# New Litter experience



## china_cat84 (Apr 27, 2010)

Ok, so I recently ran out of litter - stupid me, I forgot to buy more when I last went into the city. Well, I didn't have the time, energy, or money to make a 45 minute trip into the city to get more Feline Pine and the local hardware/feed store doesn't carry the wood fuel pellets during the spring/summer. 

So, I remembered the thread posted not too long ago by Duchess about which litter to try. I remember Elsie saying that she used chicken feed as litter because it was very similar to World's Best but so much cheaper. My local feed store ALWAYS has chicken feed so I decided to give it a try. 

I went to the feed store, back to the animal feed section. I never realized that there was so many different kinds of chicken feed! Anyway, I bought the unmedicated version - I didn't want my kittens to ingest it on accident or something and have the medication affect them in anyway. It only came in a 40# bag, but it was only $8.99 so I figured what the heck. 

I got it home, dragged it (literally) out of my truck an into the house. The texture is almost EXACTLY like World's Best and it doesn't have any smell to it at all. I did an experiment - I put some chicken feed in a cup and dribbled some water on it to see if and how it would clump. It clumps so fast and so perfectly - amazing. Even when I dribbled water against the side of the cup, the clump didn't stick to the cup at all!

So, I slowly added the chicken feed to their litter boxes. At first, the kitties were curious and sniffed at it a lot. But once they had to go potty, they didn't care and used the box like normal. I think they like the feed better because it's not pelleted like the feline pine and I'm sure that it's more comfortable to step on. It's also pretty dust free so you won't have to worry about that either. 

The litter boxes have been much easier to clean as well, because the feed doesn't stick to the sides and bottom of the box and it clumps so I don't have urine soaked sawdust to clean up either. It's also super cheap which is great for a cat-mom on a budget! I think I'll be using the feed from now on! So far, I've been using it for 3 days and haven't noticed anything that I don't like. 

I just thought I'd share my experience for anyone who is looking to save a buck or two. I do think that if you decide to use chicken feed as litter, you should buy some kind of container to keep it in - we use a large dog food container on wheels and a scoop to scoop the litter into the boxes. Much easier than dragging a 40# bag around. And leaving an opened 40# bag of feed around is dangerous - the little stinkers could knock it over and make a HUGE mess or knock it over on themselves and hurt themselves. 

I will post updates on how it is working out for anyone who is interested. If anyone has any of their own experiences (with any litter) that they'd like to share, feel free!


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

I use World's Best and find it great. Unfortunately I don't have a feed store nearby and I don't have transportation, but my neighbors have chickens, maybe they'd get some for me.


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

Aha!! Another 'satisfied customer'! I've been using chicken feed for years, and I'd never go back to cat litter. 

Another plus -- if you don't live in the city, disposal isn't a problem, either. I go through a lot of it with 10 cats, usually plus one or more fosters. I put it around trees and shrubs; it's a great natural fertilizer. Any extra, I just throw it over a tree and weed-filled hillside. The grass on the hillside is almost three feet tall now! Oh, and the cardinals, bluejays, mourning doves, and other bigger birds pick through it for any unsoiled crumbles. 

Good for the cats/Good for the planet.


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Someone had mentioned laying mash in the last litter theread. That's what I'm getting next time I'm near the feed store. :wink:


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## china_cat84 (Apr 27, 2010)

Jim and John - If you can get it, I would definitely suggest it! So much cheaper - and like Elsie said, good for cats and good for the environment! 

Elsie - That's a good idea...I wonder if it would work in flower beds? I live in town (a very, very small town) so I can't just throw it down a hillside lol. I have heard that some people flush World's Best but I'm not sure if that's a good idea...I'm not big on flushing things, usually they come back to haunt you later! 

Anyway - who can resist 40# of cat litter for $8.99?! And if you buy it on sale, you can get it for $5-$6! How great is that? I'm so excited about the prospect of saving money - I'm actually going to attempt to sway my mom over to the "darkside". She uses Tidy Cat Multicat and refuses to use anything that doesn't clump. Thing is, with that litter, it's super dusty and scented with that fake "fresh scent" smell. Plus it's kind of expensive - especially compare to feed. I wonder if I will be able to change her mind? Worth a try!


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

I suppose it would work in flower beds, too. The only problem is that the "logs" take a long time to disintegrate. :wink: 

I lucked out the last time I got my 'laying mash litter'. Southern States, where I buy it, had it on sale for $8.50/50#.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

Where do you buy chicken feed? With my asthma acting up to the point where I needed to be hospitalized twice in two months, I really need to switch to something that's not dusty.

