# Litter Questions



## Jig-n-Minnow (Jul 20, 2009)

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post, I wasn't sure. I'm wondering if there is a favorite or recommended litter here. Right now I'm using a multi-cat clumping litter for my two kittens and they seem to like it well enough but they are dragging it out on their paws and getting it all over the bathroom. I have cat mats under the boxes but they don't seem to be doing much good. 

Does anyone have much experience with Feline Pine? I've noticed that they have a clumping brand now as well and wondering if its worth it. Any suggestions? Thanks!


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## PureMuttz (Jul 3, 2009)

I've never tried Feline Pine. My parents have, but I do not know what their opinion on it was. They aren't using it religiously (I'm pretty certain they just get what's on sale, mostly).

I am using Swheat Scoop, because I wanted something natural (was using Fresh Step and liked it, though).

Sadly, it still tracks outside of the litter box and I would love to find a solution to that, but for now, I just have a broom/dustpan in the bathroom and vacuum the walkway from the bathroom occasionally to keep the place clean.

It is very hard to find a non-tracking litter. I've thought about Feline Pine but my main concern is "What if my cats won't use it because they can't cover with the ease of the non-pelleted litters?"

It'll be nice to hear from others, too. I'll keep an eye on this post.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

Dunno if this is the right topic but how many types of litter box do we have? I know three types only which are clay, sand and crystals... is there any other? :?:


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Konafa said:


> ...how many types of litter box [materials] do we have?
> I know three types: ... clay, sand and crystals...


There are pelleted types and shredded or folded newspaper could be another litterbox material.

Generally, a person must decide what traits/qualities they want from their litter in order of importance:
Organic / environmentally safe. 
Tracking. 
Dust. 
Odor control. 
Safe if ingested.
Availability.
Ease of handling/storing fresh litter material.
Ease of scooping/clumping/dumping. 


Me: We currently have 8 housecats and have had as many as a dozen. Odor control is KING in my home. I have taken steps to control the dust (_l'box is vented outside_) and I can deal with some tracking by keeping a small whisk broom/pan next to the l'box and regular vacuuming.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

Heidi n Q said:


> Konafa said:
> 
> 
> > ...how many types of litter box [materials] do we have?
> ...


Newspaper? :?: That's new. :?: How you set up that type of litter box? Just by adding folded newspaper?


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Tear it into strips or just lay some folded layers in the bottom of the box. I knew a puppy breeder (_bred, raised and showed AKC Irish Setters_) who would use newspaper strips in her whelping boxes. It seemed to work well, but was smelly and a bit labor intensive to care for. The puppies got minimal poops on them because the strips would usually stick to the poops instead of allowing puppy fur to get into the messy poops and dry there. 

For cats, I don't think that is something I would ever use, unless I had a situation where it was necessary for the health or well-being of the kitty.


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## whiteghost (Apr 24, 2005)

I use Tidy Cats for Mulitiple Cats & Instant Action in the litter boxes.


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## Felicis (Sep 7, 2009)

Ever since I got my first cat, I've used Fresh Step. I like the fact that whenever the cats use the litterbox, it smells nicer in the room than before! :lol: I know most cats don't like scented litters but mine seem to prefer it.

I tried Tidy Cats for a month (it was cheaper and brought a lot more litter) and went back to Fresh Step before I finished 1/4 of the bag. Toby didn't mind the litter, but both Charlie and I hated it. Charlie hated it because the grain was too thick. I hated it because the clay crumbled whenever I would scoop out the pee and it left the litterbox smelling nasty! 

I decided to stick with Fresh Step and not experiment with other litters when a relative came over and was surprised that the house did not have that "cat odor." More expensive but worth it.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I use Fresh Step, too. Makes their little feet smell nice, which is a good thing, since Cleo sometimes kneads my face. 8O


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## chloecatgirl (Mar 30, 2009)

I use Yesterday's New. It's made from recycled newpaper and comes in pellet forms. It does track a little but since they are in pellet form they are easy to vacuum or sweep up and it's really only maybe like five pieces that are outside of the large cage I keep the little box in. 

I used something with Pine in the name. It had pellets made of pine but I found it got too dusty and made Dante sneeze, but I really like Yesterday's New especially since I can flush it!


