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I switched to compressed pine pellets many years ago and will never go back. Where it absorbs water, from poop or pee, it turns to sawdust, so it's easy to see what to replace, or when to replace the whole tub. An extra plus: it absorbs huge amounts of water & odor, and if you have a wood stove, it's FREE FUEL. It continues to smell like a pine tree, and cats LOVE it once they get used to the feel. Thanks for your work and teaching. If you're ever in Ohio, stop by and visit with me and my Roger and my Cutie Pie.
I’ve been using equine pellets for two years. But I’ve noticed my cat (4yrs old) balancing on the rim of the litter box to pee and poop. I’m assuming he’s not thrilled with the feel.
@@HeronCoyote1234 I have noticed that multiple cats adapt more quickly to change. They see their peers do it = becomes normal. Also PRAISING good behavior works wonders. Cats are so clean they may be concerned about .making something clean stink. Have faith?
@@HeronCoyote1234 I agree. Unfortunately, one of my two cats took a mad dash out of the litter box as soon as her paws made contact with the equine pellets, and did her business under the bed instead. She will; only tolerate the pellets if mixed with no less than about 75% of the soft original Okocat which I now know, poses the health concerns, given the dust. Both of my cats. particularly one, has developed a wheeze since I started using Okocat wood clumping litter 3 years ago.. So. we'll be going back to the unscented Naturally Fresh walnut shell litter and tolerating the extreme dust. issue. If one, like yourself, has cat/cats that have no issue with the economical, dust free and flushable equine pellets, they seem to be the safest most convenient and most economical cat litter, hands down..
@@sidneymcfadden3857 I’ve been using PetCo’s So Phresh Grass Seed Cat Litter (unscented, of course) for almost a year now. Cheap it ain’t ($18/ten lb bag), but no dust, no odor. Easy clumping. And my cat uses the litter box with no issues.
I use feline pine because i do not have a car and live too far away from a store that sells the cheaper stuff and shipping is too costly. I am looking into something else because the pellets are too large and she cannot dig in them. She scratches on the wall instead--I feel so bad for her!
@@aiai-j7i She may just prefer to scratch the walls. My males Ragdoll is a wall scratcher. I just switched to pine pellets. He scratched the wall with clumping clay and he scratches it with the pine pellets. He scratches them like crazy. He always has. I have some covered litters and uncovered. He prefers the covered litters where he can scratch the walls. He seems to like to do that. My kittens dig in the pine pellets with no problem. So if kittens can do it, I don't think it should be a problem for a grown cat.
Hello! I love my grass seed litter. The only downside is that the granules are pretty light and can kind of track everywhere but it's usually contained to with 3-4 feet around the box. Also I just wanted to say that the risk of aflatoxin isn't as high with grass seed. The grass seed would have to come into contact with aspergillus contaminated corn in order for the fungus that produces aflatoxins to grow. Also- mold is really gross. You would notice the mold growing before enough aflatoxins accumulated to the point where it would do anything to your cat. So no need to worry about it hurting your cat if you clean it at first detection! Aflatoxins are an extremely common issue in agriculture but yes corn is very susceptible.
Wanted to say this. Both corn and tofu litter were 'dismissed' in the review mainly because of GMO, not their actual performance as cat litter. Other than that still good video and I appreciate the effort.
Hey! I had the same concern with silica litters, but silica dust and silica gel are NOT the same thing. silica gel still isn't good to be digested, but the lung concerns aren't there :) edit: I've been researching cat litters myself and have been having the same issue where everything just sucks for one reason or another. I'm considering pine though
I have been using clumping wood pellets from Okocat. It's virtually dust free as far as I can tell. So, it seems pretty safe. I have also used pine pellets that need to sifted, and there is also no dust. So dust is not an issue for wood pellets, and it very absorbent and doesn't smell. great stuff.
@@Kelv1nRivera same. We switched to pine pellets, for our 4 cats, which I created from three large mortar mixing pans I bought from Lowe's and several PVC pipe spacers to create a gap between sifting pan and catch pan. 40# bags of pine pellets are just $7 from Tractor Supply. Were saving about $25 a month on litter and we've achieved an almost 90% reduction in litter tracking outside of the box.
I've been using pine pellets for many years with my dad's cats, my two late cats, but sadly one of my 3 new cats refuses to use it. So I gave him a clumping clay which he's happy with, sadly the other two have resorted to using the clay as well. I hate it! I love pine so much but one of my new cats refuses. He was peeing around the house to avoid it. It's crazy because when I started making the switch, he was the first one to take to the pellets. Changed his mind I guess lol
Can you send or show a pic of your boxes? I have spent years trying different litters as well. Pine pellets won't stickntontheir fur either. The tofu litter works well also but needs a sifter and is expensive. @TheAgeOfAnalog
I use sustainably yours and im never going back to other litters. It makes my life easier and my cat definitely likes it better than clay based. We've had quite the struggle finding a way to get her to stop peeing over thr side of the box, sustainably yours is the only one ive tried where she doesnt do that as long as i scoop daily. I tried pretty litter for a couple months and it was aweful
I agree! I have been using the Jackson Galaxy-approved Sustainability Yours for multiple cats (fine grain litter) for about 2 months when I brought home three rescue cats. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s worth the extra money as “you get what you pay for.” Low quality performance from a cat litter will definitely be telling with DUST and clumps that don’t hold together and break apart (and smell up the box & your home/means throwing out and buying new cat litter more often.) They have no problem with the litter at all. It’s virtually dust free, odorless, and clumps like a champ! I made sure to buy extra large litter boxes this time around so they have some extra room to walk and turn around…no lids on the boxes so they don’t feel trapped. One of my rescues is an aggressive litter box occupant, so if I get pieces too small for my scoop to pick up I use a mesh kitchen strainer I bought from the dollar store. I will never go back to clay litter!!!
