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Tips & Tricks – Home

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The Pros And Cons Of Flushable Cat Litter

Ned D’Agostino

If you have cats, no doubt you know that keeping the litter box clean is one of the biggest chores you face. And the odor can be a constant problem no matter what you do. To this end, marketers have tried to come up with ways that will make this chore easier. One of these ways is using flushable cat litter.

Flushable litter can be convenient for owners because instead of having to dispose of clumping or other types of litter in waste receptacles, you can simply flush it down the toilet and get rid of smell and mess in one instant. And indeed, this can be a great convenience for many cat owners.

These litters are often also lighter in texture. Typically, the cost is roughly the same as other types of litters in cost per use. They may appear more expensive because of their lighter weight (for example, if regular clumping clay costs 20 cents a pound and the flushing type costs three times that, this looks more expensive, but you should remember that it will weigh less per use and thus can go farther). They can be hard to find as well, but availability of Internet shopping makes this a relatively minor problem, since owners can have it shipped to them if it is not available in their area.

However, you should know that this has its drawbacks as well. One of these is that you exchange contributing to landfill waste with used litter, for water waste and extra sewage. Therefore, it may not be any more environmentally sound than simply disposing of used litter in the trash. Its advantage is that because the soiled mess is flushed instantly, there is usually much less lingering box odor. In addition, some types of litter can be composted once dried stools are removed. This may be the way to have the least environmental impact from your cat’s box.

One other consideration with using flushing versus conventional litter is your cat’s “opinion” of the litter itself. Many cats are so used to the regular texture and feel of clay that they will not use the flushing type. In this case, of course, the most important consideration is whether or not your cat will use the box at all. You should keep careful watch to see if you cat does or does not like the flushable litter.

You may be able to get him or her to use it if you began by mixing a small amount of the flushing litter in with your cat’s regular litter (without flushing this at first, of course, but disposing in the trash as usual) and gradually increasing the amount of flushable litter and decreasing the amount of the clay until you’re using 100% flushable. Even with this type of “break-in” period, some cats never get used to the flushing type and will only stay with tried-and-true clumping variety. However, if your cat does like it, it may be a viable alternative for you.

In short, if you have a cat, your litter box use is going to have at least some environmental impact that will be detrimental. However, flushable cat litter can give you a much “cleaner” way to manage waste than other traditional types. Because they can be flushed and do not have to be thrown away in the trash, it generally makes for much less smell and mess than traditional clays do. The choice is yours, and as always, you should make the best one possible for your lifestyle and preferences. Just remember your cat will likely have the final say.

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klipfiti: Humor & Irony

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Cat Training and Kitten Training – Please Don’t Do This

Dave Cocker

Please don’t do what I hear you say. Well I will explain.

The reason I have felt compelled to write this article is that, as a big fan of the feline, I am staggered by the number of people that have problems training their cats, despite following very good training guides. It just seems to be something built into human nature and something everybody overlooks.

I’m not going to waffle on about general cat training and kitten training methods. There are loads of great books, DVDs and, more recently, downloadable eBooks available from the internet on this subject. All I will say is that, whichever method you prefer, make sure you get hold of ‘good quality’ training materials.

But while you are training your cat, please bear this in mind;

“Do not praise or reward your cat for exhibiting behaviour you don’t want to see”.

While this sounds really obvious, people still do it! Perhaps it’s because cats are notoriously devious in their seemingly endless number of ways of manipulating humans and often catch us off guard. But more likely we just haven’t got this idea fixed strongly enough in our mindset.

Let me illustrate with an example.

You finally make it to bed after a hard day at work and you feel your eyes begin to close. Now guess whose eyes are, at that very moment, starting to do the exact opposite. Cats are naturally nocturnal and, without training, will remain so. Now when your wide awake moggy jumps on your bed, attacks your toes & nuzzles your face, there could be any number of things on its mind. What do you do as a cat loving person in this situation?

Well I’ll tell you what most people will do. They’ll get up and give their adorable pet some food or even treats. Or they’ll stroke their cat lovingly for a few minutes until it ‘seems’ like they might actually leave you alone. Anything to get their cat out of their bedroom in the hope it will give them a good night’s sleep.

So now, what does your cat associate with this behaviour you really don’t want? Getting rewards! If your moggy has this state of mind, don’t even think about resorting to more extreme tactics like locking them out of the bedroom, not if you want any paint left on the door that is.

Cats have to associate unpleasant things, things that bring no satisfaction or benefit to them, with inappropriate actions. It’s the practise of being cruel to be kind. But you don’t have to be really cruel to your cat like throwing it off the bed or shouting at it (unlikely to work anyway). Just ignoring it will soon work wonders! If your cat is particularly persistent, keep something nearby the bed that you can use to remind your cat not to do this in future. How about something your cat really hates the smell of? Or something to make a sound they hate? Or my personal favourite, and much more entertaining, a small water pistol. Now I don’t mean jet-washing your moggy out of the door. I’ve yet to meet one cat that likes even a small amount of water being sprayed onto them. Just a quick squirt and they’ll be off and, very soon, won’t keep coming back expecting anything else. And better still, you can apply these techniques to just about any ‘bad’ behaviour your cats exhibit.

I hope this advice helps some of you out there to enjoy a more ‘co-operative’ relationship with your cats.

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Tips & Tricks

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Is Your Cat Over-Attached Or Under-Dependant?

Kathy Davison

Over-Attached

Of course we all love our cat to show affection, but it can be both irritating and worrying when it follows you everywhere, tripping you up, jumping on your lap the minute you sit down and working itself into a frenzy every time you go shopping.

Cats sometimes become too dependent on their owners if they are kept indoors and then depend on their owners for interest and company.

The eventual answer may be a feline companion but before you introduce another cat make sure you have weaned your cat from its over dependence, or it will feel jealous and resentful and you will be no further on.

You must school your cat to do without you, so don,t let it follow you from room to room. Shut it out of the kitchen when you are preparing meals and out of the study when you are working.. it will probably stand outside the door mewing piteously but you will have to steel yourself.

Don t let it settle on your lap for the evening so that you are pinned to one place.. After a few minutes put it on the floor give it a quick stroke then go and do something else.. the cat should not be made to feel like it is being punished only that it has to get used to periods of separation.

Set aside times when you give the cat a short intense period of cuddling and petting, so that these replace the over -dependence .

Under-Dependence

Some cats seem to be born with a great need for human contact and others are more independent and require far less petting.

Given this basic difference in temperament ,what happens to the kitten in the first few weeks of like is essential to the cats later development.

If it is not handled frequently by humans or if it is treated roughly then it may grow up wary and anti-social, avoiding a stroking hand or stiffening up when held.

You will need to be patient in building up the relationship and let the cat come to you in its own good time.

Feed the cat little and often, holding out the dish and encouraging it to follow you. Either squat down beside the cat when it eats stroking it occasionally and talking to it gently or put the food bowl on a table and sit alongside.

Don t put the cat on your lap but put the catnip mouse there so that it has to climb over you to seize it.

If the cat has a favorite chair make a habit of sitting in it and when the cat decides to join you let it settle with no fuss beyond a quiet word and gentle stroke.

If you cat usually spreads itself out in front of the fire or next to the radiator, try lying down there yourself.

Once you are right down to their level most cats overcome their timidity and begin to give an interested sniff, which invites a friendly overture.

Slowly attachment will grow.
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