Cat litter is cat litter, proper? If solely it have been that straightforward. With virtually 90 million cats residing within the US alone, it is not shocking that the annual international gross sales of cat litter is sort of $1 billion. It is massive business, and with the arrival of extra eco-friendly litter supplies competing with clay, it’ll get larger. Making an attempt to find out one of the best cat litter on your cat generally is a daunting mission. Simply standing within the litter isle will be overwhelming to a brand new cat mother or father, in addition to cat homeowners which might be simply searching for an alternative choice to their present litter. There are such a lot of questions, so many manufacturers and so many guarantees. Let’s have a look again at how cat litter was found, get conversant in some frequent litter sorts and supplies, and look at the considerations that cat dad and mom have relating to its use and security.
Previous to 1950, most domesticated cats used the nice open air as their litter box. The housecats of the day have been handled to a box of sand or hearth ashes. Simply think about the mess that sooty, sandy paw prints would make throughout a freshly mopped ground. It was for that purpose that in 1947, a girl pissed off with the untidy tracks of her cat, approached her neighbor Ed Lowe to inquire a few extra penetrable kind of sand. Lowes’ household owned an organization that bought industrial absorbents, so Lowe knew a factor or two in regards to the absorbency of varied pure supplies. He beneficial to his neighbor that she use clay due to its excessive absorbency, and since it is bigger grain dimension would reduce the monitoring. The clay was successful! Realizing the potential of his discovering, Lowe started packing the clay in brown paper bags, scribbling “Kitty Litter” throughout the entrance and promoting it to native grocery shops. And sure, for lack of a greater phrase, the remainder is historical past.
Clay Litter
Non-clumping clay litteris constructed from pure clay, consisting of the minerals zeolite, diatomite, and sepiolate, and dried into tiny pellets or granules. Clay supplies are extremely absorbent, drawing the cat urine to the underside of the litter box, thus decreasing odor. Quite a lot of clay litters comprise components which provide further odor management. Since conventional clay is non-clumping, the cat urine finally mixes into the clay requiring extra frequent cleaning.
Clumping clay litteris constructed from bentonite clay, which tends to clump collectively when moist. Because of the clumping property, the urine will clump right into a ball fairly than seep all through the litter, making scooping a lot simpler. Whereas clumping litter is a bit more costly than non-clumping, you typically do not have to interchange the litter as incessantly utilizing much less over time.
Clay considerations– There are some considerations relating to doable well being hazards of utilizing clumping litter. A standard concern is that kittens, which usually ingest litter when they’re very younger, can develop an intestinal blockage, as a result of swelling properties of sodium bentonite clay when it turns into moist. Subsequently it’s endorsed that kittens not use clumping litter. Nonetheless, there are quite a few tales on the web from homeowners who report that their adult cats, in addition to kittens, have developed points equivalent to intestinal blockages and respiratory issues, as a result of mud, when utilizing clumping litter.
Silica Gel Litter
Constructed from silica dioxide, silica gel litter – often known as crystal litter – is a extra frequent different to clay litters. The granules encompass tiny pores that may take in as much as forty instances their weight in moisture. Nonetheless, as soon as the granules have reached most saturation, urine will start to pool within the backside of the litter box. Whereas the mud related to silica litter is much less evident than that in clay litter, it’s nonetheless a priority for some cat dad and mom who fear about respiratory diseases ensuing from repeated publicity. Nonetheless, due to its excessive absorbency and good odor management, crystal litter is a favourite amongst many cat dad and mom, however some cats discover the granules onerous and uncomfortable on their paws 평택고양이분양.
Biodegradable Litter
Till the early 1990’s, the litter resolution was a comparatively straightforward one: clumping, or non-clumping clay. The barrage of different litters has been steadily streaming onto cabinets for nearly 20 years, and because of the eco-friendly mindset of America, there was a surge of biodegradable litters throughout the final decade. Biodegradable litters are constructed from quite a lot of plant assets, and since they utterly break down within the land fields they’re thought of environmentally pleasant. Though these litters price greater than conventional clay litter, they have an inclination to last more and most of them are flushable. Biodegradable litters are constructed from an unlimited array of supplies together with wheat grass, oat hulls, processed orange peel, cedar chips, pine sawdust; the checklist goes on. Whereas typically regarded as safer than clay or silica primarily based litters, the bizarre supplies will be off-putting to some cats, and a few cat homeowners discover that the odor management is missing.
So How Do I Resolve?
The reality is, there isn’t any definitive system for buying the proper cat litter. Cats have a status for being finicky; due to this fact you might have to attempt a couple of manufacturers or supplies earlier than discovering one of the best match for you and your cat. Earlier than heading off to the pet retailer, take a while and analysis litter on-line, together with visiting producers’ web sites. Search for unbiased buyer critiques, normally discovered on cat associated blogs and boards. Speak together with your veterinarian about doable well being results that he/she might have seen because of a particular kind of litter. Approaching the litter isle with some data in hand will can help you make an informed resolution that may meet your wants and extra importantly these of your cat.