Clumping litter for kittens - Yes or No?

[Gillian Harvey]

These are the ingredients in the Dodson and Horrell chick crumbs that I buy:
Wheat
Non GM Soya
Wheat feed
Barley
Maize germ meal
Confectionary Products (eh?!!)
Ext Hi-Pro Sunflower
Beans
Calcium Carbonate
Di-cal phos
Vits and Mins
Salt
Methionine
Sodium Bicarbonate
Formic Acid
Lysine
beta glucanase
pentosanase
pectinase
Phytase
Endoxylanase

Obviously there is a lot of extra stuff in chick crumbs as it is a complete feed for young chickens. As far as I know WBCL is simply crushed corn kernels.

Lynn I get mine from Jollyes, don't know if you have one in your area?

[Tiggy's Mum]

yeah they flush, its just crushed up wheat or something like that - Gillian probably knows more!  I have to have flushable stuff like I say the wheelie bin is no good for containing smells!

Great, no more stenchy bins!  I can't believe I'm getting so excited about cat litter

[Dawn F]

I get mine from a bird feed/horsey type shop!

[Dawn F]

yeah they flush, its just crushed up wheat or something like that - Gillian probably knows more!  I have to have flushable stuff like I say the wheelie bin is no good for containing smells!

[CurlyCatz]

helen i think from what i gather wbcl & chick crumbs are the same ingrediants just as has been pointed out wbcl is more refined, looks and is packaged better but they are both flushable (altho im not allowed to as we have private septic tank so hubby thought that would be a bad idea)

Can i just re ask eveyone on chick crumbs where they are getting theirs from  as i think i'll have to give them a try if they act exactly the same.

[Tiggy's Mum]

Can't wait to see more pics of your little ones 

Sarah x

Likewise with Charlie, get snapping 

[Tiggy's Mum]

....which is why I wanted something flushable!

Are chick crumbs flushable then?  That would be even better 

( I'm paranoid about smells as I lost my sense of smell a few years ago and was always worried that my house stenched of poo!  Any guests (that I know well!) that came into my house would be asked 'Does it smell of poo in here? I won't be offended, I'd rather know') 

[Sarah (seldom_use)]

Helen, I'm using catsan clumping with little Charlie now, he doesn't eat it, he just pounces on it haaha.

Can't wait to see more pics of your little ones 

Sarah x

[Dawn F]

I've tried every kind of litter going, wood, paper, clay and for a long time used catsan clumping but my main problem is that we only have every other week rubbish collections (in the hot weather a wheely bin full of litter is not good) which is why I wanted something flushable!  wbcl is good stuff but is expensive, I'd rather spend the money on good food or toys!  So although the chick crumbs are not as refined or nicely packaged as wbcl they really do work just as well and at the end of the day and like Lynn mine aren't fussed what's in the tray as long as its clean and not too hard on the paws!!

[Tiggy's Mum]

What date do your babies come home?

30th April 

[Millys Mum]

On the wbcl sack they actually use the safe to eat as a selling point  it has no dodgy stuff in it unlike clay which has many chemcials/perfumes added to it, silica is not good to be eating!

[CurlyCatz]

i have tried a paper litter on the big boys, i didnt like it much. They however dont seem to mind what litter they crap on 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Has no one tried Smartcat paper litter ?

it is FANTASIC

[CurlyCatz]

  gillian, and i thought i was bad taking pics of my ornaments the other week 

but i can see its less refined, like crushed up bran..i was thinking actual flakes  and wbcl must go through a bleaching process (like bread)

i am still thinking of trying the chick crumbs out.

[Lottie (Team Svartalfheim's)]

World's Best is fine to use for tiny kittens and if they do eat any it will just pass through them rather than causing a blockage like some clumping litters. Never tried chick crumbs but if they work like WBCL and are a lot cheaper then they sound really good!

What date do your babies come home?

[Gillian Harvey]

no more like bran a bit more rough and ready than wbcl!

Yes, sort of gritty - like this 

Can't believe I just took a picture of some cat litter 

[attachment deleted by admin]

[CurlyCatz]

oh i see, not what i expected then.

[Dawn F]

no more like bran a bit more rough and ready than wbcl!

[CurlyCatz]

does it just look the same as wbcl dawn ??

i suppose oatmeal would be the closest thing to describe it as for folks who dont know what wbcl looks like.

[Dawn F]

tilly used to eat wbcl when she was little, not much but she had such a dodgy tum when she was a kitten that I had to stop using it - she's never eaten the chick crumbs but to be honest they don't look very tasty anyway!

[CurlyCatz]

no probs helen, i dont think it would cause a prob even it it did as it would be extremely low dose and the kittens wouldnt eat THAT much...but all the same if they dont need it .......

[Tiggy's Mum]

Where do you get Chick crumbs? never really heard of it 

Gillian (Ambercat) uses it with her 10 persians....  She gets hers at Jollyes pet superstore.  There was a thread recently discussing it... http://www.chaptanservices.com/purrs/index.php?topic=2676.20  Dawn F got some to try and it turns out that what she had been buying before sold as cat litter was chick crumbs anyway!

Gillian - well it looks like I've been using chick crumb all along without even knowing!!  the stuff I've been buying of ebay for 12.95 a bag, + VAT + £8.95 postage!!!!!!!!!!  its exactly the same stuff and I paid £7.95,  I can't believe it, still at least no trouble with the change over!!

someone else pointed out a while ago when chick crumbs were used that it is common for chickcrumbs to contain an antibiotic as a general prophylactic for chicks so i'd be careful that the ones you use dont..failing that i can see no reason not to use wbcl in kittens. 

Thanks Lynn, will see if the one I was going to get has antibiotics...

[CurlyCatz]

im sure they wouldnt eat much if any helen, I know breeders use it so it (wbcl) so it cant be that bad.

someone else pointed out a while ago when chick crumbs were used that it is common for chickcrumbs to contain an antibiotic as a general prophylactic for chicks so i'd be careful that the ones you use dont..failing that i can see no reason not to use wbcl in kittens.  That is all cody has ever known and he's never ever eaten any -- i suppose hills/rc & hi life pate more appealing LOL

[Ellie]

Hi Helen

So pleased you raised this question. Rascal had fuller's earth as a kitten as it's the only litter Muppet would use. However wee Jack is used to woodbased and was trying to eat that yesterday  but spat it out 

Where do you get Chick crumbs? never really heard of it 

[Tiggy's Mum]

I have decided to try my new arrivals (when they finally arrive!) on Chick Crumbs which although not designed as a cat litter is similar to World's Best - thanks Gillian and Dawn F for the idea.  Somebody has mentioned that clumping litter may not be ideal to use for kittens as there is the possibility they may try and eat it which could lead to blockages.  Is this the case? 

Tiggy and her brother had always used Fullers earth clumping litter from when they were babies but there wasn't so much knowledge around back in those days, those were the days when it was advised to give your cat cows milk and the only foods around were Kit-e-Kat and Whiskas!

Any thoughts?