And for those of you who have switched from regular cat litter to chicken feed, how long did it take for your kitties to get used to it? And of course, I need to ask the other question; did anyone's kitties NOT like the chicken feed?


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## madie (Apr 20, 2010)

wonderful post!!! i'm all about saving on kitty litter!! why spend so much on something that is meant to cat-pooped-on then trashed shortly? :roll: 

China_cat, what brand of chicken feed are you using? do you have a link so i can see a picture of it? is it fine textured or pellet-like? sorry for the many questions but you got me so interested (i need to buy new litter anyway).

i was going to buy equine horse pellets but it's so chunky that i wonder if my cat would use it. 

thanks in advance!


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## china_cat84 (Apr 27, 2010)

my4kitties said:


> Where do you buy chicken feed? With my asthma acting up to the point where I needed to be hospitalized twice in two months, I really need to switch to something that's not dusty.
> 
> And for those of you who have switched from regular cat litter to chicken feed, how long did it take for your kitties to get used to it? And of course, I need to ask the other question; did anyone's kitties NOT like the chicken feed?


I buy mine at a farm supply/feed store. It's called Bomgaars. My cats were using Feline Pine, which is pelleted, and they switched to the chicken feed with no problem at all. But they're not too picky about litter.



madie said:


> wonderful post!!! i'm all about saving on kitty litter!! why spend so much on something that is meant to cat-pooped-on then trashed shortly? :roll:
> 
> China_cat, what brand of chicken feed are you using? do you have a link so i can see a picture of it? is it fine textured or pellet-like? sorry for the many questions but you got me so interested (i need to buy new litter anyway).
> 
> ...


The brand I use is Bomgaars Chick Developer. I'll take a photo and post it when I can - they don't have products on their website. The feed is very fine and not pelleted - very similar to World's Best. Here is a pic that I found online that looks a lot like the feed I use:


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

The consistency I get is what feed people call "mash" or "crumbles". I buy laying mash made for egg-laying and breeding hens. It has no antibiotics, growth hormones, or other additives that are often found in "grower" or "developer" feeds. In some stores you can, as china cat did, find unmedicated feed for young birds.


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## madie (Apr 20, 2010)

thanks china_cat and cataholics! no need to take pic, china_cat, that pic you posted was more than helpful....at least i know how the texture looks like. I like how fine it is, and the fact you can trash it at the backyard. 

now i kind of know what to look for. Cant wait to check it out at the feed store (wow, being excited to buy cat litter is sad :lol: ) All of this chicken feed vocabulary seemed so confusing when i looked it up online....i thought 'mash' was a type of chicken feed. lol 

i was going to try equine pellets but dont like the fact they dont 'coat' the feces. I also dont like commercial cat litters cause the deodorant smell bothers me way more than the cat waste itself! 

So besides equine pellets and chicken feed/mash, i was wondering if there are other safe alternatives to cat litter that you might have heard of?


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

Actually, you don't want a really fine-textured feed. The crumbles work best; they're kind of "puffed" and they soak up the pee much better.

Here's what I use. (The peanut is for size reference.  )











Sorry the pic is so dark. No flash.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

china_cat84 said:


> my4kitties said:
> 
> 
> > Where do you buy chicken feed? With my asthma acting up to the point where I needed to be hospitalized twice in two months, I really need to switch to something that's not dusty.
> ...


Okay, I consider myself pretty Internet savvy, but how would I find a farm supply/feed store? Is it something I can Google, then look to see if they have a location near me?


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

Get out the yellow pages and look up Farm Supplies or Feed Dealers.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

CataholicsAnonymous said:


> Get out the yellow pages and look up Farm Supplies or Feed Dealers.


*Slaps forehead* Of course. What a Homer Simpson moment...


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## madie (Apr 20, 2010)

cataholics, thanks for the heads-up! btw, i just bought the chicken mash today. the only brand they sell here is F&M(?) and i made sure there are no unwanted additives. they had it in three sizes so i just bought the 10# for $4 just to try it out. i'll try it out either when i am finished with this current box or when i finish with the tidy cat. i'll post what i think about it after i've tried it! cant wait!


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## china_cat84 (Apr 27, 2010)

madie said:


> cataholics, thanks for the heads-up! btw, i just bought the chicken mash today. the only brand they sell here is F&M(?) and i made sure there are no unwanted additives. they had it in three sizes so i just bought the 10# for $4 just to try it out. i'll try it out either when i am finished with this current box or when i finish with the tidy cat. i'll post what i think about it after i've tried it! cant wait!