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I use Arm 'n Hammer, but don't buy the type for multi-cats! The regular Arm 'n Hammer is great, but EVERY multi-cat litter I tried became gooey and smelly. I don't know why, but I'd buy a good brand of clumping litter.


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## Felicis (Sep 7, 2009)

Jeanie said:


> but EVERY multi-cat litter I tried became gooey and smelly


Did you mean every Arm N' Hammer box was smelly or every brand of multi-cat litter? Fresh-step is the only multi-cat, clumping litter that's not gooey like you said (that I've tried anyway). 

Marie, I don't get face-kneading but Charlie is known for sticking his paws on my face every once in a while so I know what you mean about the nice-smelling paws. :lol:


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I use Arm 'n Hammer, and my husband got the multi-cat once. I love the regular, but including Arm 'n Hammer, every multi-cat litter I tried was gooey and smelled bad. Once I got another brand because I wanted the closable box for bird seed. Big mistake! It was a well known brand, maybe Tidy Cat...I'm fairly sure. With those experiences, I don't want to try another one!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I've used Tidy Cats and Fresh Step and don't remember any terrible problems, but I did have simlar problems. One did crumble the pee-clumps a bit if they were 'fresh' and I didn't like that and another was sort of 'sticky' on the scoop if it was fresh and I didn't like that, either. I now buy the cheaper 40# pail at Sams Club called "Litter Clean". I have no complaints and think it does a great job. 

I have multiple cats and a large litter chest vented to the outside, so any residual dust/odor is whisked away before it ever has a chance to _think about_ becoming a problem. This weekend, while helping my husband clean out the garage I came across truck carpet protector mats. We have new ones in the truck and he was going to toss them, but I kept two of them to use in front of my Litter Chest and the smaller, but Jumbo sized, litterbox kept in the bedroom. I've noticed a little less tracking with the larger mats to catch the loose stuff as they "rocket butt" out of the l'boxes to escape the odor and run-the-stink off.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

My cat is driving us nuts because of the litter box! Crystals, clay and even sand won't work for her. 
Just would use each one of them for two days and never uses it again!  
She ends up running into living room and makes toilet there! 
I sometimes try to stop and encourage her to use litter box...she won't listen!
For me, it's annoying. It's like the living room is her bathroom now!  
I tried to change the positions of the litter box...we also remove her wastes almost every day...what am I doing wrong? :?


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## Jig-n-Minnow (Jul 20, 2009)

Have you tried putting a litter box in the living room where she is having her accidents? That is what worked for our little one. For a while we had a litter box in the bathroom, one at the end of the hall and one in the living room because it was what she needed. As she got more secure in litter training I was able to move the boxes to more private places. 

As for litter issues... my search still continues. Luckily my kittens are not picky about what we use. I did end up trying Feline Pine and while I feel the odor control was pretty good (think pine scented) I found it awkward for the cats to use because of the large size pellets. They also had a hard time covering their poos and I don't think they liked that as much. My regular size scoop did not work, I'm sure Feline Pine must sell a special scoop for their brand because its so much bigger then most of the others. 

So we are trying Arm-n-Hammer (multi-cat) and as others have posted, its not clumping very well. (which is resulting in a messier litter box and more 'accidents' kicked up on the side of the box) Although the odor-control is awesome! 

I think we'll go to Tidy Cats now and just keep a broom handy for the tracking... I wonder if a larger/higher-sided box might help as well? 

Thanks for all the replies everyone!


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

Jig-n-Minnow said:


> Have you tried putting a litter box in the living room where she is having her accidents? That is what worked for our little one.


...she could end up using the living room as her bathroom. Also, my family won't accept a litter box in any other rooms except bathroom and corridors so in case a guest comes, the litter box doesn't make certain smell.  
How often do cats go to bathroom? Sorry for such goofy questions.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Jig-n-Minnow said:


> ...I wonder if a larger/higher-sided box might help as well?


Oh, yes! If they are kicking the 'sand' (_just what I call litter_) over the top edge of the box, either higher sides and/or a jumbo hooded litterbox helps reduce the mess and tends to concentrate the sand at one area (_the exit path_) and make cleaning up with the little whisk-broom a breeze.


