Traditional cat litter or pine pellets?

[PamperB]

Hi everyone! 

Up to now I have been using the regular cat litter stones for my bunny, but decided to try something new because of the dust that it leaves in the air (it makes Pamper and I sneeze like crazy). My local pet shop sells these “pine pellets” and it claims they are more absorbant and odor-less than the cat stones. It’s my first time trying it and the pellet turns sort of to “dust” (it’s not exactly dust but it kind of disintegrates) when peed on. 

My concern is how safe it is from my bunny (she can’t reach it, because there’s like a screen between her and the litterbox). 

[PamperB]

Whoops, forgot to add that these two options are the only ones I could find in my city. And forgot to attach the picture. Ha, silly me.
If you click on this link http://pellcat.com.ar/fotos_videos/ and then the bottom left picture you can see clearly what it looks like. Thanks.

[Standard_Procedure]

Pine wood litter can kill rabbits. It causes respiratory problems due to phenols released from the pine wood. Your bun doesn’t even have to touch the wood. When the urine turns the pine wood to dust there will be particles flying around.

[PamperB]

Oh. Since the bag says “non toxic” and “all natural ingredients”, I figured it would be safe.

[Standard_Procedure]

You can say it’s non toxic to cats and it is all natural ingredients, but pine/cedar wood naturally interferes with a rabbit’s ability to breathe. You can use wood pellets. Just stay away from pine and cedar wood. If the packaging doesn’t specify what kind of wood it is, and there’s a line saying there’s a fresh pine fragrance then it might be pine wood.

[PamperB]

The bag says Ecologic absorbent for cats and rodents. Non toxic. Super hygenic. No additives. Doesn’t produce dirt. Because it’s made from natural ingredients, it won’t harm the pet. Completely made from compacted pine wood sawdust.

[PamperB]

There it is. OK, going to change the litter and ventilate my room! Thank you.

[LongEaredLions]

Pine pellets are fine! many of us here use them, it is only when pine wood is shavings that it is toxic. The pellets are fine! It is actually the clay cat litter that is dangerous, I would use the pine pellets.

[PamperB]

Oooh! I had read that pine shavings were bad but I wasn’t sure if it was the same as “compacted pinewood SAWDUST”. I got those terms mixed in my head. They have a semi-strong odor, is that normal?

[LongEaredLions]

Some bags can smell strongly, but if you let them air out they should be fine.

[Megabunny]

Pellet bedding is great. In fact, my vet uses it for her cat’s litter box

[Beka27]

The terminology can be confusing! The pine SHAVINGS as mentioned are not safe for long term use. Pine PELLETS are fine because the dangerous phenols are removed during processing.

The pine pellets do disintegrate into sawdust, but this is perfectly safe and normal and can actually help you save money on litter bc the sawdust is dry to the touch and can keep being used. I only put about 1 cup of pellets in each litter box (over a layer of newspaper) and the pellets expand so much that I really only need to clean litter boxes once every 5 days or so. Pine pellets are amazing!

[PamperB]

After trying the pellets, boy do I love the person who produces them! No more of that arm-breaking scrubbing! They are super absorbant. I think I put too many pellets in. Will try less next time. Thanks everyone!

[LongLiveLoyalBuns]

Pine pellets are safe for your bun Although cat litters are not like you said the dust and the sneezing… Pine pellets dont have the phenols in them to hurt your rabbit although regular pine shavings do contain phenols.

Wood stove and horse stall pellets are like pine pellets when they absorb urine they expand.

So they are totally safe

[Beka27]

Try laying a section or two of newspaper down below the pellets. Then put a single scoop of pellets on top. You should be able to see the newspaper underneath. You need so few of the pellets which is great for the cost savings! And then when you clean the box, the newspaper can just be peeled up. This makes for super fast cleaning.

[PamperB]

So simple yet so smart. I would have never thought of that, haha. Thank you!

[LolaBuns]

Where does everyone buy their pine pellets? I have been wanting to try them (currently using paper pellets) but have no idea where to get them.

[mollys1]

I buy my pine pellets from Theisen’s (farm supply type store) so that type of store is a good option. You can usually get them at pet stores or even Target/Walmart they are just marketed as the original Feline Pine and are more expensive. I can get a 40 pound bag at the farm supply stores for about $6 and it lasts literally forever because you don’t have to change it very often. They absorb liquid and keep the scent down soooooo well!

[LongEaredLions]

I buy mine from a feed store as “horse stall pellets” but you can also buy a cat litter called “feline pine” or you can buy them as fuel for wood stoves at a hardware store, just make sure no accelerants are added.

[bunnytowne]

I use feline pine pellets no odor.   I use more than 1 cup and don’t put newspaper down.  Cotton chews and pulls on the newspaper and makes a mess with it lol.  HE loves chewing and sometimes eating the paper.  

I clean his litterboxes 2x a week.  HE has 2 one in his cage one in the living room where he has free access and free run til at nite when I go to bed.    So they litterboxes need it.  

He pees a lot.  Amazing how much a 2lb 8oz bunny can pee.  Guess his greens contain lots of water plus eating a lot of hay makes him drink more.  Which is healthy. So he needs them cleaned 2x a week in my opinion.  

Y’all may have more litterboxes for y’alls rabbits than I do there fore you need to clean them less. 

At first this post scared me cuz I thought I was using the wrong litter  Releived to find out this litter is ok.  

[LolaBuns]

So with the pine pellets, do you scoop out the used stuff daily like I have to with the paper pellets? Or are you just leaving it for the 5 days or however log til you clean it out? Also do you use the screens with it? I just ordered one for our litter box just wondering what you guys do.

[mollys1]

I do both depending on how busy I am with classes and other commitments. It’s easy to tell what’s ‘wet’ cause it breaks down and looks darker so you can scoop it out. I just use a little dust pan for scooping. I dump it out once to twice a week if I’m busy and don’t scoop it. It never really smells until you dump it out so it doesn’t really matter which I do. Personally i think dumping the whole thing is easier.

I use a screen that I got from the binkybunny store because my bunny doesn’t like to sit directly on the pellets. It’s also easy to dump out poops more often that way. I throw some hay over the screen and pellets too just cause my bunny has picky feet

[LolaBuns]

I found some today at the tractor supply store. It’s the horse stall kind. I put some in her extra litter box and she ate some. Is that safe? It’s not going to make her sick?

[mollys1]

I’m not sure so maybe a more experienced member can answer, but I wouldn’t think it would be harmful if she just tastes them. If she’s eating lots of them and/or you catch her eating them more than once it might be a problem since its not actually food. Maybe she just had to try and now she will have decided they aren’t food?

[LongEaredLions]

Bunnies tend to explore new things by tasting them. She should be fine as long as she is not eating excessive amounts, but she should stop as she was probably just testing them. (and I imagine they don’t taste very good)

[LolaBuns]

It was only a few pellets. When I cleaned her cage this morning I mixed some in with her old litter and she doesn’t seem to be eating those so hopefully it was just because they were new and smelled weird. Thanks everyone for all the advice!

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