The Science Behind Litter And Smells
The pH of your cat litter is crucial to controlling odor. To prevent ammonia gas from being released, you need to keep the pH below 8.0. Natural litter made with whole kernel corn has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0. The problem is, baking soda has a pH of 8.4, and the average clay cat litter has a pH of between 8.0 and 9.0. Sprinkling baking soda into your litter increases the pH levels and can actually encourage ammonia to be released in your house.
Baking soda is great at absorbing odors in your fridge, but it actually has the opposite effect in the litter box.
Worlds Best Cat Litter Insights & Innovations Team
And if you think you hate the smells, a cats sense of smell is estimated to be 14 times more acute than a humans.
Cat Litter Alternative 5 Sand
Cats will naturally use sand as a cat litter.
If you have ever left a kids sand box uncovered you will already know that cats will use it as their litter very quickly.
The beauty of sand is that it does clump really well and that always helps.
Many cat owners who use sand will also mix in a little baking soda, as this helps absorbs the smell of cat urine and poop.
Sand on its own will do nothing to absorb odors.
The huge disadvantage of using sand is the tracking issue. Sand and especially wet sand will stick to the paws of your cat, and they will walk it over your home.
Are Wood Pellets Safe For Cats
Energy Pellets of America makes wood pellets from recycled shipping pallets. The shipping pallets used in our production process are not chemically treated, which means they are 100 percent natural wood. No binding agents are used in our pellets. They are formed with heat and pressure in a pelletizing mill. This process means our pellets contain no chemicals that could be harmful to your cat.
Additionally, our animal bedding pellets are used in barns, stables and animal habitats across the country. Our pellets create a clean, healthy, and comfortable environment for livestock and other animals.
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Unethical And Unsafe Disposal Methods
1) Flushing
Do you want cat litter clogging your toilets? No, right. So, do not flush it down your toilet. Even the package says it is flush-able. Municipal wastewater treatment plants may not be equipped to kill the parasites in it. It would contaminate the water bodies affecting sea animals.
2) Burning
It is a common practice in rural households. The used litter would not burn well, and the unburned particles pollute soil and air. This method also makes toxins airborne and viable. Please do refrain from this.
Some Green Solutions To Reduce Carbon Footprints
I hope you are well-informed about dealing with used cat litter now. Adopt these measures for a safe and healthy environment for you and your cats. You can also read our guides on their willingness of sharing a litter box here.
If you have any suggestions or doubts, leave a comment below.
How To Get A Litter Trained Cat To Go Outside
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 362,445 times.
Your cat suns in the yard but comes indoors to use the litter box. Not only is this frustrating, but it can be unhygienic, especially if you have young children crawling around the house. If you simply remove the litter box, youre more likely to end up with indoor accidents than outdoor toileting. You can retrain a cat to toilet outside, but you must make the cat want to toilet outside instead of indoors first.
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What Can I Use Instead Of Cat Litter: How To Stop Scratching Your Sofa In 7 Days Or Less
What Can I Use Instead Of Cat Litter, This observation clarifies the cat individuals personality. Research reveals that people as well as canines have two distinct characters. While the personality of a human can be referred to as warm and also pleasant, the character of a dog can be described as protective, leading as well as of course, also affectionate. This research study suggests that proprietors of dogs often tend to be feline enthusiasts too, as part of their character.
Using Dirt As A Homemade Cat Litter Alternative
Traditional dirt doesnt work very well as cat litter. As soon as it gets wet, what you have is mud. And, that will make a huge mess in your home. You may have a slightly better result with sand if you happen to live near the beach or have a sandbox in the back yard. If you absolutely must, your cat should use it. But it will be messy.
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> > > Best Cat Pee Solution Available
Although you may have read that soap and water or baking soda will remove cat urine odor, they will not. Some of the compounds in cat urine are not water soluble and require an enzyme cleaner to remove the smell completely. You may need to repeat the process several times until all the odor is gone. Your nose will tell you when the job is done.
Homemade Cat Litter Options
1. Newspaper
This cat litter is made using shredded paper, dish soap, and baking soda. You can make this kitty litter substitute in roughly 30-45 minutes. Heres how you can make it:
Pros: Newspaper and junk mail are readily available which makes this a handy and economical option for many pet owners.
Cons: If you do not soak the newspaper or junk mail long enough you may notice ink on your cat’s paws. Others don’t like the mess involved in preparation. Luckily, ready-made options are available for purchase, such as Purina Yesterday’s News Unscented Paper Cat Litter.
2. Horse bedding pellets
An unusual choice, equine bedding pellets are a great alternative to cat litter. Easy to make, mix the pellets with baking soda and a bit of water. They are usually available for purchase online and some specialty pet stores.
Pros: Made from sawdust, these pellets absorb well, and are affordable.
3. Chicken feed
Pros: Chicken feed is a safe and affordable substitute for cat litter.
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Why Use A Cat Litter Substitute
After youve read all about these alternatives, you may be left wondering why you would even need a litter substitute. If your kitty litter works well around the house, doesnt retain urine odor, and helps with overall hygiene, why would you want to change it? Well, here are several fundamental reasons that will convince you to make a change:
Ensure That The Odor Is Under Control
Its the stink that makes you want to replace the litter quickly. As such, finding a way of controlling the odor could be the first step when you want to initiate a little economics. Also remember that your cat has a stronger sense of smell than you. This is what you may do:
- Choose litter that isnt scented
- Try using a few sprinkles of baking soda to absorb the odor
- Ensure that the litter box isnt placed near a heater or a dryer as it will discomfort kitty. The heat may also hasten the decay process
- Place the litter box in a well-ventilated location
- You may adopt a low-noise humidifier closer to the litter box
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The Best Cat Litter Alternatives
The world can be a living hell for a pet owner when he is presented with no option but to survive with the mess from kittys bathroom business just because they ran out of cat litter. Just imagine monitoring your feline to keep a brace with its bathroom timetable and cleaning each time he/she gets the litter box soiled. This is the time you feel like keeping a pet is a whole load of problems.