_Cats poop on average about once a day and I think they pee at least twice and up to 3-4 times a day. This is a guess from average amounts of poops and pee-clumps I scoop from our l'boxes. As to the litterbox in other rooms, they can be *removed* when guests are coming over. It is also only a *temporary* situation until the kitten is old enough to know it needs to use the litterbox and will walk to where it is kept. When they are young, they *need* to have the litterboxes close or they could have 'accidents' in/on carpets and furniture. I'd mmuch rather explain a litterbox to a guest than make apologies for having to clean the couch cushion before they sit down..._


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Jig-n-Minnow, I like Arm 'n Hammer regular; it's only multi-cat of any kind that I won't buy. It wasn't a terrible experience, just a waste of money. I doubt any of us would want the odor and the sticky texture of the ones I tried, so there's no use trying another....especially when I'm pleased with the litter I use. 
____________________________________________________________________


Some general ideas:
Some members have used large Rubbermaid containers, so the litter can't be kicked out. 

I use a self cleaning litter box, and I love it! 

Location, litter, or a dirty litter box are often the problem when cats won't use the litter box.

If urinating outside the litter box is a new problem, the cause could be a urinary tract infection.


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## ziggystyles (Jun 21, 2005)

I use Fresh Results cat litter; buy it at Wal Mart. 
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10450484

I've tried a few other brands, but I've been using this the most over the past few years. Actually didn't know what it was made out of until I just noticed it today on Wal Marts webpage: Corn cob granules. 

I havent tried Tidy Cat at all. I know my brother used it on a cat at his place and that stuff just reeeeeeeeeeked! We switched to Fresh Steps at my moms when we adopted him. 

Now with my cats, we use Fresh Results. It smells very nice and I actually don't smell anything until Im emptying out the litter. The cats use the box kind of weird so sometimes there is some litter smeared on the side of the box. 
As far as tracking...it does track a bit, but it vacuums up very easily. Keep a Dust Buster near the box and make a couple of sweeps with it every day.


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

I hammer the litter to turn it into sand but my sibling says not to do that because there are chemical reactions that could flammable to the cat's respiratory system. Is that true? :? :| Sorry for giving out odd reasons.


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## Muzby (Jan 9, 2008)

We wanted to go more natural with our litter choices and STILL get odor control and clumping.. we mix Shweat Scoop with ClumpNFlush (corn based) and this makes the ULTIMATE litter. Sand-like so the cats like it, fast clumping and well formed, no odor and although it still tracks it's a small price to pay! It's also less irritating on the nose because there is NO DUST. Like.. pretty much at all!


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Konafa, not sure what you're referring to with hammering the litter box, but as far as placement of the boxes....

When I first got my two cats, the shelter recommended putting them in one room of the house to adjust for a week before letting them roam free. That meant putting the litter box in that room as well, which is not what we wanted because the room is our guest room. We wanted the box down the hall in our office instead. But as others have said, you have to start with the box where the cat is most likely to use it. So we left the box in that room for a few weeks, and then slowly moved it towards it's final destination. About once a week we would move it about five feet closer to the office - that way the girls always knew exactly where to find it and they adjusted easily. It was a little weird having it in the hallway, but it was only temporary, so no big deal. During this whole process, we never had an 'accident'. You might want to try this method with your kitty as well.

Also, if you're changing litters a lot you could be upsetting your cat. I haven't changed litters much, but my understanding is that cats don't like a lot of change and can get very upset if you make a lot of changes to their litter box. If you've seen success more with one type of litter than another, stick with that litter once you move the box and you should have better luck. And is your box open or covered? Some cats are afraid of dark, covered boxes while others want the privacy and won't use open boxes. It's entirely kitty preference on that one and you just have to figure out what your kitty wants. I'm lucky that mine don't mind a closed box, because Fergie pees standing up and the only type of box I can use is one with a top entry!


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Muzby said:


> NO DUST. Like.. pretty much at all!


That's why we stopped using Fresh Step, even though it was otherwise the best litter we tried. Our box is in our office, and after a few weeks of using FS we noticed a fine layer of litter dust covering every surface in the room. We switched to Tidy Cats about a month ago and we've been pretty happy with that one.


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## Jadedea Jade (Feb 3, 2009)

i havent found any litter that kills the smell. that and easy to scoop out.


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Jadedea Jade said:


> i havent found any litter that kills the smell. that and easy to scoop out.


