I'll ask another question.

Hey, I just thought of something. Would some doggy leavings get the heat going in the barrel/tumbler type compost bin? The one I'm sorry I bought, and is situated right next to the REAL compost bin I built with pallets?

It depends on the dog food. Good meat types (expensive) have good nitrogen sources but Atta Boy and such have no protein but what is in cereal. Brown matter Hee Hee.

I use alfalfa meal for cat litter and dump it all in the compost pile. I tried dumping it straight onto the raised beds and nearly killed some rhubarb plants. I won't be doing that again.

I use to use the ground up clay cat litters and got so tired of trying to figure out a way to get rid of them. We live in the country and do use trash pick up services. I heard years ago of using the clay litter to fill holes in the gravel drive so I did that for a long time. But I too needed more nitrogen in the compost so I switched to the alfalfa. I used pellets for a while then switched to meal because it absorbs better and the cats can cover their poo better with meal than with pellets.

Dog food with real meat in it is too expensive to use to start compost heaps heating up. I think I pay less than $10 for a 50# bag of alfalfa meal at the livestock feed store. That is just a guess because I haven't had to buy any for quite a while. Kitties stay outside in the summer. We only have the 2 dumped kittens in the house at all now and that isn't often since they are getting so big. Litter boxes for 5 cats in the winter is something I could do without very easily. Hopefully one will soon go to our grandson across the pasture soon. 4 cats will be more than plenty this winter.

Her Royal Majesty Brigid the Impeccable, Queen of Everything, only eats Cesar dog food -- the kind in the tiny containers that looks like pate. Okay, and the occasional goodie out of the litter box (eewww) but all in all that should be a fine poo base. She's a rescue from a puppy mill in Vidor, TX, so you'd think she wouldn't be that particular.

leaflady, I can relate. I love them all, but three is more than enough. I'm trying to get them to enjoy the outside more, but they're all rescues who have lived inside up until now and they don't trust fresh air.

We are just about to acquire 2 cats, and they will be indoor cats. I had planned on using one of the fancy new types of cat litter than really squelshes odors, but I love the idea of composting the poop. Does anyone know if modern cat litters can be composted (assuming I am ok with composting the cat poop and pee, which I am), or whether I need to find alfalfa or the like?

We use a corn based litter called "world's best cat litter" that does a great job controlling odors and contains only corn.

http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/

A few people use alfalfa meal with great success as well.

THANKS! And then you compost the whole mess?

It has been composted in the past. We are currently living in an area that prohibits this.
Once we have our own yard again, more can be composted.

If your cats will accept alfalfa meal, that would be cheaper. I don't know about the odor control aspects of alfalfa as kitty litter, so hopefully those who are using it will comment on that aspect. The corn one is a clumping type litter that doesn't plug up the cats if they accidently ingest some of it when cleaning their paws. We've tried commerical cat litters made from wheat and newspaper. They all failed the odor control test. I am usually able to come home for lunch, so our kitties get maid service several times a day.

Does anyone need kittens, or Bamboo, I have an over aboundance of both at the moment.

We're about to pick out 2 kittens from the pound, but thanks for the offer!