I’ll give this litter a try! I recently been using cat’s pride max power clumping multi cat litter so far it really controls the smell but probably not best for cats in the long run after finding out today
I use pellets from recycled paper. It's sustainable. It can be thrown in the ordinary waste and burned. It's easy to clean. And it must be done daily. Sure, it falls apart when it's wet, but that is why one cat should have two litter boxes and it's still easy to scoop up and throw away. My cat usually pees in one and poops in another. I think it's important to be able to smell the poop to detect health problems. The smell doesn't bother me and if it does it's time to clean the litter box!
I agree. I use scoop away and move on . I use a storage container with half the top cut out. I started with a plate size hole then made it bigger. I put a piece of rubbery drawer liner on the top. It’s held down with the handle. Then in front of the box I have a dollar store bumpy rug. It catches the litter really well and I don’t have to walk on it. It drops right in the rug. Easy to shake out as well. I think this cleans her feet off well.
I found and use only Purina Tidy Cats 24-7 clumping for my two cats in a studio apartment. Visitors are surprised to hear that I have cats. i.e. No smells! I keep the box in the bathroom and I throw the urine clumps (which do not smell) in the bagged waste bin and the poop down the toilet. No dust or noticeable fragrances. Never have to change litter or clean the whole box - just add more litter as needed. Try it you'll like it.
I have used the Sustainably Yours brand. There are 2 versions, but the finer grain (about the consistency of sand) is by far the best clumping litter I have ever used. Almost immediate solid clumps form that don’t break apart at all. It’s amazing. The courser version is just so-so. The problem I have with it is there is ZERO odor control. Like, none. I have kittens on a 100% raw diet and still the smell is not good. And I clean the box multiple times per day and all the other things Jess tells us to do haha. I’ve also used the grass seed litter but didn’t notice any dead bug issues (I bought Exqusicat brand). It wasn’t bad, and very good with odor control, but the clumping isn’t as good. The BEST thing I have found is to mix those two litters. I’d say maybe 70% grass seed litter and 30% of the Sustainably Yours. It is the best I have come across. Just for fun I bought some of the walnut litter you mention in this video and I’ll try the same mix with it. It, try mixing the 2. Really works for me. *I also echo that clay litter is not a good idea and incredibly bad for the environment. **And, please, please, please don’t flush your cat litter. Big time bad idea.
Ooooo thank you for the tips!! I haven't come across that brand of grass seed litter. So that isn't one of the brands I tried. I'll take a look into it though! There used to be a switchgrass and biochar litter that I loved but they don't make it anymore ):
@@jesscaticles oh - no! Haha. I’m not that much of a mad scientist lol. I’m using the walnut and Sustainably Yours right now just to try the walnut. But I’ll probably going forward use the grass seed one with the SY mixed in for better clumping. Man…I never thought I would have so many opinions about cat litter 🤣
@@jeffreydmclendon LOL I know right! Yea I've found sometimes the walnut clumps break apart when I sift. I did really like grass seed but I kept getting those dead bugs. I will have to try your concoction soon lol
I've been using Sustainably Yours for several years now, as my most senior cat has some muscle wasting and neurological issues, plus kidney disease and as a result of the dehydration, he experiences regular constipation...my point is that he often times is unstable when standing in the litter box and so he'll fall over into what he has just eliminated. I use this litter in his box only (he uses the box in his "safe" corner that I've set up in my bedroom). I selected this litter because it clumps better than any litter I've tried, and it doesn't get stuck on his butt, boy parts, or paws when he falls into the wet parts. I'm also concerned about aflatoxins...but I've found that he tracks other litters too much (which get under our bed covers, somehow!), and I don't want him ingesting anything worse than the corn/cassava. I'm open to trying the walnut litter with him. It's been YEARS since I last did it, and the odor control wasn't great for me, but could start changing it out more often to prevent the smell. The Sustainably Yours has great odor control, when I use it. I scoop BID and am careful to extract all of the clumps (and any small pieces that have broken off), and I don't notice an odor, as other people seem to be mentioning. Who knows. For the other cats, I use BoxieCat. I am just starting to learn about clay litters and what to avoid. Love this video - so helpful! I love knowing all of my options, and what to avoid for health. One of my cats has asthma, and I've been trying to figure out which litter to use, in case there's a sensitivity there. I am thinking I'll try the walnut again. Thank you!!
