Customer Reviews

Feline Pine Original Cat Litter, 20-Pound Bag

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I used this litter for almost two years for my 3 yr old male cat. It worked great. Never any smells and easy to clean. Plus the larger pellets don't track. However, one problem with this and other "set it and forget it" litters that absorb liquids as opposed to clumps that you remove, is that there is a large grey area in terms of figuring out when to change the litter. The bag mentions that all the pellets will completely break down once they have absorbed litter, but it's hard to determine when that point is. This leaves your cat pawing through a box full of damp(with urine) sawdust if you are not studious about checking the breaking point for the litter. Still, it worked great for one cat with consistent waste(read, nice and dry poop)

This ALL changed once I got a new 3 month old kitten with stool issues(more liquid than solid, I'll just say). The problem is, any "moisture rich" cat turds don't really absorb quickly enough into the litter and the pine pellets are too large to effectively cover any waste like that.
Sooo..you're left with these pine pellet covered turd mines that my cats would step on and then...well, cat poop is not fun to have spread around the house.

On top of all that, the liquid absorbent qualities of the pellets meant having to change out the entire cat box pretty much on a weekly basis and since the litter isn't flushable, this became an issue.

Being able to clean out all waste(solid AND liquid) on a day to day basis is the main reason I switched over to Swheat Scoop which I really like(and have reviewed as well). It keeps the cat box truly clean and it's flushable.

I will say, that even with two cats, the feline pine kept odors down to a minimum(basically, you'd have to stick your head in the box to smell odors). So, I recommend it, keeping in mind the issues I had above. I think it's more of a one cat litter.

IF (and that's a big if) you can get your cat to like this kind of litter, it's great. You have to mix clay and the pine pellets together for quite some time before they adjust. 2 of my 3 cats like it, and thankfully the third cat would prefer to go outside. Well, Feline Pine is a great concept, but it is soooo much cheaper to go to a feed store and buy a 40 lb bag of HORSE BEDDING. It is the same exact stuff, tightly compacted pine pellets. I was using Feline Pine for a few months before my coworker suggested I go buy horse bedding instead. Feline Pine: 20 lbs for $15 OR horse bedding: 40 lbs for $6. It works exactly the same and lasts just as long. The only difference is the Feline Pine has a stronger pine smell. Save yourself some money and go to the feed store.

I have had cats for many years and have used several brands of litter. When Feline Pine came out I tried it and instantly loved it. I recently have mixed Tidy Cat Crystals in with it and have found a perfect combination. Half of a small bag of Feline Pine with one third of the jug of Tidy Cat Crystals for one cat for two weeks. It doesn't stick to the feet and track like the scoopables, it swells and turns to sawdust as it's used and the smell is very limited especially if you use a covered litter box with swinging door. I don't scoop or do another thing to it until it's time to dump, rinse, and start all over. You will find some saw dust outside of the litter box at the end of the two weeks but not tracked all through the house. It is the best!

Since I found Felline Pine I would not use anything else.
It has a pleasant odor & is easy to take care of as needed.

I tried this litter for the health factors, but didn't feel like waiting for the Feline Pine Litter Box to ship (not available on Amazon, only from company website), so I got the Lift 'n Sift variety thinking I could use it the same way since they are similarly constructed. This was not the case. The holes in the LNSift version are too big, and the pellets fall through. The Feline Pine Litter Box (FPLB) has square holes that are 3/16", which is big enough for the sawdust to go through but not the majority of pellets. You would think that the wet pellets/sawdust would get clogged in the holes, but I don't have this problem as long as I don't overfill the box.

Using LnSift box: Big waste of litter and more of a mess to clean up than I was expecting. I almost gave up on the litter and then saw other reviews that said the FPLB is a must for you to truly get the full benefit of this litter. With the old box, weekly cleaning was around an hour, with the appropriate box, clean is a few minutes per week.

