I say -- RECALL THE GOVERNOR! I suggest we also write a letter to California Senator Barbara Boxer. She seems more of a cat lover than Arnold.

I just have this image of your kitties crossing their legs and jumping up and down. :::gotta go, now:::

Ba ha ha ha ha ha!!

I tried a similar kind with my three cats a few years ago, but they wouldn't have it. They preferred the also-super-expensive crystal kind.

So, you are entering the sketchy world of the cat poop black market. Be careful, it's cold out there for a Purl.

I think calling their cat litter a "harmonious pooping surface" should totally get their attention over at the fine offices of Drs. Foster & Smith. I know how the big corporate types love a good catch phrase!

I think the reason your litter has been banned is because flushing cat litter has been linked to sea otter deaths. (I'm not kidding!) But you'd think they could just repackage it for California and call it "Clump and Don't Flush!" Check out the article:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1538645,00.html

This is because of a 'Green' law that passed a while back and is strangely reminiscent of the low-flow toilet law that gives us SoCaler's toitois that don't work. Why don't you have it shipped to your parents and send them a call tag via UPS? Then they can just slap on the label and you can have your (CA Unapproved) kitty litter? (God I love Civil Disobedience :-)

Here's the url to contact the governator of your glorious state:

http://gov.ca.gov/site/contact-governor

I contacted him once about his idiocy when he vetoed the very sensible marriage law that your legislature passed. He is an idiot.

Good luck.

Now I'm wondering if our corn-based litter is causing my Jamie's larynx issues - he has some kind of inflammation and is getting nodules, the vet says to laser them off, but I want to know what's causing it! We changed litter and it didn't help, but that was when we were thinking it was allergies - it's more of an irritation, I think, and it will take more than a week to resolve. I think I'll order some of your litter. You should get kickbacks!

If this weren't so grim it would be funny. It just doesn't make ANY sense, especially if it's biodegradable and all that and made from CORN COBS for petessakes. I propose letting Roy get a note from the Vet, might that help? I bet if you contact your local Representative or Senator you can find out what the deal is. Please do, because now I'm curious beyond comprehension. Could someone send it to you as a GIFT? sheeesh....it's not like it's food.

Oh, ours is World's Best - have you tried that? Is this one less dusty?

This is interesting. I was looking at your cat litter and then looking at my brand which is very similar. It had the following postscript

"*The State of California encourages the disposal of cat feces in trash and discourages flushing cat feces in toilets or disposing of them in drains."

I wonder if it is the name that makes the product unshippable to California.

We use World's Best Cat Litter which is derived from corn, dust free, clumping and flushable.

Laurie - maybe it's time for toilet training? I haven't tried it myself - with nine spoiled felines strictly indoors, I'm afraid I would have to stand in line. Is that something you would consider? I would love to know the outcome! Just don't teach them to flush - I understand that brings a whole other set of issues!!

"Chez Poopsalot,"...I'm stillll laughing. Poor kitties :-( I hope you able to find a swift and satisfying resolution.

World's best cat litter is fine ... I know a lot of folks who use it! But it is too dusty for our house, and the cats don't like it at all. Trust me when I tell you we have tried all litters available through stores, pet co-ops and the internet. If it can be purchased in the United States of America, we have tried it at Poop Central.

I'm actually thinking the ban has something to do with the packaging material. There was a new law that went into effect in January (the timing makes sense anyway) that band all packaging from the State of California that isn't somehow offically blah blah blah free of something or other.

It's so annoying.

Oh dear. As the head of a three-cat household, I am worried for you. Running out of the litter makes things get ugly fast around here.

Maybe you should threaten a sit in with the cats on the capital steps.

I've been waiting for your post all day, and it really made me laugh out loud-rules and regulations all over. In Norway, we solve it this way: Buy a farm. Get a cat. Let the cat stay in the barn. Cat poops will be all over the farm. Cats leave food on doorstep(mice and so on...)Hungry for a little something to nibble on? Check doorstep....
But seriously:
I love your blog, and the cats are gourgeous!Your knitting too!

This is less likely a Governator issue than a legislature issue. I know this is more government than you'd ever wanted in your life, but figure out who YOUR state rep is and CALL his/her office. Then start the email campaign. Either he/she can explain this bizarre event, or get the damn litter off the list. I'd suggest sending some little gifts from the cats, but you'd probably get a visit from some CHIPS officers. Of course....they could be single and cute.

I second Rabbit's opinion -- it's not the litter, but the cat poop that's the problem. Flushed cat poop introduces the dreaded Toxoplasmosis into the waterways, ultimately killing the (absolutely adorable and endangered) CA sea otters.

Yes indeedy, it's that dangerous word flush that's causing the turmoil, since we Californians do have miles of coastline and flushing cat poop can spread disease to aquatic life forms....maybe they could just change the name to Clump 'n Dump?

I just ordered this litter for the first time recently, based on your recommendation, and noticed it said that on the website. (Yes, I am taking cat-litter-buying advice from someone I have never actually met, AND wondering how she fulfills her own litter needs in California if they won't ship to CA. Yes, I need a life!) Tell them you're responsible for spreading the word! They need to keep you happy.

I bet you have a fan near enough the California state line to be a buyer for you. Best of luck.

hey! just wanted to say hi and let you know i stopped by because someone told me you went to a SnB in LA, and I'm planning to move back down there this fall or so. no such thing as too-early research when it comes to a good SnB, i think. good luck with the poo.

If you want, you can ship it to to me New Mexico and I'll forward it to you.

Yes, we are part of the United States. No, we are not in Mexico.

Nevermind, it probably wouldn't work.

Poor kitties!

