Customer Reviews

Feline Pine Original Cat Litter, 40-Pound Bags

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Feline pine is the best litter if you use it correctly and make sure to get all the moisture in contact with the pellets.

What I was pleasantly shocked to find out is that FP is NOT a new concept. It is just new marketing. FP is the same as stall pellets used for livestock. You can get the EXACT product for $6-7 per 40 lbs bag at a local feed store. I live in the city and don't have a local feed store but while driving on vacation passed one and picked up several bags.

If you can't get to a feed store. FP is also the same as SOME stove pellets. Buy pellets with no additives if you buy stove pellets.


FP = stall pellets = stove pellets (wo accelerators).

Keep using this litter but save yourself a lot of money by getting the unmarketed product. Feel free to call Feline Pine who will confirm that their price is because of advertising. Kudos to then for getting the product to the masses though. They are a great company.

My review for the 20 lb. bag (I order both, it's the same stuff):

This stuff is absolutely incredible. I'm allergic to just about everything, including the dust that rises off of traditional clay and silica litter. If you have a special room for your litter, you'll notice that regular dust gets on every surface. It's disturbing, really. That stuff is going into your lungs you know. Feline Pine has NO DUST. Pour it out, and your litter area smells pleasantly of a lumber yard (well, I find that pleasant). When cats use the box, urine breaks down the pellets and is absorbed. Solid waste sits on top. You only run into trouble if your cat has gastrointestinal track problems - loose bowel movements are more difficult to scoop. The pellets track a bit, but they're large and a litter mat will slow their progress across a room.

Now, I will offer one caveat: this litter is terrific, but only if you use the right box. If you use a regular, non-sifting box, the pellets will break down into sawdust, and the sawdust will then just sit there. This sawdust can track further than the pellets, because it can stick to kitty feet. The solution? A sifting litter box. Either the Tidy Cat Breeze box or the Feline Pine litter box works, the latter better than the former. I have both. The Tidy Cat Breeze litter pads also work nicely with this product in the holding reservoir of a sifting-type box. Put the Feline Pine on top, shake the box or move the sawdust around with a scoop, and sawdust will fall into the reservoir under the top tray. Et voila! No sawdust on top, fresh pellets are not wasted with constant litter changes. Just make sure to shake the broken pellets into the bottom and there's no tracking. Scoop feces and flush down the toilet (yes, this litter is flushable too!). If you use the Tidy Cat Breeze pads, they will help soak up any moisture in the sawdust that falls into the reservoir, eliminating any odors.

Also a bonus: you only need about an inch of litter in the box. A bag will stretch for quite awhile. As pellets turn to sawdust and fall into the reservoir, just add more pellets. No litter changes necessary. Just remember to empty out the litter box reservoir as it fills up.

In terms of getting cats to use it, just mix the Feline Pine with your regular stuff for about a week, gradually increasing the Feline Pine and decreasing the regular stuff. I trained a 9-year-old cat to use the litter in a week.

In short, this is a miracle product, especially in a multi-cat household.

I used Feline Pine for years until I discovered Nature's Logic Ponderosa Pine Cat Litter that was just slightly more economical. In theory, they do the same exact thing.

Here is what I like:

1) Pleasant pine smell really hides the smell of cat urine.
2) Turns from pellets to sawdust (time to change the box).
3) Easy to scoop.
4) Safe for kitties.
5) No dust clouds

Here is what I don't like so much:

1) If you don't keep on top of it, the sawdust can track,
2) Pellets can track and they are hard.

The pros from my experience far outweigh the cons. I did try the Nature's Earth Feline Pine Scoop Cat Litter for several months with my 5 cats but found that the "flakes" from the Feline Pine Clumping litter tracked everywhere.

Overall, pine beats the clay litters, corn and wheat litters. I have tried them all for months at a time and have stuck with the pine litters. They absolutely do what they say and do a wonderful job of hiding urine smells. I change my boxes often and do not put more than an inch or so of litter in -- the sawdust tracking tells me it's time to change. As far as disposing of the litter (cat poop), I just flush them.

Easy stuff and ends up to be very economical. I order about 6 bags at a time by mail so I don't have to lug them :)

This review comes from a person who was once the biggest fan of Feline Pine. I used this product for over seven years and found it to be the best cat litter available. It absorbed odors like nothing else. House guests (including my ignorant brother who "hates cats" because they "stink") could not believe we had a cat. Tracking was never an issue. I would use a little more than recommended (3-4 inches) and found that I could get a full two weeks of use out of the litter (of course, with daily scooping of the poop) before it started to break down and lead to tracking issues. I would then change the box a few days later. My cat never had any problems with it either; in fact, he loved scratching around in his box.

Ok, so where am I going with this? About three months ago something went terribly wrong: the pine pellets started to break down in less than three days, making tracking a nightmare. Now I have to change the box every 3-4 days! Before, when I would empty the box, all the debris would empty effortless in a trash bag; now over half of it sticks to the bottom of the box; I have to scrap and then wash it out to get it clean.

Now, I have spoken with the company about this, and they were very understanding. They offered two explanations: 1) regional and seasonal variations in the pine may have caused the change; or 2) the compression on the machine which makes the pellets has been altered. If it is the first reason, I cannot blame them for the vicissitudes of nature; but if it is the latter, then they need to get their act together. That was over two months ago and nothing has improved to date. I have been putting up with it though, hoping that the next batch of litter would be the corrected formula. But I can't take it anymore and am contemplating changing brands.

Picked up a bag of this on recommendation from the lady at our neighborhood pet store.