You're welcome!! I'm thinking about trying grass seed litter again. I'm just worried about the buggies. I did find grass seed litter to be less dusty and messy than walnut though.
@@jesscaticles I switched to grass seed litter a year ago and have never had bugs/insects. Specifically, I've been using Petco's SoPhresh Multi-Cat Ultra Clumping Fragrance Free Grass Seed Cat Litter and it really works better than any other clumping litter I've tried. Of course the downside to grass seed litter is it tracks worse than others - just have to make sure I sweep up more often. If you give this a try let me know what you think. And thank you for the great videos!
Hi, how’s the clumping and odor control? I’ve seen so many reviews complaining that the clumping is sticky, odor control isn’t great and it’s dusty. I’d like to hear your thoughts!
Definitely! However, at the moment, I am still healing Jericho's teeth and gums. So I have yet to find products that yield good results. I just received 2 new products this week that I'm weaning him on. I will make a video as soon as I find the answer. Stay tuned!
Those silica packets that say "DO NOT EAT" are actually non-toxic. Reasonable amounts of silica are completely safe to ingest. The reason they tell you not to eat them is because the silica in those packets is really good at removing moisture, and your body does not like it when you remove its moisture. Additionally, those packets can be a choking hazard for children and small animals. It's about as safe as eating some sand from a beach. It's not recommended, but it won't kill you.
I use alfalfa and pine pellets I started with a kitten I rescued in my backyard with alfalfa alone but saw that others were using pine. So I started mixing. These are essentially the opposite of clumping as they both absorb urine but it takes a lot more to break down the alfalfa pellets but the pine falls apart quickly. So I like both and change biweekly. Big benefit is they are good to compost! BTW the pine pellets are even cheaper when you buy the ones sold for heating! Same pellets but less than $5 for 40#!
@@lottat6003 I change them when most of the pine pellets have disintegrated and we do pick out the poops. The alfalfa pellets control the odor so we rarely smell anything and if we do we change it
I use Odour Buster a Canadian brand and find it is really nice clay litter, the pee clump stay firms and comes out in 1 none sludgy clump. Thanks for the reviews.
You're welcome! There are resources in the description - studies on rats breathing in clay and silica dust which can be dangerous. So it is not only the sludge I am worried about with clay.
Great video! Very thorough and informative. I currently use the Purina Breeze System. I know it's terrible for the environment with the pads, but my longhair cat doesn't get the pellets stuck to his butt like some other litters and the pellets are clean after every use. It's getting rather expensive now that I've rescued another kitty, so your video has helped me decide where to go next on the quest for the best litter for my furbabies. Thank you!
You might try nesting the breeze box into another container below that provides more headroom room over the sliding tray. If you switch from the Breeze pellets to pine bedding pellets you can also eliminate the costly pads and save lots of money over the breeze pellets. The pine pellets do not require pads underneath since the pine pellets are extremely absorbent and turn to sawdust when dry. There are a few videos online discussing breeze box modification to pine pellets.
@@boomerb4477I do exactly this (three different breeze boxes) but, the pad is still needed on the bottom bc the pine doesn’t really absorb pee. I love the lack of scraping to clean and it’s safe for the kitties. I hate how tough they are on their feets and it really isn’t an amazing odor control.
I use the Sustainably Yours litter. I thinks it's fantastic and so do my kittens. Relatively dust free, great clumping and odor control. At times I have trouble finding it and I use The World's Greatest Cat Litter. This is also good but a definite second place. 😊
I use sustainably yours large grains and it seems to be working fine. i have an automatic litter box (petkit pura x and max). i'm wondering about the mold you mentioned. doesn't mold only grow if there's water over a long period of time? i do sometimes see little clumps that have broken off, but they're always dry as the moisture evaporates. would love to hear more about this!
We have been using Sustainably yours and LOVE it! I have not noticed any mold at all. Tracking is minimal but inevitable with cats. I use the fine grain Plus for multiple cats which helps better on odor control.
Same I scoop twice a day, more often if I’m home. I dump the litter every 15 days too and wash the box with soap. I was using walnut litter before, but I found it dusty. The clumping action on sustainably yours is a lot better then the walnut litter also. Since it clumps so fast I end up scooping a lot less litter and I don’t have to refill as often.
Felix and I like World's Best made of dried corn; unscented, clumping, no dust, no smell. Felix lets me know when he has left a deposit and insists that I clean it right away. Easy to deal with. No clay. No scent. No waste.
Here to update my comment: this is the best most comprehensive vid on litter - really appreciate that you point out the cons of each type and esp w/ pine litter - I see so many ppl praising it but hello wood dust causes cancer in humans but a tiny cat inhaling it multiple times a day is OK? And really disappointing how dishonest some of those companies are. Also, does the walnut clump decently? All I want is ease of cleanly scooping out urine and poop!
You're right! Walnut does clump sometimes it falls apart though. I mention in the video I'm not 100% pleased with it. but unfortunately no litter is perfect. I did find another company that makes coconut cat litter. I'm expecting a sample from them soon. So if it works out I'll make a new video!
