How to make a healthy, eco-friendly alternative to litter box sand your cat (and wallet) will love
Three easy ways to make a healthy, eco-friendly alternative to litter box sand your cat (and wallet) will love
When a cat arrives at home, green lovers immediately look for eco-sustainable alternatives to the classic litter box. In fact, the formulations of litter sands are often harmful to the environment and also harmful to people and cats. And most of it must be thrown into the unsorted.
In addition to the cheap sands found in the supermarket, very elaborate and often very expensive sand compounds circulate in the market. In fact, the countless types of litter they have different degrees of absorption and agglomeration capacity.
While a basic litter is limited to wrapping to cover the cat's excrement, some sands, with the addition of silicon or other products such as bentonite, can also compact around the liquid, such as urine, forming small balls and allowing easy removal. In addition, to avoid bad smells, the cat products industry has been clever by adding fragrances and absorbing odors. These products, although useful and effective, are often polluting or harmful to those who live in the house. Prolonged exposure to materials such as silicon can cause silicosis, pulmonary fibrosis involving breathing problems and a condition that can lead to cancer. In the case of the sodium bentonite, the extraction takes place in the mines, defacing and damaging the natural areas.
Regardless of the harmfulness, most litter sands are not biodegradable. They must be thrown into the unsorted container, increasing the amount of waste we put into the environment.
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The ecological bedding
Fortunately, there are also many brands of ecological, compostable litter, which can be disposed of in the organic container or even in the toilet. However, these biodegradable sands are very expensive and a 2 kg pack could cost as much as 15 euros.
So here is the idea of making an ecological and economical litter for our cat. But how do you go about making a cat litter sand compound that is effective and does not cause dirt and odors at home?
Here are three easy ways to make a DIY organic litter box.
Newspapers, detergent and baking soda
Newspaper sheets have excellent absorbency and are also appreciated by cats. So much so that one of the easiest solutions would be to chop a newspaper or shred it finely, mix it with baking soda and place it in the litter box.
However, for an even more effective result we recommend this recipe:
- newspaper sheets;
- organic dish detergent;
- sodium bicarbonate;
- a colander or sieve.
Procedure:
Shred the newspaper into small pieces or strips. Immerse it in a basin with hot water and organic detergent. When it has reached a pulpy consistency, strain and expel the water through the colander. Add two tablespoons of baking soda and knead the mixture. Allow to dry and, once dry, crumble the mixture until you get a consistency similar to cat litter. At this point the biodegradable litter based on newspaper, detergent and bicarbonate is ready!
Sand, sawdust and pellets
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An easier and less elaborate method is to combine easily available products such as garden sand, sawdust or straw pellets for horse bedding. These three products can be used alone or mixed. You can do different tests always trying to make sure that the cat likes them.
For sand, it is best to avoid taking the natural sand from the beaches, because it is a natural component of the environment and in the long run it would cause damage to the ecosystem. A small drawback of the sand is that it could stick to the cat's paws, so it is recommended to mix it with other products.
While for sawdust it is good to make sure that it is of natural origin and not treated. In addition, it will be necessary to remove any splinters to prevent the cat from being injured.
As for horse litter pellets, they are very affordable because they sell in large quantities and will last a lot for your cat!
Regardless of the composition, to control odors, just add a tablespoon of baking soda to the litter box.
Remains of ground cereals
One of the best-selling types of bedding is corn cob. These are the remains deriving from the agricultural production of corn. So it doesn't take nourishment from humanity or animals!
In addition to ground corn, however, it is also possible to create vegetable litter for cats with other types of cereals or waste deriving from them, such as whole ground wheat, barley or oats. It is important that the grains are not refined because otherwise they would become too floury and annoying for the cat and for the house.
Welcoming a kitten into the house is a beautiful act and if we can use biodegradable or recycled materials we can respect the environment without altering the quality of life of the inhabitants of the house and of the cat!
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