Cat Litter Dust Control

I have two cats and as they are strictly indoor dwelling creatures, litter box maintenance is a regular occurence. Now if you've ever added litter to a cat box you know it is dusty stuff that kicks up everywhere. Especially when pouring from the super sized containers you get at warehouse clubs. This is a simple little trick I use to help control the dust.

Step 1 What You'll Need

• A litter box that needs filling
• A container of cat litter
• a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment

Comments

[frugalrules]

any thoughts about washable kitty litter? the "cat genie" uses plastic pellets for it's washable granules (at least that's what i understand, i only discovered the cat genie today). i'm looking at cutting up plastic milk jugs and somehow melting them into quasi-pellets, or at least a small rounded bit. there wouldn't be any dust.

lately, i have been using a combination of scoopable litter and pine bedding.

[katerlyn]

I had the old version of cat genie....got new one, irritated that customer service answered to call back, when i specifically asked, what button to press to put on automatic! and where is the cheapest way to buy your products (supplies). Needless to say i have to look up the directions as it is not just one button like you can press to run the cycle. i also was unhappy that in the directions it says that it costs the same as regular litter.
i like this vacuum idea still, thank you!
i like the omega paw for scoopable litter the best so far.
www.animalshelter.org told in last magazine to use WOOD PELLETS which are about half the price of litter at least...use those siftable litter boxes...........
then when they adopt out a cat they send a few with the new owner if they want to use clumpable they can mix it for awhile. see also www.pinterest.com ideas, o stayed up almost all night the first night i started browsing!

[janetsellers08]

Be careful about melting plastic - so toxic with heat. It would be safer to just buy the darn pellets, even though recycling sounds clever. Plastic is relatively inert at the finish, but the processing could be damaging to your health.

[RadBear]

My first thought is I don't want to be the guy washing the litter. :)

I've never heard of washable cat litter. This ible might be of some help with your plastic molding:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-artificial-fishing-bait-for-little-to-/

I would just double check that your plastic won't be toxic to the kitties when they walk on it or to you when you melt it. I would think the plastics approved for food storage would be OK, but I wonder if the melting process might release toxins.

[frugalrules]

lol! me either, but i have to clean the boxes out and ...well, welcome to pet ownership, right?

those fishing bait pictures look gross too - hahah.

i'd like to use milk/water gallon jugs, since i have those around all the time. i mean, they'd be free.

i never heard of the washable litter either until i was looking up alternatives - brought me to your instructable. i also found out that the "Cat Genie" uses a plastic, washable granule. i think the granules are like the pellets in some stuffed animals that have weighted feet (like in beanie babies?) anyway, a 3.5 lb. box of the washable litter is something like $23, which is ok, but if it's plastic and i can find it in a craft store or hardware store for $5, all the better, but if i can recycle something i am going to have on hand anyway, i think that would be incredible.

plastic does give off fumes, and they aren't good. but with moderation, and some filters or something, or slow heating or ample ventilation, i think i can recover?

i'll keep researching to find some answers (and toxic fume avoidance methods), and i am looking at the local thrift stores for a big stuffed animal filled with plastic pellets. that way, if it doesn't work, i haven't spent too much time cutting and melting and inhaling plastic :D

oh, and i think the melting can take place in the oven, or with a heat gun to kinda shrink the cut up plastic bits into a rounded shape. i don't think i would need to mold it or extrude it or anything as technical. more like shrinkydinks.

[katerlyn]

about my shop vac cleaner upperin the cat room.........when i find it, i'll put a remote on off plug on the shop vac and then i wont have to open the window to reach over and turn it on/off.

[katerlyn]

I also have a shop vac next to their room (litter room is separate) this is in a new garage with radiant heating)...........that is supposed to be like the in floor whole house vacuum system, it's not perfected yet either, the angle, but i can sweep their dusty room with hair, into the floor outlet, i open the window to turn on the shop vac from the other side....can also sweep wettish stuff if they have a hardball or something into this.......

I wanted to do an instructable with this and also using bifold door in patio door for cat or dog doors, it works well and is hundreds cheaper than the store bought dog doors for patios............i have the photos, just have to get the time!

habitat for humanity restore has all kinds of bifolds in our area for like 5 dollars...........also windows for cat doors...etc etc. i'm loving my new garage!!

[katerlyn]

someone said horse pellets? from farm and fleet are a cheap alternative to litter.

we bought a bathtub at habitat for humanity restore store and put racks in it, it's not perfected yet but i think they urinate there at least.......a pipe goes out of the room (i leave a little odoban in the line) with a spigot, every day i flush the tub with water and it empties into a tub at this point and i dump....

it's not perfected yet.........pea gravel only worked for 1/9th of the cats, so i got rid of that, newspaper was okay but messy, so now i just have some racks so they can pee and not get wet, then litter boxes on ground, they also pea (with racks) but no. 2 there as well.
i hope to tunnel them outside to various holes in dirt like kennels do.....they dig holes and fill with poop and then cover with lime and start a new hole.
sorry this is such a ramble, i have little time with relative in hospice to do all the right things but this is getting me by for now.

