There are a number of products on the shelves which cater to the pet cat population. One very popular product is the 'cat litter' product, or simply cat litter. It is a material that is placed inside a litter box to catch the pet cat's droppings. The material prevents the box from getting soiled by absorbing the urine and trapping the solid dropping. The cat litter is very similar to ordinary dirt, to take advantage of the cat's natural predilection to cover up its droppings. The cat owner removes and refreshes the cat litter from the box every day. The used litter is disposed off in the garbage. There is just one problem - as long as the box is inside the house, there is a terrible stench that pervades the house! The odor goes only when the cat litter goes. This is a serious sore point with cat owners. Now a very enterprising producer has come up with a novel idea - pine cat litter! His litter is made up of pine pellets. The natural odor of pine masks the smell of the cat's droppings remarkably well.
The shelf price of this new variety of cat litter is twice that of traditional varieties of cat litter. But the new product proves to be cost effective since it absorbs twice the amount of moisture compared to the ordinary variety. So there is really no increase in your monthly expenditure on this account.
The acceptance of pine cat litter is still an issue, not by the owners but by the cat itself. Cats are reluctant to use the pine cat litter because the 'feel' is unnatural. The pellets tend to be a little rough on the cat's paws. The cat's acceptance or rejection of pine cat litter will be the sole deciding factor in the success of pine cat litter in the market.
My suggestion is to introduce the pine cat litter in a gradual fashion. Mix a little pine cat litter with the normal stuff. Let the cat use it and get used to the mix. It may take a day or two for the cat to get comfortable with the mix. Then increase the dose of pine litter and reduce the amount of the ordinary litter. Let the cat get used to the increasing amounts of pine cat litter gradually. Finally, you will have a 100% pine cat litter in the litter box, and 100% freedom from that very strong odor! That is if your cat decides to play ball and adjust to pine litter. If your cat resists, and even refuses to visit the litter box, then it's back to the good old clumping and the bad old smell!
Or, you can do what some ingenious cat owners are doing: they use 90% pine pellet litter and then sprinkle the top 10% with the usual litter. This way they get the advantage of pine, and the cat gets the surface it likes.
Another area of concern is that the cats are sometimes put off by the piney smell of the litter! Strange how the cat can put up with the odor of its mess but wrinkles up its nose at pine! If this is the case with your cat then you'll have to put up with the high stench of the cat's litter anyway. Just for your information: the pine litter is fully detoxified and so it is safe for the cat to use.
An added advantage is that pine cat litter can be composted. Just remove the cat's poop from the litter and that's it! So the pine cat litter wins brownie points for eco-friendliness to boot! You can distribute the compost in your backyard garden, or to your friends.
The ball really is in your cat's court... depending on whether it likes the pine litter or not! If it does, then you're looking at a home that's free from that very distinct odor, that too at negligible cost. If not, then you'd better get a nose mask while you replenish the litter box with the litter that Mr.Tibbs favors!
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The Multiple-Cat Family (Animal Planet Pet Care Library) List Price: $10.95 Sale Price: $5.95 Used From: $4.97 |
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Over 17 million households in the US own more than one cat. This expert guide advises how to plan for, setup, and maintain a harmonious home environment for you and your cats while meeting their special nutrition, housing, and daily care needs. |
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Super Pet Small Animal Critter Litter, 4-LB List Price: $7.99 Sale Price: $3.60 |
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Critter litter is a premium-quality potty training material for training ferrets, rabbits, pet rats and other small animals. It is specially formulated to be 99-percent dust-free and is super absorbent... |
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