Conference misery::feline_v1

    A few recommendations follow:  Try FRESH STEP or KLEEN KITTY "PLUS"
    and don't mix either of these with LITTER GREEN.  I strongly feel
    that LITTER GREEN is probably one of the worst products on the market.
     I'm sure some would disagree with that statement.  Also, keep two
    litter boxes available for the cats.  
    
    With regard to litter:  Each litter box should contain no more than
    2" of litter.  The smell from the box is derived from using too
    much litter and the fact that the urine does not have a chance to
    soak to the botto of the box, but rather gets absorbed in the litter,
    dries and smells.  To alleviate this, use only 2" of litter and
    no more.  Check litter boxes frequently and each time you've noticed
    someone has wet, lift and tilt the litter box so that all the clean
    litter has moved to one end of the box.  By using only a small amount
    of litter what you should then notice is the small wet clump on
    the bottom of the box.  Remove this clump immediately and replace
    that with a bit of clean litter.  Tilt the litter box back to allow
    the rest of the clean litter to disperse throughout the box.  If
    you follow this method, you're litter boxes will never smell.  Odors
    are derived when too much litter is used and the boxes are not cleaned
    out frequently.  If you follow my method, you should only have to
    clean your boxes completely once weekly by using Ivory Snow, the
    hottest water you can stand, and a final rince with Clorox bleach.
     I have two Abyssinians and when people walk into my home, they
    can never detect that I have litter boxes.  Hope this helps.
    
    
    
    

    I've never heard of too much litter.  The whole purpose of the litter
    is to absorb and therefore, more is better.   My present fe-lion
    is an outdoor cat by design, because I remeber all too vividly years
    back when I had two kittens and a litter box.  It didn't smell,
    but it took daily attention with the following technique:  
    
    I bought an inexpensive large plastic spoon that was slotted, (so you 
    could drain veggies or something like that), and every day I used it 
    to remove the solid clumps which went right down the toilet.  What was 
    left was fresh litter with some wet spots here and there which I
    stirred around throughly to help disperse the wetness and aid
    absorption.  Only every other day or every three days if you're lucky, 
    should you need to change the litter, and always wash the pan when
    you do!  And you'll know when it's time, because when you stir the litter
    around, there will be too much wetness for it to handle, i.e. more
    wet litter than dry litter.  Cheap clay litter is best because:
    
          1. it's cheap
          2. it absorbs well
          3. the wetness shows so you don't have to guess or 
             (worst of all!), rely on smell.  
    
    Litter Green's superiority is strictly in its deoderizing properties 
    which you don't need to pay extra for if you are vigilant.
    
    Litter Green, by the way, is 100% alfalfa and is a perfect food for 
    pet rabbits!  
             
    Sandy

    When we had 8 cats in Colo. we used Johnny Cat, and every 2 days
    cleaned out our 3 litter boxes with FON. Feline Odor Nutrilizer
    is what the vets use to keep odors down. We would also srap the
    boxes every morning and every evening, and sprinkle them with baking
    soda.
    
    Now that we only have 2 cats, we still scrap the boxes every morning
    and evening, and still use the baking soda. But we don't have to
    dump them as often, and we ran out of the FON. We also can't find
    Johnny Cat, so we use Kleen Kitty Plus. 
    
    I have one cat who is very finicky, if the litter box doesn't smell
    right to her, she starts to "go" and then stands up like a male
    cat will sometimes do. So far with cleaning the boxes the way we
    do, she has been pretty good.
    
    Almost any litter is good, if you scrap it and keep the box clean.
    
    M-L

	Josh and Becky use Tidy Cat III and have me clean it out twice a
    day  -  once  in  the morning and again before bedtime. I leave less
    than  1"  in  a  LARGE  litter  pan. Since Josh pees like there's no
    tomorrow  (a veritable flood each time), I usually add a fair amount
    of fresh litter each time I clean the box. Since the box lives right
    next to the toilet, I just flush everything down the pipes. When the
    box  cleaning  results  in  there  being  no clean litter left after
    taking out the piles and the wet, I scrub out the box using just hot
    water  and  a good scrub brush. This ususly ends up being about once
    every  two  weeks.  If i'm going to be away for 24 hours, I add more
    litter  -  it keeps the smell down till I come home. 