Sounds like your only option, other than changing litter, is to pay double shipping. I would suggest finding a friend (you have lots here in cyberspace, unfortunately this one also lives in CA) in Oregon or Nevada who would be willing to reship it to you directly. And you wouldn't be breaking any laws. The litter can't be SOLD in Cali, but someone could legally ship it to you as long as they're not selling it to you. Set up an account with DHL and have it shipped ground. You'll probably be surprised at the good rate (comparatively).

Good luck! I feel your pain - it was months of trial and much error before finding a food all four of my cats could agree on.

I feel your pain. Our cats will poop in just about anything, but those in charge of saving us from ourselves have changed Nyquil and all related cold-care products by removing the pseudoephedrine (generic sudafed) for fear that people might use them to make crystal meth and/or get something approximating adequate sleep. I wouldn't mind so much were I not afflicted with an exceptionally tenacious cold.

Grrr. On the upside, Ed is still alive and pooping (Ed? the litterbox is over there). Also, excellent shot of constipated-looking Frankie.

Honey, looks like you're going to have to smuggle.

It would be interesting to find out what's in the cat litter that has banned it from CA. Our state has been making a lot of steps towards becoming eco-friendly, what with all the millions of people that live here.

In the end, it's up to Clump 'N Flush to change their recipe if they want to win back their CA customers (fans).

Have you tried Tidy Cat?

hah hah very funny drew!!!

And drew... laugh now... but you know it will end up being YOU who has to ship this stuff to me....

That's a great letter you wrote, and I'm sure it will get attention. I'm from Canada and don't know your representative democratic system, but either contact your local politician, or Arnold himself about this. It certainly sounds like the cat litter should be everything he is for in the green dept. Letters work. Phone calls work. Get all your California friends to get on the same bandwagon (Did you see what happened when Grumperina suggested we write to Skacel about lace additurbos?--now they sell them)
About 50 years ago (how time flies!) my dad, who worked for a radio station at the time, told me how phone calls and letters are interpreted by companies. At that time one phone call was thought to represent 10 people having the same point of view. And 1 letter represented 100 people having the same point of view. That made a huge impression on me, and I have used that ratio in various social action efforts over the decades with a pretty good success rate. About 15 years ago I reminded him of that conversation. Oh, he said, those ratios are way out of date. He didn't know what they were currently, but because people are so busy, and letter writing is almost a lost art, and email is so popular, companies take feedback from consumers very seriously. Many packages of goods have consumer feedback phone numbers and email addresses, having the belief that "If you're displeased, tell us. If you're pleased, tell others." So I believe that you will get positive action on your plight. Good luck.

Ooh, I love your letter!

Hmmm. It's probably mail fraud but do you have a friend (preferably just outside the CA state lines) you could ship it to? If they put it into those flat-rate boxes the post office has they could send it to you. They're only $7.

I feel your pain. I had a friend who lived in LA for several years and finally left because of a job. But also because she couldn't do or buy anything interesting in California. (Warning! This product is known by the state of Cal...)

What if you send a good angry Soba photo a day to the governor's office? Or better yet, you could send him the kittie's...presents...

Ship it to me and I'll ship it back to you. :)

Laurie,

If you want the President of super duper agra corn bidness to respond to you you must write. I know using the mail is sooo 80's(I love the 80's) but it gets results. Seriously, the VP of something or other at Qwest called my husband on the telephone when he wrote to them on account of the heavy duty plastic bag that was covering our telephone transformer dealie in the alley. Stamps mean you mean business!

Oh, geez, after all the trouble you went through to get the perfect litter to satisfy both Roy and his catpatriots! The emails are a very good idea but in the meantime it's probably good to get a plan in order for layover shipping from someone in another state. But then, I'm sure you're already on top of that.

Got to be! A problem-free trip to the catbox will keep all inhabitants of Chez Poopsalot, including the human girl, happy!

See that toilet training thing is looking pretty good now...huh?

I'm thinking maybe a mail drop just on the other side of the Nevada line...ship it there, then go once every howevermuch and pick it up!

Poor kitties, that is ridiculous!

It's the whole "flushing" thing that has gotten your filler banned. I suggest sending it to someone else's house (in a cat litter friendly state) and then have it shipped ups (it's not really that much more expensive if you plan ahead. I would volunteer to drive it down my next trip, but I would hate to learn that they will be searching for unauthorized cat litter at the bug stations as you enter the state. It's bad enough that you get stopped and searched as it is.

Over the Nevada line...that means a...necessary...trip to Las Vegas, right?

Wait until AP and Reuters get this! Arnold cannot possibly survive this scandal!! Forget about the presidency....no self-respecting cat lover will EVER vote for him!!!

Have you ever tried ripped-up newspaper in the litter box?? It has to be changed every day, though.

Perhaps you should save the cat poop for a while and mail to the Governator?

yep, send an email to Barbara Boxer and let her know what is happening in Californeeeaaa. I think this is serious shit, uh, poop here.

Where are foster and smith located? why do I have the feeling it's just down the road from here? Email me if it's in WI.

Yep, you need to develop a source in Nevada, land of desert and personal freedoms. You can have them meet you in Palm Springs to make periodic dumps, um, drops.

How far is the nearest city in the next State? If nothing else works, you could have it delivered there and go pick it up. It's a lot of work, but, hey, you're the one who stated the importance of poop!

Good luck :)

Laurie--

You probably already know this by now, but it is wording on the packaging that has to be changed before the litter can be shipped to CA (a disclaimer not to flush the litter). Here is a letter from the Dept of Fish and Game saying even a sticker will do. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/docs/AB2485-Letter.pdf
But Foster and Smith, not being the manufacturer, wouldn't take the responsibility for such a thing.

