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Reddit says the best cat litter is actually… pellets for a Traeger?!

Wood pellet kitty litter: Why Reddit is in a catfight over this money-saving idea

BethAnn Mayer
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Is the best kitty litter not really kitty litter? Reddit is heating up with a genius hack for cat parents. You can DIY wood pellet kitty litter with pellets for a Traeger grill.

Can the stuff you use for the best wood-fired, smoky-tasting barbecue dishes double as cat litter? Reddit is in a dust-up over the purported genius hack.

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“Best cat litter ever… you choose: $18 (20 lbs.) vs. $7 (40 lbs.),” started Reddit u/Navi36 in the r/Frugal subreddit.

Cat jumping out of a litter box
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In the post, there was a side-by-side photo of the two choices. The $18 option was standard kitty litter. The $7 option with twice the amount of pellets was a heaping bag of wood pellets for a Traeger grill.

Some kitty parents agreed: The Traeger grill wood pellet kitty litter was the cat’s meow (or at least a favorite money-saving trick they, too, had discovered). The post has racked up over 850 comments.

“Yes — 100% agree with you and am also a follower of this practice. [It’s] so much cheaper and tracks so much less. Plus, [there’s] so much less to do since you really only scoop the solids (compared to regular litter that you have to scoop pee, too),” wrote the top commenter, who also added some tips for people considering the trick.

“Make sure you avoid pine and softwood pellets — they can actually be an irritant to cats — look for hardwood pellets (same low price, same easy availability in hardware and general stores!). In Canada, Canadian Tire carries a few types of giant bags,” the Redditor wrote.

However, another poster was raising red flags.

“Besides the cancer risk using random wood pellets for cat litter can really aggravate your cat’s lungs. Regular clay isn’t much better. It kicks up dust whenever your cat uses it and can lead to asthma-like symptoms in cats,” wrote one user. The user noted that no scented litter was safe and later added, “I prefer World’s Best non-scented in the red bag because there is almost no dust or tracking at all, and it doesn’t seem to trigger my cat’s asthma at all. It is a bit more expensive, but it’s a really good litter [that] doesn’t track much, and it tends to last longer than most other litters.”

Of note, the Humane Society and San Diego Humane Society don’t mention anything about scented kitty litter being unsafe. However, they note that cats may not like the smell — our feline friends sure are opinionated. That said, they also don’t discuss wood pellet kitty litter, particularly not from pellets designed for grills.

Your best bet is to avoid using Reddit for safety advice. Like any platform, it’s not a substitute for actual advice from a licensed professional. If you’re having kitty potty issues, want to get creative, or looking to save on pet care, speak to your cat’s veterinarian. They can walk you through safe ways to save, and what’s worth paying full price for your cat’s health and safety.

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BethAnn Mayer
BethAnn Mayer
Contributor
Beth Ann's work has appeared on healthline.com and parents.com. In her spare time, you can find her running (either marathons…
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