Walnut shell is not a viable option for some. Some folks have deadly allergies to nuts so they can't even be around nuts. A lot more folks cannot afford to spend so much on litter and it may not be available where they shop. I use the pine pellets from the farm store. There's very little dust. We have one cat and two boxes. Our cat has never minded the non-clumping litter. He usually prefers to poop in one box and pee in the other. The pine pellets at the farm store are less than $7 for FORTY pounds! I can't imagine a cheaper litter option than that, especially when those 40 pounds last me for a few months.
Hello, I had a few questions about the walnut litter if you have the time- 1. Do you still use it, and how long have you been using it for? 2. How often do you replace all the litter (if you ever do a full litter dump after days or weeks of continuous daily scooping) ? 3. Does it clump okay and do okay at odor control? 4. Have you ever experienced the walnut shell litter molding? 5. How is the dust compared to others? I've been using cheap clay litter for years since I was a kid and I decided to make the switch to walnut litter. Im on a budget so I needed to keep a clay alternative cheap. I was originally thinking of doing corn cob litter but I felt too paranoid of the fact that it can produce mold. I thought walnut litter would hopefully be the better option but since I have never used anything other than clay, I am not sure if it requires any special up keep. I have two open litter boxes in open rooms and scoop daily. I wasn't sure if there were instances where you do a full litter dump (maybe every week or two) to keep the litter fresh and mold free. Any advice would be great. I have the naturally Fresh brand multi-cat litter coming and am very interested in any tips for switching to this litter. I see some negative reviews mostly about it being super super dusty or just not working good as clay. I also see tons of good reviews.Like you said, no litter is perfect but I want to provide the best I can for my pets. I would love to hear from someone who has tried many litters. I appreciate it, thank you.
I’ve tried the walnut. Not great at clumping and smells pretty bad (I scoop twice a day). I use corn and completely dump, clean out once a quarter (I have multiple boxes and multiple cats). PROBABLY should be cleaned/dumped monthly.
I'm going to paste your questions along with my responses below (: 1. Do you still use it, and how long have you been using it for? Yes, I've used it since jan 2021 I believe. I've been debating switching back to grass seed litter but I'm seeing reviews for other brands that say they find bugs. So for now. I don't think switching to new litter is worth it. 2. How often do you replace all the litter (if you ever do a full litter dump after days or weeks of continuous daily scooping) ? I scoop after my cat goes and dump and clean once weekly. My litter cleaning routine is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aBKPB1f0LB8.html&t 3. Does it clump okay and do okay at odor control? Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't clump. Sometimes the clumps fall apart unfortunately. That's why I dump and clean weekly. Odor control is fine for me because I scoop so frequently, and Jericho eats a healthy fresh food diet. His poops don't smell 😸 4. Have you ever experienced the walnut shell litter molding? Nope! 5. How is the dust compared to others? It's definitely less dusty compared to clay. But again all litters are dusty so there is still some dust. As for switching litter, there are instructions on the bag. You would use the current litter to gradually introduce the new litter.
I have used so many different litters for the past 30 years and the one I have been using for the last 4 years is grass seed clumping cat litter. I really like it compared to many of the other types. I have tried many but not all so I do still have some options if need be in the future. I have never had problems with bugs in the grass litter thankfully. I find that it is very good at clumping, very good odour control and very little dust. I use the Pet Valu Eco Grass brand in Canada.
I use Okocat because that’s what my cat’s breeder uses. Pellets stick in my cat’s paws or she jumps and splashes them out, so I’m constantly vacuuming 😩
I love grass seed litter. Has damn near NO dust. Kroger abound is the best deal for grass seed. I mix it with sustainably yours. I clean mime every time mkne poop and inbetween, so mold jsnt an issue. The clumping is out of this world. I also add zeolite to it to deal with smell. I've tried every litter snd by far grass seed is the best
@@jesscaticles I've never found bugs in mine! Well actually....the stuff that I got from PetSmart looked like it had bugs...but it's actually darker burned pieces of grass seed. Abound is my fav
My cat gos on a dog pee pad no litter no tracking I took 2 restaurant stainless steel heat trays cut the bottom out of one covered the shape edges with epoxy cut 24 x24 pee pad in half place one half in bottom then put open bottom on to lock in place for scratching change 2 times a day use one pad a day always clean best ever to convert put litter on it and slowly use less and less till using only pee pad
Thank you for the info on grass seed litter. Thought about trying it, but not now. 🤢 Cat litter is such a personal choice! I’ve tried almost as many ….settled on corn because you can flush it, it doesn’t smell, and clumps pretty well. I do add a little bit of clay to 2 of the boxes (I have multiple cat boxes, and multiple cats), and they seem to be the most popular (no I don’t flush those boxes when I scoop). I think you just have to decide what works for your cat(s) and you. Personally, I can’t STAND the clay, but for most it’s what’s affordable.
I'd argue that you also need to consider what is safe to breathe in, and clay is not. Just remember, your cat is digging and sniffing in the box multiple times a day, every day.