I'll bet you'll be able to order it again soon. Meanwhile, why doncha get a local pet store (not one of those big chains) to order you some from the company? Or call said clump'n'flush makers and find out if it is already for sale somewhere.

Full text of bill http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/05-06/bill/asm/ab_2451-2500/ab_2485_bill_20060918_chaptered.html.
Love your blog,
Stephanie

CAP--I also took your and the Kitty's advice and now am ordering Clump&Flush. I love it and my kitty's love it.. the dust problem was what caught my attention...I always just put it in the trash, still not believing the flush part>. So if we all send you a bag.....

So, the whole huge grain and industrial and blah blah blah company - it's located WHERE I LIVE, and I must say, they are an awesome company (they do more then grain & industrial, they have a FABULOUS general store where you can get imported groceries and lawn mowers in the same place). I hope for your sake and the cats that something gets resolved.
I know this does nothing to solve your problem but Wow - the things I learn here...I never knew the Anderson's made cat litter.

dig this. i used to work for Oriental Trading Company, and we sold stuff for children. Stuff that we had tested for safety for children. Would you believe that a set of necklaces was banned from being sold in california because it didn't meet "california requirements?" and let's not EVEN get into the whole emissions thing. why is it california legislature thinks they're so much better than the rest of the country? oy!

I think it might the otters, too. I think I read something about that a couple of months ago.

I suggest you get a mail drop box in Vegas and have them forward it to you. Or make Drew help you. ;^) Roy needs what he needs and that's that.

The Governor would only care if you paid him to care. He's that kinda guy. :?

Good luck, Auntie!

What a load of crap! If they don't want you flushing it don't you think that they can put a disclaimer on the package for California of not safe to flush for you folks? Yeah I say ship it to your parents and have them ship it to you. Of course that is more money, but that is better than the cats having to take other alternatives.

And the ironic (!!!) thing is that I can't even flush the litter, I just bag & dispose in the wastecan. I live in an ancient hous and have ancient plumbing, there is no way on the planet I could ever flush that much cat poo.

heh ... we are discussing cat poo.

Please don't flush cat poop down the toilet. Cat feces contains a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis which kills sea otters.

Laurie:

The manufacturer's website has a link to "Email the President" - http://www.andersonsinc.com/

You know, I need a blog, so I could have people all over the country help me with my problems!!

By the way, totally off topic, did you know knitting burns 2 calories per minute?

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.html

Take care!!

time to ration?

Hi Laurie,

I know you've tried everything under the sun and all, but anyway, I did a quick search for "corn cob cat litter" and found this, which is very possibly the same litter in different packaging: http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?familyid=12016 Good luck! How frustrating. Stupid Arnold, outlawing good cat litter! ;)

Helen

If it's a packaging thingy - and just a sticker will do - I'd suggest getting on the phone and calling the manufacturer. Explain the situation, and that all you need is a little sticker on the box so Roy won't have to cross his legs indefinitely. I'll bet if you get to the right person, they'll label the boxes for you. A two cent sticker is nothing compared with losing all of the California business . . .

what a great picture of Frankie... just enough constipation and fear.

hang in there, laurie. if I were closer, I'd ship it to you. Its too bad you can't "drugstore" it - have it wrapped in brown paper.
:) Then make your new neighbors wonder what is in those brown packages you keep receiving on a regular basis.

keep us posted.
(p.s. someone needs to send some chez-poo to Drew. :) )

I think we should all write a letter to the company telling them to put the stickers on their product. If one real letter is worth X amount of attention, think if each Aunt Purl reader sent one???

We can start our own grass roots "movement" hehehehe...

Poor FRANKIE!!!! She looks like she really, REALLY needs mo' o' what you aint got!

Okay Laurie - in an effort to assist you in finding the Govenator - I went to the State of California website. And, imagine my surprise when I find that Arnold has his own website (http://gov.ca.gov/). And, imagine my further surprise when I find that he has a forum going currently on "Reducing Greenhouse Gases"! Now, I admit that I am not a Rhodes scholar, but it seems to me that this "au natural" corn cob based kitty litter would be ON the A list for California. I believe that we may need an intervention here - mayhaps Mr. Al Gore would be just the person - and since he has just won an Oscar for his documentary on how WE are causing global warming... he might be the person to help you with the "Kitty Litter" Contra Affair! I believe that Mr. Gore would jump right on the band wagon for Chez Poopsalot - this could be a new chapter to "An Inconvenient Truth"!!

Also, if you possibly tried to contact Maria - I bet she would understand the kitty litter issue - her being a woman and all....

Good luck!!

Wow, we use "Clump n' Flush", all the way up here in Ontario, with no political effects (then again, we don't have seals in the Great Lakes). While the flushing ban may be a valid eco-issue, there's still the dustiness to consider -- are there no other corncob-based litters that make it past legislation? PC "Green" litter (a grocery-chain brand here) is pretty darned good, but more perfumed than C-n-F. Best of luck to you and your kitties!

Oh, the horror! I hope you get it resolved soon. Did you order the Cozy Cushion?

My cat poops enough for probably 2-3 cats. I'm serious. Thank God he's not picky. He does have this fastidious OCD thing where he has to bury everything so completely that all the litter in his box ends up in one corner in a mound of many surprises. I really hope you get things worked out soon!

Just a thought... what if you did ship it to your parents, and then they mailed it to you? Or maybe ship it to someone in a nearby state and ask them to mail it to you? I mean, I've heard of people mailing pot, surely some cat litter can make it through the mail!

I will say a prayer for you and your cats. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't able to get the preferred litter for my rabbits. It would be ANARCHY, absolute chaos! Mrs. Cooper is holding on by a thread as it is.