	This has  worked  for me for the last few years. All the kitties
    that I have used this with (Josh, Becks and their predecessor Tiger)
    have been indoor kitties, so _everything_ ended up in the box.


				kmr

    My 4 little darlings are very fussy about their litter; they'll
    go outside their box if they don't find the litter clean or don't
    like the way it smells (and by that I mean they don't like sented
    litter), or if I use a brand that they don't like. Luckily, they
    like Star Market brand, which is a white clay litter with good sized
    granules, and cheep. What I do is put a layer of baking soda on
    the bottem of the box and pour in about 2-3 inches of litter and
    then mix in the rest of the baking soda. We have 2 boxes and while
    I usually change and scrub out the boxes twice a week, we've gone
    a full week with no noticeable odor. I should add, though, that
    my cats will come and get me to scoop out any solid waste almost
    immediatly after they have gone, and that does help a great deal
    since I have two that refuse to cover.
    
    Deb
    

    Neb and The Fickle are not at all fussy about their litter box.
    They share one large box which is emptied and refilled twice a week
    with about two inches of clay litter.   I only sporadically sterilize
    it unless there is some kind of a problem (like the time they had
    worms; only happened once).  If we are going to be gone several
    days, I usually put another filled box in the storeroom and ask
    a friend to drop in and move the used box out to the garage and
    put out the clean box.  One time the doorknob latch to the storeroom
    (which opens inward) was broken, and I was planning on replacing
    it after we got back from vacation.  While we were gone, The Fickle,
    finding that no one changed her box as usual on Thursday morning
    and knowing that the clean litter comes from the store room (the
    friend tending the house was going to swap the boxes on the weekend),
    tried to and succeeded in opening the store room, after which both
    cats proceeded to use the box they found in there for the rest of
    the time they were gone (that is a VERY large litter box; it holds
    a whole small bag of the stuff, and is only used when we are going
    to be gone for a long time without changing the box).
    
    I know that I am lucky that my beasties are so non-critical.  A
    friend's cats use THE BATHTUB if their box is not up to their
    standards, which are much higher than my cats'.

    I forgot to add a small story: both cats KNOW when their box is
    to be changed (Thursday and Sunday mornings), and will try to lead
    me downstairs to the box if I don't get around to as early as they
    would like.  After it is changed, both cats usually jump right in
    and use it, Nebula first; they will wait until I do get around to
    changing it, watch me do so, and then immediately use it, so the
    old litter is usually pretty dry when I clean it out.  Smart kitties!

    I had a black smoke persian cat that used the bathtub when he thought
    his litter box wasn't clean enough.....I always wondered why he
    did it because I cleaned his litter box twice a week and scrubbed
    it.  Now I know he was just a finicky thing!  Of course once I got
    tired of cleaning the bathtub out and turned on the shower when
    he jumped in - it solved the bathtub cleaning problem...he either
    went outside or used his litter box.
    
    

    John,
        Just for future reference - If you want to know if a topic has
    been discussed already, there are many variations of the 'DIRECTORY'
    command that can be used. Probably the easiest being:
    
           DIREC/TITLE="string"
    
    This will look for the 'string' in the name of the title. So for
    Kitty Litter you could have done... 'DIREC/TITLE="LITTER"'...
    
    Enjoy the notes and don't hesitate to ask questions, like I said,
    it's just for future reference to make things easy...
    
    
           Tom

    We use the inside container of an old garbage can and dump the whole
    thing once a week in the summer when the cats don't use it very
    often and twice a week during the the winter. We fill the container
    about half full of litter and don't have an odor problem. If I forget
    to change it, the cats will use the fire place ashes.

    Grey must either be brilliant or lazy.... When her box isn't to
    her satisfaction (and I use Kleen Kitty Plus in large quantities
    once a week), she'll use the floor virtually MILLIMETERS from the
    edge of the box. Once in our old house she used the sawdust the
    heating people had sprinkled over the lead line from the oil tank
    to the furnace!
    
    You gotta love 'em....:-)
    
    	/Harry

I bought Litter Green once (because it was cheap).  Jennanydots refused to
use it and went on a constipation strike.  I figured at first that she might
just be being a bit fussy, but after 3 days I threw out the Litter Green and
put some Kleen Kitty in the box instead.  Immediate relief for both of us
(I was worried that Jennyanydots might unilaterally end her strike at any
time, elsewhere in the house).

I used to use Tidy Cat, before they switched their formula to Tidy Cat III.
Jennyanydots liked Tidy Cat III, and the deodorant they put in it smells OK
to me, but I'm worried about the extra chemicals in the blue crystals.  I
don't know how well the Tidy Cat people tested their deodorant chemical for
possible toxic effects.  I'm not willing to take chances with my cat slowly
poisoning herself by licking that stuff off her fur.  As far as I'm concerned,
Tidy Cat ruined a great product when they revised their formula and turned
Tidy Cat into Tidy Cat III.