If you want to try grass litter you still should. Sometimes there are bad batches. I wouldn't throw the idea in the trash because one person had a bad experience. I'm going to be switching to smart cat grass litter. I've heard and seen great things about the litter. I'd say still give it a try!
My local shelter swears by the wood pellets that you in a pellet furnace. They are very easy to come by in my area and dirt cheap. I know you're thrown off by the P65 warning, but I see that thing everywhere and I'd personally check how manufacturers respond to the warnings of carcinogenic content.
But are the wood pellets designed for furnaces safe for cats? Just curious because that is not their intended use. I'm guessing the pellets do not clump either? I have seen this warning everywhere too. It's on the CBD that I take, and I still take it. But I'm still iffy about the litter.
I use Cozy ‘n Fresh for my rabbits and cats. It’s a kiln-dried pine pellet specifically for animals. It has an a odor but it is far less offensive than the paper pellets I’ve used in the past. As far as I know, the pellets used for wood burning stoves are not kiln dried and can cause respiratory issues. Shelters use it because it’s readily available and inexpensive. You should also keep in mind that some cats are declawed (my cat was when I adopted her), which makes them extra sensitive to smaller granular litter. Comfort is a big factor when choosing a litter.
@@DieselTrucker2018 I have seen the warning on everything too. But there are actually studies with people breathing in wood dust and causing harm. Cats use the box multiple times a day and sniff real close so I don't want to risk it.
I use Catspot coconut clumping litter. It's soft natural and odor is good but you have to clean daily. Swheat is also good. These are safe for cats to ingest.
Cat spot is inviting a false advertisement lawsuit if they don't update their website and those who already bought the product under the false notion could already file a class action
is it alright to use pretty litter? I been using that for my cat sense he getting older, just curious of his health, also does anyone know if pretty litter works fine with a steel litter box? I still use a plastic box for now
Hi. Thanks for that useful information. However, I saw videos that say (walnut one) it is very VERY dusty, and paws of their cats gets brown and of course they will lick them throughout the day, so what do you think?, I'm very worried about that matter and it's very sad because it seems there's no safe way to give them all what they need. Hope you can answer 🙏
I’ve read that the silica gel is actually save to ingest and the reason they put in the small packs do not eat is because the packs are a chocking hazard. 😮
I have no idea what type of bugs, have they ingested anything toxic, are the even safe to ingest, etc. Cats inevitably ingest some litter when they groom.
I mix the grass litter and a vegetable base litter. The veg one is very fine, so it is somewhat dusty if I have to dump the litter out compleyely. But that's really good in odor control.
I'm currently using Naturally Fresh walnut shell litter and have been very happy with it. Not dusty and cats are no longer sneezing as they were with clay litter.
@@jesscaticles We know the health risks of silica dust from clay litters, but I doubt there is any research on dust from other natural litters such as the walnut we're using. If it's just a household issue, I don't care. Health risks would be another story. So far, I'd say I'm much happier with it than clay litter.
Thank you for the video. I've used clay litter back in the day. Then clumping clay ever since. Now I have more cats so I was looking for something to last longer and a good price per pound. Because of recommendations in comments on YT, I just bought pine pellets from a feed store. Now after watching this video I see this isn't healthy for the cats or me . Maybe I'll go forage walnuts and make my own, just kidding. Thank you for sharing your research on cat litters.
I currently use walnut and I’m on the same journey of trying to find a good litter. I’m really not a fan of the naturally fresh litter I’ve tried the quick clumping and odor control. The quick clumping was SO dusty the odor control is less but still has dust. Lightly stains my white cats paws. It clumps but not super well. If I hit a fresher clump falls apart super easily. I really wanted to like it. I’m currently eyeing the litter maid walnut litter though hopefully it’s better. I’ve considered corn and wheat but again aflatoxin. I’ve seen green tea litter might look into it more
You're absolutely right! I'm not 100% pleased with walnut litter either. But I think it's the best option we have. If you try littermaid walnut please let me know! I mention green tea in the video as well. Most of those are mixed with wood-based litter so you may find the proposition warning about wood dust causing cancer.
@@jesscaticles guess I missed that part lol, that’s unfortunate. I switched from pine pellets because it’s currently all the rave. But after I saw a video of a person explaining why they don’t use it in their rescue I immediately stopped. Cancer due to the wood dust is a concern but with pine the whole tree is toxic and even if it’s kiln dried and the oils aren’t there the phenols still are. Those can’t be dried out as it’s in the whole part of tree including that pine scent. This could cause respiratory and possible kidney issues when used long term for some cats. You mentioned bamboo which sounds like a good idea so I may give it a go if the litter maid brand doesn’t work out. I wish one of these days we find the holy grail of natural litter lol
@@briannamedina7088 That's very true about the pine pellets! And I SO HOPE we get a better version of litter soon. Let me know if you try the bamboo too please!
