cats oko best cat litter

[Kay and Penny]

I use John Innes compost in my patio earth pits, and there is no doubt the cats prefer that to anything else, as long as they are not waterlogged -  the wee drains away and I remove solids - I fork them over from time to time and have even changed the earth on the very few occasions when it hasn't rained enough to wash the earth clean

I might be able to use the really cheap lightweight litters in this outdoor tray, as odour isn't going to be a problem

[Gillian Harvey]

I use sand in my outdoor trays - well they arent trays as such, they are shallow clay pots with drainage hole, so all fluids filter through the sand, out of the drainage hole and into the gravel/earth beneath. 

[Millys Mum]

Sand is poor for absorbing, the pee will sit as a wet layer in the tray 
Clay is awful for outside, it turns to mush, ever seen peoples drives when they try to grit snow with it 

[Kay and Penny]

What about sand, Trigger?

yes, sand might well work, though it might be a bit heavy - not sure how big this litter tray is

 

[Gillian Harvey]

I shall be setting up my new outdoor litter tray this week, and need a litter which will not react to any dampness in the air, or turn into cement if tracked on the patio (which the Oko I use indoors would for sure)

Actually Cats Best Oko doesnt seem to turn into cement outside - it tends to just go to sawdust. 

perhaps I would get a smaller bag and see how it goes before investing on the 40lt. bag.

Thats probably a good idea  I use Cats Best Oko and find it very economocal, no odours, clumps brill - tracks terrible  Never flushed it down the loo though, so can't help you there, I just bag and bin.

[Fire Fox]

What about sand, Trigger?

[Kay and Penny]

I shall be setting up my new outdoor litter tray this week, and need a litter which will not react to any dampness in the air, or turn into cement if tracked on the patio (which the Oko I use indoors would for sure)

I have bought some Catsan in the hopes a silica based litter might be best, but any advice would be welcome

[Fire Fox]

We obviously need some kind of independent testing as we all have different preferences, cleaning habits and number of cats!!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I don't find it very economical because I use a large tray and it needs the whole thing changing more often than the clay I used to use.  That's a whole 10L bag each month (minimum) plus a bag to top up.

[dolcetta46]

thanks Fire Fox for your advice, yeah I wouldn't dump a whole day's mess into the loo all at once... I read about the tracking problem however my Tidy Cats is pretty bad about it too, so I am rather used to that... perhaps I would get a smaller bag and see how it goes before investing on the 40lt. bag.

[Fire Fox]

I use OkoPlus and am happy with it - clumps well (especially if you leave wees a little while), very economical, cuts down on smells but it does track terribly. Flushes fine providing you don't leave it sitting and don't overload the toilet: my modern toilet doesn't flush so well so I need to split larger wees! Someone on MSE blocked her loo with OkoPlus the other day but she admitted to putting more down than usual as had not cleaned the tray.

[dolcetta46]

Oh, no   I saw World's Best in shops, but they cost even more than Tidy Cats, and the main ingredient are said to be ground corn, so I wonder is it basically the same thing as the much hailed (at least here in this forum, obviously unknown in italy...) chicken feed which can be fabulously converted to a cat litter fill?
If so the price seems rather inflated...

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I hate it!!  Poor with odours, so so with clumping and tracks terribly.   I am going to try Worlds Best next 

[dolcetta46]

(sorry if more have been discussed in other threads on this subject, I did a quick search and this thread was the first to come up... )

I have been seriously considering this brand a trial, as my old favourite Tidy Cats have been increasingly hard to find around Rome  .  One thing I am curious about, it is said that it is flushable in the human loo, does it really work that way??  It would be great if it does but I am not exactly keen on taking any risks if anyone experienced any accidental blockage or some other unpleasant surprises...     Can I get a little feedback on that?  And Susanne (if you see this post...), how did you like it in the end with your boys, did it work out?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I think I'm getting confused with worlds best which is corn and is sometimes eaten.  I had visions of them munching on the new stuff and getting a mouthful of clay litter too.  I could add another tray (and soon I am going to sort out the bathroom and add a second there permanently) but I don't really want to add one only to take it away in case they get used to it, even if it's next to the other one (wouldn't fit though as I have a huge tray there) and I have to work out where the stuff in the bathroom is going before I put one in there.  They're ok with one so I dont' want to add a second until I'm sure it can stay down to give them another option.  If it mixes ok I will get some and try mixing it in.  I'd rather not use clay if poss because I think it makes Jaffa sneeze sometimes.  I looked at the stuff in PAH on sunday and the large bag was so much lighter than the 7kg bag of clay litter I bought so an added bonus if they will use it. If not I'll be going back to the golden grey,

[Gillian Harvey]

Mine have never attempted to eat the OKO - its wood based so not very tempting I wouldnt have thought anyway. I've mixed it with the Everclean which is very fine grained and it wasnt a problem. OKO clumps just the same as fine grained clay clumping litters, the grains are bigger than fine ones though. Could you put 2 trays down for now just to try it out?

[Dawn F]

not sure if you've ever tried chick crumb but it compares very well to that, grains are slightly larger and in my experience it does track but recently of my three trays one with oko and two with chick crumb only the oko one got used - clumps well, never tried mixing it but my lot aren't too fussy

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Yes, I know there have been loads of threads about this but  don't have time to search for them as i'm on work pc (very slow) during lunchtime.  Was tempted to pick up a bag of this in pets at home as it was a lot lighter to carry than the 7kg bag of clay clumping I ended up lugging home on the bus!

Questions

How big are the grains?  Going by the pic they look about the size of the normal stuff that used to (maybe still is) be called lighweight cat litter.  is that about right?

does it clump in the same way as the ultra clumping fine grained stuff - so that you can scoop out all the dirty litter and leave the clean in the tray?

Has anyone tried mixing it in to existing litter gradually?  I'm worried that the contrast in textures wont' mix and that they might attempt to eat it and end up eating the clay.  But I'm wary of filling the tray with it as I only have the one tray so don't fancy the consequences of them not liking it.