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EW! bugs in Swheat Scoop cat litter?!
I don't want to badmouth any particular brand of cat litter, as I know this could just be a freak incident - but this was disgusting and I wonder if anyone here has experienced this?! And wondering if anyone can advise on biodegradable litters in general.
I normally use Swheat Scoop (clumping) cat litter for Pixel. A few weeks ago I purchased a new bag and used about half for her litter box. It came in a heavy-grade paper bag type material, as opposed to a cardboard box (sometimes sold that way in my area). So like usual, I folded over the top of the bag tightly and stored it in my guest closet. Well this past week we've been noticing these small flying insects in our house - initially I thought they were fruit flies, which is weird b/c we NEVER have them (or any other bugs for that matter). But then I realized they were a little larger than fruit flies. They're about as long as black ants, but they're a light tan/brown color, and have elongated wings like a termite. They don't bite, thank goodness, and they don't fly a lot - they seem to gravitate towards walls and then just sit/park there for days. But I couldn't identify a source of the bugs . . . weird and frustrating.
A few days later Pixel's litter was getting low, so I went to the closet to get the bag and top it up - only to discover WAY more bugs flying in the closet. When I picked up the bag and opened it, HORRORS! There was a SWARM of these flying insects in the bag and a few escaped before I screamed and quickly folded the bag shut again. EWWW!!!! I ran to get a garbage bag and placed the entire litter bag in, then knotted the top tightly and ran it outside to the dumpster. EW EW EW!!!! Obviously I dropped everything I was doing and completely cleaned out her box right that minute, then ran to the store and got a new bag of litter for her (different brand, different material). I also vacuumed the entire house, and threw away the vacuum bag as well as the contents of the trash can I use for the litter box. I didn't want a single speck of that litter anywhere in the house!
Now, I know that those bugs weren't there when I first filled the litter box, and strangely they didn't seem to be coming from her box at all, or flying around her box. Its only the new, unused litter, in the original bag in the closet. Has anyone had this happen before?!
I KNOW for a fact that we have never had those bugs in our house in the 6 years we've lived here. I am assuming the bugs came from the Swheat Scoop, and/or continued to live off of the litter as it is derived from wheat and therefore likely a nutrition source for them . . . ? What's weird is, I told my mom about this, and my mom sometimes buys cracked wheat from an imported grocery store - and she told me that once, she bought a bag, brought it home and opened it, only to discover these bugs in it - they sound just like the bugs we had. It makes me nervous to buy any of the litters derived from natural (edible) sources - - I noticed a new type of litter at the store made of a corn grain product, and while I love the idea of these types of litters (using a grain product that would normally be thrown away, helping to avoid the over mining of clay, healthier for cats, etc.) I CANNOT have these bugs flying around - that can't be healthy for any of us.
Days later, the bugs are almost all gone - I still see 2 or 3 randomly flying around the house (UGH) but for what it's worth Pixel is highly entertained, trying to chase and kill them 
Does anyone here know of a way to select an eco-friendly, healthy litter for cats (not clay-based) and ensure that it isn't infested with bugs?!!!
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Re: EW! bugs in Swheat Scoop cat litter?!
Need tips for surviving cat allergies? Check out my bio!
I didn't read your whole post, but we use Feline Pine and REALLY like it.
I would be disgusted by the bugs, too.
Sounds like you had flour weevils (or some people call them mealy bugs).
It is likely due to the fact that the litter is made of wheat products. I would honestly call the company to let them know about your contaminated bag.
Sorry for the delay in response - but closapio, thank you for that suggestion. I will try to call them this afternoon and see if they have any suggestions on preventing that from happening in the future. I honestly really like Swheat Scoop and don't want to switch brands, but I can't deal with bugs like this ever again!
Katelyn - thanks for your rec. I actually bought Feline Pine to replace the Swheat Scoop after the bug incident. Personally I think it's okay - certainly better than going back to a clay-based litter. But I don't think it clumps all that well, and I'm still worried that it might get infested with bugs since it's made of organic matter. Not sure if I'll stick to it in the future, but for now it's doing the job.
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Are you set on a clumping litter? We use the FP pellets, and purchased their sifting box to go with it. I love the combo of the two. We're eventually going to try and toilet train the cats, but in the meantime, I'm very happy with the FP pellets.
The fourty pound bag lasts us about 2 months with 4 cats.
http://www.petco.com/product/4364/Feline-Pine-Cat-Litter.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch
I much prefer the sifting boxes(other sifting boxes have holes that are too large).
http://www.felinepinelitterbox.com/order.php
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We hadn't considered non-clumping litters until we had to start trying out new litters because of Elliot's asthma. I don't believe they sell a lid for it. Although, you could use the pellets in your regular box(we have two regular and two FP boxes) and just dump the litter once or twice a week. We put down a layer of pellets about one pellet deep. When wet, the pellets expand a lot, and can overflow the litter box if you put too many in.
We used World's Best and SS in the past. The odor control of FP is much better, in my opinion, than either of the previous ones. Plus, the cost is a lot better, and like I said, the bags last us forever. No bug problems either
What I notice makes the strongest odor is their urine(they're raw fed). We sift the boxes once or twice a week to get the urine-moistened pellet debris in the bottom box, dump that, and leave the poops and dry pellets. We dump the top "shelf" with their poops and any remaining pellets, once a week. As for a covered box, all 4 of our kitties go in uncovered boxes just fine
Although, I can see how that would dress the box up a bit.
What clo said. This is just as probable to happen with your food-grade wheat products.
If you freeze the litter (like you would flour, cereal, etc), it will kill eggs and larvae.
Okay, thanks for this - you know what, I didn't exactly understand the whole sifting thing till you just explained the thing about moisture and the pellets. I was under the impression that you sifted everything down and only the poop stayed on top - and I wasn't sure how that would help with urine odor control. But I get it now - the urine-soaked pellets disintegrate into a powdery substance, which falls through the sifter and you throw it out, while the still dry/formed pellets (odor-free) remain. Got it! I guess it is worth considering then. I wish they made a cover for the box, and/or that there was a Booda dome looking thing that had the sifting part.
PUBoilerBride - thanks for the suggestion about freezing. It would be a major hassle since we live in such a small place (and have a small fridge as a result) but something to consider. The easier thing would probably just be to switch litters, provided none of the others attract these kind of insects.
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Exactly! I wasn't sure about how it worked at first, either. I am really glad I broke down and bought the FP sifting boxes, it helps the litter last even longer. I hope you're able to find something that works well for you