Wait a minute...this is the Governor who smokes huge cigars thereby polluting his lungs and the atmosphere of those around him. Has made loads of films which weren't exactly renowned for their environmental conscience due to the large amount of blowing up of big things that went on. And we won't even go near the other sorts of poisons that may have gone in his system in those Mr Universe days...and he has problem with cat poop and how it's disposed off?! Falling off chair in amazement.

Someone may have already suggested this, but I'm too lazy to ready the previous 65 comments. Ship it to a relative out of state and have them ship it to you. Surely, the USP, Fed-Ex or USPS is not going to care if your parents ship you cat litter. Yes, this does add a billgilion dollars in shipping fees to you, but Roy needs it, right?

And no, I am not suggesting something totally illegal ;)

Ooooo--you have my deepest sympathies. Ellie will only use Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat & Cat Attract litters & they're not cheap! (I fill the litter boxes 2/3 full with the Doc's Precious Cat, and then top it with a sprinkling of the Doc's Cat Attract--it's a very delicate balance)
At any rate, I love writing letters & fighting injustices so I'll be happy to *hijack* my great-aunt Betty's LA address & pretend to be a CA resident & write the legislators about this.

Um, I just looked at my cat litter online to see what IT says about CA because it's called Easy Flush ... and it says IN CALIFORNIA, DO NOT FLUSH. Seriously. I think that is probably the problem. No flushy-flushy!

http://www.armhammerpets.com/flush.aspx

I'm with the contraband UPS crowd.

Have you tried Swheat? It's also biodegradable (made from yummy wheat!) and non-dusty, and I'm pretty sure you can buy it at Target.

Hum, that makes me want to try something new. The dust from the clumping cat litter I use is killing me! I live in Texas and we don't recycle or any pro-environment issues here so I am going to have to search for this magical stuff. Thanks for the tip.

Have it shipped to me and I'll mail it to you!! I'll write "caution, yarn contents may be very heavy" on the outside.

Jeez.

Seriously, though. I'll forward it to you...

This makes me glad that I dont have a cat (allergic) and I dont live in California (dont like earthquakes)

Reading about the poo problems is making me miss my dog (he died last March) We had lots of "issues" with him and poo...and pee...and the occasional pile of vomit (why did he always do it in the corners where it was hard to clean up?)

Hopefully Laurie, you'll talk Drew into being your litter smuggler.

It's so funny how many people want to discuss cat poo on the internet! My cat is a Maine Coon - he's 26 pounds - you can't flush his poop, either, the sewer system just can't handle it!

I feel your pain. We like EverFresh here. At least, we used to, when it was unscented. It still *says* it's unscented, but when you pour it out it smells like some kind of detergent. Yech. I don't like it and the cats don't either. Why did they mess with it?

Next best here (because least dusty among clay litters I've tried) is Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat, which I have to go to another town for (because apparently only PetSmart carries it), but I can't really complain about that because it's less than a half hour, and I know in LA you can go an hour and still be in the metro area. (Or in the same square mile, if traffic's really bad.) It hardly takes longer than it did to get to the PetSmart I used to have to go to in Houston even though that one was less than 5 miles away.

Well of all the ridiculous...I almost said crap. But that wouldn't be funny. :)

You need a PO box at the closest Nevada post office to the California border, and a good-looking 21-year-old man to drive out there every couple of months to pick up your Clump n' Flush.

Yes, Gwen I have tried Swheat scoop, it is actually one of the dustiest litters, I poured it in the "trial box" (I did clinical trials at my house -- hah hah, clinical -- for over a year, slowly introducing one new litter after another in the trial box) and I actually had to remove swheat scoop as soon as I poured it in, it was so dusty I was even coughing!

Seriously, I have tried them all. I think HellaHelen may be onto something, though, the Nature's Miracle is the same consistency, it just had a much more perfumey smell. Maybe if I "air" it out in the garage for a while or something it will de-perfume enough to make it indoors.

What a pain in the pooper.

That Drew is a funny Dude.

Frankie really looks like she's 'holding it.' Good luck! Keep us posted on the poop!

Laurie, Right now I live and work about a mile from the Andersons (apparent makers of wonder-litter). If you got super desperate, perhaps we could arrage a shipment? :-) Hope all goes well in the search for litter. I've been down that road a few times, now we *must* have Feline Pine and only Feline Pine in our house.

Do they not know that the correct pooping surface is VITAL in a small dwelling with four cats???

Hmmmm....I may be wrong, but isn't it ILLEGAL for any municipality in California to dump untreated wastes into the ocean?
There is, of course, the disgusting truth that tonnes of raw dog waste from lawns and gutters get washed into ocean at every heavy rain, but it seems to me that (by the ever-handy transitive theory a la seventh grade math) un-processed cat poop from toilets= unprocessed PEOPLE poop from toilets= if there is toxi-germs from kitties affecting otters, we're gonna have cholera germs from people infecting surfers and swimmers real soon. SO WHY AREN'T YOU IDIOTS LOOKING TO STOP THE UNPROCESSED SEWAGE DUMPING INSTEAD OF BLAMING CAT LITTER????
So, what I'm saying here is there seems to be a lot of bad reasoning behind this new law here, and that just annoys me. Especially since it's annoying our Laurie! (PS- how about a boot-leg shipment frm Drew?

Forgive me for asking this, because I know you've tried them all, but what about the Fresh Step Crystals? I find that to be practically dust free. It's all I use.

But, if that is still too dusty for you, I'd be happy to ship Dr. Foster's to you, if you run out of other options. Just give me a hollah.

hi Laurie,
maybe you can find http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/
or
http://www.swheatscoop.com/
locally? it looks as if they might also be okay for Roy . . . world's best is also made from corn. good luck! i fear the alternatives. . .

The cats didn't like the crystals, I don't know why, they wouldn't tell me. But I put it in the test box and for a whole month not a single feline would use it. Weird, eh?

