Any good use for old cat litter?

[gumbo2176]

I know cat litter can be used for oil clean-up if you should happen to spill a bit of oil on your driveway and such, but my vehicles are new and I'm careful with maintenance, so no leaks to take care of.

So here I am with a house cat and the required litter box because she won't use the nice porcelain Kohler in the bathroom other than to sit on top of the tank and watch my wife bathe and dress in the morning for work.

This leaves me with a good deal of old litter each month that I have no idea what to do with except toss it out in the trash. Being as how there are so many creative individuals in this forum, I though I'd toss this out to see if anyone has used old cat litter in a creative way and would be willing to share their thoughts, experiences.

[thanrose]

Let's hope this doesn't apply to you: Spread the de-pooped litter below windows to deter peeping toms. Just not below windows you like to open, but if you have a problem with peeping toms and/or stalkers, you shouldn't be leaving any window open.

I actually tried sprinkling the old scoopable litter, again without gross fecal matter, on very shifty sand where I was going to put a fence. I worked it in, dry, let it stay for a year or more, and then put in the fence. Nope. It broke down sorta, but into strata of slimy clay ribbons. Not stinking, but not pleasant. It was a tiny experiment, maybe only a dozen feet running, but not something I'd do again.

[Kisal]

There are quite a few uses for new litter, but I never found a use for used litter. It might work to repel rodents that are digging holes in your yard, such as voles, gophers, etc. I would pour the used litter into the holes. I'm not sure it would work ... it's just a guess.

[tomf]

No it is smelly and messy so you do not want it in your yard.

[Dixana]

Lightly sprinkling the used litter (not the clumps!) around you're garden every couple weeks will keep rabbits and squirrels away. It only works if the litter is pretty stinky though.
They do make biodegradable corn husk litter now though if you can get your cat to use it. If you use the corn husk litter you can bokashi compost the used kitty stuff and bury it in ornamental flower beds. A friend from my old job does that and her flower beds are amazing with no fertilizing.
I was trying to transition my cat but we currently don't have space for 2 cat boxes. I'll start again after we move.

[rainbowgardener]

The clay litter is a mined product, not very environmentally friendly and not much to do with it. I did try burying some once and it turned into a slimy mess. You can use some in the winter for traction on snow and ice.

I use Swheat Scoop, a wheat based, not mined product, that can be composted once the wastes are scooped out.

[cynthia_h]

I haven't used [url=https://www.litterkwitter.com/en/index.php]this product[/url] myself, but one way to (ahem) eliminate the question of used kitty litter is to remove it from the...process.

And [url=https://mingusmingusmingus.com/Mingus/cat_training.html]here's[/url] the how-to from a famous musician who did it himself with his cat and simple cardboard litter boxes with torn-up newspaper. No fancy-schmancy color coding for them!

Hey, if *I* could (and did...) train a cat to use the litter box by...ah...showing him how "Mommy" used the toilet, is it so far-fetched to think that the cat could use the toilet him/herself? I may try this with my smarter than he should be, thinks he's a dog, comes when called, begs on command, sits on command, orange & white Maine Coon mix!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[cynthia_h]

The clay litter is a mined product, not very environmentally friendly ....

I use Swheat Scoop, a wheat based, not mined product, that can be composted once the wastes are scooped out.

We liked Swheat Scoop right up until the day when our independent pet-supply store's distributor stopped carrying it. No chance to transition the cats! So we found out very quickly that two additional, less environmentally destructive than clay, kitty litters are World's Best Cat Litter (based on corn by-products) and Yesterday's News (based on newspapers and available in loose and pelleted forms).

Our cats have made their preference for World's Best Cat Litter clear to us. We're very trainable people; both dogs and cats have us wrapped around their little paws.

Cynthia

[rainbowgardener]

The toilet trainer is very cool and I have heard before that cats can be trained to do this. Leaves me with a couple questions though... cats instinctively like to bury their wastes. It seems like they wouldn't like this because no burying. And what about my elderly cat who often can't manage to get her poo IN the litter box. Gets in the box but still has her back end hanging over the edge... That seems like it would be especially nasty if it were my bathroom!

[cynthia_h]

I've had a couple of very geriatric cats (17, 18, and 20 y.o.) over my adulthood. Those aren't the cats I would train, esp. later in life.

But a healthy cat, like Mr. Maine Coon mix himself...no problem!

Re. burying waste: the cats bury the waste to hide the scent. No scent remains if the cat uses the toilet, so no problem, I would imagine....I haven't done it (yet) myself. Gotta think about this one. Just how far do I want to "push the envelope" with Copper?

Cynthia

[gershon]

I use soil instead of cat litter. I have a strip of the back yard about 20 inches wide and 30 feet long which has an eternal supply. When I empty the litter box, I sprinkle some buckwheat seed on the area and move on to the next spot.

When I get to the end, I just go back to the beginning. By then all the old stuff has decomposed.

No special reason for using buckwheat except the seeds are cheap and I like the flowers.

Dirt does have to be changed a little more often, but since it's free, that's not a big deal. When I was a kid, I never heard of cat litter. It's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. I'm more worried about the chemicals in commercial litter than I am about a little cat poop.

