I have yet to find an actual organized event for NaNoBloMo for 2007, but as a number of acquaintances, both online and in the real world gear up for NaNoWriMo, I thought I would give it a whirl. Last year’s efforts were somewhat short-lived (a mere 9 posts), but I am hoping that this year will yield better results. Beginning on Thursday, wish me luck!
I’ve had cats for about three and a half years, and for most of the last two years I have used “natural” cat litter. You may ask, what is unnatural about clay litter? The difference is that the natural types of litter are biodegradable in landfills, rather than sitting there and solidifying for fifty years into rocks of clay and poo (not to mention the fact that many times the clay that is used for traditional kittie litters come from strip mines, and contain all sorts of things that are bad for you to breathe).
I have used a couple of different kinds through the years, and I have found that the natural litters generally track less, cover the smell better, and (key for those of us without a car who have to carry this stuff around), are lighter. Unfortunately I also have a problem which some of you may share, but many of you will probably not; my brother is severely allergic to wheat (anaphalactic allergic, not seliac allergic), which means that I cannot use the ever-popular Swheat Scoop. So, for those of you who are wondering, no, not all eco-friendly cat litters are created equal, and here’s what I’ve learned over the last couple of years…
Nature’s Miracle- This has become harder to find over the last three months, it seems that Petco is no longer carrying it, and I am unable to get out to a PetsMart to know if they have it. It is in my top three for the natural cat litters, it has excellent odor control and clumps well.
Arm and Hammer High Performance is another great choice, with superb odor control and scooping. I used to be able to find this at the grocery store, which was also a huge plus, and the bags comes in manageable size.
The last in my top three is One Earth cat litter, which I used to be able to buy in the grocery store when I lived in Denver, but haven’t found since moving to DC. If you are able to find it, this was the least expensive, and just as efficient as the two brands I listed above. Each has a a slightly different scent, but none of them are artificially scented.
All of the above listed brands are generally cheaper than clay based litters, control odor very well, are long lasting (I didn’t have to replace them very often), and did not stick to the bottom of my cats’ feet (and thusly I did not need to sweep/ vacuum as often).
Now for the brands I did not like as much:
Feline Pine Scoopable- this brand is more expensive, and when I poured it into the litter box I was reminded of nothing more than sawdust. It is too fine, and tracks all over the place. Additionally I find myself having to refill the litter box more often than with the others, and it does not do a very effective job of controlling the odor.
Yesterday’s News- My cats WILL NOT STAND for the pellets. I have one in particular who has had a lot of problems urinating outside of the litter box, and now that is finally under control I am loathe to try it again for fear of setting him off once more. Additionally the bags are heavy and large and would take up a lot of space in my teeny tiny apartment. I have heard good things from the people who have used it and whose cats have liked it, but I cannot speak to it.
Read More:
Eco Living at Care2
ABC News
Wow, so Soul Asylum just shuffled through my ipod. It’s pretty amazing to think about *how* in love with that band I was, back in the day, and how I have not listened to a single song of theirs in at least two years. Which of course prompts me to think about the other bands I used to love, and have basically forgotten about (except that I still have the CDs):
Collective Soul
Seven Mary Three
Days of the New
Live
I had a really strange dream last night, and it has been haunting me all day. It creeps in on the outskirts of my conscious thought as soon as I get really involved in my work. That weird dream deja vu, knowing that it was just a dream, but remembering it the way I remember something that happened when I was very young.
Sleeping has been weird for me lately. Monday morning I woke up at 3 am convinced I had done some sort of debilitating injury to my right arm in my sleep. And I’ve been having a lot of weird dreams.
If I were still in Denver I could go talk to one of the counselors and she would say “Oh, the house in your dream represents transition” or another would say “how did you feel when you woke up? However you felt, think about what’s making you feel that way in your waking life and that’s what your dream was about”.
In the meantime I think I’m gonna try to stay awake and get my work done.
Every morning when I get off of the metro I walk past the Pier1. Thursday is apparently their delivery day, and they leave the door propped open while they bring everything inside. It is strangely pleasant to walk through the lingering scent of Pier1 as I start my day… that combination of imported wood and aroma therapy oils (heavy on the cinnamon this time of year).
And then I walk to the front of my building, where the smokers congregate as close to the doors as the “No Smoking within 25 feet of the entrance to the building” signs will allow.
