The Trouble with Kitty Litter: What is Safe and What is Not?

The more indoor cats you have the more important cat litter becomes.

Finding just the right cat litter brands can be one of the most difficult trials to deal with when owning a cat. And you’ll need to conduct your own test before finally settling on one brand. But there is more to the cat litter question than just what works for you. There is a question of health, not only for you but your cats.

Silicosis and the cat box connection?

When I conducted research on the Dust Bowl for an upcoming book on Route 66, I came across an interesting item. It was a disease that I had never heard of before called Silicosis. Silicosis is caused by the constant inhalation of tiny particles of silica. These particles then embed themselves into the lungs clogging up the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The particles are so small the lungs can not clear themselves out by creating mucous or coughing. In other words, silica dust particles gum up the lungs. The lungs then become congested, filling with fluid, and eventually producing fibrosis and inflammation. The final result is chronic lung problems such as bronchitis (note, any disease ending in “itis” denotes that it is an inflammatory illness), asthma, and lung tumors.

It’s not just harmless dust….

When you pour clay litter (clumping or regular) into a litter pan a puff of dust floats up towards you and streams throughout the room. You are inhaling these particles directly through your nose. The residual litter dust is inhaled indirectly as it travels throughout the room and around your home. However, your cat is under constant exposure to silica dust since each time he uses the box he inhales these particles directly into his lungs. Plus he is also inhaling the indirect dust floating in the home atmosphere.

Clay is a mineral that is very difficult for the body to eliminate. Exposure to clay dust puts people and animals at risk for such diseases called “Farmer’s Lung” and Mesothelioma Lung Cancer. The research is very clear that cats who are already suffering from lung problems have difficulty clearing clay dust from their lungs. It is the clay litter alone that causes these lung problems. Please click on this link for a full report (including images) of this disease: http://www.securepet.biz/wordpress/study-on-silica-dust-in-cats

As responsible pet owners and health conscious people we need to think twice about bringing any clay litter into our homes. Let’s not expose our cats and families to this potential hazard.

The natural alternatives to clay litter are growing.

The alternatives are a natural litter made from wheat, corn or paper. The only clumping ones are made from wheat and corn. These materials are safe for cats of all ages. They are free from perfumes and dyes. And they are safe for the environment. Below you will find a sampling of various clumping products—alternative and traditional clay—along with my personal test results.