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 stunning that the annual world gross sales of cat litter is sort of $1 billion. It is huge business, and with the arrival of extra eco-friendly litter supplies competing with clay, it is going to get larger. Attempting to find out the very best cat litter on your cat could be a daunting mission. Simply standing within the litter isle will be overwhelming to a brand new cat dad or mum, in addition to cat homeowners which are simply in search of a substitute for 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 acquainted with some widespread litter sorts and supplies, and look at the issues that cat mother and father have relating to its use and security.

Previous to 1950, most domesticated cats used the good outdoor 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 flooring. It was for that motive that in 1947, a lady pissed off with the untidy tracks of her cat, approached her neighbor Ed Lowe to inquire a couple of extra penetrable kind of sand. Lowes’ household owned an organization that offered industrial absorbents, so Lowe knew a factor or two in regards to the absorbency of varied pure supplies. He really useful to his neighbor that she use clay due to its excessive absorbency, and since it is bigger grain measurement would reduce the monitoring. The clay was a success! 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 made out of 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 lowering odor. A lot of clay litters include components which provide further odor management. Since conventional clay is non-clumping, the cat urine ultimately mixes into the clay requiring extra frequent cleaning.

Clumping clay litteris made out of bentonite clay, which tends to clump collectively when moist. As a result of clumping property, the urine will clump right into a ball reasonably 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 switch the litter as continuously utilizing much less over time.

Clay issues– There are some issues relating to doable well being hazards of utilizing clumping litter. A typical 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 is suggested that kittens not use clumping litter. Nevertheless, there are quite a few tales on the web from homeowners who report that their adult cats, in addition to kittens, have developed points akin to intestinal blockages and respiratory issues, as a result of mud, when utilizing clumping litter.

Silica Gel Litter

Produced from silica dioxide, silica gel litter – often known as crystal litter – is a extra widespread various to clay litters. The granules include tiny pores that may take in as much as forty instances their weight in moisture. Nevertheless, 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 mother and father 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 mother and father, however some cats discover the granules arduous and uncomfortable on their paws 고양이분양.

Biodegradable Litter

Till the early 1990’s, the litter resolution was a comparatively straightforward one: clumping, or non-clumping clay. The barrage of other litters has been steadily streaming onto cabinets for nearly 20 years, and due to the eco-friendly mindset of America, there was a surge of biodegradable litters throughout the final decade. Biodegradable litters are made out of 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 made out of an enormous array of supplies together with wheat grass, oat hulls, processed orange peel, cedar chips, pine sawdust; the record goes on. Whereas typically considered 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 components for buying the right cat litter. Cats have a fame for being finicky; due to this fact you’ll have to strive a number of manufacturers or supplies earlier than discovering the very 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. Discuss 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 info in hand will can help you make an informed resolution that may meet your wants and extra importantly these of your cat.