Hello, I have never taken the time to post before, but I have been receiving the list for a few years now. My name is Erin and I am owned by one small, adorable ferret named Burner. I am responding to Michelle's post on dumping pellet litter in the backyard. I dumped Burner's litter in the backyard of my mother's house when I visited a few summers ago. She had some problems with mice in the backyard and the scent from my ferret's litter scared them off. I use Harmony cat litter which is made from plant compost and it didn't make a mess of the yard at all. It breaks up easily and didn't cause any problems for the plants. It looks a little odd to have pellets in the yard, but water will dissolve it easily. There are several pet dogs and cats and other animals near my mother's house, too such as raccoons, possums, coyotes, etc. None of them snooped around the yard because of Burner's litter, though. I think it is a good idea for you to dump the litter in the backyard rather than just throwing it away. At least the mice won't go near it. :-) Burner, Erin, and Steve [Posted in FML issue 2216]