Composting Natural Cat Litter

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Wheat Litter Composts Easily

In a prior life I wrote primarily green, Eco, and organic. And while I still live this lifestyle, my writing has turned largely to dogs, with an Eco slant continuing in our lifestyle. Tanner, Oliver, Jacque and Patches all do their part, eating organic food and living as lightly on Earth as they are able.

Today I'd like to summarize and share some tips for composting cat litter that were begun at our recent #LitterChat Twitter Party for Swheat Scoop. Feel free to comment with your questions and I'll be happy to respond.

1. DO NOT try to compost clay litter or litter that contains ‘solids’. Always remove solids first. 
2. Micro-organisms in compost bins and piles do not break down proteins in kitty poo. Sift the litter well to remove.
3. Prepare for your most successful composting by triple sifting all solids. Yes, I've mentioned this 3 times! That's how important it is.
4. Compost bins require regular daily turns to circulate materials for faster composting. Turning your bit aerates the contents. Oxygen is imperative to the process. 
5. Compost piles on the ground are the most budget-savvy, but do require added effort to turn and cover. It's really not hard. Read on....
6. Compost piles on the ground require covers such as a heavy plastic bag or lg bin lid. 

   

   © AllThingsDogBlog.com
   Hidden Compost Behind Bushes and Pool Equipment

7. Best location is under an overhang of your roof.
8. Composting requires daily H2O by turning pile. Balance ingredients with dead or dry matter and food scraps.
9. To compost Swheat Scoop after sifting, add food scraps such as veggie ends and leftovers—NO proteins.
10. Best compost speed comes from balancing H2O, SwheatScoop and green matter like food scraps.
11. Easiest cat litter cleanup=recycled paper litterbox. Place box and contents in compost pile with food scraps.
12. No protein or fats in compost pile. Examples: eggs (shells are okay), meat, oil, cheese, fish, and bones.
13. Save fruit and veggie ends, peels and scraps for great compost. Also add coffee grounds for best pH balance. 
14. Healthy pH helps compost smell better and cycle faster.
15. Pickup FREE coffee grounds at your neighborhood Starbucks for healthier compost pH. 
16. Compost also helps with smell, keeping animals off the trail to your pile.
17. Compost is ready when all materials break down to look like a rough-textured soil or oatmeal.
18. How long till compost is ready? First batch is slowest, probably a few months. Aerate by stirring daily to aid speed.
19. Speed tip: Balance moisture, pH, dry and green matter. Stir and aerate often for fastest finished product.
20. Critter aler: If you live in an area with wildlife, fence pile and cover with chicken wire or wire garden fencing to make it difficult to get at the contents underneath.
21. What to do with finished compost? Add to flowers and veggie plants as soil enhancer and fertilizer. More blooms, healthier vegetation, more flavorful and healthier veggies and fruits.
22. Enjoy the flavor of home-grown herbs and vegetables that are organic. Yum!

Want to learn more about composting your household wastes to lessen your burden on the landfills? Here are some posts I've written on another site:

• Composting: What is It and Why Do I Do It?
• What Can I Put in My Compost?
• Selecting and Setting Up a Location for a Compost Pile
• Composting 101: Part III
• What Do I Do With Large Quantities of Material to Compost?
• More Compost Options
• Composting Doggie Doodie and Other Solutions
• Kitchen Compost Storage, Saving Paper Towels and More 10-Minute Tips
• Yard Waste Compost Piles
• Lighting a Fire Under My Compost
• Okay, I'll stop there. Visit Organic-Journey-Online.com for more.

 

Rafflecopter Follows = Pet Prize Fun

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Swheat Scoop and Event Barkers have announced our latest Twitter Party this week, and we sure do hope you've already RSVP'd to get in on that prize drawing for #LitterChat. Yesterday we started the PreTweet contest and today we're offering up our biggest of the pre-party prizes, the Rafflecopter drawing.

This Rafflecopter winner will not only get a 14-pound bag of Swheat Scoop litter, but this prize also includes a terrific Imperial Cat Scratch 'n Shape Tower and 2 cat toys, all valued at about $62. Learn more about Imperial Cat at their Facebook page, on Twitter and their website.