If your litterbox smells, you aren't cleaning it often enough, or you don't have enough boxes. The box should not smell at all. Do you use a plastic liner? B/c those actually cause smelly boxes--the urine collects in the folds and makes it impossible to get every bit of urine clump out.

I use this litter: http://www.preciouscat.com/precious-classic-p-1.html

It has no smelly stuff added (cats HATE that) and it clumps firmly. Works great as long as you don't use a liner. I tried Feline Pine years ago and my cat Gabriel explained in NOOOOOO uncertain terms that this was NOT an acceptable change. He urinated into the WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER. 8O When we got home the whole HOUSE reeked of cat pee and b/c it was in the air it took hours to figure out where it was coming from. I had to have window unit professionally cleaned w/ chemicals. He never urinated anywhere but the box before or after: clearly he was just making a point, which I MORE than got, LOL!

I recommend this litterbox:

http://www.biddycat.com/

It's huge and its sloping sides not only prevent litter tossing but also make it easier to get EVERY bit of urine out. That is the key. Clean the box at least 2X a day and if that's not often enough, you need another box. If there is any smell, something is wrong somewhere!


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Konafa said:


> My cat is driving us nuts because of the litter box! Crystals, clay and even sand won't work for her.
> Just would use each one of them for two days and never uses it again!
> She ends up running into living room and makes toilet there!
> I sometimes try to stop and encourage her to use litter box...she won't listen!
> ...


It's the first time I've had a completely litterbox cat to look after. When I brought her home, I noticed that she was having trouble if there was previous waste in the litterbox. It's 9.55 am. I've just scooped the litterbox for the second time today. Maybe I'm being overfussy, I don't know, but I like to think how I'd like my toilet to be. She probably won't use it again until later this afternoon.


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## Jadedea Jade (Feb 3, 2009)

hoofmaiden said:


> If your litterbox smells, you aren't cleaning it often enough, or you don't have enough boxes. The box should not smell at all. Do you use a plastic liner? B/c those actually cause smelly boxes--the urine collects in the folds and makes it impossible to get every bit of urine clump out.


the box/ container itself doesnt smell, but the litter does. i dont use plastic liners. but still the smell of cat waste is ever present. its like a fart that travels, and it lingers it doesnt go away. its like my cat has super powered poo. i try to clean her box as often as i can, but even when she does her first dump in fresh new litter and covers her poo her smell travels. the only time ive been able to contain it was when i put the plastic flap on on her covered litter box. maybe im just expecting too much.

i tried burning incense in the room and her super power poo smell is still there. maybe i have phantom poo? lmao. ive been in houses where folks have cats and i see their littersboxes and there is no smell. wtf do they do cause i wanna know lmao!!!


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Jadedea Jade said:


> the box/ container itself doesnt smell, but the litter does. i dont use plastic liners. but still the smell of cat waste is ever present. its like a fart that travels, and it lingers it doesnt go away. its like my cat has super powered poo. [SNIP]
> i tried burning incense in the room and her super power poo smell is still there. maybe i have phantom poo? lmao. ive been in houses where folks have cats and i see their littersboxes and there is no smell. what the heck do they do cause i wanna know lmao!!!


Maybe they feed raw.  My cat Calvin used to have the most HORRIFIC poops--even on high-end grain-free canned. They drove you from the room. We are fairly sure he had IBD: testing for IBD is complicated and often inaccurate, and it's easier just to try changing the diet. Within a week of transitioning to raw, Calvin's poops were normal--and by that I mean one poop a day on average, very small, firm, and completely odorless. You could put your nose right near it (if you wanted to!!) and you couldn't smell it. This is b/c the cat is actually USING 90% of his food instead of having to eliminate all the grains, vegetables, and other crap they put in commercial food.

So what does your kitty eat?


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## Jadedea Jade (Feb 3, 2009)

hoofmaiden said:


> Jadedea Jade said:
> 
> 
> > the box/ container itself doesnt smell, but the litter does. i dont use plastic liners. but still the smell of cat waste is ever present. its like a fart that travels, and it lingers it doesnt go away. its like my cat has super powered poo. [SNIP]
> ...


she eats evoderm wet and dry. sometimes mozzarella cheese(tiny bits) and prosciutto. she eats alot of treats too, but not enough to gain weight. she maintains her girly figure lol


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

hoofmaiden said:


> I recommend this litterbox:
> 
> http://www.biddycat.com/
> 
> It's huge and its sloping sides not only prevent litter tossing but also make it easier to get EVERY bit of urine out. That is the key. Clean the box at least 2X a day and if that's not often enough, you need another box. If there is any smell, something is wrong somewhere!


