Does anyone use pelleted horse bedding for their cats?

[Bassetluv]

After reading Jak's thread about kitty litter, I thought I'd ask this. Yofi has a kitty litter fetish and I'm constantly kicking him out of the porch as he loves to play in the cat's litter box. Not only is it gross, but I worry about his safety with the litter itself. So I've been pondering switching the cat's litter box to pelleted bedding since I already have some for the rabbit's litter box anyway....this way, at least that would be one lesser worry if Yofi did sneak into their litter box again (and it might actually discourage him from going into it, since it's the clay litter that he finds 'funnest').

But I'm wondering if the cats would take to it. Would wetting it so it breaks down and then putting it in the box work? Anyone here have cats who do use this product and don't mind it?

I have to run, but will be back later...thanks all!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

WoodyPet is supposed to work for all animals..........

I don't have Tank on it but he thinks it's cool to get in the bunny pan and pee. :X

 

[Bassetluv]

LOL! So you have the opposite problem! Maybe we should trade pets and it'll work out evenly.

Yeah, I have Magnum, which is basically the same as Woody Pet, but was wondering if cats would take to the pellets as litter, or would they need to be broken down first...and even then, would they take to them. I'd hate to start having out-of-box issues because I switched them from clay litter (having a cat with chronic diarrhea is bad enough, as she doesn't always hit the box).

Maybe I'll break some down and start mixing them in with the clay slowly, just to see.

 

[Michaela]

Yes, we use Pets at home Wood litter pellets for both the cats and the bunnies. The one I get is actually primarily a cat litter, but says also suitable for rabbits, guinea pigs etc.

My cats all use it fine when they need to, though usually they go outside for the toilet, except Bumble who isn't neutered yet so can't go out . But we don't have to break it down or anything, they just use it.

 

[Bassetluv]

Oh, thanks Michaela! That's good to know. Now if my cats aren't too fussy, maybe I can try that with them...the whole wood pellets...

 

[spoh]

If you think the cats might have a problem with it maybe you could try mixing it with the regular cat litter and slowly getting them use to it. I have used it under the regular litter before when I ran out of kitty litter, my cat use to be very particular so I was concerned but it didn't seem to bother her. When she was young she would only pee on Tidy Cat, anything else would result in peeing on the floor, I guess she has mellowed with age.

Joy

 

[Boz]

Have you ever heard of Feline Pine? That's Wood pellets. :biggrin2:

 

[Bassetluv]

Thanks spoh and boz...boz, I've heard of Feline Pine, but I suspect it costs a fair bit more than the Magnum horse bedding. (I pay around $7-$8 per 40-lb bag) Since I buy a lot of litter, cost can be a factor...with two cats and two bunnies, it can add up quickly! LOL

Sometimes I wish they all had opposable thumbs...I'd teach them to use the toilet. Then again, I can just see Yofi now, deciding to take a swim in the murky depths of the big white bowl. Just for fun, y'know....

 

[maherwoman]

Yeah, they'll take to it...takes a very gradual switch over, though...adding about a cup a week to their usual litter, until you're totally switched over.

Some kitties (like kitties that were declawed) don't like the litter, as it hurts their feet...but otherwise, you shouldn't have a problem. Just takes a bit of time.

Also, if you actually scoop out poops (as opposed to just dumping the whole thing about once a week like we do), you'd have to get a Feline Pine scooper (they might have it in pet stores now) that has slots big enough to schooshel out the unused pellets (if that makes sense).

We were going to switch our kitties over to wood pellets, but decided not to, since we have the exercise pen right now, and don't really have anybun free-roaming quite yet (so their box is cut off from the buns). Once we move to a house, and Teeny is free-roaming, we'll probably start switching over, as we're getting him used to being free-range.

 

[Boz]

Bassetluv wrote:

Thanks spoh and boz...boz, I've heard of Feline Pine, but I suspect it costs a fair bit more than the Magnum horse bedding. (I pay around $7-$8 per 40-lb bag) Since I buy a lot of litter, cost can be a factor...with two cats and two bunnies, it can add up quickly! LOL

Sometimes I wish they all had opposable thumbs...I'd teach them to use the toilet. Then again, I can just see Yofi now, deciding to take a swim in the murky depths of the big white bowl. Just for fun, y'know....

Well I was just saying it's wood pellets for Cats, so I don't see why you can't use it :biggrin2:

I've heard of cats being trained to use the toilet :shock:

 

[Bassetluv]

Some kitties (like kitties that were declawed) don't like the litter, as it hurts their feet...but otherwise, you shouldn't have a problem. Just takes a bit of time. Also, if you actually scoop out poops (as opposed to just dumping the whole thing about once a week like we do), you'd have to get a Feline Pine scooper (they might have it in pet stores now) that has slots big enough to schooshel out the unused pellets (if that makes sense).

Yep, that makes sense to me Rosie! I tried a couple of times to scoop the bunnies' litter boxes with a regular scooper and it just didn't work...pellets were too big to fall through the slots. I'm glad you mentioned it though because I wouldn't have really considered it when switching. I scoop the cats' litter box, so if/when I do switch I'll have to get a new scooper. My oldest cat, Tasha, is declawed (something I'd never do to cat again...back then I had no idea what was involved in the surgery) so perhaps I'd need to break down the pellets a bit for her.

Well I was just saying it's wood pellets for Cats, so I don't see why you can't use it :biggrin2:

Ah...gotcha, boz... Oh yes, I've heard of cats being trained to use the toilet too! Seen videos of one flushing after he was done (what a weird concept!). If my cats are anything like my son, they'd always miss though and hit the seat...eeeww...