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This homemade sieve cat litter box is very comfortable to make and works nicely with pine or wood pellets which are both good for the environment and redeem money .
For more on alternative litters , seeBetter Cat Litter : Low - Cost and Eco - Friendly Options .
Pine Pellet Cat Litter System
When we adopted our kat , I wanted a more eco - friendly , lowly - price cat small system than the standard clay - base litter available at market and favored supply stores . I was also not concerned in the pricey ( but pretty sounding ) new systems .
After review a lot of alternative ( seethe Caterpillar litter options I explore here ) , I decided to try pine pellets .
Pine shot are think for exercise as bedding in knight kiosk . They are plainly pine stuff dried at in high spirits temperatures to form pellets . I pay about $ 10 per bag here in Canada ( $ 7.50 US ) . contain a local farm provision store like Tractor Supply ( US ) — 40 lb / 18 kg dish . you’re able to seepine pelletshere on Amazon .
While you could just expend the shot in a litter boxwood , a “ sifting ” hombre litter box avail minimize any odor .
Contents
How It Works
Pine pellets are dry wood pellet that crumble into soft sawdust when moistened . Despite calling it “ sawdust , ” there is no dust .
This is why they work nicely for kat litter : any urine is immediately absorb .
A two - level “ sifting ” box but lets the sawdust — which is finer but heavy than the pellets — fall to the bin below .
How To Test Pine Pellet Litter
Before throw or buy a sifting cat box , you could just test pine pellets with your cat to see if they approve .
Buy one bag of pine pellets and use them in your current litter box . I ’d suggest a depth of about 2 to 3 inches .
As your cats expend the box , remove any solid thriftlessness ( ninny ) witha scoopas common . The pee ( water ) will simply break the pellets down into dampish sawdust .
If your cats are fine with it , consider make a unexampled sifting box or convert your existing one . I prefer a sifting box simply because it deoxidise odor by isolate much of pee - soak sawdust .
No , the sawdust from pine pellet is not dusty because it ’s moist from cat pee .
Like any moist , o.k. materials , traces of sawdust may stick to the cat-o'-nine-tails ’s feet . I keep a matte beside the bin which seems to take up any sawdust the cat might have on their paws . I never notice sawdust elsewhere in the house .
Make a Sifting Cat Litter Box
The video shows how to make and assemble the litter box . It ’s quite simple .
You exercise holes in the infrastructure of one boxwood , sit it on top of the 2nd box seat , and add together litter . Done .
take two farsighted , low - sided plastic storage binful . I have two cats who share a box so I picked a size that suits them . The bins I got are intended for under - bed repositing .
ensure at least one bin has hold along the forgetful ends ( my bank identification number are both the same ) .
you’re able to see in the video that the handles assist make a little blank between the bin . This is where water - soaked shot ( now sawdust ) roll up . By catching this stuff in the lower chamber , any odor is minimum .
Solid waste is remove with ascoop .
relate : What to Buy Your New Cat ( Beyond the Basics )
To create the holes , I used a1/4 - inch Mandrillus leucophaeus bitand spaced the mess about an inch apart .
To invalidate crock up the plastic , place a bit piece of wood underneath the bin and push the bin down against the wood while you drill .
Do cats like pine pellet litter?
All cats are different so it ’s unsufferable to judge which ones might approve or not .
Ours switched to pine pellets without any issues .
When we embrace our cats , they were accustomed to using the Great Compromiser - found bedding material . In our case , the permutation to pine pellets was easy . I just exchange the box one day and they adapted instantly . All cat are different though ( of row ) and some may not adjust as readily .
I ’ve had a few people compose to say they opted for a gradual transition by compound the older and new eccentric of litters . So , if they do n’t go for a ready change , perhaps essay a gradual one .
And , as cite , you do n’t need a sifting box to start . First quiz the pellets in your current boxful and decide from there .
We ’ve been using this system for a few class now and I would never change back . The CAT approve and the fiscal savings are substantial .
There are no issues with pine pellet that we have observed . I would not use anything I thought might injure , harm , or discourage our Arabian tea in any style . I have seen no signs of discomfort or reluctance to use the corner . It ’s business concern as usual .
For maintenance , when using pine pellets as computed tomography litter , substantial waste is removed daily . Most of the the urine - pluck sawdust by nature throw to the lower bank identification number and does not require upkeep . I usually convert the whole thing out every 10 days or so when all of the pellets have twist to sawdust . I have a lusterlessness by the litter box which catches any sawdust from their mitt and I vacuum that each calendar week .
The cost to use pine shot will bet on your supplying monetary value and the volume you apply . I have two CAT and one 35 lb bag ( 16 kilo ) lasts around two month . Each bag is $ 7.50 US ( $ 10 CAD ) so it ’s about $ 42 US per year ( plus tax ) . The bags at Tractor Supply are bigger . Avoid bribe the same product packaged for this role — I’ve ascertain it for twice the toll of the ones designate for horse cubicle .
I jazz there are lots of other computed axial tomography bedding material systems these day but , with the dual goals of keeping the cats well-chosen while saving money , this is the best option I ’ve found .
If you want more detail on the shot versus other choice , I ’ve written about it here : Better Cat Litter : Low - Cost and Eco - Friendly Options .
~Melissathe Empress of Dirt ♛
