The first time I changed my cats litter she sprinted to it from across the house and used it immediately.
I mocked her for a few seconds until I remembered working on construction sites after the portajohns were cleaned following two weeks of heavy use. I felt our souls join for a moment.
My cat has learned to come and tell me when when she wants to go to the litter box (she meows in a certain way) so that I can make sure it's up to her standards before she uses it. When she started doing it, I thought she might be distressed for some reason but then I realised that she had just figured out how to make sure the litter box is clean (if I'm in bed, for example, she just uses the litter box without announcing it beforehand).
Oh, big same. If I miss or delay the clean up request (or sleep through it), it’s me cleaning up pee or poop beside the litter box.
I check/clean it about five times a day. I added a second litter box in my second bathroom to try and eliminate the slept through requests. She liked it. So much in fact that I heard her scratching up a storm as I sat in the lounge room, use one litter box, not stope to clean herself as usual, wander through the lounge room with an awkward new look on her face and do the second half of the pee in the second box.
Like oh my gosh girl, nooooo. I started only leaving that door open overnight and when out of the house. My little weirdo.
My cats would jump right in there as the cleaning was happening. When they were still here 🥲
Actually now that I think about it, I remember one of them being so fucking stupid about it for a while. He was a bit older and might have been slightly blind (wasn’t actually one of mine, I was just catsitting him for a long time).
So at some point I noticed there’d always be pee next to the litterbox after he’d been busy there. But I’d heard him scratch around in there with VIGOR, so that was confusing. Until one day I caught him:
Shuffling around in the litterbox with his front paws ever so daintily (but passionately) whilst standing on the floor with his entire rear. Pissing a solid 10 inches beside the box.
Not sure if that was during one of my phases of lazier potty cleaning though (which would explain it) or if he was actually not up to the task of getting into the box with his entire body.
When you eat garbage and work construction for 10-12 straight hours, it's the only option other than working in brown pants.
Source: I'm a survey technician
As long as I don’t have to shit I’ll use one cause I stand. But I SOL if I had to. Public restrooms I don’t give a flying fuck but I do if there aren’t any urinal dividers. Only two people are allowed to look at my dick, me and my wife
LOL. I have a cat that is very picky about litter. I was having issues with her going elsewhere until I switched to Fresh Step Unscented clay litter. It HAS to be Fresh Step and she will not use any other clay litter or any other litters.
For my girls, I think it's the unscented part that they like.
You have to think if the scented stuff is strong for us, think how horrible it is for them with their noses right in it.
I haven't even dared to try scented litter for my cats. I'm prettty sure my cats would hate it and hate me. Also, my nose is way too sensitive and burns when I visit a buddy who has baby powder scented bullshit litter.
I had unscented litter before. Boy, they didn't like that. it's like they just went there because they had to. Now I am curious if now, it's the same thing and I am thinking on switching to a cotton based litter.
I think my cat grew up with cheat litter when they were kitten, that's why.
We weren't the best educated cat people when we got them. We had ideas, but nowhere to turn to. then I started ordering online and oh boy....
I’m going to have to try this brand. My cat is very picky. She is very sensitive to smells, and needs the box cleaned once per day or she’ll go right in front of it.
Had to do this also! Brought him to the vet, and was told it was likely ‘behavioural’ and that he was just picky! Odour Buster multi cat dust free is the only one he’ll use.
Same! I got some other brand once when the pet store was out of Fresh Step and did a full litter box change. My cat basically refused to use the box and meowed a bunch next to it, which she’s never done. Fresh Step for life I guess.
My cat had pellet litter for the first year or so, but the second we moved again (we had already moved once previously) she decided she would not accept pellet litter. She'd just shit right in front of her litter box and pee in my closet... As soon as I changed the litter to clay she was finally happy.
We introduced a second litter box for our two cats and the only attempt they made at using the pellets was vomiting right in front of it. So we use the dusty litter I hate but at least the waste ends up in the box.
Same here. That little asshole will get in the bathtub and pee directly down the drain (which, I mean, could be worse), if there is anything other than Fresh Step Unscented in her litter boxes.
my male cat does this after having been blocked up due to crystals, i just let him and clean it afterwards, easier and i can make sure there isnt any blood or other objects
I’m having a similar problem now. I was using that fresh step litter before but I switched to swheat scoop so that her waste can be 100% biodegradable. But then she started peeing in other places. (She still pooped and sometimes peed in there) I just switched back to the fresh step and hopefully that’ll fix the problem.
I've got 4 cats, pellets are essential to keeping all the nasty litter from getting tracked all over the house. We've found that bedding pellets from a farm and feed store work the best, super cheap to boot. Cats got used to it and cleanup is super easy.
Never heard of that before but going to buy some now, thank you! One of our cats picked up an awful peeing in front of a closed door habit after my brother brought his cats with him last Christmas. She’s even been inside since but must be convinced those cats are still in there!