I've switched to Kleen Kitty, which also just revised their formula.  Sigh--
why can't these manufacturers leave well enough alone?  Fortunately, all
they added was baking soda, which is safe.

--PSW

    Litter name:	CATGO
    Type:		Cedar shavings (actually like saw dust)
    Cost:		8 qt. bag - $2.99
    			20 qt. bag - $6.99
    
    Why use this?
    
    	o	Cedar has it's own pleasent scent without added chemicals
    	o	It is dust free.
    	o	It can be flushed down the toilet (I would not do this
                if you have a septic system but if you are on city sewerage
    		no problem.)
    	o	Excellent absorbency qualities.
    	o	I have three full grown indoor cats and with two litter
    		boxes I need only replace the litter once a week (I
    		scoop twice a day though).
    
    I buy the stuff at Food For Pets in Amherest, NH.
    

    I *thought* that Litter Green stuff looked like rabbit pellets.
    The one time I bought it, the cats ate it and used the floor
    outside of the box as a litterbox.
    
    We buy the GENERIC clay litter, fill the box pretty full, and
    change it the night before trash collection day.  We have two
    adult indoor only cats - they go outside with supervision and
    will ask to be let in in no uncertain terms if they've gotta
    go when they're outside.  We've got one of those oversized
    covered boxes, and it sits down in the basement by the oil
    tank, so we don't have to clean it out as often as folks do
    when the box is in a human bathroom.
    
    --Louise

    I have two kittens (about 9 months) They have two litter boxes,
    one in the upstairs hall, and one downstairs under their cat tree.
    Both are the covered type of boxes - with filters in the top.
    I use a brand of clay based litter called SCAMP.  Supposed to be
    'dust free'.   Usually the boxes are scooped out once a day for
    the solid stuff which goes down the toilet.  The wet stuff (which
    by the way is only upstairs - downstairs is for the solid) gets
    stirred up.  I have plastic liners, and a section of newspaper in
    the boxes.  I have never needed to wash the boxes out.  On monday
    nights (trash is tuesday around 8 a.m.!) the boxes get changed.
    Sometimes I wonder if they really need changing!  Until I read all
    the replies about changing boxes every 2 or 3 days I thought I was
    spoiling them!
    
    They do have problems occasionally - both are long hair kitties,
    and sometimes things get caught in the fur and follow them out...
    
    The only accident that ever occured embarressed the kitty so much
    I had to comfort her! 
    
    /sjm

    As a side issue, I have found that putting a rubber door mat under
    the entrance to the covered boxes helps with the tracking problem.
    I use the type with the short fingers. It is easy to clean and
    sterilize. 
    								.wIx.

    Two questions:  First, in .1 the author's opinion was that Litter
    Green was the worst product on the market.  Does anyone know why
    this opinion was voiced?  What should I know that I don't know?
    (Feel free to send mail if you don't want to answer here).
    
    Second question, assuming I don't find a reason not to buy Litter
    Green, does anyone know where I can find it in the Marlboro/Maynard
    area?
    
    Thanks,
    Jill who is running really low and needs to buy SOMETHING...

    I personally think that Johnny Cat is one of the best brands of
    litter on the market.  It's absorbent, dust free, and contains no
    perfumes.  My cats love it.
    
    It costs about $1.99 for a ten pound bag.
    
    /Roberta
    

    The problem with Litter Green is that so many cats REFUSE to use it
    because of the smell. And I mean to the point of holding it in so long
    that they they can't hold it any longer and suddenly let go right where
    they are standing. (In Pip's case, it was on my bed). I might add, my
    cat's aren't real fusssy about litter; the only other litter that has
    ever gotten this reaction was Yesterday's News (a litter made up of
    recycled newspaper; it is pellet shapped.)
    
    Deb

    My cats love Johnnie Cat too.  Don't know if they're selling different
    quality of litter on the East coast (.18) or not but the stuff out here
    in the West is definitely not dust free.  That stuff even makes
    me sneeze when I put it in the litter box...but, the cats like it
    and far be it from me to change too much in the litter box area.  They 
    will use Tidy Cat and I've noticed it has far less dust but I can 
    get the Johnnie Cat for less money and unfortunately saving every 
    penny is a priority at this point.
                            
