clumping litter works too well

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pym
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clumping litter works too well

Post by pym »

didnt realize this forum was in uk when i signed up but here goes.
2 cats one litterbox. i use arm & Hammer clumping litters but even real cheap no name brands have same problem. cats pee but they dont know how to bury it. half the time they;re pawing at a spot 3 feet awasy. so the pee really develops a hard clump that when i try to sift it i am aftaid the plastic litter scoop will crack. i wonder if you have litter recommendation that dont form a granite ball
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Mollycat
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Re: clumping litter works too well

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Welcome! that's the beauty of the internet, there are people here form all over the world.

First it's recommended to have at least one tray per cat plus one, so three for two cats, if you can. My two had two because of very limited space, without problems.

Second, could your issue be about the amount of urine, more than the litter? Are the clumps about the size of an adult man's fist, or more like the size of a 10 year old child's fist? I would start to be watching them carefully if a pee clump was much bigger than I could theoretically hold comfortably in one hand.

However have you thought about the corn kernel or paper based litters, rather than clay? They also clump but not so concrete. Some cats won't accept them but you can try mixing them gradually increasing the new type, though one of mine never did accept more than a certain amount of those before she would go nope that ain't kitty litter and I ain't goin in it!
pym
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Re: clumping litter works too well

Post by pym »

ive lived in this apt 36 years and i ran out of space 15 years ago so only one tray for the two. ive just been looking at paper and i dont think my cats would go for it. as to their urine size ..more like pizza size than a fist.
also though they may qualify as OAPs (11 and 9 ) they dont seem to know how to bury their urine. one dopey cat starts pawing the shower curtain which is about 12 inches from box.
just placed order for fresh step litter(dont know if its also in uk)
many years ago i used it with cats but then it became too exrensive.
wonder what people did pre litter invention? torn up newspapers i guess.

cats are descended from egyptialn royalty which is why cats poo in a box and humans clean it
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Kay
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Re: clumping litter works too well

Post by Kay »

I would certainly recommend a metal litter scoop for granite lumps - much much sturdier than plastic

I've given up on clumping litter for the last two years, as age is catching up with my back - I now buy a very fine silica litter, which weighs nothing and is excellent at masking smells - I had three cats when I first introduced it and all three took to it immediately, which is not surprising as it lends itself to easy digging - could your cats be finding the clumping litter too hard to shift?
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Ruth B
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Re: clumping litter works too well

Post by Ruth B »

My first question is when were the cats last vet checked, just to make sure there is no medical reason that is causing them to drink more and hence, produce more urine.

I also have only one litter tray, but my cats are indoor/outdoor ones (common over here in the UK), so they do have the option of using the garden. When I see them out in the garden they do pull dirt from quite a distance away, and i think the problems inside can come from the trays being smaller than they would like, mine will paw at the walls behind the litter tray in an effort to cover things up.

One thing I have also noticed is that where one cat goes in the tray, another will go right on top in the same area, i guess it is a way of marking the litter tray as theirs and hiding the sign the other cat left of ownership. it does make for some very big clumps.

I have to agree with Mollycat, see if you can find a corn based litter rather than a clay based litter. i moved from Catsan clumping clay based litter to Siria a corn based one many months ago now, fortunately all the cats were happy with the change over and the corn based one, not only is lighter, the clumps are more friable so if there is a particularly large one it will break apart into manageable pieces, it is a bit more work to chase them around the tray to make sure you have them all, but better than breaking the scoop.

A couple of other tips, always keep a spare scoop just in case the worst thing happens and it does break. The other one I have heard is people using metal sieves, the type you get for using in a kitchen instead of a plastic scoop, due to the added strength they offer. Finally if possible try to clean the tray straight after it has been used, that might hlep reduce the size of the clump you are trying to handle.
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Mollycat
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Re: clumping litter works too well

Post by Mollycat »

I don't use it any more because the poop dropped through but for a time I was using a spaghetti straining/serving spoon.

You might find there is less issue and they are prepared to bury it if you can make space for another tray, but I have two humans, a full time admin job, until recently two indoor only cats and a dog in a flat of total area 50 square metres, trust me I understand your dilemma but cats being living things have to take priority over things that can go elsewhere.

Cat litter was only invented for human convenience when we started keeping them indoors and in cities without enough green spaces.
issiandarchie+68
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Re: clumping litter works too well

Post by issiandarchie+68 »

Have you tried the wood pellet litter? Inexpensive, easy digging turning to a light dust when wet. Once solids removed, for those that have a garden,can be composted down in ompost bin. Nitrogen excellent for soil. I starting using it years ago. Found paper too wet and smelly ,both me and cats hated clay, was put off crystals by a friend who took claims too literally,, didn't clean litter until it stunk her flat out.

Issi
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fjm
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Re: clumping litter works too well

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I'm using wood based too: Cats Best Original. Compostable, flushable, excellent odour control and doesn't set into concrete or crate a sticky swamp even with two cats with early CKD. It does tend to scatter a bit, but I am using a tray with a very low front because of Pip's arthritis.
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Mollycat
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Re: clumping litter works too well

Post by Mollycat »

I just had a thought, are your cats declawed? If they are it would almost certainly go a long way to explaining why they don't dig and don't like clay litter. We tend to forget about declawing because it's illegal in the UK.
issiandarchie+68
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Re: clumping litter works too well

Post by issiandarchie+68 »

fjm wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 11:52 am I'm using wood based too: Cats Best Original. Compostable, flushable, excellent odour control and doesn't set into concrete or crate a sticky swamp even with two cats with early CKD. It does tend to scatter a bit, but I am using a tray with a very low front because of Pip's arthritis.
Yes, it does tend to trail a bit,although not as much as I would have expected with 3 cats of varying build and toilet habits. I found a quick whip round with a Dustbuster sorted that out,even hairs on the furniture, but you probably know this already.🙂
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