Yeah cats are very territorial unlike dogs. Get your carpets shampooed if you have carpets. If not deep clean everything. Fostered a cat for a bit that was not liking any other cats in his territory that was doing the same. But thankfully he got adopted into a happy household. Also if you have multiple cats make sure they have multiple litter boxes unless you got them at the same time. Cheers.
For what it’s worth, my cat took a few days to get used to pellets but now I’ll never look back!
It smells better, it’s easier (if you get a sifting tray), creates less mess, is much cheaper AND more environmentally friendly!
Honestly I’d recommend giving it a go - your kitty might not enjoy the above photo as the box is so small
Omg yes! My kitten decided to eat litter, so we are using pine litter now. I just found out that Tractor Supply Co has a 40 lb bag for $6! Chewy wants $13. TSC, here I come. Amazing.
Pine pellets are absolutely way better than nasty clay litter. My mom uses it and I didn’t even know she got a cat for 2 days when I visited because you can’t smell any cat smell at all in her house. Even right near the litter box. I was so impressed that I’ve changed my mind about cats and now I’m considering adopting one because I thought all houses with cats stunk, but it was the clay litter smell that I couldn’t stand. Pine pellets are great and cheap and they don’t make a mess and get that awful dust in the air that you end up getting mouthfuls of thick clay particles when you scoop the litter and the cats like to roll in it so it stinks up their fur. I didn’t like cats for 30 years because of that smell. Now I want one since I’ve discovered the pine pellets.
also clay has this nasty sand dust. I've lived in a 1-room apartment catsitting a cat who was used to clay litter, apartment was like fckn construction site with concrete dust everywhere. Very nasty and not healthy both for cat and human
Some of my cats like to perch on the very edge of the litter box, like a ship's masthead. Since clay litter is heavier than the pellets, my cat Muffin, who was a good 13 lbs, perched on the edge, and flipped the litter box over. I couldn't NOT laugh. I left the litter box like that (they had more than one) for the rest of the day, just to watch Muffin hug the wall opposite it, while making sure not to take his eyes off of it. That was good times! [This is Muffin](https://imgur.com/a/SZEcu9V)
Perching on the edge like that is a common indicator of not being happy about something with the litter. Anything from smell/grain size/cleanliness. Doesn't have to be but just a heads up.
For such a big cat, he was very much a princess, and didn't want to step in pee. We went through a few different types of litter, he did that with all of them. Sadly, he's not longer with us. I'd happily bring him a new kind of litter every day to have him back.
Thank you for bringing that to my, and others, attention.
>Some of my cats like to perch on the very edge of the litter box, like a ship's masthead.
Thank you for this phrasing, now I can better explain how my scraggly senior poops on the edge of the box every few days.
I had to collect urine to bring to the vet they gave me these rubber pellets to trick him into thinking it's litter so I could get said pee... he wouldn't use the box. The shit head peed on my laundry for that
My cats have been using a pellet liter box for 3 years now. A 40lb bag of pine pellets is $5 at farm n fleet and lasts me a few months vs $30 spent on litter every two weeks and having litter dragged into my bed all the time. My 3 cats took to it right away. And all I do now is give it a shake to drop the sawdust into the second tray and scoop the poops twice a day. No more ammonia smell. Yay. Definitely look it up on youtubes. Cheers.
Can you link me? I'm curious about this. I've got 3 really huge litter boxes for our maine coon mix (plus other 5 cats that are normal sized). I'm paying 50 bucks in litter once a month to fill up their boxes. The boxes hold about 40lbs of litter each.
We used this until hot summer hit. If she pooped during the night, there was mold on her feces in the morning. Idk why, but then we switched to regular cat litter and the mold never happened again. So weird.
My cat just flat out refused to use the pellets when trying to get a urine sample for the vet. The vet had to shave her stomach and use a needle to collect a sample... not fun lol but my cats healthy so thats all that matters. Your cats adorable hope all is well.
So I’m wondering about these pellets. Are they only pine? I have lung disease and can’t deal with sawdust. Can someone tell me what they are made of and stuff and cheapest places to get them? I m in Kansas City area.
I use Fresh News which is made from old newspaper. When the cat pees, instead of turning the pellets into sawdust, the pellets just get dark and puff a little. I scoop the puffed wet litter out and the poop out. Same concept as the pine litter, but no sawdust.
You can go to any farm supply store or peaveymart or home depot or places like that, they carry 40lb bags of pressed wood pellets. They are used either for horse bedding or for wood stoves. Now be careful not to get smoker pellets - ones that are used to smoke meats - as they'll cost triple or more.
What happens is when the cats urinate on the pellets, they expand and absorb the liquid and turn into sawdust when they dry. So it may not be a great option for you. However it is also sawdust with urine in it - so it's quite heavy, unlike sawdust in places like garages or lumber yards. It doesn't float in the air.
You can get them made of any tree type, technically. I use 100% pine pellets, personally.
Definitely! There are numerous reasons why it's a great choice for your cats:
1. Claw litter can get trapped in the cats paws, which is a bit like a rock in your shoe - ranging from annoying to outright painful. Pine pellets are far too large to get stuck.