Patches is a bit miffed with me over this. She got wind of this totally cool prize package and, well, you know cats; they're moody. Wish me luck in protecting the prizes from her :)

Our Rafflecopter winner will get to take home this cool 2 piece tower that can be used in so many ways to entertain and assist Meow in viewing her favorite areas outside the must-see windows in your home. Wrapped with a scratching surface, Meow can now sharpen her nails while watching birds at the same time. 

courtesy Swheat Scoop

To win this terrific prize package, you may enter as many of the options in the Rafflecopter below as you choose. Remember to keep it fun and do only those which you enjoy. Tweet entries included in the Rafflecopter may be repeated daily to increase your chances and to join in the fun.

If the Rafflecopter is playing Hide-n-Seek again, simply click on the post title to refresh and it will come back out to play. Good luck to you all and be sure to click this Tweet to let your friends know what you're up to:

#LitterChat's Rafflecopter includes @SwheatScoop litter, @ImperialCat Tower+kitty toys. Enter here: http://t.co/5vB3tPmv8k
— Carrie Boyko (@AllThingsDog) June 27, 2013

Learn more about Swheat Scoop here:

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Instagram


Swheat Scoop and Event Barkers are working together to increase the awareness of this Eco-friendly kitty litter on social media. Event Barkers is a partnership of All Things Dog Blog and Dogtipper.com, producing Twitter Parties, photo contests and other social media promotional events.

Pet Perks Come from PreTweet Fun

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

courtesy Swheat Scoop
Win Litter, Organizers and Toys

One of the trademark activities that Twitter Parties use to get the word out is a perfect match for its venue--the PreTweet! By Tweeting about our #LitterChat Twitter Party on behalf of @SwheatScoop, you'll be helping us tell others about this terrific, green product, while aiding them in learning about the time and place for this prize-filled party.

With experience we've learned a few things, and thanks to our recent Twitter Party surveys, we learned that you like these preTweets and their ease of use. To tell you the truth, we kinda like them too! Shall we get this ball rolling? Here goes!

courtesy Petlinks*

Patches is all over #LitterChat 4 @SwheatScoop. Who knew potty talk could be so exciting?! Join us: http://t.co/wVUQkP3XDQ
— Tanner & Oliver (@5MinutesforFido) June 25, 2013

Loads of tips 4 families w/ Woof & Meow under 1 roof. We'll be dishing them at #LitterChat. RSVP now: http://t.co/xFhhBsW1gY
— Carrie Boyko (@AllThingsDog) June 25, 2013

Did you know @SwheatScoop cat litter is biodegradable & can be composted? Learn how at #LitterChat: http://t.co/eTBjZOwKg5
— Carrie Boyko (@Learnin2Bgreen) June 25, 2013

You'll also find more Tweets to enter with at CatTipper and DogTipper :)

Rules? Feel free to Tweet each of the above Tweets once daily, and if you're really in it to win it, visit CatTipper for even more Tweets to enter your Twitter handle to win. Win what? Our PreTweet winner will be shipped a prize package to include 14 lbs. of Swheat Scoop cat litter, a Purrfect Order Litter Accessory Organizer, Vapor Vault waste storage collector and bags to go with it, and we're even throwing in a couple of toys for Meow. Altogether, this is a prize valued over $60. 

While we encourage everyone to join in for the litterbox tips and discussion, prizes at this party are available only to U.S. addresses. Thank you for your understanding.

In our Event Barkers partnership with DogTipper.com, we really do have a lot of fun creating these events for you. This time we're even bringing CatTipper.com in on the action, so lots of expertise will be coming your way. 

Don't forget to mark your calendars and be sure you are on the RSVP list to potentially win that drawing. Watch for tomorrow's Rafflecopter entry when you'll get some tips on who to follow for helpful info and more fun ways to enter.

Learn more about Swheat Scoop here:

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Instagram

* Purrfect Order prize includes containers and waste bags only. Event Barkers is hosting #LitterChat on behalf of Swheat Scoop to aid in building their online exposure.

Event Barkers Announces #LitterChat

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I know what you're thinking. Isn't this a dog blog? Don't get your skivvies in a tizzy. I'll be spending much of this party sharing tips for helping you and your dog adjust to a kitty in the home. Our many rescued kitties--Patches, Corey Lou, Bandit, Piwacket, K.C., and Carmel--were all terrific teachers. I have much to share!

