Litter Alternatives

[Nykki]

Right now I use Yesterday’s News in Bunny’s litter box but it is getting very expensive.  In order for Bunny to use his litter box consistantly, I have to dump it 1-2 times a day depending on how dirty it is.   Needless to say, we go through litter like crazy.  He also has to have it deep enough to cover the bottom while hes walking on it.  We just went through the large bag of Yesterday’s News in 2 weeks or less so ideally I’m looking for a cheaper alternative.  I’ve read about woodstove pellets but because its July, I can’t find any right now.  Are there any other options similar to them??

Thanks for any help! 

[KatnipCrzy]

Horse bedding that is made out of pelleted wood (similiar to woodstove pellets) is also a cheap alternative to pet store litters.  You should check at your local feed stores or farm supply/tractor supply (TSC) stores.

[katie, max & penny]

most pet stores carry a generic form of yesterday’s news, as well as pelleted wood. i know at petsmart the brand is “exquisicat”. they’re just as good as the brand name ones but usually half the price.

[Toki+Pumpkin+Elmo]

YOu can try putting some newspapers underneath the litter to reduce the amount of litter you are using.
I stopped by litter from major petstores long ago because it ust costs too much. Now I go to the local feed store. They have 40 lbs bag of wood pellets made for animal bedding, selling only for $12. There’s also another kind made with papers, a bulk version of yesterday’s newspaper. Some of them will have a picture of horses on them, but I’ve have no problem with those either.

[Lightchick]

Ditto the horse/animal bedding from a feed store. You might have to try a couple before you find it. 35lb for $7 in my area. I haven’t actually found that in my area the generic Exquisicat stuff is any cheaper than Yesterday’s News, though. I guess it depends on where you are. Newspaper as a bottom layer is actually a good idea. At the shelter where I volunteer, we obviously can’t afford litter, so that’s all we use, and it’s ok.

You may want to consider not worrying about changing the litter quite so frequently. I have 2 pairs, with 1 pair per litter box, and they’re fine and non-stinky only getting changed once a day…

[Nykki]

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I will be checking out a few local feed stores as soon as this bag of YN is gone.

Lightchick,
I would love to change the litter box only once a day but unfortunately Bunny won’t use it if it isn’t clean enough. Instead he’ll pee and poop right next to the box.

[Colie]

Also, the same litter can be drastically cheaper at different stores. At the Meijers by my house, a 35lb bag of YN is $10, but at other stores it is as much as $25! Good luck!

[RachelB]

I use a few pieces of folded up newspaper topped with hay (which I buy in bulk from a local farmers market). I change it once a day and find that I can even go every other day without it being an issue. Its nice because I can stick it all in the compost bin and it breaks down quickly for the garden next year. Samson loves that he gets two choices of hay, and its really cheap so I love it too!!

[Lightchick]

Haha! Bunny won’t use his box if it’s not immaculate, huh? Poor bunny-slave!

[katie, max & penny]

nykki, mine do that too. its kind of a pain! the newspaper trick works for sure too.

[RabbitPam]

Is he using the whole litter box? Because Sammy goes mostly in one corner, so I use a cat litter scooper and clean out the pile of used litter, then spread the cleaner stuff from the other end of the box onto her favorite corner and she is fine with that. It is a couple of days before I have to dump the box.

Also, I heard once that they don’t need it too deep, especially if you’re cleaning it out so often.

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