@@jesscaticles update on the litter maid walnut litter. I started using it a few days ago and unfortunately it’s already a no. Right off the bat though like zero dust, and the tiny bit there is it’s not bright reddish brown. It’s like a pale tan, the clumps are a bit soft if their fresher but they firm up better than naturally fresh. It also doesn’t have that strong of a walnut smell. It’s also more sand like a lot finer and softer. Cant say much on odor control yet but I mean still no ammonia smell, my cat is raw fed so he pees a lot. Which leads to my next point and why it’s such a no with my boy. Every time he uses the litter box he gets pee on his hind paw. Also a bit on his lower stomach fur since he’s a DMH. I guess the litter takes a second to absorb, I’ve never experienced this with any other litter. I also noticed that the clumping agent used leaves a slimy film if you’ve touched it and touched liquid. I really was hoping that this would be the litter, but I can’t deal with peed paws every time he uses the litter box 😩. Back to square one
@@briannamedina7088 @Brianna Medina Jericho gets some pee on his paws too! So it must be a walnut thing. I'm probably going to start introducing chewy's frisco brand grass seed litter next month.
The silica gel litters do not create dust. Silicosis/silica dust comes from glass grinding, lens making, that kind of thing. Dump an entire bag of silica gel based litter onto the floor, behold the absolute lack of dust being kicked up. The reason it sucks is that my cats won't use it. All I got were 4 paw prints and 0 waste.
That's odd because I have used the Pretty Litter silica gel litter and had to turn on the fan because the dust cloud was the worst of all litter types that I have tried.
Naturally Fresh is the brand name. The walnut shell actually absorbs the odor really well. I used to sell it and I used to buy it, but it got too expensive. A bag lasts three times longer than other litters of comparable size. It is affordable if you only have one or 2 cats. It is also biodegradable which is nice for the environment. You can get it as loose litter that clumps, or as a pellet. The pellet is also safe for small animals to use, such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
I use naturally fresh multi cat (even though I only have one). She uses it just fine, and I like it better than clay. Even the clay litters that say 99% dust free is still too dusty for my liking.
I want to use the walnut litter, but unfortunately walnuts are toxic to dogs, and I have a 16 year old Jack Russell Terrier doggo. If anyone want has info on this issue, I’d love to hear it!
I would love to since that's the natural cat litter. But I've read it doesn't clump or control odor. So if you did use sand you would have to clean out the box daily. Someone else commented they were going to try it and let me know how it goes. I'd rather use that even if it means more cleaning.
Bingo ! I use washed masonry sand from local stone co. no dust. use very little and change daily . I use two boxes. one will be in use and the other cleaned and loaded waiting to swap next day. cat box clean sand everyday. My cats are worth it period... VERY CHEAP, VERY CLEAN EVERY DAY
@@patriotu.s.elections7879 That's so great!! Thank you for sharing. I'm very interested in using sand since it's the most natural option. Great point to have 2 boxes so there is one available while you clean!
You didn’t mention tidy cat breeze pellets. They are made of cement I think. I have 3 of them and it’s the easiest litter to take care of. Pee goes right through into the pan with a pad underneath. Recently I have made changes to only house cats instead of outdoor. They are not happy. So they are eliminating in non-litter areas. I am trying to make them happy. Added another box with clay litter. They seem to like it but it’s so much more gross. At least to me. Scooping it is hard. (Non clumping I guess). But your video helps me to think about some options thanks for sharing.
I believe those pellets are made from clay. I didn't mention brand names in the video, only categories of each type of litter. I've tried multiple brands within each category though working as a cat sitter (:
As a new cat mom within the last 2 years...i I switched to Boxicat Air once i realized my new 6 year old cat was breathing hard...i just thought wow...this is a lot of dust...how do people not realize all this dust is bad for breathing ...I like boxicat air a lot because there's virtually no dust. I hope this brand is also less disturbing to the cat's digestion.
We use the swheat litter and we LOVE it. Never had any problems with mold or anything like that. It covers the smell SO well. We have tried all sorts of different litters and none even compare to the wheat litter we use. We foster and have had up to 20 cats, the litter has been amazing with all of them. You wouldn't even know that we had cats with that litter it's kind of crazy. It's so weird you say the walnut worked better for you. We tried that kind as well but the smell was so gross. It wasn't a pee/poop smell. It was just something that was off and very off putting for us. I do appreciate you posting this though definitely a lot of good info.
I definitely replied but for some reason it disappeared? Very strange! Anyway, I'm glad you keep up with the litter box. My experience with wheat was the opposite. Clients did not clean the box regularly so the ammonia smell was very powerful. Walnut does have an earthy like smell to it. I've started to add baking soda to my DIY litter genie to help deodorize the smell. But like I said I'm not 100% pleased with walnut either ):
Have tried using wood pellets (like horse bedding) because it doesn't smell, is minimally dusty, and is so cheap (~$6 for 40lbs)...unfortunately our cat wasn't impressed by it and has decided to pee on the beds instead. Prolly going back to the corn one since I hate clay litter with a passion (although I will begrudgingly go back to the cat attract brand if she refuses to use the corn one). As much as the walnut shell litter sounds nice...I live with someone who is deathly allergic to both nuts and legumes, and I'm trying not to kill them...