[applestar]

I have a cool fancy but not too expensive litterbox with a clamp on lid with a handle, a recessed top vent with place to put a charcoal odor absorber pouch if desired, and split flip-up clamshell front end with cat door flap, plus a container with a handle and lid that flips open by pressing the thumb lever for putting the scooped waste in to carry to the toilet for disposal (if using a flushable litter) AND the container fits in a recess at the front of the litterbox and the lid is gridded to help remove and catch loose litter from the kitty paws when they step on it on their way out. PLUS the included scoop stores over the doorway at the inside top of the box. It is absolutely the easiest litterbox I have ever owned.

So of course my second cat has taken a dislike to sharing this wonderful litterbox with her sister. I discovered that she was going into the garage and peeing on an old chair.

I had to lock the cat door into the garage and temporarily placed an aluminum 1/2 sheet lasagna pan with a bit of litter in it in front of the cat door to get her used to the idea that she will no longer be going in the garage but if she HAS to go, then she can go in the "port-a-potty". Well, temporary has gone on for two months now.

Maybe I'll start creeping the lasagna pan closer to the bathroom and toilet.

[gumbo2176]

[quote="applestar"]So of course my second cat has taken a dislike to sharing this wonderful litterbox with her sister.


Females and bathrooms, what's a cat to do???

[mansgirl]

The clay litter is a mined product, not very environmentally friendly ....

I use Swheat Scoop, a wheat based, not mined product, that can be composted once the wastes are scooped out.

We liked Swheat Scoop right up until the day when our independent pet-supply store's distributor stopped carrying it. No chance to transition the cats! So we found out very quickly that two additional, less environmentally destructive than clay, kitty litters are World's Best Cat Litter (based on corn by-products) and Yesterday's News (based on newspapers and available in loose and pelleted forms).

Our cats have made their preference for World's Best Cat Litter clear to us. We're very trainable people; both dogs and cats have us wrapped around their little paws.

I've tried that Worlds Best Cat litter! I wish my cat would have liked it. Instead I caught her peeing in the tub drain. She'd also leave me "presents" right in front of her cat box. Lovely.

[Bobberman]

Urine is great for plants and is absorbed in the cat litter just like horse or cow urine in sawdust or straw!. The problem is not the urine or the litter so if you strain it I would put it into a seperate compost that would only be used on flowers! I myself think its great as a soil builder if dug into the soil! Most cat litter are made of cheap material like paper or clays and will work in compost. The perfume in some may be a problem so check what is added!

[Runningtrails]

I collect it all week in a bucket with a lid. On trash pick up day, after collecting all the trash, I pour the bucket into the top bag on top of everything and tie it up. When I put the large container at the road the cat litter is in the bag on top, so I don't get varmits and birds tearing open the bags and spreading it around. I live in the country so this is a problem. The cat litter right on top seems to deter them.

I have also poured it into groundhog holes.

[rainbowgardener]

The clay litter is mineral and does NOT compost, turns into a slimy clay mess.

Any organic litter such as the Swheat Scoop, paper based litters, corn cob litter, etc, can be composted, once you scoop the solids out.

[TammyGCC]

I would say ice. You live in New Orleans so I don't think you Have an Ice problem. It works good on the drive way.

[gumbo2176]

I would say ice. You live in New Orleans so I don't think you Have an Ice problem. It works good on the drive way.

The only ice problem we have here in N.O. is having enough on hand during the summer gatherings of friends and family. I'd not want to live in an area that is so cold that ice forms on roads for months at a time. Idiots down here would kill themselves driving in such conditions-----me included.

[nk]

You can use it in place of peat moss when you're overwintering tubers etc.

[Boomslang]

I usually save all the old cat litter in a bag until I can catch my mother in law gone (she lives next door). Then I go over and pull her underpinning back and dump it under her trailer.

[TornadoKnight]

I'm in the same boat as your guys/gals. I wondered if we could use our old/used kitty litter instead of throwing it away.

One thing iv'e been experimenting with it's use is to pour it into areas that are eroding around our front & back yard. We have a couple areas in our front lawn by the driveway that appear to be sinking and there is a slight hole forming against the driveway edge. So I have been pouring the de-pooped k litter into it. Also, the last summer was pretty darn dry. So the ground has receeded away from the driveway & sidewalks. So iv'e been pouring it into the deep openings.

Hopefully these ideas might help others.


Thanks,
Matt

[imafan26]

I have another use, I found out accidentally. But not for used litter, but for unused litter. Keep the pan in the closet and it will absorb moisture and help to keep mildew off the clothes and walls. It doesn't pull as much moisture as the commercial product, but it works.

I still throw my used litter in the trash. Pet poop from dogs and cats are not recommended for the garden because they can be carriers of disease.

I did try to toilet train my cats. There is this fake toilet ring with plastic and you have to shape the behavior. It is easier to do with a younger cat, however if the cat falls in the toilet, they will never attempt it again.
My friend was able to train his kitten, but I was unsuccessful with mine.

I have trained my cats to use newspaper instead. It is cheaper and a lot lighter to throw away. The trick is that it does have to be cleaned out more often. I have done whole sheets and layered them up to 5 times a day and I have tried shredded. Layering helps with a sprinkling of cat litter for training. However, the newspaper pellets that one company sold as a litter substitute was refused by the cats, they do not like the texture.

[weterman]

Sprinkle yourself with it. Good perfume.