Using wood pellets for cat litter

Did you know that wood pellets make a brilliant litter material for small animals including your cat, rabbit or Guinea pig?  In fact, if you do a quick search on Amazon you will see that most pet retailers are selling them in preference to traditional litter materials like clay and silica which have fallen out of favour since studies have shown that they can actually cause harm to your pets. This is because they often contain significant amounts of silica dust which can cause liver disease and respiratory issues in both animals and humans. What’s more, the chemical fragrances used in some products can actually be toxic to small animals.

On the other hand, wood pellets are 100% natural and biodegradable, contain no harmful chemicals and are completely safe for your beloved pets. They are highly absorptive and will last much longer than other natural materials like sawdust or shredded paper which quickly become sodden and need to be changed regularly. For indoor pets you will also find wood pellets generate less mess as they contain less dust and due to their high density have got less chance of being thrown out of the litter tray by pets that like to dig exuberantly.

Pet retailers sell the same wood pellets as we do, only they repackage them and add a significant mark up! With a 19kg bag of wood pellets retailing for £15 on Amazon, a quick calculation shows that even without a bulk discount our wood pellets are almost half the price for the same weight! With our biggest bulk discount, the price works out at only £5.70 for 19kg of pellets.  And if you buy ‘Wood Pellet Cat Litter’ from any of the supermarket chains the saving will be even greater.

Disposing of wood pellets is also much easier and more environmentally friendly. With traditional pet litter most councils recommend bagging it in plastic and then putting it in your general waste bin to end up in landfill. As animal lovers we really want to avoid single use plastics that take hundreds of years to break down and can be devastating to wildlife if they find their way into our waterways.

Luckily wood pellets can be disposed of directly into your green waste bin or even onto your compost heap if you have vegetarian pets like rabbits or Guinea pigs. No plastic bags required and experienced gardeners will know that urine actually acts as an accelerant in the composting process.

As you can see, using wood pellets for cat litter makes great sense on every level. Buying in bulk will cost you far less, you will be helping the environment, and your pets will be healthier and happier.