Oh, by the way. I had a test poop box. That is how ridiculous I am. Hello, I will be wearing my bra on my head later and directing traffic!!! LOL

I just have to note for all the out-of-staters out there, the closest city to Los Angeles is a good 5-7 hours away and depending on traffic it can be a lot like 9 or 10.

Going to Nevada is not the solution here.

If you really need a middle(wo)man to intercept the illegal litter contraband, I'm here for you. Just send an email and let me know, I promise not to dip into the stash.

Oh gosh, I really wish I weren't this pedantic, but I can't stop myself: it's bated breath (unless you are talking about tuna breath, which the cats may find attracting). I'm off to slap myself now.

But Michelle, don't you think BAITed breath is so funny? I think it's funny. Then again, I think fart jokes are funny. heheheh.

Poot.

I am moving to CA next week and would consider bringing some with me, if you can find someplace in the Denver metro area that sells it.

Thank the good lord my parents never read the comments, they'd be like, "She just said poot!" hahahaha

Oh, by the way my folks will be here in like two weeks!!!! I am so excited I could just fall over. I haven't seen my dad in almost two whole years!!

life is nothing without a harmonious pooping surface.
Posts like this are why we love you. Humor through the pain, baby!
I see a road trip in your future...

Too bad about they didn't like the Crystals. Perhaps you could sorta ease them into using them? Mix a small amount in with the Dr. Fosters, and then slowly add more and more until it's 50% Crystals, and then, eventually 100%? Perhaps that could be done in the test poop box. But, perhaps as long as the good stuff is in their real litter box, they might always ignore what's in the test box. If you switched them cold turkey, would they just skip using a box all together? That would not be ideal....

that is exciting! have a great visit with them and be sure they bring a suitcase full of c&f :)

what a dumb rule in ca....

Laurie... when we had my dog (and a big boy TinyMonsters was...the amount of poo he produced was overwhelming and mind boggling) we used to have to clean up the yard every few days otherwise the neighbors complained.

We had this thing called a Doggy Dooley. It was basically a plastic chimmey shaped thing. We had to dig a hole in our backyard and plant this poo chimney on top of it. It had an opening at the top that you could dump the poo into. We had to put an enzyme into the dooley to break down the poo and spray water into occasionally, but it worked pretty good at getting rid of Tiny's "deposits".

and the flowers in the flower garden were plentiful and covered up the fact that we had a doggy dooley hidden in the middle of it.

Is it possible you could use something similar to dispose of your kitty poos? Or would something like that create a huge cache of toxoplasmosis and other toxic wastes and earn you a visit from California's EPA???

This is so freaking funny. Bossy only hopes you have more luck than *her* when she tried to woo her vacuum cleaner company with a sensible product letter that began, "I hate my Oreck."

I see you've already received plenty of advice. I just have to say I'm impressed with our fair state for passing legislation that is good for the environment!

As to corn byproduct litter being "green," your readers should check out the book, The Omnivore's Dillemna by Michael Pollan. We apparently have a whole corn conspiracy going on here. Amazing.

WOW!!!!! I feel your pain and I feel very bad for you and your cute little kitties. I hope you guys are able to come up with some kind of solution.

Your governor is a jackass :)

This pet store is in San Francisco and say they carry the Andersons litter http://www.healthwizeforpets.com/cat_litter.htm#andersons.
Doesn't look like you can order from their site but maybe they can ship within the state without issue? Best of luck, cat litter is very important at our house too.

Does it contain a clumping agent? sodium bentonite is a known carginogen and is commonly added to litters to clump them.
Unclumping is healthier, it means more pickup particularly to remove the urine soaked litter, but it's worth it!
the big question is will your cats use it? like an addicted smoker, some kitties will rather use the floor than go with out their carcinogenic clumping stuff :)

cat

I also think you should just smuggle. It worked during the Prohibition.

Best of luck and if I weren't so sure that it would cost a bloody fortune to get that litter up here, I'd give it a try too. I love having a septic tank. I can have good toilets and flush whatever I want.

Hey, you liked my comment! Yay! I just did another search, eliminating the word "cat" because I've heard from a friend that they make non-animal-specific litters for use on farms that is fantastic and super-cheap to boot. Does this look similar? I would be willing to bet cash money (or even yarn) that it's unscented. http://www.southernagriculture.com/southag/product.asp?dept_id=3010&pf_id=PAAAIAFJOJECLJAP&ad_id=nextag&key_id=PAAAIAFJOJECLJAP&

Good luck! I have a feeling you're going to start getting gifts of "clump & (don't) flush" litter in your PO box soon. . .

Helen

It's all so stupid:

#1: It's the taxoplasmosis that's harming the otters, not the litter -- therefore flushing the litter is not the problem, it's flushing the poop. BUT...

#2: Sewage is treated and not just dumped into the ocean, so the taxoplasmosis eggs should be killed. It's really the poop from outside cats getting into the runoff that goes untreated in the ocean that's the problem.

Therefore, not the litter, but the poo, and only the outdoor cat poop at that. My litter now comes with a warning sticker not to flush it -- try suggesting that to your litter company?

Now I'm going to start looking like crazy stalker blog-reader, but I forgot to mention that the litter I posted about is only $15 for FORTY freaking POUNDS!

That's all.

I just wanted to let you know that I sat here and read ALL of the comments because I HAD to know why CA is against your cat litter. Now I know why and I also know you have a lot of friends. I also know that no one other than you read all the comments, do I win something for that?

