http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-dangers-of-clumping-cat-litter.html
The Dangers of Clumping Cat Litter
Adapted from Why is Cancer Killing Our Pets? by Deborah Straw (Inner Traditions, 2000).
Clumping cat litters hold great appeal for cat-lovers because they are so convenient. But what many pet-owners don’t realize is that two ingredients in most clumping cat litters have been implicated in diseases and even the deaths of many animals and humans.
Sodium bentonite is often added as a clumping agent to traditional cat litters to create the “scoopable” clay litters on the market. Sodium bentonite acts like an expandable cement, which is why these litters should not be flushed: they swell to 15 to 18 times their dry size and can be used as grouting, sealing, and plugging materials.
Cats often lick themselves after using the litter box, ingesting pieces of the litter. If litter gets inside them, it expands just as it does in the plumbing.
Also, the dust from such litters can coat our cats’ lungs, leading to respiratory problems. The Hennepin Center for Poison Control in Minnesota has reported instances of poisoning in humans from chronic ingestion of sodium bentonite, so just imagine what effect it can have on our kitties!
Quartz silica (sand), the other ingredient in most clumping litters, is a known carcinogen for both humans and household pets when inhaled.
Switch your cat litter to one made from a plant-based material, better for your pet and for the environment. There are many commercially-available products using compacted pine shavings, cedar, newspaper, or corn cobs that make healthier alternatives.
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LINDA G. MAY 24,2008 I HAVE TRIED "ALL OF THEM" EXCEPT "THE CRSTALS".. I HAVE 'ONE "JAPANESE BOB TAIL", WHO IS '7' YEARS OLD. STAYED WITH "PURINA KITTEN FOOD AND NOW STILL WITH THE "SAME BLUE BAG FOOD WITH 'CHICKEN,RICE AND HAIRBALL FORMULA',"WILL SEE" HAIR IN THE 'STOOL'. AND AT TIMES ,"THROW UP WITH THE HAIR INTERTWINED",,*THIS IS "EXCELLENT; FOR NO HAIRBALLS STAY IN "DIGESTIVE TRACT". HER 'WEIGHT' STAYS THE SAME AND "IS "ALL I HAVE"FOR FAMILY! ***ON THE "LITTER",, **MUST AGREE WITH THE PINE PELLETS"!! UNBELIEVIABLE HOW "SO SMALL AMOUNT" CAN "MUSHROOM" INTO SO MUCH!! ^^AND, "IT IS EXCELLENT" TO SPREAD IN **YOUR FLOWER GAREDENS{after you > remove all "STOOL LITTER"
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we have to be even more careful with our pets and it is better to prevent rather than suffer in future.
http://www.litter-kwitter-usa.com/
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After my cat had an allergic reaction to a scented (by mistake), clay-based clumping litter, I have tried different alternatives. Here are my personal observations:
- silica gel products have fine dust which can't be good for lungs, don't control odour much, aren't biodegradable, are rather pricey and end up being tracked every &^%$! where;
- recycled newspaper pellets (e.g. Yesterday's News) though biodegradable, become soggy pulp when wetted ((bleh);
- plant-based clumping litters (e.g. Swheat Scoop or P-pod) work well, are bio-degradable, flushable in *small* quantities (e.g. when scooping out solids) and control odour well. However, I did find them somewhat dusty and likely for my Sascha to track bits around the house;
- compressed pine pellets while perhaps a little harder initially, do break down to a softer sawdust that dries well, control odour well and track outside the box the least of all. Also the least dust generated. For one cat, 1" of pellets will expand to 2-3" after 2 weeks when I replace all with fresh. It's what I'm using now.
Added benefits:
* non-clumping litter: no more stuff cemented to the cat's claws. It's got to be more sanitary.
* non-clay litter: skin of paw pads is no longer dried out & cracked.
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hi. i belive that i lost 1 cat to this problem about 3 weeks ago. a 2nd one of my cats is doing the choking (like a hairball) every few hours, and my 3rd cat has eye irratation. i truely feel it is the scoopable cat litter, and have switched to the recycled newspaper stuff for now (i had it in the home for my rabbit) my cats are STRICTLY ondoors and have always had good health. at this time I have no $$ for the vet, and i doubt the local guys keep up with this information. any sujestions on homapathy things i could do to help my 2 girls? maybe to flush their bodies' systms of this crap?
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does anyone know if the 8 in one clumping cat litter has the sodium bentonite in it?
It is made of ground corn husks.
I am going crazy with the swheet scoop, it is every where in the house, I can't deal with it anymore.
Thanks for any help.
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does anyone know about 8 in one clumping litter made of ground corn husks?
Does it contain sodium bentonite?
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To the person who asked me about the proper
ratio: Swheatscoop litter and Feline Pine
Scoopable...That is just a preferance..BUT
STAY AWAY FROM ALL CLAY LITTERS..
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I thought my cat (almost 13 years old) had that feline herpes virus as he could not breath from nose and eye discharge. after chest x-rays, ct scan, rhinoscoopy ...was told cat has nasal cancer and may only have 30 to 90 days to live. I swithed to feline pine scoop litter and all his symtoms are going away. I pray somehow so will the diagnosis. I wish I knew how bad these non-natural litters were. My allergies also cleared up too after switching!
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Question to Jane Anderson: You mention that you mix the Swheat Scoop and the Feline Pine Scoopable. Is there a ratio to this mix? I'm going to be switching cat litter in my continuing attempt to be eco-friendly. Thanks for your help.
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