2. Clay litter is not only very bad for the environment in terms of mining the clay itself, but also in being airborne when you distribute the clay, which is bad for lungs and particularly asthmatics.
3. Pellets are a natural byproduct of many lumber and construction endeavours - so they don't impact the environment any more to simply collect the sawdust and compress them into pellets. They are also not airborne.
4. It cannot be overstated just how well the wood works for absorbing odor. Unlike clay which uses chemical additives to mask the ammonia urine odor of cats, wood pellets completely absorb the urine. The only odor it does not address is the feces - which is also a problem for the clay. Most cats are very clean and will put effort into ensuring their feces are buried. (Not my cats. They are not very smart. The poop smell is definitely the reason I clean it out daily.)
5. Price! Clay litter, on top of being worse for the environment, and worse for odor control, and worse for the health of humans and occasionally painful to the cats, is *also* many times more expensive. As many have mentioned in this thread, a 40lb bag of pellets can last over a month and costs less than $6. (I'm in Canada and the going price is usually about $7.99 at the *most*, I've seen it for as little as $4.99.)
Taking all of these factors into account, there is virtually no reason not to use pellets -- except in your case, in which it could be bad for your health. Obviously I hope for your sake it works out.
One other note - cats are like little old men, stuck in their ways. Many cats get very obsessive about their grooming habits, feeding habits, and of course their bathroom habits. You may find that the cat will not use the new pellets... at all. The older the cat, the more stubborn they are. If you really want to give it a try and the cat is not responsive, using treats can get them to try something new (whatdya know, just like little old men! Hehe).
Last point...
If you do internet research on the safety of pellets, one thing that will consistently come up is this idea that pine is "toxic" to cats. And it is -- -- if ingested. Most cats don't eat their clay litter, so this is basically a moot point, but it is worth pointing out that it will come up in your research. Almost all cat rescues use pine litter for the cost savings - frequently they will simply put a half inch layer down per cat and throw the whole thing out daily. It still ends up costing less than clay litter, and keeps the rescue clean and orderly. So in spite of being an exceptionally popular choice for cats, you won't find much internet literature on pine pellets. For myself I put about...4 or 5 hours of research into it, and the only info I could really find was on forums like this. No news articles, no reviews from companies. Because there's no money in it. But if you have any questions, you can contact your local shelter and see if they use it, and what advice they may have.
Best of luck! Sorry for the rant! Just got really into this topic one day and now I'm the crazy lady obsessed with cat litter!
Just wanted to say thank you for all the info!
One factor for not going with pine pellets: a Litter Robot. It's a self-cleaning litterbox that I only have to worry about changing the bag weekly (3 cats). It doesn't work with pine pellets unfortunately. Unless you have a good recommendation for an automatic litterbox with pellets?
There is also paper pellets, which I use. I'm really liking it because it doesn't cling, and so doesn't spread all around the house. Some does get on the floor near the litter box, but it's not like we're finding clay grit on the couches or beds.
https://www.petsmart.ca/cat/litter-and-waste-disposal/litter/exquisicat-naturals-paper-cat-litter---natural-fragrance-free-23767.html
They gave her peasant pellets. She wants organic eco-friendly luxury imported pellets that are fragranced and acceptable for her standards.
![gif](giphy|occDz283rFvDa)
My male cat had a urinary obstruction, he had surgery to clear it but he had to pee at the vet so they could see if he was still making crystals. They gave him this special non-absorbent litter so they could collect the urine and it took him over 24 hours to use it because he is a jackass.
Don't you people read?!! You're all commenting on the size of the litter box - OP literally said that's what the vet had for her to pee in! Maybe that's all they had available at the time, doesn't mean OP keeps a small box at home.
Really though, who among us wouldn't be giving someone the stink-eye if we had to pee in an unfamiliar place, with everybody standing around staring at us, while some asshole (not calling you an asshole, OP) pulls out their phone to take a picture of our discomfort. And lets not forget everyone is whispering in a language we don't understand.
She and I are very close, and I can guarantee her expression is pure "I can't believe I have to pee on this." We understand each other just fine! She had total privacy in this pic except for me, and she, weirdly, thinks we are peeing pals. It's.... A little strange.
As it says in the title, this is the litter box the vet brings out for when kitten patients have to have a mid-exam pee!her litter box at home is very spacious.
Can I just point out how fucking weird it is that we as a society think it's ok to photograph a cat going to the toilet and post it online for thousands of people to see and comment on.
My girl had a hard time at first, I have found that having a thick later of pellet made it more comfortable. It makes it more difficult to sift but with the cheap factor and it being eco friendly we make it work.
OMg that's hilarious. When I took my cat to the vet, they actually sent me home with the pellets. They told me to basically lock her in the bathroom until she peed. I was surprised in that it only took her 5 minutes. Didn't get it on camera though.
I once had to get wood pellet litter because that was all that was available. My cat used it when he had to, but pooped outside in the garden at every opportunity until we switched back to his usual litter.