[jaffers]

i reckon newspaper pulp or newspaper pellet litter is the best. no offputting fragrance for the cat, no dust, it naturally absorbs a lot of the smell and its enviro friendly :D

[davidcwalls]

I've tried the pine pellets, but my cats started eating them (and I'm sure that can't be good for them).  I have a HEPA air filter running near the litter boxes, but that only diminshes the problem slightly.  Thanks for futhering the body of research into reducing kitty litter dust!

[RadBear]

You're welcome. Maybe try moving the filter closer to the boxes or make it suck more air.

[timothymh]

 Or just use dustless litter.

[mameangel]

I've found compressed pine pellets that I use as litter. (You may have seen this in hamster cages) No dust to speak of, it's odor controlling and when my cat kicks out the pellets while scratching in his box, they're easily swept up. It's no more expensive than traditional clay litter and FAR more easily managed. Also, for those for you on immuno-suppressants after surgery, it's much safer

[nakedinthecityagain]

i've heard of this before but have never come across it... is this stuff readily available at pet stores?

[JDGJr]

it is the same stuff as wood stove pellets (and the pellets are much cheaper too!)

[RadBear]

I've seen it at pet stores under the name Feline Pine.

[purplekitty]

But I love sniffing fresh brand new litter dust! Ahhh...

[RadBear]

In that case rig some tubing to from your vacuum to an old oxygen mask and you can drive the dust right up into your sinuses. :) Now that would be an Instructable!!! :)

[purplekitty]

lol great idea!

[sgsidekick]

I was wondering if anyone knows how to MAKE kitty litter, out of newspaper, perhaps? Have lots of newspaper, and litter is getting pricey.

[redchrome]

http://alliesanswers.com/tip-of-the-day/tip-of-the-day-make-your-own-kitty-litter/1044

[ravanii]

Sometimes clumping litter is cheaper by the box, but I prefer the big buckets to avoid the dust problem. If I buy a box of litter I take it outdoors and pour it into an empty bucket. I use a large plastic whipped topping bowl as a scoop and gently add it to the litter in the litter box. I have very little or no dust that way.

[Bobbing]

I use a scoop from the dollar store and I place it close to the litter before pouring. That way I get no dust and I do not have to keep grabbing a vacuum to top off the litter.

[grannycat]

Hi! We've solved this dust problem by buying, much more economically too, shredded & chopped hemp sold at a rural co-op. It's intended as bedding for horse stalls. It comes in a bale-size sturdy plastic bag. Because it's voluminous we keep it in the shed (or garage) and fill the litter box there. It lasts a long time! A bit heavy for me to unload, so I end-over-end it to the shed. But for you younger folk that won't be an issue.

[RadBear]

That sounds like a good solution. Now the trick would be convincing the cat to use it! :)

[grannycat]

No hesitation! We used to have 2 litterboxes: I gravel, one sawdust. They peed in one & pooed in the other. With the shredded & chopped hemp for horse-litter, we only need one choice. It's cheap, we can change it often. Frequently changed litter is essential of course. If you can afford it, sprinkle bottom of litterbox generously with bicarbonate of soda. And clean with borax.

[calico1]

Be careful with any scented litter, especially pine. Many, which includes all of mine, don't like the smell. There is also some research indicating that pine isn't good for cats. So just be careful when you suddenly change the type litter or they won't use it or could become ill from it.

[kfwickl]

Even though you've taken away some of the initial dust with the vacuum, there will still be dust when the cats dig around to use it. I've heard that dusty litter is bad for cats (probably for their respiratory system, which can be irritated easily). I'd recommend trying some other brands with less dust. There are usually good sales at Target on Tidy Cat, which is way less dusty than Fresh Step. My friend who is a pre-vet major also recommended Feline Pine (see http://www.naturesearth.com/) which is healthier and supposedly less smelly. That brand has no dust at all.

[egger1]

A great idea and easy to do. I will pass this on to my sister who is a Oriental Cat Breeder! Many thanks!!

[RadBear]

Glad you found it useful.

[GorillazMiko]

Great pictures! They're really clear, nice job. I'm here at my father's work, and he has this REALLY good monitor, and boy, these pictures are awesome. Great job!

[RadBear]

Thanks. I didn't think someone could get so excited about pictures of a litter box. I had considered trying video, but I was a little pressed for time.