From:
daneedv
Date: 2002-06-19 13:44:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Best kind of litter??
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "speedy53" <speedy53@y...> wrote:
> I have tried many types of ferret litter - anyone have a fav, or
one
> that your ferret likes? My 2 babies always rub their faces in every
> litter that I put out for them. IS corn cob good for them, any help
> would be great.
I find ferrets are far less likely to dig in a pelleted litter. I
have 2 cats in addition to my ferrets, and use a clay litter in the
cats' pans. When the litter in those pans is fresh, all my furkids
will dig or roll in them, something they don't do in their own pans
with pelleted litter.
For a while, I used wood stove pellets. In general, I liked them,
for several reasons. First, they are very inexpensive, second, they
help to control odor, and third, they were easy to clean out of the
pans. However, they create a lot of dust, and they also became hard
to find in my area.
I tried Yesterdays News, and it was OK, but expensive, and tended to
get soggy and stick to the pans if I was a day or 2 late in getting
them changed. Yesterdays News will also turn the ferrets feet dark
over time. Of all the recycled paper litters (and I have tried
several) Yesterdays News is the only one I would recommend.
Then I tried horse food (pellets). Like wood stove pellets, it is
inexpensive, and does help with odor control. It is less also a lot
less dusty then wood stove pellets. It does have its own odor,
though.
So, currently I am mixing Yesterdays News with horse pellets - about
half and half. I find, for me, it is a good compromise. Adding the
horse pellets helps with the areas I feel Yesterdays News is lacking,
and by not using the horse pellets by themselves, the ferret room no
longer smells like a grainery.
Currently I have 21 ferrets, housed in 6 large cages, and I change
pans twice a week. As a result, I go through a lot of litter, so
keeping the price down is important, as is odor control and ease of
cleanup.
I found when I stopped using wood stove pellets, my allergies
improved, and my whole house was less dusty. We have several air
filters in the house, including a HEPA on the air handling system.
The filters need changing or cleaning much less often, now that I am
not using the wood stove pellets.
I think choice of litter depends on several things. Most important,
you want something that is safe to use. I would not recommend using
a clumping litter with ferrets at all. Next, you want something your
ferrets will use as a litter - and ferrets can be picky. Finally,
you want something that is not objectionable to you - and that can
vary from person to person. So, what works best for me will not
necessarily be the best choice for others, and vice versa.
Danee