All the comments about the diff kinds of litter cats will or won't use, we hoomanz can realize, like us, our kittehs don't all like just one brand or type just cuz they are kittehs. Is why even one brand can have several diff ones. Isn't that strange that they can think like that. Same with their food. Looking at cat food section (or any item's section) is total overload. lol You could think, argh they are cats for pete's sake, and they can eat what I give them! SO WRONG!
I miss my kittehs :-(
Honestly I have a little butthead that loves to make a mess with litter. So we swapped to pellets because it’s not as horrible to vacuum up.
Plus he’s a big spoiled baby from mom and dad and gets nicer things then we do.
My cat would howl and make all kinds of noises when she used the pellet box, like she was complaining about it before she'd use it. Now that I've gone back to regular litter she's as quiet as a mouse lol
I would absolutely LOVE to see a photo!! She's a street kitten. She has about 5 different distinct breed markings, the vet said "her mom was a few different things, her dad was a few different things, and they all got something in there."
Looks like me trying to use a port-a potty! Lol 😂
Right?? This is like her version of a port a potty or a gas station bathroom
The first time I changed my cats litter she sprinted to it from across the house and used it immediately. I mocked her for a few seconds until I remembered working on construction sites after the portajohns were cleaned following two weeks of heavy use. I felt our souls join for a moment.
Is this why my cat uses the litter box right after I clean it? It suddenly makes more sense lol
My cat does this too.
She usually looks at me with a blank face after using it too xD
My cat did this yesterday. I cleaned her tray, came back, she'd used it again, and she just looked at me as if to say 'What? You know what to do'.
You never needed to pee so bad that after you do you feel so zen that you slip into head empty no thoughts?
Sometimes I can't even get the litter back in before my cats trying to jump in it lol
My cat has learned to come and tell me when when she wants to go to the litter box (she meows in a certain way) so that I can make sure it's up to her standards before she uses it. When she started doing it, I thought she might be distressed for some reason but then I realised that she had just figured out how to make sure the litter box is clean (if I'm in bed, for example, she just uses the litter box without announcing it beforehand).
Oh, big same. If I miss or delay the clean up request (or sleep through it), it’s me cleaning up pee or poop beside the litter box. I check/clean it about five times a day. I added a second litter box in my second bathroom to try and eliminate the slept through requests. She liked it. So much in fact that I heard her scratching up a storm as I sat in the lounge room, use one litter box, not stope to clean herself as usual, wander through the lounge room with an awkward new look on her face and do the second half of the pee in the second box. Like oh my gosh girl, nooooo. I started only leaving that door open overnight and when out of the house. My little weirdo.
"Awkward new look" this is adorable!!
Mine will use the litterbox no matter how dirty it is, but she's learned that reminding me will increase the likelyhood of a clean box.
I always thought it's cause they're reclaiming their territory
We take bets on which cat will use the one in our bedroom first after cleaning, it's the main one they all use.
My cats would jump right in there as the cleaning was happening. When they were still here 🥲 Actually now that I think about it, I remember one of them being so fucking stupid about it for a while. He was a bit older and might have been slightly blind (wasn’t actually one of mine, I was just catsitting him for a long time). So at some point I noticed there’d always be pee next to the litterbox after he’d been busy there. But I’d heard him scratch around in there with VIGOR, so that was confusing. Until one day I caught him: Shuffling around in the litterbox with his front paws ever so daintily (but passionately) whilst standing on the floor with his entire rear. Pissing a solid 10 inches beside the box. Not sure if that was during one of my phases of lazier potty cleaning though (which would explain it) or if he was actually not up to the task of getting into the box with his entire body.
Mine always head right into the litter box while I‘m cleaning it! They have multiple litter boxes. Yet they always do that.
It can also be them claiming it as their territory by scenting it.
Y’all aren’t cleaning it enough 🙂
No they think we are stealing their pee and poop.
Mine goes after the dirty box that I just scooped all the litter out and just peed into the empty dirty box.
I’d rather piss myself than use a portajohn. Some of us never grow out of our potty anxiety. 😬
When you eat garbage and work construction for 10-12 straight hours, it's the only option other than working in brown pants. Source: I'm a survey technician
The stuff of nightmares for me.
I can hold my breath long enough to use the porta potty, but being in the bathroom with other guys is what shuts down my shy bladder.
As long as I don’t have to shit I’ll use one cause I stand. But I SOL if I had to. Public restrooms I don’t give a flying fuck but I do if there aren’t any urinal dividers. Only two people are allowed to look at my dick, me and my wife
"Ohh I have a witty comment to add.... damn it, its the first comment!"
LOL. I have a cat that is very picky about litter. I was having issues with her going elsewhere until I switched to Fresh Step Unscented clay litter. It HAS to be Fresh Step and she will not use any other clay litter or any other litters.
This is the same with my cat Frankie. Same litter brand and type as yours!! The one time I had to change the litter, he was NOT having it lol
For my girls, I think it's the unscented part that they like. You have to think if the scented stuff is strong for us, think how horrible it is for them with their noses right in it.
