Back in the day there were not many options for cat parents looking to fill their kitty’s box. Fast forward to today and the litter options are endless! Even better news there are so many natural litters we can choose for our cats!
Yes, so many options but there are some options you want to stay clear from. One of the most popular types of litter on the market is a clay litter. It’s inexpensive and sometimes comes with a strong scent to cover up our kitties’ odors. I used to pet sit for many years and I hated the smell of scented clay litters. As soon as I walked into the customers home I knew what litter they were using. Trust me the scent did not hide the odor and in my personal opinion the scent was worse than the odor it was trying to cover up! Not to mention the heavy perfumes they use are toxic to our cats.
Clay litter clumps great because of an ingredient called Bentonite clay. Bentonite clay is like an expanding cement that can expand 15 to 18 times its original size. Our kitties go in to use the box, some of the litter sticks to their fur so they clean their paws and ingest something that can expand 15 to 18 times its original size, that doesn’t sound like a good thing to me.
A lot of clay litters also have an ingredient in them called silica. When the cats bury their waste the silica is stirred up in the air. Here is the scary part, it’s a known carcinogen when inhaled, YIKES!
The other thing about clay litters is they tend to be extremely dusty. Breathing in clay can cause respiratory issues to our feline friends.
With so many new litter options, it would be a good idea to stay clear of clay litters for many reasons. The good news is there are a lot of great natural cat litters to choose from. Some options are paper, wood, grass, coconut etc. By choosing a more natural form of litter for our cat it will keep them healthier and both you and your cat happier!
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