How To: Make your own kitty litter

Hard economic times making it tricky to buy all that cat litter? Now you can make your own using old newspaper and baking soda. It might be a little time consuming but if you have an evening to kill, spend it making some homemade cat litter.

Why buy the stuff when you can whip up a batch out of old newspapers?

You Will Need

* Strips of newspaper
* An empty litter pan
* Warm water
* Dishwashing detergent
* Paper towels
* Baking soda

Step 1: Shred some paper

Rip old newspapers into strips by hand, or put them through a shredder.

Step 2: Make your mixture

Fill a bowl with warm water and add a few squirts of dishwashing liquid.

Use a chemical-free dishwashing liquid to keep your cat's litter box toxin-free.

Step 3: Soak

Soak the strips of newspaper in the soapy mixture for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Rinse

Rinse the paper strips by running them under a faucet or rinsing them in a bowl of plain water. Pat them with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Step 5: Add baking soda

Pour baking soda onto the moist paper strips until they're completely covered; this will help them absorb odor. Mix the baking soda into the paper with your hands so it really gets absorbed.

Step 6: Break it up

Break up the paper into smaller pieces and allow to air dry for several days.

Step 7: Let Kitty enjoy

When it's completely dry, fill a clean litter pan with about two inches of your homemade kitty litter, and let your cat go to town

Cats will stop using their litter boxes if they get too dirty.