Shortage in cat litter is a real thing. It may be caused by lack of raw materials needed to produce the litter, employee strikes and weather conditions that make it difficult for manufacturers to distribute to local stores.
Nonetheless, you neednt worry. I am aware of your problems. Having had a similar problem as a cat owner, I went through the hassle of reading through blogs, scientific papers and magazines just to ensure that no other cat owner passes through the same hell. I present you with everything you can do when you run out of kittys litter. Please read on.
How Many Litter Trays Should I Provide
When cats go to the toilet outdoors they generally prefer separate locations for peeing and defecation. So, if you wanted to create the ideal alternative indoors you would provide two trays for one cat, located in different areas.
When there is more than one cat in the house the general rule is that the perfect number is one per cat plus an additional one extra.
For example, in a household with four cats there would be five litter trays in various locations. If, however, the cats within the home are all very social with each other they may be comfortable sharing.
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Creative Cat Litter Alternatives You Can Find Around The Home
ByKathryn Rosenbergpublished 12 October 21
From newspaper to potting soil, these cat litter alternatives are filled with cost-effective options to suit every furkid, family, and home
Having a few cat litter alternatives up your sleeve is ideal for those times when youve run out of your chosen commercial litter or if youre looking to make the switch to a more wallet or environmentally friendly option.
While the best cat litter is certainly convenient and comes in a wide range of options from clumping to flushable and everything in between, cat litter alternatives are becoming a lot more popular amongst health and budget-conscious pet parents.
It may sound like a lot of extra hassle, but believe it or not, most alternative litter options are super easy to prepare and readily available. And best of all? There are more choices than you might think, which means youre bound to find one that suits your furkid, your family, and your home.
But before we dive into what cat litter alternatives are available to you, lets take a closer look at some of the benefits that can come from making the switch.
The Best Cat Litter Is Litter Your Cat Wants To Use
With inappropriate elimination near the top of the list of reasons cited when people relinquish their cats to the animal shelter, its clear that a harmonious litter box situation spells happiness in a cat-inclusive home.
If you look at it from your cats perspective, youll have a good foundation for evaluating any cat litter on the market. Will this litter feel good under your cats paws? Will dust fill his hooded box and make him uncomfortable? Is the artificial fragrance overwhelming?
Once youve satisfied your cats needs, you can start considering your own. Humans deserve a comfortable home too, and the ideal litter box benefits both you and your cat.
In an ideal world, the best cat litter offers a beautiful combination of features that meet both your needs and your cats. Your cats natural instincts get the respect they deserve, and you get to control the smell and appearance of cat waste in the house.
Your cat wins. You win. And any cat litter that contributes to this situation is a winning product.
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Clumping Litter Will Come In Handy
Choosing the right type of litter for your cat could be a task uphill considering the thousands of brands available in the market. However, you may choose clumping litter if you dont want to run out of stock any soon. Itll clump and is scoopable. You only need to be cautious since clumping litter is never recommended for small kittens.
Easy Ways To Save Money With Homemade Cat Litter
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Homemade cat litter can be an intimidating DIY project. After all, cat litter performs a critical function in a pet owners life!
One of our readers reached out to us and asked if we knew of any quality homemade cat litter solutions. As all pet owners know, cat litter is expensive and adds up quickly so of course, we delved into the homemade cat litter recipes we found online to see what we could find.
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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.
Your Cat Might Reject An Alternative Litter
Despite your best efforts, your cat may altogether refuse to use any alternative cat litter you try to throw at them. If this happens, its best to admit defeat since the last thing you want is for them to use your carpet or furniture in protest.
You may need to experiment with a few different types of alternatives before you find one that works for your cat.
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Benefits Of Using Sand For Cat Litter
There are countless benefits of using sand as alternatives to cat litter. Sand mimics the conditions that outdoor cats use when going to the toilet. Its perfect if you are adopting an outdoor cat or cat that is used to using soil and sand as alternatives. Furthermore, cats love using sand. If you have a sandpit behind your garden, you might have noticed that this is the best spot for your feline friends.
Lastly, sand is cheaper than all the other alternatives. Its very easy to get sand and use it as cat litter for several instances. If you want to save on cat litter, you should think of sand as a substitute for cat litter regardless of where you live.
Homemade Cat Litter Alternative When You Run Out
Last Updated on November 29, 2020 by ellen
Are you looking for a homemade cat litter alternative? Whether youre hoping to save money or you cant get to the store right now, there are other options.
If you have an inside cat, keeping the litter box full of some type of litter is an absolute must.
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Make Your Litter Out Of Recycled Newspapers
You have some newspapers that are no longer in use. It is advised that you turn such newspapers into some other creative thing making your own litter. In this case, you will be converting it into a fully degradable cat litter alternative, which will be capable of tackling the odors that tend to emanate from the litter.
I Have A Kitten Should I Use A Different Type Of Litter Tray
Your kitten will be very tiny at first so a relatively small size litter tray with low sides to start with is ideal. However, they will grow quickly so for the first year or so of their life you will need to replace the litter tray with a bigger version regularly.
Kittens can be very exploratory when they are small, and they do have a tendency to put random objects in their mouths. Some kittens will show an interest in cat litter for this reason, so it is important for you to keep an eye on them in the early stages and, if they are prone to doing this, its a good idea to use a cat litter that is plant-based and wont harm them if they ingest it. You can change to a more convenient cat litter if you need to once they are older.
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