odors can accumulate over time
Several years ago, I switched my cat to Dr. Elsey’s Ultra Multi-Cat Strength Litter at the recommendation of a veterinary behaviorist, and I’ve been using it ever since. I was eager to see how it would hold up compared to other brands tested for this guide. Quite well, it turns out.
The unscented medium-grain clay litter satisfies a cat’s need to scratch, dig, and bury their waste. It produces very little dust, making it a good choice for cats with respiratory issues.
In testing, it absorbed liquid almost instantly and clumped tightly. With a bit of heft to its grains, less litter was tracked out of the box than with our top pick. A bit of a downside: This litter controls odors with 100% sodium bentonite clay rather than activated charcoal. If I’m lax on emptying and thoroughly cleaning the box every couple of months, odors begin to accumulate.
At around $0.50 per pound, Dr. Elsey’s is one of the top two most cost-effective brands in this guide, along with Frisco Scoopable Unscented Litter.
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How Much Does Pretty Litter Cat Litter Cost
A single 6-pound bag of Pretty Litter retails for $22 on the company website. Depending on how many bags you purchase at one time, you may receive a discount.
For example, two bags cost $40 and three bags costs $60. Expedited shipping is always free.
Pretty Litter frequently offers discounts and promotions, plus you can contact the company via email to ask about bulk discounts. Even so, Pretty Litter is fairly expensive.
Its also worth noting that one bag may not be enough to fill a large litter box and may not last the full month in a multi-cat home.
Wood Pellets Used For Home Heating
Nowadays, many homeowners are heating their homes using wood pellets. These pellets are made from ground-up wood and theyre soft and lightweight. They make a good substitute for cat litter and theyre easy to find at home improvement and hardware stores.
A big advantage to using pellets is that theyre very absorbent and natural smelling so theyll soak up your cats urine and mask its unpleasant smell. Just be sure you use pellets that have not been treated with any chemicals.
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Freshening Up Sale Items
Keep old books and vintage items from smelling musty by using kitty litter
Whether youve turned into a bigwig on eBay or youre merely having a one-time garage sale, you can freshen up books and vintage clothing by sealing them in a box with cat litter. Youll need an airtight plastic storage container large enough to fit the items. Fill the bottom with a few inches of litter, place whatever stinks on top in a single layer and then seal it shut. Let it sit at least 24 hours before opening.
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Mistakes People Make When Disposing Of Cat Litter
Weve explained the right way to dispose of cat litter, but well also fill you in on the wrong way. When disposing of cat litter, its best to avoid making the following mistakes.
- Do not scoop cat litter into your garbage or bathroom trash can and let it sit. Theres the possibility of contaminated cat feces traces and dust from the cat litter entering the air every time someone opens the garbage can.
- Dig deeper into the ingredients and do your research. Just because a cat litter states its environmentally friendly, this doesnt mean its biodegradable. Ensure its safe to compost before doing so.
- Avoid composting your cat litter in an edible garden. Even if you remove feces from the litter before disposing of, trace particles of toxoplasmosis could remain. Toxoplasmosis can survive in the soil for roughly two years. Even beyond that, the ammonia in cat urine will likely burn your plants.
- Do not dump your cat litter outside. While it may be convenient, its terrible for the environment. Other animals could track through the used cat litter, or ingest it, causing potential illness and infection.
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