This litter consists of large sawdust pellets that are too big to fall through the scooper, and as soon as they get wet, they disintegrate into damp sawdust that smells rather piny and neutral, but is impossible to scoop because it doesn't clump whatsoever. This is the opposite of how I want my litter to act. The dirty stuff falls through the scoop, while the clean stuff gets stuck in it?

I don't think my cats like the damp sawdust either. They ended up peeing on their bed even though this litter was "clean".

I'll be going back to my nice-smelling corn-based litter that actually acts like proper litter.

I love this product. I use it with the Feline Pine litter box. If you don't use the Feline Pine litter box, then I could see how it could possibly be messy. (Although I did that with my older cats to switch them off the traditional clay litter and had no mess.) The pine neutralizes the urine (no urine smell), and all you have to do is skake down the box to put the sawdust into the bottom tray. You do have to scoop feces ASAP, which is easily done with the Feline Pine scoop. You can flush the feces down the toilet (depending on your system) or place in the trash. Since I use the Feline Pine litter box, I just shake down the litter boxes which eliminates any tracking of sawdust as the sawdust falls from the upper box to the lower box. The start up cost of the system is more than the traditional litters, but it is worth it! You'll save time and money using the complete system. I rescue, foster and own kitties, and this is all I use. I have had no problem with my 10 kitties ( 5 yr old, 3 yr old, 1 yr old, litter of 4 is 8 months and litter of 3 is 11 weeks) and 1 foster kitty using the system. I also like how you can purchase a 40 pound bag of this litter, and have it shipped to you for free!

I just tried this for the first time today in hopes of finding a natural cat litter. We've originally been using the Arm & Hammer brand, but felt like it was causing a lot of dust and allergies. Unfortunately, I will be going back to repurchase our old go-to. Feline Pine was a mess! Within a few hours, there was pine/sawdust EVERYWHERE! Tracked all over the litter mat (which is supposed to catch the litter), then proceeded to land all over the rug in our walkway and on for a few more feet into the kitchen area. The only plus sides are that it is natural, better for the environment and your health, and does smell pleasantly earthy ... like the forest. But not worth the clean up. Will continue to look for a natural litter that isn't so much work.

Pine litter is a better alternative to most litters as it is more effective and affordable. I am a litter box rehabilitation specialist. Any pelleted pet litters may lead your cat to potty outside of the box, so please hang on to your old litter and box as you transition to a pelleted litter. Also, make sure your cats is urinating AND defecating in the new litter for at least a week before you remove your old box. I recommend using the Feline Pine Litter box with this litter. Trust me, it is well worth it and if you don't go that route, you may be disappointed.

Most cats prefer a fine, dense substrate (like sand) to urinate and defecate in. Many prefer something that won't stick to their fur, like pellets. Forcing a cat to use a litter he does not prefer is asking for trouble so transition slowly whenever you change litter type. Urinating outside of the box is the leading behavior problem of house cats and a leading cause of kitty euthanasia so please take your time to read how your cat feels about his box. Please get the box designed for this litter as it will keep the pan dry and mostly free of sawdust that would otherwise catch on kittie's toes.

Here's the scoop: Fine vs Pine vs Breeze

Unfortunately, clumping clay litters are linked to feline asthma and can contribute to sinus infections in people that clean the boxes. Other clumping litters such as Swheat Scoop, Feline Pine Clumping, and World's Best, are sticky so there is more box maintenance but if your cat prefers fine litters, please try the feline pine box with the Feline Pine Pellets and a regular box with the Feline Pine clumping. Even if he only uses the box with the pellets sometimes, it'll save you time and money as it's so affordable (the pellets last 3 times as long this way) and there's little or no tracking. Pine pellets will turn into sawdust and stick to the feces better than Breeze pellets (which never break down). With pine pellets you eliminate the urine odor completely and fecal odor is reduced. Pine litter is very affordable $.50 to $4 per month, per cat. Pine pellets are easier to transport and carry than clay litters.

If you want to control all cat odors and have a very healthy cat, consider a diet change for your kitty. You can reduce fecal odor significantly with raw diets. haven't needed to take any of my cats to the vet since the switch.

Good luck finding the perfect litter setup.

Feline Pine works really good for urine [...]. I would clean the litter box after every elimintation, but the fecal smell would still permeate the house. And when my kitten decides to have loose stools and the inability to understand how to properly cover his "stuff" and not step in it, well, Feline Pine won't help you there, lol. What will help? What worked for me is a small air purifier to keep the funk from escaping the room and baking soda. Baking soda sprinkled on top of the poo eliminated almost all traces of odor. I even sprinkle it on urine puffs for added benefit. Also, I put in about 1.5 to 2" of litter every monday and it becomes about 50% sawdust by Thurs or Friday. By Sunday evening, it's near 90% sawdust. As for my cat and his poopy feet, I had realized that he liked pooping near the entrance. So by removing the hood, he gained more exit points and thus was able to avoid stepping in it on his way out. So the gist, Feline Pine is good if you include the above remedies, otherwise I don't think it's any better than some other forms of litter.

[...]

After reading the five-star reviews, I feel bad about my 1-star review. Now I realize I should have set up two litter boxes or something like that to give our cat transition time. But I didn't. Just dumped out the old litter and put in the new litter.

Not only would the cat not use it, but now we have a multi-week long house training problem, with her pooping on the living room carpet in a couple of places. We've had her for five years and never had a problem like this.

So it may be that this litter is great for your cat--I'm not saying it won't be. But my can't won't get in the litter box with this stuff, even when it's mixed with normal unscented clay litter, much less by itself. So I'm going back to clay litter and hoping I can get her to use the box again.

One more point--as long as the litter's in its pellet form--before it breaks down, I guess--I couldn't scoop the poop out of it, because the litter pellets were too big to fit between the slats of the scoop.