Good luck!

I looked for the crumbles at my store, like Elsie mentioned, but all the chicken feed looks like the picture I posted - similar texture and consistency to World's Best. They didn't have anything called "mash" either. I guess I got lucky - the kind I bought clumps well and doesn't stick to the sides of the box. From what I've heard, different brands act differently too. After I told a friend of mine about my experience (she lives in Phoenix, AZ), she went out and bought some feed as well. Her feed looked a lot like mine and there were no additives or antibiotics - but it didn't clump, it was just mushy and weird. 

So, my point is to buy small bags at first and if one brand doesn't work out that well, try a different brand. You can find chicken feed at farm supply stores as well.


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## madie (Apr 20, 2010)

china_cat84 said:


> I looked for the crumbles at my store, like Elsie mentioned, but all the chicken feed looks like the picture I posted - similar texture and consistency to World's Best. They didn't have anything called "mash" either. I guess I got lucky - the kind I bought clumps well and doesn't stick to the sides of the box. From what I've heard, different brands act differently too. After I told a friend of mine about my experience (she lives in Phoenix, AZ), she went out and bought some feed as well. Her feed looked a lot like mine and there were no additives or antibiotics - but it didn't clump, it was just mushy and weird.
> 
> So, my point is to buy small bags at first and if one brand doesn't work out that well, try a different brand. You can find chicken feed at farm supply stores as well.


thanks for the heads up! i didnt realize some brands work and others didnt. hmmm, maybe i should try this sometime this week when i get rid of the litter. our feed store doesnt have much of a variety to be honest....f&M? brand is the main one they carry. when i asked help from the store, they pretty much equated mash and feed as similar items. hmmm....i hope this would clump the urine....i can always control smell by baking soda. i'll post my findings when i've tried it out.

thanks again ladies! i learn so much from this forum everyday.


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## madie (Apr 20, 2010)

hello all!

thought i'd come back to update this post. 

so i finally tried the f&M? brand chicken mash for about a day now. it works ok.....not great nor bad either. it clumps urine somewhat but not tightly enough. when i go to scoop it out, it breaks easily (unlike the tidy cats brand i have been using).  

unfortunately the local feed seed store doesnt have much of a variety of brands.....this is one of 2 or 3 brands that they sell, i think (and the other two are pricier). i dont know if i will stick to this or not...i am thinking i might.....i could mix this with a tad of 'regular' clumping litter. sigh....i really like the price and the fact this is a 'green' item.


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## china_cat84 (Apr 27, 2010)

That kinda stinks. My urine clumps break apart too, but not into tiny pieces - they don't fall through the holes in the scoop. But hey, still better than any other non-clumping litter and there's virtually no dust. 


Another update for me - I ordered the Cat Genie today, complete with Genie Dome. I couldn't help myself. I was assured that if it doesn't work or I don't like it, I can return it. I will let you guys know what I think when I get it and use it.


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## madie (Apr 20, 2010)

china_cat84 said:


> That kinda stinks. My urine clumps break apart too, but not into tiny pieces - they don't fall through the holes in the scoop. But hey, still better than any other non-clumping litter and there's virtually no dust.
> 
> 
> Another update for me - I ordered the Cat Genie today, complete with Genie Dome. I couldn't help myself. I was assured that if it doesn't work or I don't like it, I can return it. I will let you guys know what I think when I get it and use it.


oooh yea, i've seen that too but not IRL. look forward in reading your review!

well, one week into FRM (yea, i finally re-checked the brand...lol) chicken crumbles (whatever): not too shabby at all. i will stick using this since i am getting the hang of how 'rough' to scoop it...though if it does stick to the pan, it crumbles when u forcefully remove it out. I feel happy that i'm being green and saving some dough too.


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

What a great idea. I had to use World's Best Cat Littler when my Razzle had radioactive iodine treatment to cure his hyperthyroidism. It was mandated to use this litter due to the fact that the pee and poop is radioactive for a month. I really loved the litter. No dust, clumps easily, flushable but it's very expensive. My other cat would pee in it but wouldn't poop in it. After a month I mixed it in with my regular litter to make it less dusty and my other cat liked the mix, but I couldn't afford to buy it anymore. By the way the radioactive iodine treatment worked great. No more problems especially since Razzle vomited with the medication so he couldn't take it anymore, and I researched this treatment on the internet. 

I never thought of using chicken feed as litter.


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