I just got a cat this week (stray who adopted me) and I can't thank you enough for your reviews! I was naturally drawn to the walnut litter for some reason despite never owning a cat before. I used to cat sit in the past (most dog sat though) so I had a lot of experience with ALL types of interesting smells lol. I have already found the walnut to be better for scent control with urine than anything else I've seen. The poo of course still smells but I have been cleaning it immediately, so it hasn't had time to absorb much odor anyways. I think it's so important to move towards sustainable products and obviously non-toxic litters. The mold aspect is VERY concerning to me as well, especially since I live in a basement where climate/damp control is a bit tricky at times. Luckily I live in CO where it's drier in general, but basements can still be prone to mold if it's really hot or wet outside for an extended period of time. And either way, you may not get ALL the wetness out even if you scoop immediately after every use, so it seems risky. I had no idea about the mold issue, and had contemplated trying out the Jackson Galaxy one just to compare since I'm new to all this, but I will stick with walnut for now. (and the bugs in the grass varieties sealed the deal there as well lol. Along with my grass allergy, that seems like a hard no!)
I agree, walnut shell litter is excellent since it's really charcoal by the end of processing. However, I stopped using it because it became prohibitively priced. I'm sure "they" could do the same thing using shells from other nuts, I'm guessing, to reduce the price. I use traditional clay but that's not so easy to get lately for some reason but it can be dusty. I may try sand, which I can buy for $30 for a cubic yard. The clay litter I buy now runs about $10-12 per 18 kg, which is significantly more than sand.
Hi guys, I need your help. I have a diabetic cat who pees in gallons 😫 It’s getting so hard for me to change his litter ever 2 days. Right now I’m using non clamping litter Plus it’s very expensive too.Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻
I feel for you! My son had a diabetic cat, and literally the entire room where the litter was, was destroyed. But his cat peed on carpet, furniture, and objects - not just the litter box. When my son moved, he had throw away everything in that room, tear up the carpet, and paint the cement floor with something (I cannot recall the name of the product) that eliminates pee smell and covers up the stains. .. If you are using non-clumping, then the pee stays in the box and stinks to high heaven. That's what I didn't like about Pretty Litter, which made removing the poop a breeze, but the urine sat in there. Clumping litter is heavy of course, but at least you can scoop up clumps of pee to remove them. I use Meijer grocery store brand, regular (not light) unscented, with baking soda. So far, that is my favorite.. but I'm going to try the walnut shells clumping next. Good luck with your kitty. I know it's difficult to parent a diabetic cat (and insanely expensive due to the costs of insulin injections!), but your cat is a lucky boy to have such a loving, caring parent. 😻
Right now I'm using walnut - linked in the description. It isn't perfect but it's the best I think we have available. I also talk about that in the video (:
Crystal litter is made of amorphous silica which is safe and is NOT the same as what’s in the packets. Cooked sweet potatoes have California prop warnings btw and doesn’t necessarily correlate to health risk. I recommend looking into it more.
I think the California warning in this instance is possibly valid. If pine sap is present in the wood pellets, it is pretty toxic. It's what solder flux is made out of. Don't burn pine wood!
Have you heard of Yuca based cat litter? Some brands include Yucat Cat litter (made from the yuca bark), earth’s finest etc (yuca + sugar cane). I found out about it and am looking into it now! Wondering if the sugar would attract bugs
I have two boxes for my single cat I don’t put litter in either one of them I just dump the contents into the toilet and rinse it out and pour the rinse water into the toilet she mainly urinates in one and she mainly poops in the other but it doesn’t seem to bother her I have a third one that has walnut shells on the other side of the house she uses it occasionally
Technically sand is the closest to their natural bathroom. That and dirt. I've read that some people use sand. They buy sand sold for children's sandboxes. But apparently, it does not clump, sticks to paws, and it stinks. So if you did use sand you would probably only put enough for 1 bathroom use and dump, clean, and refresh it each time your cat uses the bathroom. If you give it a go, let me know!
@@jesscaticles that's exactly why I was thinking of giving it a try. 😁 I will let you know the outcome. Thanks for all your amazing information you share! Much love.
I'm not sure why your other comments about food got deleted either. I have the notification for the comment but I can't see it on the video. Unfortunately, the comment gets snipped off so I wasn't able to read the whole thing. Maybe you can comment back here?