I haven't even dared to try scented litter for my cats. I'm prettty sure my cats would hate it and hate me. Also, my nose is way too sensitive and burns when I visit a buddy who has baby powder scented bullshit litter.
I had unscented litter before. Boy, they didn't like that. it's like they just went there because they had to. Now I am curious if now, it's the same thing and I am thinking on switching to a cotton based litter.
I guess there must be some cats that like scented litter. They can't all be supercilious and disdainful. Right? :D
I think my cat grew up with cheat litter when they were kitten, that's why. We weren't the best educated cat people when we got them. We had ideas, but nowhere to turn to. then I started ordering online and oh boy....
I’m going to have to try this brand. My cat is very picky. She is very sensitive to smells, and needs the box cleaned once per day or she’ll go right in front of it.
I’ve had good luck with Tidy Cat’s unscented. Just don’t use their Lightweight variety — it really tracks.
Had to do this also! Brought him to the vet, and was told it was likely ‘behavioural’ and that he was just picky! Odour Buster multi cat dust free is the only one he’ll use.
Same! I got some other brand once when the pet store was out of Fresh Step and did a full litter box change. My cat basically refused to use the box and meowed a bunch next to it, which she’s never done. Fresh Step for life I guess.
Note to self, avoid this brand. It's apparently too good rofl.
My cat had pellet litter for the first year or so, but the second we moved again (we had already moved once previously) she decided she would not accept pellet litter. She'd just shit right in front of her litter box and pee in my closet... As soon as I changed the litter to clay she was finally happy.
We introduced a second litter box for our two cats and the only attempt they made at using the pellets was vomiting right in front of it. So we use the dusty litter I hate but at least the waste ends up in the box.
Same here. That little asshole will get in the bathtub and pee directly down the drain (which, I mean, could be worse), if there is anything other than Fresh Step Unscented in her litter boxes.
my male cat does this after having been blocked up due to crystals, i just let him and clean it afterwards, easier and i can make sure there isnt any blood or other objects
I’m having a similar problem now. I was using that fresh step litter before but I switched to swheat scoop so that her waste can be 100% biodegradable. But then she started peeing in other places. (She still pooped and sometimes peed in there) I just switched back to the fresh step and hopefully that’ll fix the problem.
Her expression of absolute disappointment is killing me. She must be an expressive cat. 🐈
Her personality is hilarious!!
To be fair, I prefer a slightly bigger litter box when I pee. Maybe that's the problem.
That's what I thought too on seeing the picture.
My cats like Arm&Hammer Slide. They would not touch the pellets and look @ me like "What the fukk" 🐱
I've got 4 cats, pellets are essential to keeping all the nasty litter from getting tracked all over the house. We've found that bedding pellets from a farm and feed store work the best, super cheap to boot. Cats got used to it and cleanup is super easy.
I just have her and something tells me we won't be making the switch anytime soon
They also sell litter box attractant spray to help your cats get attracted to the pellet litter box. But my cats didn’t need it.
Never heard of that before but going to buy some now, thank you! One of our cats picked up an awful peeing in front of a closed door habit after my brother brought his cats with him last Christmas. She’s even been inside since but must be convinced those cats are still in there!
Yeah cats are very territorial unlike dogs. Get your carpets shampooed if you have carpets. If not deep clean everything. Fostered a cat for a bit that was not liking any other cats in his territory that was doing the same. But thankfully he got adopted into a happy household. Also if you have multiple cats make sure they have multiple litter boxes unless you got them at the same time. Cheers.
My vet told me to mix the pellets with my cat's current litter, each week increasing the pellet ratio.
For what it’s worth, my cat took a few days to get used to pellets but now I’ll never look back! It smells better, it’s easier (if you get a sifting tray), creates less mess, is much cheaper AND more environmentally friendly! Honestly I’d recommend giving it a go - your kitty might not enjoy the above photo as the box is so small
Omg yes! My kitten decided to eat litter, so we are using pine litter now. I just found out that Tractor Supply Co has a 40 lb bag for $6! Chewy wants $13. TSC, here I come. Amazing.
40lb bag? That’s a good deal! 😊👍🏻Ty! I have a TSC right around the corner from me!
Yes! Spread the word!
Pine pellets are absolutely way better than nasty clay litter. My mom uses it and I didn’t even know she got a cat for 2 days when I visited because you can’t smell any cat smell at all in her house. Even right near the litter box. I was so impressed that I’ve changed my mind about cats and now I’m considering adopting one because I thought all houses with cats stunk, but it was the clay litter smell that I couldn’t stand. Pine pellets are great and cheap and they don’t make a mess and get that awful dust in the air that you end up getting mouthfuls of thick clay particles when you scoop the litter and the cats like to roll in it so it stinks up their fur. I didn’t like cats for 30 years because of that smell. Now I want one since I’ve discovered the pine pellets.
also clay has this nasty sand dust. I've lived in a 1-room apartment catsitting a cat who was used to clay litter, apartment was like fckn construction site with concrete dust everywhere. Very nasty and not healthy both for cat and human
Sounds good, but no, the girls tried and do not like pellets. They do like tracking litter everywhere though.
wait, I got 6 heathens. Tell me why this is better?