    Jan

    re: .19
      We used to have a running joke that the reason that LITTER
    GREEN never had that cat box odor was because the cats wouldn't
    use it.  We tried it with my first cat who staunchly refused to
    have anything to do with it and to demonstrate her objections
    went in the bathtub. (good choice, Kathryn).
      Nancy DC
    

    Well, if the only reason why I shouldn't get Litter Green is that
    Tigger won't use it, then I guess I can get it because it doesn't
    bother him at all.  That is, if I can find it anywhere!!
    
    Jill

    Has anyone ever heard of a litter I believe is called "Kitty Whiskers"?
    It comes in a white bag with a black outline of a cat with a red
    outline bow. I used to live in Syracuse, and all the grocery stores
    had it there, and there were coupons in all the Sunday papers for
    $1.00 off a 25 pound bad. 
    
    When I started using it with Norman, it seemed like a world of
    difference. Since then I have never found anything that seems to
    work as well, but I also can't seem to find it in either Maine or
    Massachusetts.
    
    Any info would be appreciated,
    Michelle

    
    Has anyone else seen or heard of a new litter called "Multi-Cat"?  I
    saw an ad once on tv for it, but that's the last I've heard, and I
    haven't spotted it in the local Alexander's.  It's supposed to be for
    the household with more than one cat (most of us, I think!) - something
    about the deodorizer being more effective the more it's used.
    
    Sandy
    

    I know I've bought "Kitty Whiskers" before -- I think I got it at
    Razzaboni's market in Pepperell.  Or else it was Victory Market
    in Townsend.  I'll try to figure it out over the weekend.  I don't
    think they had 25 lb bags though.
    
    	-Nancy

  re. 24  
          I just bought some Multi-cat a week ago.  The reason I had
    never seen it was because the only place it seems to be sold at
    is Shaws.  It smells the best as far as the scent.  Very baby
    powder....The cats don't seem to mind at all.  I'm sure though there
    may be some cats that would find the smell too powerful.
    
                                                             kim
    
    p.s.  if i remember right it wasn't that expensive either, but then
    again I got it on sale :^)

    
    
    I've seen Kitty Whiskers  in both of the Waltham, MA Stop & Shops, as
    well as Waltham Supermarket. As for Johnny Cat, mine like it too, but
    the stores don't always have it. But I have to agree with Jan, it is
    not dust free (and I'm on the east coast).
    
    Deb 

    I've seen both Kitty Whisters and Multi-Cat at the Shaw's in Nashua. 
    Alexander's never seems to get in new products, particularly in the
    area of pet products.  Shaw's and Market Basket are much more
    adventuresome!
    
    I'm tired of all the dust in my bathroom....I'm sticking with Cat's
    Meow (used to be Superior).
    
    Mary
    

    Its not the dust that bothers me...its the litter that gets tracked
    all over the hall rug!  And Mao who thinks litter is meant to be
    flung all over the house...even with a covered box!
      sigh...
    

    RE:  Johnny Cat
    
    Actually, the back of the bag says "Virtually Dust Free" and (I
    think) 99% dust free.  I don't notice the dust at all but I agree
    that Tidy Cat 3 is the best for no dust (don't like the way it absorbs
    though).
    
    /Roberta
    

    Isn't Tidy Cat 3 the one that causes a allergic conjuntivitis in a
    large number of cats (particularly Main Coons and Persians) 
    
    Deb

    For a litter that seems to be quite dust free, and doesn't stink
    up like a lot of clay-type litters do, I like Kitty Litter Brand
    kitty litter.  It has a pic of an older man with a cat of the from,
    kinda quaint-like.  I also like Litter Green, and usually had no
    problem with it, except lately when my female cat decided SHE liked
    the rug better (funny, the other cat doesn't seem to care what is
    in the box--and my female has certainly been litter trained).
    
    While I'm on the topic, what's good for taking urine odor out of
    a shag rug?  I'm in an apartment and I'd like to try to remove the
    smell (which should help discourage Ashley that this section of
    the rug is NOT a litter box).  Any tips on 'curing' her of this
    tendency would be appreciated too.
    
                                                 ---kim

    Maybe Ashley has a urinary tract infection, and should be checked
    by the vet.
    

    
    
    Something I've used before which is good for all "pet smells" is
    "Outright" (or something like that..) I bought mine at Breeders
    Pride..
    
    Works very well, but there is a little bit of a process to it.
    
    I used it to get out a male spray smell out of wood from a cat I
    had once.
    
