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The litter tray

Cat litter ?

27 replies

HalloweenCatsRock · 30/10/2012 08:05

For the litter tray - any suggestions as which is best?

OP posts:
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greenhill · 30/10/2012 08:12

I use pine wood pellets that turn to sawdust when my cat wees on them. They smell quite nice and the sawdust can be recycled into the compost bin (minus poo, of course)

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SimplyTes · 30/10/2012 08:12

Chick crumb (food for chickens get from local farm suppliers - delivered) smell free, can go down the toilet, clumping and less than half the price of supermarket stuff. It is the best!

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issey6cats · 31/10/2012 12:35

everyone has a favourite litter they like im with greenhill i like the wood pellets one smells nice, easy to clean out as sawdust break down dosent stick to the tray like the clay based ones and i get mine from asda £2.38 for a big bag works out reasonable price too

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midori1999 · 31/10/2012 22:16

We have tried loads and I always go back to World Best. The only reason I try any others is I can only get it at Pets At Home or online and sometimes I'm busy and need to get something from the supermarket.

It keeps smells right down, it clumps and you can flush it down the toilet. Plus, my cat really likes it. Flushing is a huge bonus for me!

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Wasapea · 31/10/2012 22:44

We find wood is best - as others have said, it smells nice and goes a long way. Very reasonable prices for bigger bags too.

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Wolfiefan · 31/10/2012 22:48

Clumping cat litter the only way to go here!

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QuanticoVirginia · 31/10/2012 23:14

Our Persian kitten didn't seem to like the wood pellets and started finding other inappropriate places to use as a litter tray. I think maybe being a kitten the pellets were a bit too big and he didn't seem able to properly bury his poos in it. He seems to have problems 'pawing' it.

I changed to wood shaving but it made such a mess everywhere. It constantly looked like there'd been a snow storm all over the carpets and kitchen and I was constantly vacuuming. Kitten loved in though and would go in it just to 'paw' it without actually doing anything. I don't know if the mess was worse because he's Persian and the wood chip ended up all over his fur.

Have now ended up with the Catsan Hygiene Cat litter. Doesn't cause a big mess out of the tray,seems to mask any smells and most importantly kitten loves it and we've had no 'accidents' anywhere else.

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cozietoesie · 01/11/2012 07:45

I do what my very fussy cats tell me (in one way or another) they like. I'm thoroughly cowed.

My second last boy was tried, on his first night with me, with wood pellet litter that I'd been given. He took one scratch at it then came up on the bed and peed copiously all over the (new) duvet. Nuff said. I went down to the supermarket the very next morning, first thing, and bought some of the clumping Fuller's earth litter I'd always used previously. No problems thereafter.

So - clumping Fuller's Earth is the preferred litter for the cozie household. I use Sainsbury's or Co-op - but LIDL's do a humungous cheap bag which has also proved just about acceptable although it has slightly larger grains.

A couple of things about Fuller's Earth litter if you use it. Make sure you have a decent depth (to allow the clump to form well) and best not use the stupid plastic scoops with slits that they sell in pet shops and stores. Use a flour scoop or a cheap metal garden trowel - those hard edges will enable you to whip up the pee or poo in no time at all without troubles.

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zillyzilly · 01/11/2012 07:46

World Best is what we use.

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Sparklingbrook · 01/11/2012 07:52

Aldi's. They only sell one type. It's great.

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cozietoesie · 01/11/2012 07:56

Ah - I haven't checked them, Sparkling. (Just too far away from me to carry litter without a car.) Is it clumping?

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Sparklingbrook · 01/11/2012 08:04

Yes cozie. As long as you fill the tray quite deep the wee never reaches the bottom and you can scoop the ball of wee out IYSWIM. Grin Trick is to leave the wee a little while too before scooping to soak in. Poo-fine.

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EdgarAllansPo · 01/11/2012 08:06

Our cat decided that a laundry basket of clean washing would make an ideal cat litter tray this morning!

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cozietoesie · 01/11/2012 08:39

Thanks, Sparkling, Useful to know if I'm around there with a 'carred' friend or relative.

Agree entirely with your methods.

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Sparklingbrook · 01/11/2012 08:42

Grin cozie. I have methods. Do not try and scoop a fresh wee-it will fall to bits. Sad

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cozietoesie · 01/11/2012 09:23

It's all a matter of terminology. I call it 'leaving it to set'. Grin The family have accepted that one. (No-one has mentioned blancmange yet!)

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Sparklingbrook · 01/11/2012 09:25

What about my method of tipping the tray up slightly to 'expose the ball of wee'? That must have a name. Grin If it's in the corner it is sometimes a triangle of wee. Grin

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cozietoesie · 01/11/2012 09:29

We call that 'shoogling' the tray. Grin (But that's a Scottish technical term!)

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cozietoesie · 01/11/2012 09:32

Clearly depth in years of tray cleaning on this board. The name suits!

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Abzs · 01/11/2012 19:04

Fussy Cat B came with two trays and Catsan when we got her and would only use a tray once.

We changed to wood pellets and that combined with a holiday in the cattery with only one tray cured her of the two tray fussiness.

She does have a proper smelly bottom, regardless of food, so poos still get cleaned out quickly...

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vintageviolets · 01/11/2012 19:07

Tesco value is fab.

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Leonas · 07/11/2012 19:48

We have had to stick with the wooden stuff as out genius of a kitten eats the normal stuff. I tried it with him again now he is a bit older but he just sits at the side of the tray, scooping it up in his grubby little paw and stuffing it in his mouth - he then looks disgusted, spits it out and repeats the process. Cue white litter everywhere and his peeing in DH's gym bag - oops!

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Abzs · 07/11/2012 21:56

Clearly I boasted too soon.

Cat B has spent the last couple of days rejecting the tray and peeing next to it (in the bath) instead. This morning she peed backwards onto the shower screen step while standing up.

The tray is no dirtier than normal. She could be doing it for attention because she's missing her sister, but she's getting loads of attention because we miss her sister. I don't understand.

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gobbin · 11/11/2012 16:28

Worlds Best is amazing, but expensive. Natural corn-based fine grain product with quite remarkable clumping properties that leave the tray totally dry. Doesn't track much and no smell once poo is covered.

We alternate between that and Breeder Celect which is made from recycled newspaper, has bigger grains, absorbs wee well and leaves no smell once poo is covered. Doesn't track at all, just a few pellets get flung out on paws each day.

Both are available from Pets at Home and were tried after using our old fave Tesco pink low dust non-clumping, but they seem to have changed the properties of this and was very dusty and messy, to the point that it was irritating our new cats' eyes (mum and two kittens, rescue cases).

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foxy6 · 13/11/2012 20:09

we use wood pellets here and my 2 have no problem with it but I'm getting a new kitten tomorrow and haven't thought about how she will take to wood pellets I'd better get some of what she is used to for a while. I sorted everything else out but didn't even think of what type litter to use Shock

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