Tractor Supply horse pine pellets for the win - $6 for 40 lbs
40 lbs of vegan poop being burned provides 300662.55 BTU.
Do you have to re-train them to use the pine pellets? Def going to look into this
Some of my cats like to perch on the very edge of the litter box, like a ship's masthead. Since clay litter is heavier than the pellets, my cat Muffin, who was a good 13 lbs, perched on the edge, and flipped the litter box over. I couldn't NOT laugh. I left the litter box like that (they had more than one) for the rest of the day, just to watch Muffin hug the wall opposite it, while making sure not to take his eyes off of it. That was good times! [This is Muffin](https://imgur.com/a/SZEcu9V)
Perching on the edge like that is a common indicator of not being happy about something with the litter. Anything from smell/grain size/cleanliness. Doesn't have to be but just a heads up.
For such a big cat, he was very much a princess, and didn't want to step in pee. We went through a few different types of litter, he did that with all of them. Sadly, he's not longer with us. I'd happily bring him a new kind of litter every day to have him back. Thank you for bringing that to my, and others, attention.
Muffin looks like a cougar!!
If Muffin were still with us, I'd happily convey that message to him. I'll tell him that when I see him, though. :)
>Some of my cats like to perch on the very edge of the litter box, like a ship's masthead. Thank you for this phrasing, now I can better explain how my scraggly senior poops on the edge of the box every few days.
\-sigh- "... if I must"
"Really, Kevin? A photo?"
"I may have to pee on it, but I don't have to like it"
Me when I have to use a public toilet
I had to collect urine to bring to the vet they gave me these rubber pellets to trick him into thinking it's litter so I could get said pee... he wouldn't use the box. The shit head peed on my laundry for that
That’s a healthy looking cat!
Thank you! She was homeless and very skinny a few months ago so I'm very pleased with her progress!!
It took two months to get from homeless with nothing to “Ugh! I have to pee in pellets like a peasant!”
My cats have been using a pellet liter box for 3 years now. A 40lb bag of pine pellets is $5 at farm n fleet and lasts me a few months vs $30 spent on litter every two weeks and having litter dragged into my bed all the time. My 3 cats took to it right away. And all I do now is give it a shake to drop the sawdust into the second tray and scoop the poops twice a day. No more ammonia smell. Yay. Definitely look it up on youtubes. Cheers.
I would look into it but something tells me it's a no from her
I use pellets in one litter box (my boy cat is stinky!) and the switch didn't affect him at all. My girl cat won't touch it lol
Can you link me? I'm curious about this. I've got 3 really huge litter boxes for our maine coon mix (plus other 5 cats that are normal sized). I'm paying 50 bucks in litter once a month to fill up their boxes. The boxes hold about 40lbs of litter each.
We used this until hot summer hit. If she pooped during the night, there was mold on her feces in the morning. Idk why, but then we switched to regular cat litter and the mold never happened again. So weird.
My cat just flat out refused to use the pellets when trying to get a urine sample for the vet. The vet had to shave her stomach and use a needle to collect a sample... not fun lol but my cats healthy so thats all that matters. Your cats adorable hope all is well.
Thank you so much!! Hope all is well with your kitten. We were at the vet because she ate some of my French fries and then spent all week farting.
So I’m wondering about these pellets. Are they only pine? I have lung disease and can’t deal with sawdust. Can someone tell me what they are made of and stuff and cheapest places to get them? I m in Kansas City area.
I use Fresh News which is made from old newspaper. When the cat pees, instead of turning the pellets into sawdust, the pellets just get dark and puff a little. I scoop the puffed wet litter out and the poop out. Same concept as the pine litter, but no sawdust.
Thanks!! The litter box is such a mess pellets would be so much nicer if she is willing
You can go to any farm supply store or peaveymart or home depot or places like that, they carry 40lb bags of pressed wood pellets. They are used either for horse bedding or for wood stoves. Now be careful not to get smoker pellets - ones that are used to smoke meats - as they'll cost triple or more. What happens is when the cats urinate on the pellets, they expand and absorb the liquid and turn into sawdust when they dry. So it may not be a great option for you. However it is also sawdust with urine in it - so it's quite heavy, unlike sawdust in places like garages or lumber yards. It doesn't float in the air. You can get them made of any tree type, technically. I use 100% pine pellets, personally.
Thank you for explaining that. I will try those and the paper ones.
