Is Some Cat Litter Dangerous To Your Cats Health?
By villageanne
@villageanne (8553)
United States
February 28, 2007 9:24pm CST
I love my cat. She is just like part of the family. She seems to sense my moods and adjusts hers accordinging. When I am sick, she will lay in bed with me and not get up except to eat or use the litter box.
I use clumping cat liter because it is so much easier to keep the litter box clean with it.I would never use anything that would harm my cat but I just found out that I may be doing just that.
I was shocked, to say the least to find out this information.
Evidently there are two ingredients in most clumping cat litters that have been implicated in diseases and even the deaths of many animals and humans.
Sodium bentonite is often added as a clumping agent. Sodium bentonite acts like an expandable cement, which is why these litters should not be flushed: they swell to fifteen to eighteen times their dry size and can be used as grouting, sealing, and plugging materials
Cats often lick themselves after using the litter box, ingesting pieces of the litter. If litter gets inside them, it expands just as it does in the plumbing.
Also, the dust from such litters can coat our cats’ lungs, leading to respiratory problems. The Hennepin Center for Poison Control in Minnesota has reported instances of poisoning in humans from chronic ingestion of sodium bentonite, so just imagine what effect it can have on our kitties!
Quartz silica (sand), the other ingredient in most clumping litters, is a known carcinogen for both humans and household pets when inhaled.
Have you heard of this before? I had no idea.
This information was taken from Why is cancer killing our pets by Deborah Straw
5 people like this
19 responses
@FictionWriter (24)
• United States
1 Mar 07
hey villageanne
i am an experience pet care pro- and i can tell you that i have never heard of this claims but on the other hand with the new techs- today we are more informed. i would think that if there were any long or short term harm in these products with the way our world is today the company's would ither be sued or forced to fix the problem, by the way i have two cats and two dogs. But one thing i have found is going with the natural flushable clumping litter. and i have been using it for a month now and have noticed a lower smell and two happier cats. Maybe they are just being their usual cat skitzooos-but they do seem to like it better and it's not DUSTY!!!
2 people like this
@gardengrrl (1445)
• United States
1 Mar 07
natural, flushable, clumping litter? wow! What's it called, I would love to try it!
1 person likes this
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
5 Dec 10
Might be talking about "World's Best Cat Litter" It's made from corn (maize) and it is both flushable and biodegradable being made of an organic materiel. It is more expensive than other litters, but it clumps really well, and there is no soak through of urine to the bottom of the tray like you get with some other litters. Odor control is also very good. I have been using it now for several years and I'd not use another type of litter now.
@JennyLeah (190)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I had heard about the potential dangers of cats ingesting clumping litter, but I was under the impression it was more of a risk with kittens (or the first year of life).
There are alternatives to clumping (and even clay) litter that I'm sure are both more environmentally friendly and safer to our furkids. My partner and I tried a run with a cob clumping litter, but were unimpressed. As un earth-friendly as it is, I prefer Tidy Cats Scoop with Crystals. It's less dusty than most, the crystals really work for odor control, and dangerous or not, you just can't beat the clumping factor.
@Jshean20 (14348)
• Canada
1 Mar 07
Well clearly you love your cat to peices and I think it's sweet that your concerned about which cat littler that she uses, more owners should be so concerned. I have to admit, that I had no idea that cat litter could cause such conditions in cats; I'm surprised the vet didn't inform me about this! The only time we switched up our cat litter was after the cats were declawed (believe me I didn't want to do that but I was living with my parents at the time and they were renting a place that wouldn't take the cat unless they were declawed)and the vet said that paper cat litter would be better for them for a few weeks. During that time we used a paper cat litter called "Yesterday's News" and while it is more expensive it's easier to clean and also would be better for your cats health.
2 people like this
@MakDomMom (1474)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I was not aware of this! Thank you for posting this information. I have passed the info along to my parents who use clumpable litter for their cat. WE use the regular stuff that you need to throw away since it is easier on our budget right now. Thanks again!
@dfinster (3528)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I have always used the clumping type of litter for my cat too. I had no idea about any of the things that you put in your post. That's really scary to find out. I love my dog and cat like they were my own kids and would never want to do anything to cause them harm. That's shocking! I'll definately be switching to the old type of litter and be happy to take the extra time to keep his box clean.