Using FPLB: The key to using this box with minimum work on your end is to FILL IT NO HIGHER THAN 1-2" with litter. Every time I've accidentally overfilled it, there's been a big mess for me to clean up in the end. When the box is filled too high, the sawdust can't get through the pellets and out the holes to the bottom box, which creates tracking and messy litter. And, the bottom box fills up too quickly and you have to try to empty it while keeping the top part from spilling all over. Not fun, and I end up wasting litter doing this. My advice: Take a permanent marker and put a line or mark at the 1" and 2" spots on all sides (inside) of the upper box (measuring up from the bottom of the box with the holes in it). This way you know when to stop pouring.

Pros: Healthier litter, no tracking (we find maybe a handful of pellets, no sawdust, outside the box), odors are greatly reduced, easy to clean on a daily basis (we flush the solids and just use the scope to shuffle any leftover sawdust around to get it to sift through the holes), easy to clean on a weekly/biweekly basis (just tip the sawdust filled box into a garbage bag and top off the pellets), one bag of litter lasts us about 3 months if we fill the litter box as noted above (1 cat), fairly simple to transition our cat using the instructions on the Feline Pine website (took about 2 weeks total).

Cons: No real cons about the litter now that I'm using it properly and with the right tools, but I wish the FPLB came with a hood (kitty doesn't have the best aim at times...).

Additional advice: I didn't like the clumping version of Feline Pine (bought that first before the pellets), but instead of getting rid of it I used the clumping version to lightly line the bottom pan of the FPLB. It's recommended that the bottom box be lined with some pellets to catch any liquids that get through in the first couple of uses to reduce odor, but I just used the clumping version to do the same. Worked great and I didn't have to waste the clumping litter.

Also, feeding your cat a species appropriate diet (no grain, raw meat preferrably) has a significant effect on both the amount of waste produced and the odor. We're extremely pleased with the results that a grain-free diet has had for our kitty!

These pellets are the EXACT same as "equine (horse) bedding", and similar to wood pellets for pellet stoves. You can buy a 40 (yes, forty!) pound bag of equine pellet bedding for only $6!!! (vs $10 for 20 pounds of Feline Pine!) I purchase at my local farm/tractor store. Wood stove pellets are even less - can get 40 pounds as cheap as $4. I called the manufacture of one wood pellet stove product and they told me it is totally safe for pets...no chemicals used in production, and made from PINE, etc. However, some wood pellet stove are made from hardwoods (not pine) and this would not be as absorbent so you need to double check on the type of wood stove pellets. I'd stick with equine bedding...it is pine and made for animals.

I do love this type of litter! No dust. Absorbs and masks odor better than any other litter. After using this type of litter for a couple years, I am pretty "skilled" at being able to scoop out mostly only the sawdust, and leave the intact pellets behind. My cats usually pee in the corners so that is where most of the sawdust is. Also, if you shake the box, sawdust drops to bottom and you can scrape intact pellets to the side and scoop the sawdust underneath out. If you don't pay attention when you scoop and are not tedious with a "method" like me, you will likely also scoop out a lot of the intact pellets too and thus waste a lot of it. We went out of town for 2 weeks, and our cat sitter used DOUBLE the amount of litter we use!

For the star rating - I'd actually give 5 stars for this pine pellet type of litter. But I am giving one star because of the ridiculous price charged by Feline Pine!!

I've tried World's Best Cat Litter (corn), Feline Pine Clumping, and Feline Pine Original. So far, I prefer the Feline Pine Original the best. World's Best clumps wonderfully, and overall, I was very satisfied with it - other than the "feed store" smell I got when cleaning out the box, and the large amount of dust it left on my cats. But I wanted to get my cats off of it because corn is a known allergen in cats, and I'm sure they were consuming corn whenever they licked themselves after using the box (mine are covered boxes, and it makes a LOT of dust on long-haired cats).

Feline Pine Clumping is better because it's not corn. However, it makes just as much dust in a covered box, and I don't want my cats inhaling a lot of sawdust. Also, it doesn't clump as solidly as the corn - the clumps can come apart when you're scooping.

So, I tried Feline Pine Original (the pellets). I also ordered from their website one special Feline Pine sifting litter box and scooper, which they recommend to use with it (kept one of my own original boxes to compare it to). The pellets turn to sawdust when saturated with liquid, so in the special Feline Pine sifting litter box, the sawdust sinks to the bottom box and the fresh pellets stay in the top box.

