When DD's cat hurt her paw the vet told us she shouldn't be using cat litter in her box for awhile until her paw healed.  So we shredded newspapers and put that in the litter box instead.  Not only did it help the cat, but we were recycling the newspapers, AND there was no odor from the box.  I suppose the ink they used must have neutralized the odor.  It worked perfectly!

I use shredded paper for one of our cats to pee in (I can say that here, right)?  She'll poop right outside the litter box (refuses to get inside - I think there were issues with a former cat) but was peeing in inappropriate places, like my dirty clothes basket and a large box of photos we hadn't put in albums yet.  After catching her in the trash basket under the shredder a couple of times, I put the paper in a big plastic box not far from the litter box.  She uses it more often than not - I can't say that it absorbs odor, however.  Maybe newspaper works better than notebook paper.

I was wondering about using shredded paper in the litter boxes (we have 4 cats-- that's alot of litter) but someone told me it is extremely messy and must be emptied/cleaned every day.  Is this true?  Do you think it's worth it?

This...intrigues me.

We foster cats for the local humane society.  We have to change the litter every day anyway. 

I have plenty of paper I could shred, and it would save the humane society money to not have to furnish litter.

I wonder if we used paper if the kittens would still use litter when they went elsewhere, though.  Also if an adult cat would recognize the paper for what it is, if they were used to litter.   Hmm....

We only have one cat that uses the paper - our other one uses the box with cat litter all the time.   As for changing it, it maybe should be done daily, but, err....moving right along.... I put a plastic grocery bag over my hand and kind of swoop in the box to get most of the paper, then spray it with 50/50 water and vinegar and wipe it out.

We have used wood pellets for litter for several years now.  It works really nice but you need to keep it sifted daily. I use an old colander to sift out the sawdust from the intact pellets.  The sawdust can go into your flower beds for mulch.  Our friends in Idaho go to a paper mill to buy the pellets and save money by buying in bulk.

One benefit of this is my house doesn't have the litter dust odor and it helps my allergies alot!

My kitten refuses to use anything but clay litter. She'll use the bathroom on top of newspaper or pellets, then step in it and jump on the bed. Not fun for me. Even when she was fixed she wouldn't do it. Do you think it's just a preference issue? I have a pretty picky cat- she prefers to drink out of cups or the sink instead of her waterbowl.

Kayote B.  try mixing shredded paper and kitty litter 50/50. We did this for several years and our cats seemed to prefer it.

Christina what a great tip, I am going to try that!

There are actually litters on the market made from old newspapers.

My kitten refuses to use anything but clay litter.... Do you think it's just a preference issue?

I think when you're changing litter types--to something that has a very different texture-- manufacturers recommend switching gradually by mixing with your old type. I once tried pine pellets, and that was explicitly recommended on the bag. The cat needs to get used to the new feel of it. Do you do that?

I have 6 cats.I went from clay litter to feline Pine.I gradually made the change as recommended but once I had made the transition,one of my cat refused to use the litter box and continued to do so until I went back to the clay litter in one of the litter boxes.Once I made a litter box for her she had no more accidents.The other cats didnt seem to mind which litter I used.

I have thought about trying newspaper for litter but I dont know how the cats would do with it.