    I agree maybe she should be checked by the vet though..
    
    F.

    Kim, Kitty Litter brand and Tidy Cat 3 are both made by the Lowe
    Company.  Ed Lowe is the man on the front of the bag.  Both are
    99% Dust Free.  I use them both, but have found that the Tidy Cat
    3 goes on sale more often than the Kitty Litter.
    
    I have to use 99% dust free due to the aforementioned allergic
    conjunctivitis that my cats got while I was using Johny Cat.  Johny
    Cat is less expensive as a rule, but now I buy in bulk and can save
    money that way.  Problem is, alot of stores out here will carry
    Johny Cat, Litter Green, and then one or two generic types (the
    worst!) of litter.  I have to make special buys from the local drug
    store when they get it in for a sale.  ("Hello store manager?  I
    would like to order 1000 pounds of Tidy Cat 3.  Do you think that
    would fit in my Honda?")
    
    Maybe cats don't use the Litter Green cause it smells too much like
    something they would want to eat! (isn't it made of Alph-alpha?)
    
    ;^)
    
    Jo                  
    

    Here on the east coast, I have found that Johnny Cat sells for $1.99
    for a ten pound bag, while Tidy Cat 3 is only $1.59 per 10 pound
    bag.  I think I'm shopping in the wrong stores!
    
    While we're on the subject of litter, has anybody ever tried Kitty
    Privy, orderable through pet supply catalogs?  I bought it and like
    the way it works but the cats will only use it to pee in; when they
    have to do number 2, they all pile into the Johnny Cat box.  I have
    had the Kitty Privy for about 3 months now and it keeps the upstairs
    bathroom free of litter tracking.  It's not that the cats don't
    track it out of the box, they do, but the granules are large and
    the consistency of popcorn kernels so very few get kicked out. 
    Cleanup is a breeze.  I hear that some cats won't take to Kitty
    Privy at all but mine had no problems adjusting.
    
    /Roberta
    

    Re: the people who said the vet should see her.  I have a vet who
    does HouseCalls (really, that's ALL he does!), so I certainly have
    access to one should I need it--but I am curious to know why peeing
    on the rug might indicate a urinary tract infection.  She doesn't
    strain, when she does pee in the box, I see no blood or discoloration,
    and she holds her rump close to the ground like all was normal (no
    "hunching").  If she had an infection, why would she choose the
    rug rather than the box sometimes, and the box othertimes?
    
    Just wondering and hoping she's okay now that I have possible reason
    to worry.
    
                                                       ---kim

    because that is one of the ways that a cat let's you know that they are
    feeling a little out of the weather in that department. Also, just
    because the urine doesn't  look read doesn't mean that there isn't
    blood in it. There have been times that Argus's sample looked fine (but
    smelled a bit sweet). Under the microscope, the vet saw blood, and when
    it came back from the lab, it turned out there was a bacteria. Had he
    not alerted me by urinating in front of my on the kitchen floor (very
    easy to clean up as it is no-wax), I might not have known that he
    wasn't feeling good.
    
    Deb

    Re. A while back
    
    Kitty Whiskers is available at Razzaboni's market in Pepperell,
    but NOT at Victory Market.

    re. 38
    
    Really?  Thanks....I'll be sure to ask the vet what they think!
    
    
                                                         ---kim

    Regarding "Multi-cat" - I like this brand a lot.  It's very absorbent,
    dust-free, and keeps the odors down for a long time (week or so).
    This is very important for any one, but with a diabetic kitty, who
    pees like the "Johnstown floods", it's necessary!  I recommend
    it very highly, and the cats like it too.  E.T., have you tried
    this on your brood yet?
    
    Regards,
    J.
    

    Gee, not yet.  Sounds pretty good.  Does it come in 25 or 30 pound
    bags?  How much per bag?  I have been using the red bag of Cat's
    Pride - K-Mart puts it on sale for $1.99/20 lb. bag.  I shovel
    out the pool once a week and delump it twice a day, so 25 or 30
    pounds lasts a week - the hot humid summer is another story unless
    I can keep the lower level cool.  Then I change the pool twice a
    week.  The stuff I use is really pretty dusty - I sure wish there
    was a way to eliminate some of the dust.  It's a real pain. 
    
    I'll look around for the Multi-cat.  Where do you buy it?
    Does Shaw's, Rich's, Market Basket, Alexanders, or Zayre or K-Mart
    carry it that you know of?
    
    E.T._my_middle_name_is_lumpy_litter