So when I attended BlogPaws I met a representative of the all inclusive litter system called
"Litter One" (they are also on
Facebook) who offered me a free box - which I totally jumped on.
The box arrived and it was promptly claimed as a new cat bed by The Crew, and I didn't have the heart to take it away from them until they stopped sleeping on it. That usually happens sooner rather than later, this time it took a while.
Finally I carted it down stairs (it is kind of heavy) and started setting it up..
Each kit contains everything you need in regards to setting up a litter box. The box obviously, pine litter, a scoop and bags.. all of which are biodegradable!
Another nice feature of this system is it has a 'false floor' so that once the pellets are urinated on and break apart, the debris falls through the holes (with a little help from you) so it is kept apart from the 'fresh' pellets.
The good:
*It is all inclusive. Can't beat having everything you need in one package.
*It is biodegradable. Now you have to realize that if you throw it in a landfill the chances of it actually biodegrading is next to zero, but it is made from easily renewable sources, growing trees for litter is good for the environment, even more so when compared to digging clay. There is always the possibility that you can use used litter as mulch.. but seeing as it is covered in cat urine, that would be up to you.
*It is shipped straight to your house.. no more lugging litter..
*Great for emergency situations or transporting cats.
*Litter pellets make awesome kitten toys.
The unknown:
*The false floor is made out of cardboard. Would it support a heavier cat??
*It says it is good for four to six weeks. I set it up four weeks ago and it was used by five kittens but they had two conventional boxes that they strongly preferred. How would it hold up with an adult cat? or two? I just don't know. The box is currently holding up pretty well with the kittens, and I will most likely toss it once this set of foster kittens goes back in a week or so. Your mileage may vary IE: if you have a kitty that pees a lot or a little..
The not so good:
*Not all cats like using pine litter. The scent alone can turn some cats off. Cats tend to like sandy substrate to eliminate on.. pine is bulkier and kind of pointy and hard on the paw pads as well as..
* Pine pellets are MURDER on your own feet if you step on them, and you will because they will get knocked out of the box.
*Soak through. My two pound kittens would pee through the pellets and get the false floor wet. What would a normal size cat do? And then there is diarrhea.. there is just no cleaning that off cardboard.
*The bags they included were doggie doo doo bags.. They were on the small side, and HIGHLY scented. I am sensitive to scents and they bothered me. Not to mention they had dogs on them. (yes, this is totally aesthetic, but it kinda bothered me)
*and something to keep in mind is the fact that pine oil is toxic to cats. Most makers of pine litter will tell you that the oils have been removed and they are very safe. But they do still smell like pine.. and
there is concern that they can not remove them all. If you have a kitty with liver or kidney issues or is generally sensitive and reactive to things, you might want to keep that in mind. MANY cats have used pine litter for years and not had issue.. and I am not saying this product is toxic, I'm saying it is something to keep in mind.
Even though it seems like there is a lot of 'not so good' here I think they are fairly minor. I still love the idea of the product and in execution it was pretty cool. You can't scoop up the poop with out taking a ton of pellets with it, so I generally used the bag to just pick up stool - which generally worked out OK as the kittens didn't really like pooping in this particular box..
The folks at
Litter One sell the kits for $24.95 with $3.95 shipping or free shipping if you buy two. If you buy using the referral code CS12351 (good until Jan 2014) you can get $5 off (and you still get free shipping if you buy two) and I earn credit for the referral. They also have an auto ship program if you want to use this product continuously.
Amanda from Litter One also offered me one kit to give away. I know people aren't really a fan of rafflecopter, but it makes it so easy for me in that I can reply to comments and not have to worry about it throwing off my count. I tried to make it really easy so I hope you don't mind too much.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now I was given one for free in exchange for a review. If you purchase through the referral link I get credit for it.
