# Cat litter ... in wine?



## LeChat (Mar 27, 2014)

Ok, let me lay it out for you.

I was emptying my cat's litter box today and I happened to glance at the box of the stuff. It only contains clay.

Now... Hypothetical question; can you use unscented clay only cat litter (CLEAN ) as makeshift bentonite?

If for no other reason, the 22 pound box is about the same price as a single pound of bentonite...  ::

As anyone tried this before? Would it even work?


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## Runningwolf (Mar 27, 2014)

I wouldn't even give it a second thought, no! Now don't ask me for an explanation because I can't give you a good one, but I wouldn't do it. Sanitation is the first thing that come to mind.


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## Julie (Mar 27, 2014)

I'm with Dan on this, seriously, I feel you are grasping and I apologize cuz I am not trying to hurt your feelings


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## Wiz (Mar 27, 2014)

I just can't bring myself to be as polite as Dan and Julie. Personally, I could just barf at that idea.


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## LeChat (Mar 27, 2014)

Gee Dan, of course you wash your hands before and after handling it. Sanitation shouldn't be a concern!!!! ;-)

Seriously-er, as a thought experiment, can you not even consider using cat litter in your wine?


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## Jericurl (Mar 27, 2014)

I would use clay that I had dug out of the ground myself before I would use anything that had been labeled as cat litter.


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## LeChat (Mar 27, 2014)

Wiz said:


> I just can't bring myself to be as polite as Dan and Julie. Personally, I could just barf at that idea.



Maybe a picture of my cats will help.... 



See they are clean!!


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## Runningwolf (Mar 27, 2014)

You need to post them in the pet threads if you haven't already. Those cats are adorable! 

Maybe the part we didn't understand was the fact you wanted to use the litter for Skeeter Pee.


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## cimbaliw (Mar 27, 2014)

Wow... it seems that the main ingredient of kitty litter may, in fact, be bentonite clay. I found this on the internet therefore it has to be true.

Those cats are darn cute!


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## jwilliamson1001 (Mar 27, 2014)

Good link. If you test this id be happy to see the results.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Mar 28, 2014)

Its not just that its bentonite but HOW its processed and the quality of the clay. You dont need high quality bentonite for your cats to crap in but you do need it to put in your wine to clear it. Also really the cost of a pound of bentonite is nothing compared to the cost of just a single 5 gal batch of wine even if the fruit is free its still the time it takes to do everything. The processing of the raw bentonite is important. If you want cheap fining agents use egg white or even milk. I always hope we help people in this group strive for quality winemaking, after all why go thru the trouble of making it yourself if its not better than what you can buy at a store? WVMJ


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## LeChat (Mar 28, 2014)

Jack, by quality, do you mean chemical composition? 

While it is possible that a different chemical composition would affect the outcome, if it is bentonite, it is bentonite. Once it is in solution (as it should), it won't matter much that the granules were bigger or finer.

You will probably have to stir it a bit more in order to get it to break it up/suspend it.


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## JohnT (Mar 28, 2014)

Finally, 

Someone has discovered the perfect way to clarify Welch's!!!!!!

 

Seriously, Why use kitty litter? Why not just go out and get the bentonite that has been refined for use in wine? If you are not saving any money, then what is the purpose of using kitty litter?


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## DoctorCAD (Mar 28, 2014)

If 2 of my cats ever got that close, there'd be fur and blood and teeth all over the room!


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## grapeman (Mar 28, 2014)

Consider the size of the particles also. Finely ground bentonite is used in wine and it is those fine granules that act with the wine to fine it. Cat litter is mostly larger particles and they will not form a suspension in the wine. A one pound bag of bentonite will probably last you for years. This is one place you don't want to be cheap.


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## Elmer (Mar 28, 2014)

I spend all day trying to keep my puppy out of the cat liter.
Now I have to keep my puppy out of my wine aswell?
I dont have enough hours in the day!!!!!!

But seriously, if you are that desperate for bentonite, skip it and use good, old fashioned time.......


