Paper Cat Litter – Not Worth Its Weight

Multiple indoor cats can often = mountains of cat litter.

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In my quest to find an affordable, sustainable and effective cat litter, I have purchased many different types over the years for my two pets and our foster cats.

One of the shelters I fostered with provided bags of paper litter, which was simply shredded paper. When I soon realised that this &#;litter&#; wasn&#;t a good option, I bought an actual paper litter which consisted of pellets. I was curious to see how successful this type of litter would be.

Why Shredded Paper Litter is Used

Paper cat litter certainly ticked the box for being sustainable; being made from recycled paper, it makes use of existing resources and is biodegradable.
Admittedly it is low dust, which means it doesn&#;t aggravate those of us with allergies and reduces mess. It's obviously not scented, which again can make it a good option for people who are sensitive to fragrances &#; obviously we&#;re not the ones using the litter, but the perfume can linger throughout the home.

It is also very lightweight which makes it easy to transport and lift. This might seem like a strange consideration, but once you&#;ve had aching biceps from lugging a bag of heavy litter, you&#;ll want to opt for a lighter option. Keep in mind though, that there's various types of lightweight litters available now.

My Challenges with Shredded Paper Litter

The biggest issue I found with paper cat litter was that it wasn&#;t as absorbent as other litter types. Not even the most ardent feline fan enjoys the smell of cat pee, and I found myself having to clean the tray as soon as it was used so that the house wouldn&#;t get the &#;Eau de Cat&#; aroma. This wasn&#;t always possible, so coming back home resulted in the oil burner being plugged in and the windows opened!

As I had to change the litter more frequently, this meant having to buy more to replace it, which became costly. One of my cats wasn&#;t a fan of the paper litter and unfortunately started to refuse to use the tray which contained it.

Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by Scout Storm » Wed Mar 16, 8:11 am

Hi, I can no longer use the clay based cat litter as one of my cats has been eating so The vet advised me to use a paper based one. ( vet does not know why she is eating it, she has tested her blood, xrays and she is fine. )
Can anyone recommend a good one, the one I bought does not seem very good at contolling the smell.
Thanks.

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by meriad » Wed Mar 16, 9:06 am

I'm not sure there is a paper based one that won't smell to be honest. Just had a quick google and this came up: http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp? ... At9c8P8HAQ not sure what you're using now?

Alternatively ask your vet about wood based litter and if that would be OK and then look at Cats Best

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Post by Crewella » Wed Mar 16, 11:03 am

I've never got on with the paper-based litter either. I think Meriad's right, ask about the wood-based litter. Good luck.

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by Scout Storm » Wed Mar 16, 11:04 am

With competitive price and timely delivery, Lordship sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

Thanks for your reply Meriad, I will ask the vet tomorrow as Scout has a checkup booked. The petplanet one looks good, I will probably order this once I have cheked with the vet. Thanks again. Anita

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Post by Scout Storm » Wed Mar 16, 11:09 am

Thanks Crewella I will look at the wood-based ones, hopefully I will find a good one, that helps with my 4 cats. They all go out and I have a catflap but still like to use the litter trays when it is too much trouble to go outside or at night when they are locked in.

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by Lilith » Wed Mar 16, 2:11 pm

Hi there - Biocatolet is marvellous for controlling the smell and light to handle too - but my cats won't use it!

It started with the youngest cat rebelling, so I had to give her her own tray of the old clumping heavy stuff, and then the two older ones jumped in with 'Goody! The old nice litter back!' (Sigh!) So I've given in...

A great pity. No use mixing both litters in to begin with as an introduction as one's fine granules and the paper based looks like grey popcorn or dried budgie droppings. It's also very hard to sift out the wet patches but there's an amazing lack of stinkiness. It isn't cheap but I would have happily gone on using it - my only dislike of the stuff is the sickly disney cat cartoon on the bag. Sainsburys sell it - don't know who else. It even claims you can compost it, but you can't flush it down the loo as I'd hoped - BIG blockage...

I don't suppose you live near me (Wakefield) as there are a couple of leftover bags here, going free for a trial lol

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by Scout Storm » Wed Mar 16, 2:48 pm

Lilith, thank you for your reply and the kind offer of the litter. Unfortunatley I have tried this one and it was not popular. I think I will look at the wood based ones. Thanks again. Anita

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Post by Kay » Wed Mar 16, 4:08 pm

another alternative is Nature's Calling by Applaws - it's made from the inside of walnut shells and is dark brown,very fine and lightweight - shouldn't think it could do any harm if eaten

I used it for a couple of years and found it disguised smells very well - and I could burn it on my multi-fuel stove - I had to stop using it last October when I had a dark brown floor put down in the kitchen and could no longer spot the scattered bits!

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by Ruth » Wed Mar 16, 10:22 pm

I use breeder celect for my lot, it's a compressed newspaper pellet with no dust or mess. You can get it from pets at home or alternatively yesterday's news is a paper pellet litter that is readily available online.
The only thing I'd be concerned about with paper litter is it swells and if your cat is a litter nibbler probably not a good idea.
A decent woodchip pellet litter would be your best bet as if it is nibbled it will just turn to dust in the gut and puss can easily pass it out the other end.

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by booktigger » Thu Mar 17, 6:22 am

There is cats best which is a wheat based clumping litter, my only issue with it is that it tracks a lot

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by Scout Storm » Thu Mar 17, 10:56 am

Thanks for all your replies.

I have ordered some Cats Best OKO plus from zooplus. Hopefully all the cats will like it.

Thanks again.

Anita

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by meriad » Thu Mar 17, 11:36 am

booktigger wrote:There is cats best which is a wheat based clumping litter, my only issue with it is that it tracks a lot

Just checking - you mean Worlds Best? Cats Best is the one I use and it's wood based

I used this one a few years back - it's sand based: http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp? ... oCe3nw_wcB really good as well but worked out a tad too expensive with (at the time) 5 cats

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by meriad » Thu Mar 17, 11:38 am

Anita, the one thing with the Cats Best (actually any clumping litter) is make sure you put a decent deep layer into the litter tray - about 5cm or so. And then give the litter a bit of time to soak up any wee's. Poo can be removed immediately but wee needs to clump first then it's really easy to clean. But if you do it too soon then it can just fall apart

Re: Paper Based Cat Litter

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Post by Scout Storm » Thu Mar 17, 4:13 pm

For more Paper Kitty Litterinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Thanks Meriad for the advice, I have never used the clumping litter before, so I will make sure I have it deep enough and leave it to soak in.

Thanks again.
Anita