Filler for a Dog Bed
 

I have a lot of outdoor material that I got with some other fabric I got off of craigslist and was thinking about making dog beds for our furbabies. I was trying to think of an inexpensive filler (3 large dogs) and for whatever reason, i just thought of kitty litter. It is absorbent and deodorizes and probably 3-4 large bags would fill one bed. Plus every so often, I could empty and replace it. Of course i would contain it in a larger bag inside of the cover.

Has anyone thought of this or done this? Is it a totally dumb idea?
Opinions please?

Thanks!!

I thought of that too, but then changed my mind. The vet suggested cedar shavings, the kind you buy for hamsters, etc. You can buy bulk at a feed store. He said it would help keep the flea population also.

The amount of cat litter you would need for a large dog would be very heavy.

And....when it gets wet (and it will)...it makes a VERY BIG MESS.....I found this out the hard way last winter when someone told me it makes a good "de-icer".....NOT! I would fill it with bits of left over batting cut in small pieces, fabric scraps...anything but cat litter.

I fill an inner bag with the plastic bags and cover that with soft material. Every once in a while you can just fluff them up and they get puffy again. When it gets too flat empty and refill. No shortage on those pesky plastic bags.

I second the cedar shavings.

Kitty litter would be very heavy. It doesn't sound very comfy to sleep on. Also it can get expensive

I had that same experience with cat litter. I used a little on my deck last winter. It did the job, but what a mess! I didn't get rid of it until I had the deck power washed.

I save all my trimmings from quilting and give them to one of my guild members. She gives them to a group that uses them to fill dog and cat beds. They are nice because they are small so don't make big lumps in the beds It is amazing how fast I build up a good amount of trimmings.

But if I were doing it for my own dog, I would probably go with the cedar shavings.

Non-clumping kitty litter is ok for snow and ice, we also use it to soak up oil spills. I use old clothing, scraps, etc., for pet bed filling.

Not only would it be heavy, but it would cost a fortune. Cat litter is not cheap

I asked friends and family to clean out their closets and bring me their old comforters, blankets, and sheets...got enough to make many dog beds! The comforters are already batted and quilted, so it was just a matter of cutting to size, zig zagging edges to prevent fraying, stacking a few, and making a pillowcase type of enclosure for the outside..very fast, and when the outside is worn, just use a new one! I have also found that if I put a few fabric softener sheets in with the comforters, the smell makes it's way onto the dog!

I never had need for kitty litter until I heard it was great to use under car tires if you get stuck. I kept one bag in the car, all the while I worked out, only had to use it once, and it really did work for that!

Kitty litter is good to use under tires when you get stuck in snow. I had a bag in the trunk, all the years I worked out . Only had to use it once, but it did work! Thanks for the tips on dog beds, just got a dog 4 days ago.

cat litter is mainly for one use. in a litter box. I made a draft dodger one year & used litter to give it some weight but guess what the cat did with it. yuk!

Our Guild encourages everyone to save their scraps of fabric and batting and make dog beds. We give them to non-kill shelters. They can be easily washed and shaken out to use again. If they get too lumpy, there are new ones that can be used. We usually have 4 or 5 of various sizes turned in at a meeting. We are a small guild, but we all try to help.

Never thought of litter but a local group collects fabric scraps and stuffs beds for humanitarian org.

I make lots and use up all the odd snippets of fabrics and threads in them, a lovely way to use up in a good way all those unwanted fabrics as well, just cut them up small.

Thanks for all the input. After I posted, it occurred to me that (1) the kitty litter would be way too heavy and (2) the thought of the kitty finding the "new" kitty box was less than appealing. I read somewhere (maybe here) that old pillows make good filler. I may go that route.
Thanks again!!

I also think cat litter would be too heavy, and dusty. I don't know about cedar shavings for dogs either. I've read that it messes up their sense of smell. I might go with plain old polyester stuffing or scraps of batting.