Even better than that, Swheat Scoop will have prizes galore for #LitterChat, bringing in some super goodies from other cat brands as well, just to make sure you have a terrific time. Your Event Barkers hosts, All Things Dog Blog, DogTipper, and CatTipper have quite a plan to bring you information on this great kitty litter, all while we're having a great time and one lucky winner takes home a year's worth of Swheat Scoop with their other goodies. If you have a Meow in your home with dogs, you're going to have a lot to gain both in helpful tips and terrific prizes, not to mention learning more about this greener litter. I'm eager to get started on that topic!

Our RSVP winner will run away with a 14 lb. bag of Swheat Scoop litter, a premium Cat Scooper by Imperial Cat, along with a couple of fun toys to tantalize Meow. :)

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, July 16 at 8 PM ET. We'll have a shotgun start with our first prize being announced immediately upon opening. Every 10 minutes following the open doors, we'll have another winner, and each one will be a terrific addition to your Meow's lifestyle. As always, we'll have 3 pre-party giveaways. The winners of each will be announced at the party.

Join in our Pre-Party Giveaways:

Can't make the party date or time? No worries! You still have three opportunities to win a prize package. Check these out--

• Start today by RSVPing for this party that will share tons of great info for you and Meow, as well as including some tips on helping Woof and Meow make the litterbox lifestyle a bit more workable. Once you've RSVP'd below, you'll be in the drawing to win a prize package of goodies that will include a 14 lb. bag of Swheat Scoop and more.
• Tomorrow we'll introduce our PreTweet giveaway, including some easy one-click Tweets that you can enter with one simple click! This is one entry method that you're free to join in daily, if you wish.
• Finally, our third pre-event drawing is the Rafflecopter, which we'll unveil on Thursday, June 27. This giveaway will guide you in following the appropriate hosts, sponsors and experts to learn more about @SwheatScoop before the party date even arrives. Sometimes that info turns out to be handy when the hosts start asking questions, so be sure to follow and watch for tips and info on the terrific Rafflecopter prize that your Meow will be thrilled with. 

Learn more about Swheat Scoop here:

Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Instagram

Participation Guidelines:

Winners' announcements will begin immediately upon opening of the Twitter Party at 8 PM ET on Tuesday, July 16, so don't be late! Every 10 minutes thereafter, winners will continue to be announced until the Grand Prize winner is announced at the closing of the party--9 PM ET. Stick around to make sure you don't miss your shout out for an amazing $200 prize package that will stock you up and make Meow purr!

1. RSVP's will remain open throughout the entire party, so that everyone can join in to win or just to enjoy the fun and get some helpful training and litterbox tips from our guest expert, @PetSandy.
2. The RSVP winner will be drawn on Tuesday morning, July 16. This winner's handle will be announced at the party. We recommend you go ahead and RSVP right now so you don't miss this very important drawing!
3. While we encourage everyone to join in for the litterbox tips and discussion, prizes are available only to U.S. addresses. Thank you for your understanding.

RSVP Instructions:

Following is an example to enter the RSVP form below. Below the numbered list at the bottom is a blue link that says "Click here to enter". Click this and follow these instructions, using the image below as a guide.  

In the first field that says "Link Title or Blog Title" just enter your Twitter handle as shown in the example.  Notice I entered @EventBarkers. In the second field that says "Link" you'll enter the link to your Twitter account. It will look like this: "http://twitter.com/yourhandlehere". 

You can leave your email address and name in the next two fields, if you wish. This will help us reach you if you win a prize. Now click "Enter your link" and that's it. You have completed your RSVP. Don't forget to follow our sponsor and host handles listed above to make sure you can win prizes at the party.

Now let your friends know about the party with this one-click Tweet:

RSVP 4 #LitterChat TwitterParty by @EventBarkers 2 learn @SwheatScoop expert tips, info+win prizes. Join me: http://t.co/nZuuy9B4km
— Carrie Boyko (@AllThingsDog) June 25, 2013

Event Barkers is working with Swheat Scoop kitty litter to build their online exposure and Twitter following.