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## WVMountaineerJack (Mar 28, 2014)

Good luck with that. Chemical and physical and even the electrical charge are all important in fining, its an art and science that many people have worked constantly to improve and balance. If you put in too much you can take out to much from the wine, if you dont put in enough it wont work and might even become a problem in itself. I cant possibly see the incentive to find another source of something that is already very cheap and predictable. You might try it, it might work, but while its listed as just bentonite clay you have absolutely no idea what other contaminates are in there, after all its not bee processed for food grade, and it clumps up when you poop on it, doesnt sound like a good idea to use to me, but if you do at least remove the clumps first.

WVMJ



LeChat said:


> Jack, by quality, do you mean chemical composition?
> 
> While it is possible that a different chemical composition would affect the outcome, if it is bentonite, it is bentonite. Once it is in solution (as it should), it won't matter much that the granules were bigger or finer.
> 
> You will probably have to stir it a bit more in order to get it to break it up/suspend it.


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## LeChat (Mar 28, 2014)

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I am curious by nature and I was merely having a thought experiment. I have no intentions (at least not yet!) to use cat litter to clarify the wine.

I agree with Jack's point that it has not been processed for human consumption and could potentially contain contaminants that could make people sick. Because of that alone, I will likely not try it. But I don't make any promises!!!!

If I do try anything, I will name the wine something obvious. Maybe don't try any wine called "Felis Mauris" or something of that nature


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## GaDawg (Mar 28, 2014)

Are you going to use it before or after the cat


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## Winenoob66 (Mar 28, 2014)

lol I am just wondering if anyone is gonna get brave enough to try it in their wine.


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## jwilliamson1001 (Mar 29, 2014)

Winenoob66 said:


> lol I am just wondering if anyone is gonna get brave enough to try it in their wine.



Maybe on a control sample.


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## jason.turner2 (Mar 16, 2020)

I’m doing it now... Will let you know if it tastes like or not in the near figure. The cheap cat litter in the Dollar Store is pure bentonite clay. Throw it in a blender and let her rip tater chip!!!


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## Scooter68 (Mar 17, 2020)

Well have a look at the ingredients in the better canned cat foods and hey, they sound good, but; unless there is some sort of apocalypse I'm not trying it.

In junior high a student mentioned that he like milkbone dog biscuits. Teacher let him bring some in and many of us tried one bite. Ash is/was part of the ingredients and that thing was nasty. (That was about 50-60 years ago. Nowadays that teacher would be fired - go figure) 

I'm never in that much of a hurry to use the bentonite so I'll stick with the right stuff. Standards for clumping cat poo material and "food grade" products are a little different to say the least. Buy sunflower seeds for birds and compare to a snack bag of same, a lot of extra 'fiber' in that birdseed.


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## scruff_farrier (Mar 18, 2020)

Fun fact - most if not all, I'm not positive currently. But at one time all canned dog and cat food had to be safe for human consumption. For reason that people will eat it because it's cheap and plentiful. Also for times of food shortages. I actually knew a older lady that her family couldn't get her not to eat canned cat food.


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## flowerlab (May 6, 2020)

LeChat said:


> Maybe a picture of my cats will help....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ah! What cuties! I have an orange cat too.

Don't think clay is used in wine....as a Bentonite clay face mask or french green clay you find in health food stores.


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## Scooter68 (May 6, 2020)

I buy sunflower seed to feed the birds and corn to feed deer, guess I could eat those as well. Just toast the sunflower seeds and grind the corn into cornmeal
.


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## Scooter68 (May 6, 2020)

scruff_farrier said:


> Fun fact - most if not all, I'm not positive currently. But at one time all canned dog and cat food had to be safe for human consumption. For reason that people will eat it because it's cheap and plentiful. Also for times of food shortages. I actually knew a older lady that her family couldn't get her not to eat canned cat food.


Old family story. An uncle came home drunk one night hungry. Next morning he commented about how good that canned hash in the fridge tasted. His mother and siister looked at each other and said nothing. There was no canned hash in the fridge, but the dog only ate half his can of food the day before. (Uncle also known for BAD. Temper so he was never told.)


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## Rice_Guy (May 7, 2020)

scooter i am learning to appreciate your humor.


Scooter68 said:


> In junior high a student mentioned that he like milkbone dog biscuits. Teacher let him bring some in and many of us tried one bite. Ash is/was part of the ingredients and that thing was nasty. (That was about 50-60 years ago. . . . .
> An uncle came home drunk . . .


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