Kitten litter....?

Question

okay my cat just had kittens and i wanted to make sure if the litter i use for her will be safe for her kittens when they are old enough to use the litterbox.Well i use Special Kitty cat litter for her and I dont know if it is the clumping kind or not.I dont want the kittens to eat it.and it to harden inside their stomachs.I know it's cheap and all but i dont have enough money for the good stuff,cuz im savin up to get her spayed.And dont say why i didnt spay her before she got pregnant.I took her in as a stray and she was already pregnant and i didnt want to make her have an abortion so yea. Is Special Kitty litter okay for kittens or should i get something else?

Answer 1

The absolutely best, totally cheap and very safe for kitten litter is wood stove pellets. They're made of compressed pine sawdust. You can find them at some grocery stores, feed stores, fireplace shops and Lowe's has just started carrying them. And when I say cheap I mean REALLY inexpensive - from $3.99 to $4.99 for FORTY POUNDS!!!



I use it for my three cats as well as my ferrets' litter box and I will never use anything else. It totally absorbs the moisture from urine AND the smell. When you dump out the pan (once the pellets break down) it dumps out DRY. It also doesn't track. The cat shelter and ferret shelters I volunteer with use it for all of their animals as well. If you've seen the product "Feline Pine" on the shelves it's the same stuff as that - but at about 1/8 to 1/10th of the price!

Answer 2

Kittens do eat litter. I rescued a feral kitten last year and was using Swheat (clumping litter made out of wheat) and he kept eating it. I now volunteer with Friends of Homeless Animals in Northern VA (www.foha.org) and they say don't use clumping litter with kittens under 6 months because they will eat it and it could harden in their tummies. Swheat clogged my toilet so I feel fortunate it didn't clog my kitty.



Feline Pine is what I use at home and what we use for the kittens at FOHA. You can get it at any store now. It's non-clumping, just scoop the doo-doo, and it's made from reclaimed pine. I'm not really sure how it stacks up price wise but they sell it at Target so it can't be too pricey.



PS - if you check with some local cat rescue groups you may be able to get a low or no cost spay.

Answer 3

I think you should be fine. Eating kitty litter is not a normal situation. And, with having tamed two sets of feral kittens, they will take to the kitty litter immediately, once they are old enough. Until then, the mother will be involved.



And, I have posted a link that may help answer many questions about the mother and the kittens. You want to be feeding the mother cat kitten food for the extra nutrition.

Answer 4

all of the kittens i have raised , eat the litter some before they go through the actual learning to use the box , but if the mother cat is maternal as she should be it soon stops , ive raised several litters of kittens , i use the special kitty to , and just keep it cleaned as often as i can .

Answer 5

I dont think that the kittens will eat the litter. You could call your vet to double check. The receptionist should be able to answer over the phone. Good luck with your new kittens! And good job with getting her spayed!!

Answer 6

ive had 9 kittens and they all ate a bit of litter.....they will be okay they really cant eat enough of it to make them sick....it just goes through their system......good luck.also heres a tip for litter training: you need to show them where the litter is, every now and then when they are old enough at least once a day place them in the litter...their instincts will kick in and they will figure out what to do within a few weeks

Answer 7

I have two Ragdolls. Our breeder told us about a pine pellet litter that we have been using for over a year now. We love it, and most of all it is safe for your kittens. When using clay litter, you kittens will lick there paws and the dust can turn hard in there intestines and stomach. Also there is no smell with this type of litter. The brand is: Feline Pine and we buy it at petsmart. It turns to saw dust when it gets wet. You just put enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and they do the rest.

Answer 8

All cat litter is pretty much the same thing. I would'nt worry about it. I've used it with small kittens before, and never had any problems with them ingesting it. I use Special Kitty as well. The most aggervating thing is that it sticks to the bottom of their paws. Don't worry about it. It sounds like you're a good kitty dad though............good for you!!

Answer 9

It was so kind of you to keep a cat who was pregnant.

I commend you for that and for saving for her to be spayed.

You are my hero for the day!

I don't think you have anything to worry about. If the litter was dangerous, they would not sell it.

Yes, kittens are curious. But not so curious to eat something that would 'clump' in their stomachs. They may taste it an find it was not very good. But a little will not hurt them.

Good luck,

Answer 10

I take in several stray pregnant cats and that's all I use is special kitty and I've never had a problem this year sofar i have had 20 kittens from birth to 8 weeks and no problem.

Answer 11

on your kitty litter I use fresh step I get it in a 40lb size pail. At Sams Club or a Wal Mart. I have two cats and it lasts me over a month. It is very safe for Kittens to use and besides that it has a very pleasant smell. It clumps so that it is very easy to clean out.

Answer 12

I dont think that the kittens will eat the litter. You could call your vet to double check. The receptionist should be able to answer over the phone. Good luck with your new kittens! And good job with getting her spayed!!

Answer 13

yea...kittens wont really eat the cat litter and if they do happen to they wonmt eat that much. if it does get swallowed then they will just have to poop it out, but it is still very unlikely they would eat any at all

good luck

kathy

Answer 14

I use tidy cats. They never seemed to eat it. Only when they first used it. Dont wurry about it, unless they get sick. Good Luck!