@@jesscaticles yess, they are getting deleted so I copied it just in case Don't know why earlier comment got deleted or if I accidentally commented on the wrong video but basically, hi jess, im the person living in pakistan with awful meat sourcing and even variety such as rabbit meat and even most good quality fish. Since our last interaction, after a lot of asking around and research, I managed to find a great meat shop that ticks all the boxes for good meat that I've heard pretty much all raw feeders mention (grass fed, antibiotic free, hormone free, etc) plus it meets halal regulations (im muslims so all the meat in my country has to halal) and so the animals they use HAVE to be healthy animals that are slaughtered and those that die of natural causes otherwise that meat isn't allowed for consumption, so that makes me feel a lot better about diseases. So my next hurdle is finding the purrefect recipe. Sourcing premixes like alnutrin, tc feline, etc is pretty much out of the question because of how ridiculously expensive it is, like not even slightly out of the budget but stupid expensive lol and even then those available online are the ones that say no bone needed and I would rather use bone. So my point is, how do you feel about felinenutrition.org 's recipe ? It seems like the most easiest, simplest and easily accessible recipe for me, at least for quite some time. My only issues is that it only uses one secreting organ, liver and I worry about the lack of manganese and some other supplements, but that recipes has been used with immense success and no problems for YEARS, so I would love your insight since you seem to be one of those raw feeders that don't shame those of us who have to use synthetic supplements and understand and how difficult it is for some of us. Thank you for any and all help you can give 💜💜💜
@@jesscaticles also!! Related to food, have you ever heard about mera cat food ? Specifically their finest fit sensitive stomach wet food ? It's probably what I have to keep my kitty on for a few months till we transition
@@mariyamsaeed8279 I'm glad these comments weren't deleted! Feline nutrition foundation is a great resource and one I use all the time. It's a group of nutritionists and veterinarians so I think the recipe would be good. It would be even better to have multiple recipes that you can vary. That would help with any missing nutrients. Also, wild cats consume 5-7 different proteins so variety is key. However, I don't think that page mentions how you can vary up the proteins. I will research this week for more recipes. I'm also waiting on my pet food formulation software to release their update. Once the update is released I'll work on some recipes (: Mera cat food looks great! I checked out the sensitive stomach one and I like that it includes heart, liver, stomach, and neck. Thank you for bringing this one to my attention!
ok they all suck. which clumping litter has the least compromises based on the following points 1. functionality 2. eco friendlyness 3. safety 4. price point cheers. i havent come across any clumping litter that doesnt either use clay, sythetic clumping agent or organic clumping that has risk of growing mold or cost an arm and leg. however i also understand why clumping agent and litter were not made to aborb 500 times the weight. cheers
Based on those points I choose walnut litter. As mentioned in the video, it's not 100% perfect. But I think it's the closest we'll get compared to what else is available.
WTF are you doing with your litter that you’re so concerned about mold??? Keep it dry when stored and scoop regularly!!!! Mold takes tons of time to form.
I have used many kinds of cat litter as well. And have settled on Purina Tidy Cats Multi-Cat Clumping_Litter. There is not very much added perfume in. For the most part the issue is the one cleaning the litter box. I have learned to clean the litter soon after they use the litter box. I keep a plastic bucket with a lid and screen tools close to the litter box. Picking up the litter box and giving it a shake to find the area of pee/poo makes it easy to navigate the screening shovel around the pee/poo so you can get it in the first scoop. Then put the scooped litter in a plastic grocery bag in the plastic bucket with a lid.
You don't use wood pellet litter correctly. I've worked at cat rescues for years so I have tons of experience of daily, high-volume litterbox maintenance. By far, wood pellets are the best in every way and way cheaper. Easiest maintenance (even with 20+ cats), good at absorbing smell/or great if you use with pee-pee pads underneath, way better for the air quality. But you have to get or make a shifting tray that has gap space underneath like the "febreeze system" litter tray, but there are tutorials all over the internet on how to make your own. buy the 40pound bag of "wood pellet horse bedding" for only $6 from a big animal supply store like "tractor supply co" if possible, but if there's none near-by then check your local home-depo. Probably about 2/3 of home depos keep it regularly stocked for the same price. Even if you have to get something like the "feline-pine" litter at chewy.com or on Amazon, for double that price, that's still roughly half the price of any grocery store litter.
And wooddust is not an issue like she states. Wood pellets don't break down into dust unless they've been wet.. wet saw dust isn't going to fly around in the air even if it's agitated
Silica GEL does NOT cause silicosis. It is synthetic and moisture adheres to it. The warnings are for choking- swallowing the packets, and sometimes other toxic things are added like cobalt, which is not an ingredient in litter. CLAY is silica and can cause silicosis, as can bentonite which is often used as the clumping agent. It is the finest known type of clay and swells when is wetted. Basic research.
I use a corn-based litter (World's Best). So what IF the corn is genetically modified! (GMOs aren't an issue for me.) Your cat isn't EATING it. The same goes for that aflatoxin mold. It's only a problem if your cat EATS it. That's why it's an issue in cat FOOD. I tried a walnut litter (Blue Buffalo); I HATED it! I couldn't WAIT to go back to my corn-based litter! You didn't try Sustainably Yours casava litter.
While I agree you shouldn't give your cat any litter that can be eaten, GMO is safe . It's pretty much impossible to have food completely void of GMO actually by the nature of how plants reproduce. Theirs actually a lawsuit where a GMO plant bred naturally with non GMO crops
Wow you did your research! Very researched and super helpful. I have been really impressed with Sustainably Yours, the brand Jackson Galaxy recommends. Best odor control and clumping for a natural litter. The tracking of the granules was a bit of a nuisance. The walnut is my second choice, good for odor control but little brown haze from my cat’s paws all around the box….I think Sustainably Yours might be my winner. I didn’t know about the issue with mold growth, I’m going to do more research about this. Thank you!
I mention this in the video. I'd love to learn more about it since jackson galaxy endorses it. I'm just nervous about starchy ingredients causing mold growth.
