[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by WantingToLearn

Can you walk me through the whole litter pan deal? Say I go to hardware store and get a 78litres bag of pine shavings (I'm assuming kitty will go heads over tail for this), would I need to sprinkle in some baking soda to keep the smell down? Also, just to confirm, I scoop every day and empty weekly.

I've never used just shavings, so I can't really answer that one. My kitty likes the pine pellets, but not every cat does because of the coarse texture. There are clumping pine litters like Feline Pine which have a softer texture and are quite good at odour control all on their own.

I'd also recommend picking up a couple of the biggest size uncovered litter boxes you can find (most are woefully small). Cats usually prefer to have the choice of 2 boxes so that they aren't walking in their own waste if they need to go a couple of times while you are out. Another option is to get one of those long under-the-bed storage boxes, although they can be awkward to clean.

Originally Posted by WantingToLearn

About the liner, I was just thinking about getting garbage bags from the dollar store and lining the pan then just pulling everything out to change it once a week. Why don't cats like the liner?

Problem with liners, especially flimsy garbage bag types, is that cats like to dig in the litter box and often snag their claws on the liner. If they puncture it, then the urine can seep underneath the liner, where it marinates the plastic litter box instead of being absorbed by the litter. It actually makes cleaning more difficult. When I'm doing a full litter box change (which is more like once a month or two rather than every week - but I also meticulously scoop my boxes multiple times a day), I just dump the contents into a garbage can and wash out the box in the bathtub. Easy peasy.

One more thing - be careful of the cleaners you use, both in the litter box and around the house, as some can be quite noxious to cats and leave lasting aromas. I prefer unscented, biodegradable products like Seventh Generation Free & Clear, although hot water and vinegar are also fine, or hydrogen peroxide based cleaners like Oxiclean. Stay away from stuff like PineSol or bleach.

Originally Posted by WantingToLearn

How much cat litter would one healthy cat go through weekly? I have to be budget conscious (I'm a student after all), but if I were to buy a 40lbs bag of Feline Pine for $20 is that a good price? And how long would that last?

I actually have no idea, sorry. I've never done the math and don't really keep good track of how much I go through.

Originally Posted by WantingToLearn

Also, do cats track the litter all over the place? I ask because the only place in my apartment that's NOT carpeted is the bathroom and kitchen.

It's somewhat inevitable, I'm afraid. You can get special litter mats for around the litter box but I have no idea how well they work. I just keep my hand-vac handy for sucking up those wayward pellets.

Originally Posted by WantingToLearn

Finally, wet food it is. I'm going to see if I can return the Friskies/Whsikers deal I got from Zellers.

If not, it isn't that bad to feed the junkier foods occasionally. At least it's wet food, which is still better than dry. I just don't like the cheap Friskies stuff to be the mainstay of a cat's diet. Something else I should mention is that it's not a good idea to feed a predominantly fish-based food more than a couple times a week. Fish is actually not a natural diet for cats and tends to be more allergenic than most meats, plus it has higher levels of toxins, and can be addicting because of the strong smell. Nothing worse than trying to get a tuna-addict to eat something else.

Originally Posted by WantingToLearn

Feline Fresh Pine

VS.

Feline Pine.

which is better? Is it that they are the same but Fresh Pine doesn't track dust?

The Feline Pine makes a clumping litter, which might be good to start with. I'm not sure about Feline Fresh.