does the cat get sick from licking dish soap?

Cat litter is one of those things I can't do the natural versions of. We use ScoopAway or something like that and it clumps hard, which results in less refilling for us. Plus we can use our automatic box which reduces waste of litter.

That cat looks exactly like my Buster-kitty. Freakishly so, right down to the pose on the chair.

As for little, my cats are rescued strays who prefer to be let outside. I don't know where they go. Our old cat used to come inside to use the litter box then go back outside to play. He was basically a child.

We use corn litter, and I have to say that I LOVE it! It clumps very quickly, and very well, and makes clean up so easy. We only need to use a little bit (less than 2in), and it lasts for about a week and a half. Also, it absorbs the smell (we mix a little bit of pine litter in to help even more with the smell). So if paper litter isn't for your kitties (we have a very picky cat who will not use the box if he doesn't like the litter), try corn for another eco-friendly alternative!

My Jenks is diabetic and uses the LB A LOT. I was spending a small fortune buying all manner of litters and still couldn't find one that was absorbent enough, didn't track and contained odor.

I came across a LB called the "Smart Cat Box" (www.smartcatbox.com). It uses super sized safflower seed! One bag (the size of a large zip-loc freezer bag) can last up to 3 months. When it's done I just toss it. It's a kind of clumping litter too. I scoop daily and flush it away. Even the attached safflower seed. No odor, minimal tracking. The ONLY down side, is that the liquid waste runs down to a reservoir that has to be emptied daily. In my case, it's 2-4 times daily (the diabetes).

Still, I'd rather empty the reservoir than change the whole box every two days.

My cat is VERY finicky about his litter. And though I love the idea of the ecofriendly litters, he won't. And it's his opinion that matters.

Would be great for my mice though ^_^

We recently switched to Swheat Scoop so I'm all for a green alternative to clay litter, but this is WAY too involved just for something my cats will be relieving themselves on.

I've started buying some $9/bag corn based multi-cat stuff. I don't know the brand because I'm presently lacking a spare bag. But it comes in an orangeish plastic bag. The multi-cat part is essential. Its the least-stinky cat litter I've ever bought. I love it. We have three cats, and three litter boxes, and honestly I can't bring myself to scoop more than 1 a day and my roommates go by the "let it get filled up then dump it all once a week" theory.

My biggest issue is litter scatter. The pine stuff is the worst- its so lightweight, it ends up all over the place. I have a closed litter box upstairs (the primary box, there is a secondary box downstairs and an 'emergency I'm stuck down here' basement mini-box) with a litter mat in front of it and a throw rug under it and my cats still manage to spread litter all over the upstairs hall and stairs.

This is a totally personal judgment call, but honestly, I can't see spending an hour of my time every few weeks doing this.

(Aside from the fact that I, like trishdom, don't have newspapers in the house!)

I can't be the only one who feels that between work, commute, housework, errands, commuting, working out, social life, family duties, there's not a lot of time left!

I'd much rather spend an hour playing with or cuddling my cat herself rather than cooking up her litter! Or doing a myriad of other things that are more important to me, like seeing a friend, taking a walk, or reading a book.

Kudos to anyone this dedicated, I mean it sincerely, but I can't see myself ever getting THIS green.

can't imagine doing this, plus I am one of those people who reads the "paper" on line. We use recycled newsprint litter and love it, but you have to clean it everyday. No biggie...we just put down about an inch and everyday just dump it and replace it. No tracking of litter everywhere, and the cats like it. I'm not gonna mess with success.

I've tried this before & all i've got to say is that it takes longer then a couple of hours. Personally, I'm the type of person who will do something for as long as it amuses me then leave it there. Plus it's a bit messy.

I use clay litter, it doesnt clump aswell but I've been using it for years but mine go outside & if they get stuck inside they'll use it.

I used the corn litter at our weekend house and when we came back the next week the litter pan was empty and we discovered that the corn based litter had attracted mice inside, who ate what they could and then chewed and stashed the rest -- all over the place, in every nook and cranny... inside boots and slippers, between the mattress and box spring, everywhere you can think of. It was really gross.

Who has newspapers anymore? We haven't had newspapers in years.

As much as I like the idea of DIY kitty litter, I'm with Dulcibella - also...I can't see spending several hours a week on making kitty litter for my cat. I love her. But not that much.