feline pine litter

bogielove

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I'm currently using Swheat litter and am kinda blah about it. The clumps stick to the box and it smells a little funky to me. I'm thinking about switching to Feline Pine. Has anyone had experience with Feline Pine (good or bad)? Thanks in advance!
 

vee

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I only use feline pine...personal preference really. Some people don't like it, some people do. It doesn't seem to smell anywhere near as much. If you prefer to scoop your litter box, it may not be the best option for you since it's not really scoopable but it lasts forever!
 

tuxedokitties

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I love it, but it took the cats a little while to get used to it. Be sure to follow the litter mixing switchover directions if you try it.
 

dragonlady

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To keep clumping litter from sticking, spray the litterbox lightly with non stick cooking spray after cleaning and drying it.
 

hissy

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I have stopped using cat litter entirely! I ran out and couldn't get to the store, so in a pinch I went to the barn and scooped up some Stall Dry. Stall Dry is this mixture you put in your horse stall to neutralize odor of horse urine and manure after you muck out the stalls. I went and put stall dry in the litter boxes and am completely amazed!

No odor, and what is really the best thing is when they urinate, all you have to do is stir the mixture after you remove the solid waste, and the urine vanishes as does the odor. What I really like about it is that I can buy a 44 pound bag of it for $8.95

Just thought I would share.
And no, it does not clump, but it does dissolve the urine.
 

shell

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Very interesting MA! I never thought about using that! But now it makes perfect sense.

Dumb question, where can one buy Stall Dry? Would a Co-op have it? I'm interested in trying that! Thanks for sharing you newest tip with us!
 

cind11

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I used Feline Pine when I got a new kitten recently because that was what the breeder had used and I wanted to switch the new guy over to my litter gradually. I really disliked Feline Pine. I thought it didn't control odor at all. It also breaks down into sawdust as the cat uses it which tracks all over and even gets on their paws-yuck! I was so happy when I finally swiched him to my regular litter. I agree about the Swheat scoop-I was taking care of a friend's cats and it was like bonded to the litter box when I tried to scoop.
 

hissy

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Shell you would have to buy it at a feed store, or farm supply store.
 

tuxedokitties

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MA, I'm fascinated by your Stall Dry idea. It doesn't have any chemicals that might be bad for sensitive older cats, does it? Does it track any less than regular litter? What is its texture? The price sounds hard to beat!
Thanks.
 

nern

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I thought the Feline Pine was great when I used it...unfortunatly the cats were not thrilled with it so Im back to Tidy Cat Scoop.
 

callmekitten

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I really like Feline Pine, and luckily so does my kitten. It's cheap and lasts forever. The odor control is great, and it produces very little dust, which is great for my allergies.
 

rock&fluff'smom

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The only kind I use is Tidy Cats clumping litter...I don't know about everyone else, but the clay litter just seems so much harder to scoop out than clumping....
 

uabassoon

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Is feline pine that stuff that looks like pellets and turns into sawdust after the cat pees in it? One of the people I pet sit for uses that stuff and I really hate it. I usually just buy whatever clumping litter is on sale. I know you are supposed to buy the same kind every time, but my cats don't seem to care. I tried those crystals once and Corkscrew pooped outside the box to show me he didn't like it, so I figured if he didn't like one of the clumping brands he would do the same. Thankfully they aren't too picky and are willing to go for whatever is cheapest.
 

tuxedokitties

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Yep, it's the "turns to sawdust" stuff. I started using it because my apartment had wood floors, and it won't scratch them. Landlords like to hear things like that.
 

huk

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i'm confused as to how it works.

it's not scoopable? what do you do w/ the fecal matter?

sorry, i'm a cat newbie.. my cats just use regular clumping litter and i'm contemplating on switching them over to something else
 

kumbulu

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I've had a look and a few places that advertise it on the net say it's scoopable, though I expect, the pellets absorb the urine and then you change the whole litter box when they become soaked? With the stool, you'd just flush it down the toilet and the litter is apparently flushable as well. I've heard that some cats will not use this litter as it has such a strong smell. This thread will give you some ideas on litter. Also, if you do a search on 'cat litter' you'll find lots more information.
 

tuxedokitties

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Originally Posted by Kumbulu

I've had a look and a few places that advertise it on the net say it's scoopable, though I expect, the pellets absorb the urine and then you change the whole litter box when they become soaked? With the stool, you'd just flush it down the toilet and the litter is apparently flushable as well.
You're right (about the scooping the stool - I'm not sure about the flushability) - You scoop the stool out, and the pellets that have been soaked turn to sawdust. Shake the box whenever you scoop so the sawdust goes to the bottom, and when there is a significant amount of sawdust or any odor, change out the box. I've never tried to flush it, as I'm paranoid about stopping up the pipes.

I think the reason some cats don't like it initially is that the pellets are rather large, so the litter texture is quite a bit different from what most cats are used to. Most cats seem to prefer very sandy litter, but I don't, because it ends up being tracked everywhere - I'd even find the stuff on my pillows! The feline pine stuff doesn't track very much, compared to most litters.

If you want to start using the feline pine litter, the recommendation on the bag is to start by mixing small amounts of the pine litter in with the regular litter, gradually increasing the amount of pine used until it's all pine (be sure to take it slow).
 

momofmany

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I tried it in one litter box and my cats wouldn't use it. The smell was too strong for them (they would poke in their heads, sniff, and walk to another box). I tried mixing a little bit into another litter box with their regular brand and they avoided that box also. I don't know what they would have done had I changed all the boxes at once - they had a choice to go elsewhere and they did. I'm back to regular scoopable in all my litter boxes.
 
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