[kungfukitty]

Hi! I'm new here. I'm sure this topic has come up before but I couldn't find anything. I'm thinking about switching to a scoopable litter from regular clay. I've heard nasty scarry things about it, tho. Any experience/ oppinions? Thanks!

 

[Lilly]

Wow I have never heard anything bad about scoopable litter before :? I have always used it, that other stuff is hard to keep clean, you have to dump the entire box out and clean it then add more litter like every couple of days.
The only thing about scoobable litter is some brands get dirty quicker than others. How many cats do you have? I have three cats and three boxes. I scoop once to twice a day. I usually add litter every other week and completely change the litter once a month. I use Tidy cats scoopable multi cat or I have also used fresh scoop I think that is what it is called. Once I got a kind at a drug store because I was desprate and did not have timew to go to walmart, I really liked the kind that I bought that time but can not remember what it is called. It clumped really hard. Sometimes things do not clump good and the litter gets dirty faster.
I am curious what you have heard scary about clumping litter???

 

[kungfukitty]

Thanks for the info. As far as bad stuff goes- because clumping litter expands when wet I've heard stories of it expanding in the cats nasal passages when they breathe the dust in. Also in their bellies after they lick their fur. Sound silly?

 

[kungfukitty]

Clumping litter

Thanks for the info. As far as bad stuff goes- because clumping litter expands when wet I've heard stories of it expanding in the cats nasal passages when they breathe the dust in. Also in their bellies after they lick their fur. Sound silly?

 

[kungfukitty]

Double post

Oops! Sorry about that.

 

[kungfukitty]

Double post

Oops! Sorry about that.

 

[Lilly]

it is dusty at first, when you put it in the boxes. after it has been in there and settled it seems to be ok though. My cats have always been ok anyhow.

 

[kitkat]

I used to use Arm and hammer clumping and it worked well but now I use Everclean which is a clay and clumping. It works great. My cats dont digest or really eat the litter like some cats do so I dont know about the clumping thing but I can see how some people think that when cats eat clumping litter it will be like a rock in their body. I never used scoopable litter though.

 

[Rayona]

After doing a little research on clumping clay litters I decided I will never use them again. Not only does the possibility exist that cats could ingest enough to block their intestines or nasal passages, but the silica used is a known carcinogin and the methods for mining clay are very environmentally harmful. You might not think you cat eats its litter, but every time it grroms after using the box it does indeed consume some of the dust and any stray pieces of litter. And if you have a dog who sneaks treats out of the litter box it can be hurt as well.

I use SWheat, a flushable, biodegradeable, non-clay clumping litter made from wheat hulls. I love it! It works so well, has almost no smell and doesn't track as much as clay because the pieces are less round.

If you want more info on litter, try this link.
http://www.thelighthouseonline.com/marina/articles/natural.html

 

[maymariya]

Well, I mix clay litter and scoopable litter because if I put in just scoopable the little "deposits" will stick to the bottom of the litter box and it becomes too hard to scrape them off.But, if I put in just clay litter, it falls apart when I scoop it out.Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with scoopable litter.

 

[faile]

i use swheat too, and i love it. biodegradable, and a renewable source!

not only is clay litter harming to the environment in the mining methods, but it doesn't biodegrade, therefore millions of pounds of kitty litter overflow into landfills every year.

i would go with a non-clay clumping litter, like swheat, world's best cat litter (made from corn), yesterdays news (wood) and such.

 

[tiggs]

I echo what others have said about Shweat scoop. I started using this about a month ago and I love it. I had been using scoop away before that, which wasn't bad, but I hated how dusty it was and the scent was so strong. Plus I really wanted to use a biodegradable litter without all the chemicals. Shweat scoop is awesome, the odor control is great without an overpowering smell, and it clumps really well (I use a liner in the pan, so havn't had problems with is sticking to the sides). My cat took to it just fine.

 

[shlanon]

So the Shweat litter has no negative effect on cats even though it is clumping? Since it is not made of clay? Just wondering. I switched from clumping to plain clay after being afraid that the clumping could be bad for my cats after possibly grooming and injesting it. But the non-clumping clay tends to start stinking MUCH sooner than I would like, even with the anti-bacterial version.
I think I may give Shweat a try. Is it hard pellets like Feline Pine though? I would prefer something a little softer on my kitties' feet.

 

[RoboCat]

I've never had problems with the clumping litter.
I've tried litter that was made out of ceder, its look like pelatized rabbit food. But Boo didnt like it... And I tried the cat littler made out of those packets you find in boxed called silica(?) I think. That was kinda wasted in the end you had to change it out anyways and it was way to pricey IMHO.

 

[Annissa]

I've read that clumping litters can be harmful to kittens because they sit so close to the litter when they "go" and that could cause infections down below. I can see how the dust could be harmful if it gets in their sinuses. I've heard great things about feline pine and s'wheat, but I haven't tried either one.

 

[faile]

So the Shweat litter has no negative effect on cats even though it is clumping? Since it is not made of clay? Just wondering. I switched from clumping to plain clay after being afraid that the clumping could be bad for my cats after possibly grooming and injesting it. But the non-clumping clay tends to start stinking MUCH sooner than I would like, even with the anti-bacterial version.
I think I may give Shweat a try. Is it hard pellets like Feline Pine though? I would prefer something a little softer on my kitties' feet.

nope, no negative effect. it doesn't matter if they ingest it, since it's just wheat. great odor control, and i clean mine once a day or sometimes every other day. it's just little pieces of wheat, my kitty has never had an issue with his feet. and i don't use liners and occasionally clumps do stick to the bottom, but i use my scoop like a spatula and they pop right off. it's flushable, but i usually have to break up the clumps a bit before they go down the toilet. all in all, i am a huge fan of this litter.

here's a link- http://www.swheatscoop.com/

 

[kungfukitty]

Thanks to all who suggested Swheat Scoop! I picked up my first bag last week and did the switch yesterday. Holly took to it just fine. I can tell already it'll be 100 times better for the both of us. Thanks, again!

 

[Gracie's Mom]

Sweat is considered the safe alternative to clay clumping litter. My vet recommends it because it won't harm kittens if they should injest some accidently.

 

[shlanon]

So far I really like the Swheat scoop. I wish it were a little better on odor control, but other than that, it's great! I loooove being able to flush the litter down the toilet, since I live on the 3rd floor far away from the dumpster. This litter is saving me many trips outside!