Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:15:35 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

I dispose of used cat litter in my "black waste bag" (around here it's
then taken to a processing plant and converted into something useful).
I don't dig it into the garden as (a) it can contain bad bacteria - a
definite don't dig into your veg patch - patricularly with solid waste
and (b) I've read in many places that the scent will atttract other
cats to use the area as a toilet - the smell that seeps up through the
soil is unlikely to be smelt by humans but cats sniffing around will
detect it. On the other hand, I have read that disposing of urine
soaked litter down a mole hill acts as a deterrent as moles cannot
stand the smell.

On 13/01/2011 12:40, Jake wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:15:35 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

I dispose of used cat litter in my "black waste bag" (around here it's
then taken to a processing plant and converted into something useful).
I don't dig it into the garden as (a) it can contain bad bacteria - a
definite don't dig into your veg patch - patricularly with solid waste
and (b) I've read in many places that the scent will atttract other
cats to use the area as a toilet - the smell that seeps up through the
soil is unlikely to be smelt by humans but cats sniffing around will
detect it. On the other hand, I have read that disposing of urine
soaked litter down a mole hill acts as a deterrent as moles cannot
stand the smell.

I don't think you can convert clay to "something useful". Most people
round here just dump it in the non-recyclable bin that goes to
landfill, but I'm too much of an eco warrior (and a scrooge) to do that.

On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:34:52 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

On 13/01/2011 12:40, Jake wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:15:35 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

I dispose of used cat litter in my "black waste bag" (around here it's
then taken to a processing plant and converted into something useful).
I don't dig it into the garden as (a) it can contain bad bacteria - a
definite don't dig into your veg patch - patricularly with solid waste
and (b) I've read in many places that the scent will atttract other
cats to use the area as a toilet - the smell that seeps up through the
soil is unlikely to be smelt by humans but cats sniffing around will
detect it. On the other hand, I have read that disposing of urine
soaked litter down a mole hill acts as a deterrent as moles cannot
stand the smell.

I don't think you can convert clay to "something useful". Most people
round here just dump it in the non-recyclable bin that goes to
landfill, but I'm too much of an eco warrior (and a scrooge) to do that.

We have loads of recyclable collections each week and a black bag
collection every fortnight. We used to have wheelie bins but the
council decided to discourage the "easy option" by switching back to
bags. The publicity says that our black bags don't go to landfill but
to a processing plant where everything is converted into bio-fuel or
something similar or incinerated.

On 13/01/2011 14:26, Jake wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:34:52 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

On 13/01/2011 12:40, Jake wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:15:35 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

I dispose of used cat litter in my "black waste bag" (around here it's
then taken to a processing plant and converted into something useful).
I don't dig it into the garden as (a) it can contain bad bacteria - a
definite don't dig into your veg patch - patricularly with solid waste
and (b) I've read in many places that the scent will atttract other
cats to use the area as a toilet - the smell that seeps up through the
soil is unlikely to be smelt by humans but cats sniffing around will
detect it. On the other hand, I have read that disposing of urine
soaked litter down a mole hill acts as a deterrent as moles cannot
stand the smell.

I don't think you can convert clay to "something useful". Most people
round here just dump it in the non-recyclable bin that goes to
landfill, but I'm too much of an eco warrior (and a scrooge) to do that.

We have loads of recyclable collections each week and a black bag
collection every fortnight. We used to have wheelie bins but the
council decided to discourage the "easy option" by switching back to
bags. The publicity says that our black bags don't go to landfill but
to a processing plant where everything is converted into bio-fuel or
something similar or incinerated.

Don't get me started :-)
We have god knows how many bins now, and each week all but one of them
are collected. Which one isn't collected can only be divined by
referring to the official council document on the subject which no one
can understand. And if it's a windy day.....

"stuart noble" wrote in message
...
Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

I had the same problem with an ancient cat, having to provide a litterbox,
but I can't see any benefit in digging clumps of cat pee into my garden so I
didn't.
It never occurred to me that after so many years of active service as a fine
rodent controller around my poultry I somehow needed to get my money back,
so to speak, from the cat litter I eventually had to buy for her as she grew
elderly and more confused. She lived to be 25.
Throw the stuff away.
Does your cat owe you money for the years he or she has given you pleasure?
Are you such a cheapskate that you begrudge paying for some cat litter after
all these years? Pfff.
Tina

I'd guess the urine has a value for nitrogen content . If you could persuade your cat to use one of the wood pellet types of cat litter, then I think that'd help your soil more. It's also a bit more pleasant to handle.

