Sand As Cat Litter Instead Of Traditional Cat Litter?

I’ve often encountered the question of ‘’what can I use instead of cat litter?”.

What are common cat litter alternatives and whether homemade cat litter is effective and actionable?

As a cat owner that has had his ups and downs, I clearly understand what most cat owners go through.

We all want to save significantly on cat’s expenses and most of the time we’re caught up with little finances to intervene.

If you have been here, then I want to share the best homemade cat litter alternative that you can try today.

Why should you think of alternatives?

There are many reasons why you are here today, one of them being the cost and the other being possible health issues posed by clumping cat litters.

If you think of homemade cat litters, you will definitely save more than half the money.

Non-clumping cat litter is considered safer but you must dig deeper to pay for them.

They are also changed more often and for that reason, you might have to spend a lot of money on the same.

You can be surprised by the amount of money you can save with the alternative cat litters in a year.

Moving on, clumping cat litter has been linked to a couple of health issues including respiratory health issues for the cat and the owner.

Clay-based cat litters have carcinogens in them which can cause allergic reactions.

Lastly, environmental concern is a viable reason to consider alternative cat litters.

In most instances, the clay is obtained through strip mining which is not good for wildlife habitats.

Some litters are labeled as flushable but they might not be totally compatible with the sewer systems.

If you are one of the cat owners that considers sustainability while buying cat litters, then you might have to go for sand as an alternative to cat litter.

You may wish to follow a more sustainable alternative to clumping and non-clumping cat litters.

Use sand as a Cat Litter

Outdoor cats have used sand as litters for centuries.

They have used sand as a fortress for hiding their messes whenever the situation calls for it.

This clearly shows that sand can greatly work as an alternative to cat litter.

Furthermore, cats are naturally attracted to sand.

Consequently, you can place a generous amount of sand on cats Litter Boxes and the cat will use it undoubtedly.

Another benefit of using sand as litter is that it clumps well when wet and it doesn’t retain the urine and feces odor.

Disadvantages of using sand as cat litter

Despite the above-explained benefits of using sand as a cat litter, there are some common disadvantages that you should familiarize yourself with.

The sand is composed of very fine grains which means that it can easily be carried by the cat’s paws spreading the messes.

Luckily, you can prepare a trusty litter mat to minimize tracking.

Benefits of using sand for cat litter

There are countless benefits of using sand as alternatives to cat litter.

Sand mimics the conditions that outdoor cats use when going to the toilet.

It’s perfect if you are adopting an outdoor cat or cat that is used to using soil and sand as alternatives.

Furthermore, cats love using sand.

If you have a sandpit behind your garden, you might have noticed that this is the best spot for your feline friends.

Lastly, sand is cheaper than all the other alternatives.

It’s very easy to get sand and use it as cat litter for several instances.

If you want to save on cat litter, you should think of sand as a substitute for cat litter regardless of where you live.

The disadvantages of using sand for cat litter

Sand has its own share of disadvantages.

Sand is absolutely everywhere and it will wet easily when the cat urinates on it.

But still, the cat might choose to bury the poop in the sand.

Given that the sand doesn’t have effective odor trapping capabilities, the smell can easily spread in the house.

Moving on, sand doesn’t clump, it just absorbs the urine.

Consequently, sand will suddenly become mess and requires you to change it more often.

It also doesn’t effectively mask the odor.

How to use sand in the litter box

• Sanitation-Make sure the sand is free from parasites and diseases. If you are currently bringing sand from outdoors, you might have to spray or bake the sand in the oven for 10 minutes to kill the bacteria and parasites.
• Add baking soda-It’s important to add baking soda because it helps to mask the odor.
• Use a litter mat– I’ve already stated that sand is easy to track and for that reason, you should use a litter mat.

FAQs

What can you use if you run out of cat Litter?

There are several homemade cat litter substitutes that you can try today.

However, most people choose sand as a viable alternative.

But still, paper litter, corn litter, coconut litter, and wood shavings are equal alternatives.

How do you make cat litter with sand?

If you didn’t know there are common substitutes to cat litter, then you’ve definitely never run out of cat litter.

Sand is a viable cat litter alternative.

To make cat litter with sand, you can mix just a cup of baking soda with the sand.

Do cats like sand?

Yes, most cats like sand and they can easily play with it.

Most of them tend to like the texture of the sand.

Consequently, sand has been used for a long time as alternatives to cat litter.

Sand makes it easy for the cats to bury any messes and to hind their scents.

As explained above, sand is a viable alternative to cat litter.

But you have to remember sand is composed of fine grains that can easily track.

The other disadvantage is that sand is not very effective in controlling urine and poop odor.

To improve its effectiveness in controlling odor, you can sprinkle baking soda or mix it with the sand.

Mix baking soda thoroughly before adding it to the Litter Box.