Cat litter health connections are essential to the health of your cat.
There are several considerations that can negatively impact your cat's health:
* Dust - many litters have dust that can be inhaled potentially setting off conditions such as asthma.
* Clumping Action - Litters that clump provide easier cleaning of urine than those that do not. The exception is litter for kittens. Young cats are tempted to eat their own feces and litter. Clumps provide an attractive target to taste vs. non-clumping which keeps the urine invisible. The obvious downside of litter that doesn't clump is that to clean the litter you will need to replace all of it.
* Scent/Perfume/Odor/Chemical/Dye Free- Cats are very sensitive to smell. While scented litter may help you as an owner mask smells such as "cat smell" or urine, the odor may be irritating to your cat. Also, too much scent may cause your cat to avoid using the litter box.
* Environmental Safety - Not every litter is all natural, biodegradable or flushable. Clay litter is all natural from clay mines, but it is not biodegradable or flushable. Other litter types are more environmentally friendly such as those made out of corn, wheat and newspaper. Only buy cat litter brands that indicate what it is made from.
Cat Litter Health - Frequency of Changing Litter
You should scoop your cat’s litter box every day to maintain good cat litter health. Some people recommend changing the litter every week, but with clumping cat litter, that may not be necessary. As long as you keep the litter deep enough and scoop it every day, it should stay fresh longer than one week. Just change it when it no longer appears fresh or when the box itself seems soiled.
When scooping the litter box, be careful not to break apart the clumps. You want to be able to remove all of the urine from the box. Otherwise, bacteria can grow in the litter box, and odor may also become a problem.
Keep the litter deep enough that waste does not stick to the bottom of the box - about 3 to 4 inches deep. If waste sticks to the bottom of the box, you'll break the clumps apart scraping it off. You’ll also have trouble getting it all off, and end up needing to empty the box more often in order to clean it.
Litter Selection and Surgery
One time when you should not use clumping litter is when your cat has had surgery on her feet, such as when she has been declawed. The small particles can get into the surgical incisions and cause infections. Instead, you should litter made of pellets, such as that made of pine or recycled newspaper. When using this type of litter, you should change the box daily.
Litter Types and Cat Litter Health
Breathing in litter dust can be unhealthy for humans and cats alike. You may find that some brands are less dusty than others, however, so if you notice a difference, go with the less dusty ones.
Clay Cat Litter
If you prefer clay litter we suggest trying Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra which has low levels of dust. Look for labels that say 99% dust free.
Research has shown that cats that have inhaled clay dust get respiratory disease 6x more than healthy cats. The material in clay that causes the problem is called crystalline silica, an element that is present in all clay.
Plant Cat Litter (Wheat, Corn)
A good alternative to clay litter for cat litter health is litter made from plants such as the wheat based
Swheat Scoop Natural Wheat Litter or the corn based
World's Best Cat Litter Original Formula. Corn is preferable since it is made from recycled corn husks and is highly absorbent.
Silica Gel
New to market are litters made from Silica gel. It is manufactured using
silica dioxide sand, oxygen and water. The gel is highly absorbent. Be sure to try types that are unscented, nontoxic, bacteria resistant and flushable.
Other litter types include newspaper, pine and cedar. While all are worth trying, the pine may have a scent which bothers your cat.
Cat Litter and Human Health
Pregnant women are often told not to handle cat litter due to the cat litter health risk of Toxoplasmosis that may have been carried by your cat. This is caused by a parasite that if contracted by the mother could cause significant harm to the fetus including neurological problems, physical problems,retardation, epilepsy, brain atrophy, and blindness. This is a real risk that should be avoided if possible. Treatment of pregnant women is with antibiotics.
Cats that are infected with toxoplasmosis usually do not show any symptoms. If you see symptoms they include lethargic behavior, breathing problems, fever and weight loss (anorexia). Other symptoms include convulsions, restlessness, teeth grinding, personality changes, change in sounds your cat makes, coordination problems, trembling and circling and red and/or cloudy eyes.
Refusal to Use the Litter Box
If your cat stops using the litter box, you should take her to the vet to make sure there are no medical problems causing her behavior, but you should also make sure her litter box is being properly maintained. Cats will avoid a dirty box.
Also if changing brands of litter do so gradually, by mixing the current and new brand together at first. Gradually change the mix until you are only using the new litter.
Sources:
The Litter Box From Your Cat’s Point of View
Lisa A. Pierson, DVM
Worldwise
Center for Food Security & Public Health
Iowa State University
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