I am sorry to hear about the Kitty Litter - it's the annoyances in life that drive you mad, but it sounds like you have lots of suggestions to work around, as needed. I wanted to say I'm so excited for you to get to see your parents :) It sucks not getting to for a year or two, and then it can be an awesome and enjoyable thing :D

You should totally get a Mail Boxes Etc. or UPS box at a station in Nevada, have a few packages shipped to you there, and then make a monthly drive to go get it!

Laurie maybe you can have it shipped to your parents and they can bring it when they come out to visit? But really.. I nominate Drew for being such a smart arse!

Perhaps you can start a litter train, like people do to transport adopted animals.

I'm with the poster who suggested mixing the crystals in with the usual litter and increasing the percentage. But man, those crystals are expensive. Have you tried stuff like "Old Mews" or any newspaper-based litter?

Have you tried Swheat? It's another one of those chi-chi litters - more expensive. However, I believe it's nearly the same thing as clump and flush, but is made with wheat rather than corn. And it is also biodegradable - although can still be thrown out in the trash since the problem in CA seems to be the cat poop ending up in the sea rather than the litter itself. We buy Swheat because it can be flushed - although from the links provided by other people, maybe we should be rethinking our household poop policy. Don't want our local lakes to suffer.

And aren't the people at Doctors F & S nice? They're Wisconsinites- located in Wisconsin Rapids (think Garrison Keillor and Lake Wobegone - where the women are strong, the men are good looking, the children all above average and midwestern niceness passed on genetically). I love them and their catalog!

Drs. F&S really went above and beyond: they were SO nice and professional and helpful and also very perplexed by Crazy California LOL.

And yup, I do read each and every comment!!

This is not apropos of anything resembling kitties, bbut it does rhyme with "kitties" and it has nothing to do with litter, but it will make you "titter." Someone posted this link on Bernie Siegel's website and who knows, maybe someone who reads Aunt Purl might be interested...it's for a good cause...and it's funny and inspiring:

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTbits.html

Faith, thanks for setting folks straight. I kept thinking, "But Arizona and Nevada are really too far to drive from L.A." Of course, this does raise the thought of Mexico. Because Tijuana is closer than Vegas. In the Bay Area it wouldn't be so bad since we can hit Nevada in about three hours.

Laurie, good luck on getting them to throw a label on the packaging. Perhaps when they realize how much you alone spend annually on the stuff, they will give in.

Just jumping in to second (third? fourth?) the Nature's Miracle suggestion. I just bought some in an LA Petco two weeks ago so you can definitely still get it here and it sounded very similar to the stuff you use. I (and the cats) love it!

Good God Almighty that was funny. I am so tired of big government. And big governors. Decisions are made everyday by these big wiggity wigs who have NO IDEA how these decisions affect the general public - whom they have absolutely no contact with because we are, afterall, just peons. Peons. And now you're going to be peed on. The irony of life does NOT elude me.

Whoa! Not ALL cats carry toxo, and besides that, even if it is flushed down a toilet, like our OWN poop, it goes to a treatment plant first. Cats who stay indoors are especially unlikely to have toxo, and the cats who go outdoors in California are most likely going to be coyote food very quickly.

Toxoplasmosis is very hard to pass on. The poo has to be a certain age (like 3 days old) and it has to go directly from poo status to one's mouth. (So don't wash you hands after you scoop the poo and the put your hands right into your mouth.) Sea otters are most likely being affected by the coyotes, racoons, rats, and birds that are pooping directly into the environment, rather than having their poo go thru a sewer treatment plant. (Can you tell I am sick to death of pregnant women who turn their cats into the shelter because they "are pregnant." It is totally preventable). Wash the hands that scoop!

Sorry for the diatribe. Arnold makes me crazy too - and not in the good way. Hope you get your litter somehow, Laurie!

Okay, for those who suggested Barbara Boxer, I wouldn't bother. She's pretty much been bought out by animal rights groups and isn't likely to help make it any easier to own animals. Besides, this law is at the state level, she's working at the federal level right now.

There are many stupid laws passed in this state every year- and many of them are unenforceable. I pretty much keep an eye on the pet and animal laws.

Okay, Laurie, when are you going to get a longhaired cat so you can spin and wear cat hair on purpose?

Poor kitty :)

OMG I am laughing SO hard. I TOTALLY agree with the pooping thing and ya know what, I was sooo into looking into purchasing it as well for my king crapper BUT my son has a rare disorder that causes him to have seizures when exposed to corn protiens (which are EVERYWHERE in EVERYTHING)and that cat liter is made of corn cobs :( waaaahhh....I have been fighting the pooping party for a LONG time now and would LOVE something bio-degradeable...the govenor of California should be ashamed of himself. I bet he has never emptied a liter pan a day in his life!!! Good luck Laurie and keep us posted.

I read all the comments, too!

I'm working on my Ph.D in cat poop now!

That letter you wrote reminds me of a very funny book that I would highly recommend called, Letters From a Nut.

This reminds me of that episode of Seinfeld when they stopped making the Sponge and all the women in NYC were hoarding cases of them. Perhaps if you can find the litter you want you can fill your guest room with cases of the stuff. Sorry... I just had this image in my head. Thought you'd get a kick out of it.

Me A former mom of five cats- now just a one cat woman.

That's so odd. Why would our "Governator" prevent CAT LITTER from entering California? That is basically a ban against.. sand. What is he thinking?

You said you tried all cat litter brands, but have you tried... SAND?! Dun dun dun! We use sand and its completly dust free and.. I dont know.. maybe this sugestion could help =}

That's simply amazing. With just my two cats over here, I am very, very sorry you have to deal with that. And I have given Mr. You-Leave-Me-Alone-Overnight-And-I-Will-Poop-Outside-The-Box a talking to about how good he has it!