I wouldn't put solid waste on the garden (and indeed your post doesn't suggest that you are)

You are lucky. I have never yet managed to achieve a recycling collection.

At the moment, we have had precisely 3 non-recyclable collections since Oct 21st, but they have never ever done a collection of recyclables in our street.

On 13/01/2011 21:09, Christina Websell wrote:
"stuart wrote in message
...
Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

I had the same problem with an ancient cat, having to provide a litterbox,
but I can't see any benefit in digging clumps of cat pee into my garden so I
didn't.
It never occurred to me that after so many years of active service as a fine
rodent controller around my poultry I somehow needed to get my money back,
so to speak, from the cat litter I eventually had to buy for her as she grew
elderly and more confused. She lived to be 25.
Throw the stuff away.
Does your cat owe you money for the years he or she has given you pleasure?
Are you such a cheapskate that you begrudge paying for some cat litter after
all these years? Pfff.
Tina



What a strange attitude! I have no wish to add 5kgs a week to landfill
unnecessarily, that's all. And if you could see my vet's bills, you
wouldn't call me a cheapskate.

On 14/01/2011 08:10, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:15:35 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

I see no particular problem with digging clumps of fullers earth
soaked in cat pee into the ground if you spread it around a bit. The
fullers earth on its own will do no harm, just adding clay to what you
say is a rather sandy soil, so can only help. The pee on it will break
down fairly rapidly and provide nitrogen to fertilise any plants you
have there. Jake may have a point about it attracting other cats; I
don't know about that. But I wouldn't put solid faeces on the garden.
They will eventually break down as well, but more slowly, and aren't
the sort of thing you want to come across when weeding. Bin them or
flush them down the loo.


Cheers. Those were my initial thoughts too. Clay in a form that's easy
to disperse is actually a bit of a bonus, so it's a win win situation
for me, the cat, and the local council, who won't have to cart it off to
landfill. I could always "just throw it away", but that is hardly a
responsible attitude these days.

"Jake" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:34:52 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

On 13/01/2011 12:40, Jake wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:15:35 +0000, stuart noble
wrote:

Now that our cat is getting ancient, I've got to provide a litter tray.
I'm using the fuller's earth type litter and the urine soaked clumps
I'm
digging into one of our flower beds, which is a bit on the stony/sandy
side at present. As you'd expect from clay it certainly makes the soil
stickier and more moisture retentive, but I'm wondering if it has any
benefits nutrient wise. One thing's for sure, I'm not putting it in the
dustbin after paying good money for it and humping it about!

I dispose of used cat litter in my "black waste bag" (around here it's
then taken to a processing plant and converted into something useful).
I don't dig it into the garden as (a) it can contain bad bacteria - a
definite don't dig into your veg patch - patricularly with solid waste
and (b) I've read in many places that the scent will atttract other
cats to use the area as a toilet - the smell that seeps up through the
soil is unlikely to be smelt by humans but cats sniffing around will
detect it. On the other hand, I have read that disposing of urine
soaked litter down a mole hill acts as a deterrent as moles cannot
stand the smell.

I don't think you can convert clay to "something useful". Most people
round here just dump it in the non-recyclable bin that goes to
landfill, but I'm too much of an eco warrior (and a scrooge) to do that.

We have loads of recyclable collections each week and a black bag
collection every fortnight. We used to have wheelie bins but the
council decided to discourage the "easy option" by switching back to
bags. The publicity says that our black bags don't go to landfill but
to a processing plant where everything is converted into bio-fuel or
something similar or incinerated.

Apologies to Jake, if he gets this message, I intended it for the forum, so
here it is:

Since the snow we are now having this same problem with an elderly cat who
refuses to go out. Even though we now only have rain.

We bought the 'clumping' kind of cat litter and then the Co-op ran out of
that. So we bought another kind that looked like pumice stone, however,
even when I removed the, erm, solids before, when we put the litter in the
black bin last week ours was the only one black sack they didn't take away
(maybe too heavy for their arms, about 3 lbs + other rubbish).

I would prefer to put it all into my compost heap if it were not for the
fact that some of the litter seems to be clay-like. I don't have a
problem
with bad bacteria, since our generations of cats have been doing their
business in our garden and no doubt on our neighbours' as well for the
last
thirty years.

Roll on Spring when hopefully she can go outside again.

someone