Tomorrow's News?

Interesting tidbit in my e-mail the other day, from our local bokashi retailer(!). Microbial Earth sends out periodic newsletters, not yet archived on the web site though I'm sure they shall be; for now, I hope no one will object if I just quote the relevant bit.

As this is, really, relevant to my situation and something I should very much like to try. Except that I kind of can't. The household feline has definite preferences in litter: sand, preferably raked in swirls.

Okay, so I'm not sure about that last part, but clean sand is completely irresistible to her, and plant-based litters utterly unacceptable. When she first came to me, we went through several different litters before finding one she found at all tolerable, and it took still longer to determine which sort she would use in preference to the area's informal bike paths where the grass is worn away. Small-grained clumpable litter is all that receives her, so to speak, her seal of approval, and the sharper the better.

Not the crystal litter. Not the attractively compostable corn-based stuff, not the newspaper litter that can be purchased or made at home. And not wheat bran. Nor even a mixture of sandy bits and something else. But for those felines who will use a bran litter:

One of the fascinating developments we have discovered at the farmer's markets is the use of the effective microbes in kitty litter. Since October, Microbial Earth clients have been using the solid form of the microbes (bokashi translates as fermented bran in Japanese) by applying 2 cups of bokashi to their cat litter boxes. This means that you don't have to buy new litter as frequently, and have less work every year due to the reduced number of changes, as well as expense.

EVEN BETTER!

Use 100% bokashi for your kitty litter and you can compost all of it in your yard, just like the bokashi food wastes.

Bokashi can be used in a litter box instead of other litters for cats to control odors from urine and feces. The most common litter on the market is made of clay and is almost always thrown in a landfill. Instead of landfilling, put the litter to good use as a fertilizer for your ornamental plants, trees and flower beds. Talk about a great way to recycle and save money!

Hmm. A bit more than a year ago, there was a kid who managed a worm-based kitty waste disposal set-up. I wonder how hard it'd be to convert a couple of those silly sieve-and-tray litter boxes into a wormery? But of course, someone else is going to have to do this one. I may be slightly obsessed with bokashi, but there's no way I'm borrowing a cat!

The household feline would not permit it.

Still...

DSF

{image from wheatmontana.com, a site I tripped over while searching for average bulk wheat bran prices}