Overall, I like the design of the Feline Pine special box, but I wish it were bigger and deeper, since my cats tend to knock a few of the pellets out while digging (but not excessively so). Also you definitely need to put some litter in the bottom box, under the sifting box, because some of the pee does trickle down between the pellets and into the bottom box. The directions say to just add a handful of pellets, but I ended up putting some of their old litter (mix of corn and F.P. Clumping) down there and it absorbed it nicely. (My cats are well hydrated so more than just a little bit ends up down there.) I don't think having pellets alone would absorb it enough. So when I scoop each day, I lift the top box, scoop out any pee clumps from the bottom box, and add a little more of the old litter to the bottom box if needed.

I've also been using the pellets in their old box (Clever Cat Litter Box) and it seems to do fine. You just stir the litter around so that the sawdust ends up on the bottom. Eventually, when enough of it turns to sawdust, I'll sift it using the new F.P. sifting box, and throw away (or compost) the sawdust.

I've noticed NO pee smell whatsoever (but all the other litters I used were good for that too). And because I mixed it in gradually with their old litter, they got used to the different texture over time, and now they're fine with it.

Overall, I like that it makes my bathroom smell slightly (but not too much) like a lumber yard (I love the smell of wood), and there's WAY less tracking - if pellets fall out of the box, I just pick them up and throw them back in. And, most of all, I like that there's almost no dust for them to inhale in the covered box, and they're not licking corn off of themselves (they don't come in contact with the corn litter that's in the bottom of the F.P sifting box). I also like that it's compostable!

Try it, but remember to mix it in slooooowly over time, cuz it's definitely a different feel under their paws.

I love this litter because...
1. It completely eliminates urine odor. It doesn't smell like a litter box typically does (like clay, urine and feces). Feces do smell right after your cat uses the box, but this goes away. The idea that a cat litter is going to eliminate feces odor right when the cat goes doesn't make sense to me...it would have to be loaded with chemicals and perfumes, which I don't want. The odor goes away within a few minutes, and I just scoop out feces at the end of the day.
2. It is very inexpensive. You only fill the box a small amount, unlike clay litters. I use it along with the Feline Pine Self cleaning litter box, and this is the best value. I only have to buy a new bag of litter once or twice a YEAR.
3. It does not track nearly as bad as clay or other fine grained litters
4. Biodegradable materials

What would you rather have, a litter box with 3 or 4 inches of clay litter that starts smelling after only a couple of days and is disgusting and must be trashed by the end of the week, or an inch of Feline Pine, that does not smell and lasts for 2 weeks before needing to be changed? I almost want to laugh when I go to people's houses and I see their disgusting clay litter boxes, or see people buying clay litter at the store. Don't they know there's a way that is not only better for the environment, but doesn't smell and is a better value?

I would also like to note that my cat is one of those picky sensitive cats that will not use litters with a lot of perfume or with a texture she doesn't like. I purchased the generic pine pellets at the pet store once and she flat out refused to use them, but she ok with the Feline Pine pellets.

To those who are saying FP is a "poor value" because you can buy horse pellets at the store and they are the same, first of all I have my doubts that they are exactly the same and break down the same. I also don't understand why it is even an issue, considering that FP is cheaper than clay cat litters and works better. Personally I like shopping for cat litter and knowing that I am supporting a good environmentally friendly company, rather than a company that makes clay litter loaded with perfumes and chemicals.

Note about the price: I don't recommend buying it here on Amazon. At most stores you can get a 20 lb bag for only $10, I have even seen them on sale for $8. I would never pay what Amazon is asking here.

EDITED TO ADD 2/10/2010: This is my new favorite cat litter. It does not track. It smells of fresh, natural, wood scent - no added scents, nothing artificial. It has a special litter box you can buy to sift the fresh granules and the used sawdust. Call the company, Feline Pine, and ask them for details on how to buy their litter box and they will tell you how to order one. I was concerned because my vet said cats have trouble digging in it. In reality, they don't dig at all to urinate, and they defecate on top of it, which is easily removed.