2 people like this
@mossjanicelynn (1240)
• United States
1 Mar 07
That is very good information. I had no idea. I have only used Tidy Cat or the other less expensive litter. Thank You very much.
2 people like this
@clownfish (3269)
• United States
1 Mar 07
Wow! I had absolutely no idea! My cat has cancer, too! He's doing very well, though, and he's going to a new vet that he just loves! :-) My hubby can't tolerate a lot of litters, either. The dust from them makes him feel like he can't breathe. Guess I'll start looking into natural litters. I don't want to make my poor kitty's situation any worse. He's my baby and he can't ever leave me! :-)
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I have read a lot of bad things about litters. I use only real pine, and there is nothing to fear with that. Plus, no urine odor at all. No tracking problems either, and my cats are healthy. I love them, and they are my furry babies, and treated as such too.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
1 Mar 07
Yes I heard that and I also heard that scented cat litter also can be dangerous to a cat's health. I have two cats that are allergic some cat litters, there eyes water when that happens, and one of my cats sneezes like crazy.
2 people like this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
1 Mar 07
You are full of good questions (discussions) today. I have only 1 cat and I have always used clumping litter. I've got a great nose so anytime the cat goes- I get it right out of there-- I really just can't stand the smell.. I haven't ever heard of this before- I wonder why the litter people would use something that is not safe for our kitties.?? This puzzles me...
Another thing I will be checking into-
My cat also cleans himself after using the box.. and I too find pieces of it on the hardwood floor at times.. I vacuum the floors daily- Cat hair -- I'm allergic to cats but I live in the country so I'd rather sneeze a few times instead of having mice. : )
Thanks for the info. I'm going to do some checking!
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
1 Mar 07
Oh dear. I too, use the clumping cat litter. I had no idea? Yes, my cat does lick a lot, especially after being in his box. I also find little pieces of the litter around the house where it has caught in his pads and eventually fallen off. I will definitely be doing some more reading on this subject. Thanks for the heads up!
2 people like this
@bkfuels (1603)
• Canada
1 Mar 07
I have never heard of this before . I also use the clumping litter. I have seven cats and eight litter boxes in my house. I have always used this and my cats a very healthy one of them is 13 years old. I appreciate the information but I do not think it will change what I am using I have never seen any negative effect with my cats.
2 people like this
@Denmarkguy (1845)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I had never heard of this before reading your post. That said, my vet said that clumping type cat litter could be somewhat dusty, and might cause mild allergies in my cats (I have four cats). She suggested that a large part of the problem could be dealt with by having a fairly rough mat under the litter box, so the cats' feet are almost "brushed off" when they leave the box.
I have a 4-foot by 6-foot woven front door mat under the cat box, and it does seem to keep dust and excess dirt from being carried off, making it less likely that the cats is ingesting more than trace amounts when they are cleaning. However, what you've said here is worrisome, so I guess I have some research to do!
Thanks for posting this!
1 person likes this
@silvermoonmyst (943)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I have read about the clumping cat litter issues, But i do think that it is if the cat eats the clumps not a few grains, i could be wrong. In any event ive never had an issue with an animal and clumping cat litter.
There are natural products that you can use if you are worried about it. You can use sand, or soil in the litter pan. Shredded newspaper, or chicken feed have all been reccomended to me by various places and vets. There is a litter called feline Pine that is supposed to be really nice although very expensive, it turns to a dust like product that falls down to the bottom of the pan when used. I havent used it myself, so i could be wrong.Baking soda in the pan helps with oders.
Anyway its really interesting to read about the litter.
2 people like this
@brendalee (6082)
• United States
1 Mar 07
I have never heard that but it is good to know. I often thought about getting those clumping cat litter but it was always so much more expensive than the regular kind. I'm glad now that I never did get it. I have many cats so I go through a lot of litter. I just buy the cheap stuff and add baking soda on the bottom of the pan. It seems to work pretty good. Thanks for this info.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
2 Mar 07
I had no idea. I have always used cat litter inside.
The current litter is a kind of gravel. I must check it out.
Thabnks for this useful information.