Ooh, I would love to try that box if all the sides were curved! Fergie pees standing up, so the only thing that's worked for us has been a top-entry box. I think four curved sides would force her to stand in the middle and keep the pee IN the box, but Murphy's Law says if I got this box she would stand right next to one of the straight sides and pee over the edge. When we tried a side entry covered box she would walk straight in but not turn around, so she ended up peeing right out the entrance! :fust


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Jadedea Jade said:


> she eats evoderm wet and dry. sometimes mozzarella cheese(tiny bits) and prosciutto. she eats alot of treats too, but not enough to gain weight. she maintains her girly figure lol


Well, if she's having poops as nasty as you say, she's not using her food well. I honestly think that IBD in many cases is really just the animal's system saying, "I didn't evolve to eat this way!" Give the system what it was meant to eat and BINGO--it all works right! Certainly turned Calvin around.


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

WhiteKitties said:


> Ooh, I would love to try that box if all the sides were curved! Fergie pees standing up, so the only thing that's worked for us has been a top-entry box. I think four curved sides would force her to stand in the middle and keep the pee IN the box, but Murphy's Law says if I got this box she would stand right next to one of the straight sides and pee over the edge. When we tried a side entry covered box she would walk straight in but not turn around, so she ended up peeing right out the entrance! :fust


Did you try a tall-all-the-way-around box? I have one that is a foot high all the way around, which I got for my Gabriel (now at the Bridge) who peed standing up. Worked great for him.


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## Jadedea Jade (Feb 3, 2009)

how exactly is a cat peeing while standing up? isnt it doing that already?? whats the difference?


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## JAM (Oct 23, 2009)

well for my past cats, ive used Arm N hammer clumping litter, the stuff that changes blue whereever they make a mess lol. Ive found the really well to use. but now, i am using compliments clumping litter, i dont like it very much lol, but at the time this is what i have to use, luckly i have to go and get some more cat litter any how ! 
My cats really enjoy Sand Litter, but my only problem has been oder control, any suggestions, i clean the litter box everyday. 
usually i cant smell it because i get used to it, but my dad has the nose like a dog lol ! and the smell drives him insane.


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Jadedea Jade said:


> how exactly is a cat peeing while standing up? isnt it doing that already?? whats the difference?


Normally your cat would squat to pee, just like when pooping, so the pee goes into the litter. Fergie, on the other hand, starts in a squat and then immediately stands up straight, making the pee shoot straight out from her read end and hit the side of the box. The box is 15 inches tall with the lid, and she normally hits the side at about 12 or 13 inches from the floor. On some occasions, she's in just the right position in the box that her tail comes out the hole in the lid, and she has nearly peed out the top! If we're in the room when she goes in the box we'll stick a hand in to hold down her butt and she'll still pee just fine, but you can feel her trying to stand up. However, when she pees on the side she doesn't cover anything, because she can't find her pee in the litter, so the box stinks. She's such a screwball, but we love her anyway.... :luv


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## Jadedea Jade (Feb 3, 2009)

lmao. ok i get it now. thats weird that they do that. i thought only feral males did it that way to mark trees n such.

thanks for the info!


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

Jadedea Jade said:


> lmao. ok i get it now. thats weird that they do that. i thought only feral males did it that way to mark trees n such.


Well, ya gotta keep in mind that Fergie's not all there upstairs - this is the same kitty who has lost a fight with a stuffed cow a few times!


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## Konafa (Aug 16, 2009)

Everytime my cat has constipation, she will squat and then stand up. After she leaves(I always monitor the cat faeces daily to check she's ok) but what I see now is very bright brown faeces and the smell STINKS!

What can I do?  

She always has constipation if she eats a lot of cat food.  :?


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## GreenCatLady (Oct 31, 2009)

Green Little Cat has a great blog post comparing different types of eco-friendly cat litter, as well as other types of eco-friendly advice.

http://www.greenlittlecat.com/?p=9


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