Get the sifting litter box, made for this litter, and sift the litter once or twice a day to remove any "sawdust." Use the box as directed for best results. I have never been so happy with a litter system in my life. It has made life very easy. No more dusty litter everywhere. No more small clay granules tracking all over the house. (Note: the litterbox is denoted as "self cleaning" but it really is not; however, it is so easy! All you do is tilt it side to side and sift.)

I have found my litter. I am 100% happy with this litter, COMBINED with their litter box.

How to switch your cats to this litter: Put one inch of this litter on top of your current litter. Let your cats dig into it and mix it up as they use both litters in the same box. Gradually increase the quantity of this litter used and lessen the quantity of your old brand. I switched an 19-year-old cat to this litter!

A NOTE ABOUT PINE OIL: There is no toxic pine oil in Feline Pine cat litter. Many people think of pine oil in products like Pine Sol, which contains phenol, which *is* highly toxic to cats. I contacted the company prior to using this product. I received this assurance:

"The production of our Feline Pine products incorporates both kiln-drying at 380 degrees (bakes out oils, phenols, and hydrocarbons) and pressurization (10,000 foot-pounds squeezes out further compounds) before the product reaches its packaging."

"Our litters are completely natural and contain zero chemicals or artificial fragrances."

My vet, who has a cats-only vet clinic, and who has treated my 19-year-old cat since he was a kitten, highly recommends this litter.

~~~~~

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

I tried this out with a litter of four three-week-old kittens and their mother. It doesn't track and is big enough that the kittens don't try to eat it. If the kittens sample it, it won't hurt their digestive tracts like clay clumping litter could. Downside: It is hard for kittens to dig in as the granules are so big.

After the granules are broken down, they are easier for your cat to dig, as they turn into sawdust.

Pros:

* Low to zero tracking
* Produces zero dust
* No odor - excellent odor control
* Safe for kittens and cats of all ages
* Flushable
* Turns into sawdust after it is urinated on; and then it is easy for cats to dig in
* NOTE: Feline Pine now makes a clumping form of this litter; it is a separate product
* Lasts a really long time before you need to change it

Cons:

* Large granules make digging harder for cats
* Doesn't cover poop well when it is in granule form.
(However, once it turns to sawdust, it *will* cover poop.)
* Is not a clumping litter (but Feline Pine now makes a clumping version of this litter!) This is the granules version; see the clumping version if you prefer that kind.

NOTE: This Feline Pine "granules" is not a clumping litter. (But they now make a clumping litter version of this product if you want to try it.) For the granules version, once those large granules of wood are urinated on, it turns into dry sawdust. It doesn't clump and is hard to scoop because the dry sawdust mixes with the granules. It will stay dry for quite awhile -- a few days or a week or two -- depending on how many cats you have. The best way to clean this litter is to remove all of it and put in new litter.

The great thing about the granules is, zero tracking. And it really covers the urine smell. If you want to scoop, try Feline Pine's clumping litter. But I greatly prefer this to Feline Pine's clumping litter, as it doesn't clump very well and it still tracks.

To get your cats accustomed to this litter, read and follow the instructions on the bag. It is very important to put a layer of at least one inch of your old litter on top of this new litter, or your cat will probably not accept this litter. Please be patient with your cat during the transition.

The litter granules are made of Southern Pine. Tree farmers periodically have to thin some of the smaller trees to let in sunlight, which makes the forest healthier. Those smaller pine trees are used in these types of renewable products. This is an eco-friendly choice in cat litter.

My vet said cats find it hard to dig in. I agree, but once the granules are broken down by urination, cats find it easier to dig. [...]. I plan to give that one a try next time. UPDATE: Actually, I did, but I think I prefer Feline Pine, plus now Feline Pine has come out with a scoopable version. I plan on mixing the two: the Feline Pine granules with the Feline Pine scoopable, as I'd like to scoop but also like the no-tracking granules.

I decided to try Feline Pine because I was sick of the clay cat litter getting everywhere. But after the first day of using it my whole house smelled like cat poop, even when I scooped it out every time my cats went in it. It was disgusting, I can't even believe that I ever tried it. I figured it was to good to be true.