I've recently been battling (and losing, sadly) a sick betta fish problem. I spent plenty of dollars on special food and medication for him, and wouldn't you know, several of those were banned in California, too. I always just assumed it was because with all the crazy Lindsay Lohan types out there, y'all don't know how to use your pet supplies properly. Clump n' Flush, Clump n' Feed to the Crackhead Neighbors and/or Adorable Otters.. what's the difference, again?

Problem solved: http://www.citikitty.com/ . I am not sure that I would be keen on this idea. My cats tend to shred the TP if I do not lock the bathroom door. My first vote would be to go the blackmarket route and import it from the helpful folks who post on your blog!

So what are you knitting these days?

I figured all along that you knew it was "bated" breath but that you were making a funny! Also, it is PAINFULLY obvious that most of your fans blithely comment and yak away without bothering to read the previous posts...when you read them all in a string as I just did, some folks look kinda...well, let's just say it is repetitive. Good luck with the litter crisis...may the pooping Gods be with you!

I suggest you rent a U-Haul and smuggle a zillion pound of "Clump & Flush over the Nevada border.

I hope your cats don't have to hold it too long. This post really cracked me up!

If you ever want to visit Oregon you are welcome to stay at my house...just let me know ahead of time and I can order the kitty liter so it will be here waiting for you. :-)

One Trash Day Eve, I had already dumped out my three catboxes when it occurred to me that I hadn't bought cat litter that week. (I don't know why Tidy Cats Crystals Blend, my cats' preference, doesn't come in 55-gallon drums, the way I go through the stuff.) I filled a paper bag with "shred" from the shredder that receives most of my mail -- No, Thank You, I do not need any more credit cards, I haven't worn out the ones I already have, despite my best efforts -- but when I got back to Cat Box Central in the laundry room I discovered a spare bag of cat litter hidden in the corner. So the cat boxes were filled conventionally, but I left the bag of shred leaning next to one of the catboxes. Well, my cat Sterling was THRILLED to discover he could wipe his paws after he pooped by pulling the shred on top of the dirty cat box. Now he has to have his supply of Pawty Wipes available all the time.

I'm just sayin'. You could try shredded paper, which shouldn't have any dust, and see how Public Opinion responds.

Hi Laurie

I use craft wire that has a warning on it which ONLY applies to California. 'Can cause birth defects' - but not in the rest of the world apparently. Give the governor one from me.

I'm sorry, but my first thought was "you've got to be shitting me".

Post the gist of this post on an on-line cat-owner forum and the response (I bet) will be overwhelming. And I especially like the idea of contacting the company to put a "do not flush" sticker on the litter bag. Just how long will those 2 bags last you, anyway? You know we'll be happy to keep you and the kitty posse hooked up. You got people.

Let's hear it for our Actor-Governor, diligently protecting us from, uh, from, the, uh, cat litter.
The absurdity of this, and of the governor himself is staggering. Just staggering.

Let's hear it for our Actor-Governor, diligently protecting us from, uh, from, the, uh, cat litter.
The absurdity of this, and of the governor himself is staggering. Just staggering.

Let's hear it for our Actor-Governor, diligently protecting us from, uh, from, the, uh, cat litter.
The absurdity of this, and of the governor himself is staggering. Just staggering.

Oh geez, I seem to have accidentally posted twice--let's hear it for my techno-skillz too!

See if you can find a brand called 'Tommy's John'. It's the premium brand here in Holland and it's compostable. So, not flushable, but can go into the 'green' bin.

Sorry about your trials. I know how it is with kitty litter.

All I can say is that I didn't vote for him....in either election.

Oh dear Gretchen, we are SO on the same train ... I work in the sheltering business, too. I chose my current gynecologist precisely because he educates his pregnant patients about cats so they can have a healthy and humane cargiver-pet relationship.

This anti-cat-poop foolishness is another brilliant example of legislators not consulting adequately with biologists and parasitologists before they legislate.

Laurie (and others): here is some important information to include in any letters to the Governator or to your representative:

Contrary to popular belief, toxoplasmosis does NOT originate in cats ... but it can be passed through their digestive system. You are far more likely to contract toxoplasmosis from digging in the garden or handling and eating raw meat, but how many doctors are going to tell pregnant women not to cook, eh? Consumption of undercooked meat is the number one means of transmission for the parasite to humans.

Full-time Indoor cats are extremely unlikely to contract the parasite, but it is not impossible --your cat could pick it up from killing, consuming or playing with a wild mouse who got in from outdoors. But this is very rare. Your cat could also get it from undercooked meat (for those who give pets people food).

Toxoplasmosis in otters is most likely caused from wildlife-poop run-off into creeks, streams and other untreated waterways, which end up in the ocean. Raccoons are very effective at transmitting the parasite, along with a whole host of others.

While cats do not originate toxoplasmosis, they vector it very effectively. This would be the case with outside cats, especially ferals (eat infected reodent or bird, pass oocyte into poop). An infected cat can shed oocysts only for a maximum of two weeks after initial infection.

The oocysts (which is how the parasite reproduces) need at least 24 hours to mature. They CAN survive water treatment, as the oocysts are somewhat resistant to chlorine and other disinfectants, so yes, oocytes can get to sea otters from flushed litter from infected cats (typically those allowed outside parttime), even after the water is treated. HEAT is the best way to kill the parasite.

There's your dose of Science Made Easy For Legislators!!! So their oversized heads don't get all hurty when filled with actual facts instead of focus group results!!!

Now, on to the matter of getting that litter shipped to Chez Purl. It is not illegal for a friend to forward it to you. It is also not illegal for you to contact a farm, lab animal or zoological supply company IN Calfornia and see if they carry the big 50 pound sacks of virtually identical stuff used for cage-raised animals -- you already know to ask for the dust-free corncob product from Anderson. It is possible that the identical product may be packaged in a big bag under a different name. Lab-animal supply companies are a good source because dust-conrol is important in research labs.