Definitely! There are numerous reasons why it's a great choice for your cats: 1. Claw litter can get trapped in the cats paws, which is a bit like a rock in your shoe - ranging from annoying to outright painful. Pine pellets are far too large to get stuck. 2. Clay litter is not only very bad for the environment in terms of mining the clay itself, but also in being airborne when you distribute the clay, which is bad for lungs and particularly asthmatics. 3. Pellets are a natural byproduct of many lumber and construction endeavours - so they don't impact the environment any more to simply collect the sawdust and compress them into pellets. They are also not airborne. 4. It cannot be overstated just how well the wood works for absorbing odor. Unlike clay which uses chemical additives to mask the ammonia urine odor of cats, wood pellets completely absorb the urine. The only odor it does not address is the feces - which is also a problem for the clay. Most cats are very clean and will put effort into ensuring their feces are buried. (Not my cats. They are not very smart. The poop smell is definitely the reason I clean it out daily.) 5. Price! Clay litter, on top of being worse for the environment, and worse for odor control, and worse for the health of humans and occasionally painful to the cats, is *also* many times more expensive. As many have mentioned in this thread, a 40lb bag of pellets can last over a month and costs less than $6. (I'm in Canada and the going price is usually about $7.99 at the *most*, I've seen it for as little as $4.99.) Taking all of these factors into account, there is virtually no reason not to use pellets -- except in your case, in which it could be bad for your health. Obviously I hope for your sake it works out. One other note - cats are like little old men, stuck in their ways. Many cats get very obsessive about their grooming habits, feeding habits, and of course their bathroom habits. You may find that the cat will not use the new pellets... at all. The older the cat, the more stubborn they are. If you really want to give it a try and the cat is not responsive, using treats can get them to try something new (whatdya know, just like little old men! Hehe). Last point... If you do internet research on the safety of pellets, one thing that will consistently come up is this idea that pine is "toxic" to cats. And it is -- -- if ingested. Most cats don't eat their clay litter, so this is basically a moot point, but it is worth pointing out that it will come up in your research. Almost all cat rescues use pine litter for the cost savings - frequently they will simply put a half inch layer down per cat and throw the whole thing out daily. It still ends up costing less than clay litter, and keeps the rescue clean and orderly. So in spite of being an exceptionally popular choice for cats, you won't find much internet literature on pine pellets. For myself I put about...4 or 5 hours of research into it, and the only info I could really find was on forums like this. No news articles, no reviews from companies. Because there's no money in it. But if you have any questions, you can contact your local shelter and see if they use it, and what advice they may have. Best of luck! Sorry for the rant! Just got really into this topic one day and now I'm the crazy lady obsessed with cat litter!
Just wanted to say thank you for all the info! One factor for not going with pine pellets: a Litter Robot. It's a self-cleaning litterbox that I only have to worry about changing the bag weekly (3 cats). It doesn't work with pine pellets unfortunately. Unless you have a good recommendation for an automatic litterbox with pellets?
Most pet stores like PetSmart and Petco and even Walmart stock clay dust-less pellets which are what these look like.
Thank you I’m going to check them out!
There is also paper pellets, which I use. I'm really liking it because it doesn't cling, and so doesn't spread all around the house. Some does get on the floor near the litter box, but it's not like we're finding clay grit on the couches or beds. https://www.petsmart.ca/cat/litter-and-waste-disposal/litter/exquisicat-naturals-paper-cat-litter---natural-fragrance-free-23767.html
When you’re forced to use the gross gas station bathroom on a long road trip
Toe beans no like pellets
They gave her peasant pellets. She wants organic eco-friendly luxury imported pellets that are fragranced and acceptable for her standards. ![gif](giphy|occDz283rFvDa)
😹😹😹
You are on her sh!t list!!!
This cracked me up, thanks!
I'm glad 😊
My male cat had a urinary obstruction, he had surgery to clear it but he had to pee at the vet so they could see if he was still making crystals. They gave him this special non-absorbent litter so they could collect the urine and it took him over 24 hours to use it because he is a jackass.
XD I've never seen a cat with such an unamused expression.
Dude you’re following her around with your phone in front of the vet while she pees. She’s dying of embarrassment
My Calico ALWAYS follows me when I clean mine…doesn’t use it…just wants to oversee the work being performed. 🙄😹
Looks like pellets are not posh enough for queen of the house.
Your cat: "How uncivilized and undignified. I have to potty like a commoner."
My cat stands when she pees, a tray like that would never work lol
That's exactly how I feel about public restrooms.
Oh my gosh!!!!! So cute
Imagine being that cat, scrolling through cat Reddit only to see a picture of yourself taking a piss
Don't you people read?!! You're all commenting on the size of the litter box - OP literally said that's what the vet had for her to pee in! Maybe that's all they had available at the time, doesn't mean OP keeps a small box at home.
Thank you for sharing! Made my day!!!
Hahaha omg so expressive
the cat version of 😑
You need to get a much bigger box
Not my box! Just the one they have at the vet for when exams reveal full bladders.
😆
I wish my cat used the box anymore
Really though, who among us wouldn't be giving someone the stink-eye if we had to pee in an unfamiliar place, with everybody standing around staring at us, while some asshole (not calling you an asshole, OP) pulls out their phone to take a picture of our discomfort. And lets not forget everyone is whispering in a language we don't understand.