More conveniently, go to Petsmart or Petco and carefully read labels in the small animal and reptile bedding section. There are a couple of brands of dustless corn-cob litter which are popular with reptile keepers. It might be the same damn thing.

I will keep you in mind at work and see what I can find in the zoo- and kennel-supply catalogs I have.

You might also consider alfalfa pellets if you get in a pinch. Comparable in price to premium litter, low dust, available in huge bags at any feed store, and good for the compost heap. It doesn't clump, but it scoops fairly neatly and the chlorophyll content keeps odor low. It's fantastic litter for turtles, iguanas etc. because they won't get an intestinal impaction if they accidentally ingest it. Also good for guinea pigs. But you do have to change it often.

Laurie, I hope this helps; please email me directly if you need more info. I manage animal shelters, so I am a bona fide poop professional, yes indeed. There is very little about animal poop management that I don't know, and what I don't know, I can find out in about ten seconds.

I had to think about it for a minute .... Anderson's Bed-O-Cobs is the litter that we recommend for guinea pigs and reptiles as well as birds. Most pet stores carry it ... it's cheap, give it a try and see if it's the same thing.

OMG.... I was just looking through the newest Reader's Digest and came across this ad...

Of course I thought of CAP!

http://www.twango.com/media/Bratfink.public/Bratfink.10009

What about mixing the type that the cats like to do their bussines in with another type. And sort of increasing the amount of the second one ever so slightly with time? Start with just 1/8 or so and give your fuss-pots (in the kindest meaning of this word) time to get used to different smell/texture/colour/etc.

I've always wondered why there are products that cause cancer in CA but not in other states apparently, who knew CA was sensitive about kitty litter too!

Seriously, this sounds like the plot for a new Smokey and the Bandit! Where are Burt Reynolds and Jerry Jeff Reed when you need them?

Cat litter is a fickle business. I had to switch my Claudia to a non dusty litter because of allergy problems.. she was coughing something awful from the dust. We tried a ton of them too (and I even had a test box so you're not alone!) before we settled on feline pine. This was after she decided pooping on the floor was an ok surface as well.

Our other cat (Calvin) however, still uses the regular old arm & hammer litter.. And because Jason hates cleaning the box we now own our very own lunar space module.

http://www.litter-robot.com

So Laurie, until you have the pleasure of owning one of these (and I use the term pleasure as loosely as possible) please don't worry about having a test box. Test boxes are normal. Spending a zillion dollars on a space shuttle sized robotic litterbox (so that you don't have to scoop it) is not.

Hi there! Im over in the UK but my cats use a litter which is wood based pellets, its biodegradable and can be flushed down the loo but doesnt do the clumping thing. Perhaps there is something like that you could use?
We used to use a wood based clumping one but it mysteriously vanished from the face of the earth, we harrassed every pet store in our area looking for it.. I think its a conspiracy!

Nevada may be really really far from LA (much farther than any of us easterners realized, apparently!), but is it honestly too far to drive for a harmonious pooping surface? I bet Roy doesn't think so! And his self-appointed protector, Soba - she knows how to drive, you know. And use the internets. Laurie, don't be surprised if your Jeep goes missing for about 18 hours... :)

The lab supply idea is a great one...I was lurking on the Anderson site and I found the info for ordering Bed O'Cob from them and they have a product called LabFresh which is a litter made especially for labs (http://www.bedocobs.com/LabFresh.htm). Here's their ordering info...and I would call/email their customer service person (see below) and have her go over and bitchslap Norm...

To order:
E-mail to: coborders@andersonsinc.com
Phone: 866-234-0505 ext. 6511
Fax: 419-891-6539

Barbara Sample
Customer Service Manager
barb_sample@andersonsinc.com
Ph. 866-234-0505 ext. 6700
Fax 419-891-6539

Hey Laurie,
If you need someone not too far away, I live in Oregon. I'll check around locally for Clump 'n' Flush to see if it's available (so you don't have to do the double postage thing). If you can't find an alternative, we could work something out so I could to ship it to you. Let me know.

I think one of the things you can do is while it's in transit, change the delivery address with UPS. Might avoid double shipping.

I know you said you've tried everything, but just in case you hadn't heart of this:
http://www.swheatscoop.com/
I thought I'd mention it. I have an asthmatic cat who is very sensitive, and it helps him
Good luck!

Hi, Laurie - sorry about the litter problem. I'd ship it to you too if you'd like (I'm in Oregon).

1. Arnold is not responsible. He just signed a bill that had everyone was backing. It seemed harmeless, and the bulk of the bill was to raise money to research more about what is killing otters in order to protect them.
2. Toxo is having a big/negative effect on otters.
3. The law is silly because the real problem in the Morro Bay area (the eara hardest hit) is feral and outdoor cats. However, it is hard to pass a law to say kill the feral cats, and make it illegal to have an outdoor cat. This would have a huge positive effect on otters but would never pass and would make people crazy.

So, they went with the logic, that if waste is disposed of in litterboxes and litterbox waste than goes to landfills the problem will be solved. This is extremely faulty logic. Because:

1. They tested the sewage effluent and no toxo was discovered.
2. Almost no one flushes cat waste. 97% of litter sold is clumping or clay (non-flushable).
3. You cannot have a discussion with your outdoor cat and tell him/her they can only poop in the litterbox. The only way to stop the cats from pooping in the outdoors is not to let them out.

I guarantee that if all ferals were eradicated (not saying we do this just making a point), make it illegal to dump cats, make the fine MASSIVE and, also, make it illegal to have an outdoor cat the toxo problem would be gone-- even if everyone flushed as long as their cat was indoors and fed cat food.