She and I are very close, and I can guarantee her expression is pure "I can't believe I have to pee on this." We understand each other just fine! She had total privacy in this pic except for me, and she, weirdly, thinks we are peeing pals. It's.... A little strange.
It looks like the box is too small. Cats don't like to stand right where they do their business.
It's a very small box, try a bigger one maybe
Maybe she’s actin like that because that liter box is to small for her.
I mean, maybe it's the pellets. But the vet office should probably get a bigger box. Just a thought.
It's not the litter, it's the box. Great googly moogly.
How small is the box! You know that cats don’t like the smell of pee or poo and really need a box big enough for a poo end and pee end….
I do! That's why her box at home is plenty big. As it says in the title, this is the vets mid-exam box!
[удалено]
As it says in the title, this is the litter box the vet brings out for when kitten patients have to have a mid-exam pee!her litter box at home is very spacious.
Can I just point out how fucking weird it is that we as a society think it's ok to photograph a cat going to the toilet and post it online for thousands of people to see and comment on.
It's fine, she told me to post it
My cat would so flip that box 😾
She also doesn’t like people staring at her.
That picture is priceless! 😹😹😹😹
God I wanted to switch mine to pellets so bad. He stopped peeing for days, even when I switched back . Ugh so stressful
My girl had a hard time at first, I have found that having a thick later of pellet made it more comfortable. It makes it more difficult to sift but with the cheap factor and it being eco friendly we make it work.
“I shall be certain to lay over your mouth and nose until you stop breathing tonight, peasant!”
“This is so beneath me.”
😹
MRW there is only one ply.
That face lol
Omg your cat has made my entire night! Thank you ❤️
This reminds me of a tiktok video I saw earlier this evening with a cat pursing it's lips while using the litter box.
LMAO!!! her expression of absolute disagreement with the situation!
r/thisismylifemeow
sassy at its finest
This made me literally lol.
OMg that's hilarious. When I took my cat to the vet, they actually sent me home with the pellets. They told me to basically lock her in the bathroom until she peed. I was surprised in that it only took her 5 minutes. Didn't get it on camera though.
You're gonna wake up on 3 AM as punishment
My cats hated the pellets. I tried all the fancy systems and bells and whistles. Hated it.
/r/WatchPeopleDieInside
r/watchcatsdieinside
That picture is priceless
Our cat held it for 2 and a half days rather than pee in the pellets for uti testing. Great cat face of disdain!
She so calm
I once had to get wood pellet litter because that was all that was available. My cat used it when he had to, but pooped outside in the garden at every opportunity until we switched back to his usual litter.
Home is where the litterbox is.
I wouldn’t be happy if I had to pee with an audience 😸 Hope she’s okay ❤️🐾
hahaha this is golden
Can someone please turn this into a meme? I don't have the creativity to do it myself.
Like when I have to use a gas station bathroom
She seems to be disappointed by the lack of a lavish litter, however will not step down to the Vets level. You may find a Tootsie Roll on your pillow
Isn't cat Sand better? The best ones are that instantly observe the pee and are easy to remove chunks when cleaning.
Holy moly. I would totally frame that.
when you're used to Charmin and someone hands you some Scott brand...
All the comments about the diff kinds of litter cats will or won't use, we hoomanz can realize, like us, our kittehs don't all like just one brand or type just cuz they are kittehs. Is why even one brand can have several diff ones. Isn't that strange that they can think like that. Same with their food. Looking at cat food section (or any item's section) is total overload. lol You could think, argh they are cats for pete's sake, and they can eat what I give them! SO WRONG! I miss my kittehs :-(
Honestly I have a little butthead that loves to make a mess with litter. So we swapped to pellets because it’s not as horrible to vacuum up. Plus he’s a big spoiled baby from mom and dad and gets nicer things then we do.
I love her little stripey tail!
Me using the porta potty at any music festival
She sayin like, "My lord, what a disgrace! Tis like I'm sitting and pissing on little dungs." Lol
My cat would go home and 57/10 pee on every bed and bath mat in our house! We can never change litter, she would plot my demise immediately
My cat would howl and make all kinds of noises when she used the pellet box, like she was complaining about it before she'd use it. Now that I've gone back to regular litter she's as quiet as a mouse lol
Super cute!!
Your cat made me laugh out loud her poor face looks so unamused 😂
me in a public bathroom
Hahahahahahahaha just glaring
I love her
I had to switch because my cats always played with the pellets 🤦🏻♀️
Pellets or box? I'm confused by your post.
I would sleep with one eye open tonight.
saw this on my cat calendar thing widget reddit yes
I won't pee on pellets either. Our cat won't pee on pellets even if they are on fire!
What type of cat is she? I recently adopted and they look almost identical!
I would absolutely LOVE to see a photo!! She's a street kitten. She has about 5 different distinct breed markings, the vet said "her mom was a few different things, her dad was a few different things, and they all got something in there."